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Nats Ride Four-Run 1st To 7-5 Win

Washington scored four times in the 1st and withstood a pair of late rallies by Houston to win, 7-5. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer was dinged for a solo HR but gave up just three hits total in his five innings of work to earn the win. He struck out six and walked none.

With the 25-man candidates playing longer, the Nats gave most of the veterAAAAn reserves time off the bench in preparation for the second and final split-squad doubleheader tomorrow. Just three watchlist players appeared in this afternoon’s game:

  • Cutter Dykstra, who was 0-for-2 with a strikeout while playing 2B in place of Dan Uggla
  • Sandy Leon singled twice in two ABs while subbing for C Jose Lobaton
  • Matt Skole struck out as a pinch-hitter for Scherzer

As aforementioned, the Nats will host the Marlins while sending a second team to the House of Mouse to visit the Braves. The Viera game will be broadcast locally on 1580 AM while the Orlando contest can be heard on MLB Radio.

9 Commments

  1. I am heartened by the news that the Giants are scouting Tyler Moore. My favorite outcome would be the Nats trading Moore for a very young prospect. He has made that possible with a good spring, but I don’t have much faith in his long-term success. I would rather replace him on the bench with one of the other players we have seen this spring.

    1. With you on this. Blocked players need to get traded to greener pastures. Good news is that Moore should get lots of showcase abs during the rest of the spring.

  2. Sandy Leon is also out of options, and I can’t imagine any scenario in which he makes the 25-man roster. I guess he also is traded for a small return or simply waived at the end of spring training? He could make it through waivers, which I suppose opens another spot on the 40-man roster. It’s too bad. We all like Leon.

    1. It’s hard to see anyone trading for Leon because he’s not ready to be on an MLB roster, even a bad one, and therefore any team picking him up would be in the same no-option spot as the Nats. I do agree that it’s hard to just turn a guy loose who has worked so hard for the organization, though. It’s possible that Leon could pass through waivers and the Nats could re-sign him, but considering how difficult it is to find half-decent catchers, I wouldn’t count on it.

      T-Mo can make a MLB roster and therefore does have some trade value, but you’re probably right that it would be a lower-level prospect. The other teams know the Nats are up against the wall with him, but a team willing to offer a prospect would get dibs over waiting for Moore to go through waivers.

      1. Does Sandy essentially become a MiLB free agent if he passes through waivers with nobody willing to add him to their 40 man?, or do the Nat’s get a chance to assign him to AAA? It looked like they brought in Butler because they assumed he’d be gone, but I can never remember how those rules work.

        1. If they designate Leon for assignment (DFA in typical shorthand), and nobody claims him, he’s outrighted to the minors, where he can be assigned at whatever level they choose… though I can’t remember any instances where such a player didn’t go to AAA.

          1. Thanks! And, if he does get claimed, he still has no options, so the new team still has to keep him on the 25-man (at least until they decide to DFA him).
            So it seems like it is still pretty likely he ends up in Syracuse again to me. (But I guess it still made sense to bring in Butler, just in case he gets claimed.)

    2. Butler and jeroloman could handle Chiefs catching duties ok
      Leon could bring a humble AAÀ fourth OF from another org who
      Hits Righty unless brass like Keyes on Cuse ????

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