Good, Bad, Interesting… 2015 Season Final

53 Commments

1. Most of the interesting developments this year were unwelcome. But among many other tidbits, it is worth noting that of all the speedy legs in the system (most of whom started the year late), the Nats organizational leader in SB was Chris Bostick, with 31.

   Thanks for throwing more logs on, Luke. Keep up the great work.

   1. Ty luke too
      Bostick 31? Hmmmm
      Autumn leaves. Cue the song.
      Autumn hum bug

      1. Imagine if David Masters bat improved to .270 @
         AA???

         1. Imagination only works in the off season. It ends in spring training. The fantasy is an abortion, beyond the prospect of his providing defensive depth.

            1. You mean aboration?? Lol

            2. It is an abortion. Not aberrant at all. But an abortion, be it late term (March) or preterm (no instructional league invite). 🙂

            3. Gg you meant aboration with masters ?
               Lol!
               We should remember that Blevins for den dekker
               Was for clearing bullpen space. Not plugging hole
               Vettleson could not fill.
               For what it’s Werth. Stephen Stills ?

   2. +1
      Thanks Luke. What’s new with your tech staff?
      Inquiring minds want to know.

2. Kerr’s column about Espino and Bleier, both of whom have cheap contracts expiring, gives one additional pause to consider: why not DL Storen to 6o day, DL Zimm (who is done for the year) and bring up both for a start or two. With all of the organizational attrition coming, bargain hunting begins at home.

   1. Kudos to you for another year of great posts, Luke.

      The “good” for bats at Harrisburg must have been pretty awful if the “good” bat was Matt Skole – a 26yo who puts up an OPS of .730 at the AA level is not very impressive.

      1. Syracuse was the only team which had more than two (2) players with OPS’s above the league average and had played more than half a season at the level. Let’s not forget: league average is usually in the neighborhood of a split like .255/.320/.370

         1. Good to know

            1. Syracuse played way up the latter part of the season. With Turner and otherwise questionable talent. So either Tiurner is a huge winner catalyst, which the Nats sorely need among creaky faschiites, or Gardner deserves to be managing where overachievement would be welcome. Like DC!

   2. Agree DG shopping

      1. GG: how about Knorr manager. Henley bench coach
         Gardner 3 b coach ???

         1. I dunno. Shouldn’t a bench coach be a man of established wisdom? Superior managers exist. They have game skills and human resource skills for today’s athletes (getting the most out of players). In an organization that values championship experience, why not bring in someone who has won and won consistently and with young players? I’d be happiest with Ron Washington and even with Jim Leyland or Charlie Manuel. Hell, I’d even bring in Joe Torre.

            1. By the way, that is to manage. And bench coach, as need be. I think Henley is an OG. A bench coach needs to be an assistant manager. Either Knorr gets promoted or gets let go, and the new regime is a track record for champion production and getting wins out of talent and less talent.

            2. Does TED LERNER date back to ATL with
               Torre??? GG ?

3. I saw ross in bullpen. That means Cole getting a start ??

   1. Or Jordan

4. Bring it on. We can learn a lot from folks who actually play like the games matter.

5. At this point, the insistence on not starting Trea Turner only gives credence to the whispers that Turners place on the major league roster is a source of conflict between GM and manager and or ownership.

   1. Resign number 20!!

      1. And Weiters for bench ?? Spell rAmos and ryan

   2. Go to your dictionary and look up clueless, you’ll see a picture of Matt Williams.
      You know your incompetence is well known when they’re ridiculing you during the U.S. Open in tennis.

      1. Lousy mets fans when losing watch tennis.
         Knorr 3

6. GG, Luke and gang : let’s keep this up until
   Winter meetings. Hot stove league might have
   More life than second half pen ???

7. In 2014, Taylor Hill went 11-7 in AAA with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. I really thought the Nats should have traded him to a second-tier team as a back-of-the-rotation MLB starter. Now, they would be hard pressed to get anything for him. Taylor Jordan, however, has very similar numbers for 2015 to what Hill had in ’14. He’s not getting any younger. Give him the Nate Karns flip and get something for him.

   Speaking of the Karns trade, I had high hopes for Vettleson, but his career would appear to be on life support at the moment. The same could be said for all the upper-level guys whom Luke has listed under “Bad.”

