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Saturday Smorgasbord

A lot of this has already been discussed in the comments, but for the sake of posterity…

NATS ADD FIVE TO THE 40-MAN AHEAD OF THE RULE 5 DRAFT
• Matt Skole
• Austin Voth
• Rafael Bautista
• Raudy Read
• Jose Marmolejos
Let’s be blunt: the Rule 5 Draft is like the pickings at a singles bar at the end of the night (or so I’m told 😉 ) – it’s a function of attention relative to what else is available. It’s not difficult to break down: They’re all relatively cheap backups to the backups, as were Bostick, Lee, and Kieboom a year ago. I’m always happy to see our guys win this “lottery” because the system otherwise is stacked against them — especially the guys from the D.R.

But let’s not kid ourselves that this is anything more than procedural maneuvering. GM Mike Rizzo just raised the price on five trading chips as the Winter Meetings approach (yeah, I know they’re local this year, but I don’t think I have the guts to go *rimshot!*).

AFL THOUGHTS
Very little that’s been posted in the comments I would disagree with… Andrew Stevenson has raised his stock and scouts have noticed, which makes other folks more tradeable. It’s no secret that the ideal path for Trea Turner is Robin Yount in reverse, but Rizzo appears to be showing folks with the placements of Stevenson and Bautista that he does have CF depth and therefore Victor Robles may be had (albeit along with someone else, no doubt).

Drew Ward had the kind of fall that everybody has been waiting for while Osvaldo Abreu held his own, thought not enough to be protected from next month’s Rule 5. Nick Lee wasn’t re-added, so he’s eligible to be drafted, as is Jake Johansen, whom I suspect the Nats wouldn’t mind terribly if he were taken because it’d take away some of the disappointment that’s almost entirely due to his draft position. Ryan Brinley, who got lit like Kennedy at an open bar at AA, seems to have re-established himself.

IT’S THE BUIES CREEK ASTROS
Those of you on the Twitters have already seen this rant, but for the rest of you: Yesterday, the new, 10th team in the Carolina League was officially introduced — the Buies Creek Astros.

Ultimately, the team will be located in Fayetteville, but for two seasons the Astros affiliate will call tiny (pop. 2,942) Buies Creek, NC its home on the campus of Campbell University.

It’s a boon for the small, private college, which will see its facility upgraded