   Luke would file this under small sample size, but I would nominate my guy Andrew Lee for Hagerstown’s interesting arm. He was an 11th-round pick as a reliever, earned two promotions, then got the chance to start for five games and posted significantly better Hagerstown starts than Fedde. I don’t mean that as an indictment of Fedde, who is still building back up in a post-TJ year, but praise for Lee, who would be found gold as a legit starter prospect in the 11th round. He cost a little more than the $17K or whatever it was for Lopez, but it would be a similar level of a steal if he pans out.

   As Luke notes, Tyler Mapes had a similar level of success when given a chance to start in Potomac. How envious must other teams be to see the Nats flipping relievers to starters seemingly at will?

   And then there are the starters who got flipped to relievers. Have we seen the last of Johanssen? Should we start to worry that Rivera was an overreach in the 4th round, or just write off his struggles to all the innings on top of the college season?

   1. I also had hopes for Vettleson when he was acquired, only to find myself on many occasions in Harrisburg this season dreading his at-bats. There were times where, if I had been the opposing manager, I’d have intentionally walked the batter in front of Vettleson to get Vettleson to the plate and the sure out.

      I was surprised that Ricky Hague made it to the end of the season. I had him penciled in as an easily released player, gone the moment the Nationals needed a roster spot, much as Sean Nicol and Justin Bloxom were last year.

      1. I was sort of surprised that Hague was back this year at all. The only two things I could see were that there wasn’t much depth in the middle infield in the upper minors (although they then started playing him in the OF), and that they hate to give up on a higher draft pick (3d round). If memory serves, they basically swapped Hague to Syracuse for Cutter, with both to the point where they’re just struggling to hang on. Unfortunately, the Nats have a lot of guys like this populating the AA and AAA rosters, but they can’t completely clean house because they still have to be able to field teams.

         As I always try to note, I don’t wish any of these guys ill, but at some point, both the player and the team have to realize that it’s just not going to happen. I know several are probably drawing inspiration from Clint Robinson finally sticking at age 30, but look at his stats. His MiLB career OPS is .891, with 141 HRs. He had good reasons to keep the faith.

         1. I would imagine KW brass will dumpster
            Dive off other org depth charts for position
            Players. I brought up tyler Austin in yanx
            Chain .
            Anybody else have some ideas???
            Pure outfielders not the Rick hagues with
            Rice pedigree ???

8. KW. Perhaps we can take solace in the fact that
   While Hill and Jordan’s careers are somewhat
   Blowing in the wind ( right , Bob Dylan ?)
   Brass has Simms and Bakus in AFL to polish
   Their skills . Yes, GG, we cannot take lightly
   What Blier, WAlters , Espino and McGregor can add
   To depth possibilities in the wake of typical pitching
   Injuries the last few years

   1. In AZ to polish their skills, or advertise them? Or both? For the DC club, both Simms and Bacus would seem to have better chances in the bullpen than starting, but they might be marketed to other teams as potential starters.

      1. Meh. Like Self and Holland last year. Simms is getting in some more innings of AA caliber work. Kieboom the player of the spotlight, as well as Ward. Though we need to temper expectations of Ward.

         1. You are expecting Ward to repeat potomAc ?

9. KW probably both

   1. GG and luke or whomever : brass still solid behind
      Weston Davis and James Borque just activated
      Off 60 day DL???

10. The list of players coming to instructionals is out and here is the list:Pitchers

    Pedro Avila
    RHP Joan Baez
    LHP Grant Borne
    RHP Ryan Brinley
    LHP Matt Crownover
    RHP Weston Davis
    RHP Robbie Dickey
    RHP Wirkin Estevez
    RHP Erick Fedde
    RHP Lucas Giolito
    RHP Koda Glover
    LHP Taylor Guilbeau
    RHP Cody Gunter
    LHP Taylor Hearn
    RHP Jacob Johansen
    RHP Andrew Lee
    RHP Reynaldo Lopez
    LHP McKenzie Mills
    RHP Ronald Pena
    RHP Wilber Pena
    RHP Tommy Peterson
    RHP Luis Reyes
    LHP Yorlin Reynoso
    RHP Mariano Rivera
    RHP Jefry Rodriguez
    RHP Jeffrey Rosa
    RHP Philips Valdez
    LHP Tyler Watson
    RHP Austen Williams

    Catchers

    Spencer Kieboom
    Raudy Read
    Jakson Reetz
    Matt Reistetter
    Jorge Tillero
    Luis Vilorio

    Infielders

    Osvaldo Perez
    Chris Bostick
    Anderson Franco
    Kelvin Gutierrez
    David Kerian
    Edwin Lora
    Jose Marmolejos
    David Masters
    Bryan Mejia
    Ryan Ripken
    Ian Sagdal
    Max Schrock
    Drew Ward

    Outfielders

    Telmito Agustin
    Rafael Bautista
    Darryl Florentino
    Alec Keller
    Blake Perkins
    Victor Robles
    Juan Soto
    Andrew Stevenson
    Edwin Ventura
    Rhett Wiseman

    1. Ozvaldo Perez??

       1. Johansen in IL quiets some of the
          Crowing on him here.
          Right, Luke?

       2. Abreau?

    2. I get the feeling many of us are eager for hot stove league, the
       Buzz from IL and of course AFL.
       Maybe Tripp Kiester skippers a kid who he recommends
       Picking up in a trade ??
       Chatter creates chatter.
       Nats need to determine RoArk role so his arm doesnt
       Pull a Barrett.
       Max, SS, Gio, Ross, RoArk , Cole ???
       Bullpen? Voth ( 6 th IP guy while Stammen heals),
       – alas- Janssen, Martin , Rivero Thornton, Treinen,
       Papelbon. Is this a year later where Nats GM idea
       Comes into play. Acquire Quackenbush for 7 th
       Or 8 th depending on treinen’s winter ball time??

    3. How will Robbie Dickey rebound ??

11. (Over) readring this list, a few things come to mind about organizational thinking.

    1) Lack of confidence in the GCL outfielders on their roster now. Some big names and high hopes (Mota, Ramirez, Ortiz) faded there. Focusing on getting Ventura and Soto trained up.

    2) Edwin Lora sighting. Dalton Dulin missing (long season and time for rest in a player who is already quite wise to his abilities – “go home and add muscle?”)

    3) Signs of clinging to prospects like the hopes of Santa Claus – Wirkin Estevez, Ronald Pena.

    4) Next imports – Ventura and Jeffrey Rosa – yet no Francys Peguero.

    5) Lots of draft picks from 2015 and 2014. Expected and good. Brinlkey has clearly leapfrogged many draft picks ahead of him in organizational pecking order, including local product Mooney.

    6) Can’t overread abscences (Valerio, Connor Bach, Matt Page, Mario Sanchez), though they are conspicuous, and though injuries (Feliz?) are always worth considering. Still no sign of live from Silvestre, Kylin Turnbull, Benincasa.

    7) Tyler Mapes gets no love 🙂

    1. GG, there is always march pre camp special
       Love camp.
       Mapes may need some rest
       True june 15 lefty haul makes up pitching list
       Soto getting special grooming. Hitting coaches
       Gingrich , Meiija , Suns hitting coach …
       Maybe a couple of these guys trigger deals ??
       What about that Ross bros. Reunion ???
       Lower level camp ???
       GG. Page plays winter ball and pre camp March
       Special kids camp??

    2. Yeah GG where is your man child Gilberto M?
       Brenden Webb may get early March special love .
       Too early to invite Aldrem Corridor to IL??

       1. not enough man, no more child

          1. 6″5″. Should be part Canseco , GG??? Lol

    3. GG all talking points you nailed
       Dulin should look like Santangelo by this time next year
       Maybe another will right Vettleson

    4. On further thought : no page or gardner

12. Without 2015 quintet of LHP from draft, that list would look embarrassing.

    1. Yes. All the more reason to scratch our heads over Bach not being included.

       It amazes me that this organization can find RH arms probably better than any other but struggles mightily to find and develop portsiders.

13. GG opinion 6. True no hmm from three DLd
    Guys. Benincasa might have been called up
    With no injury to his career track ??
    Silvestre XST april 16?

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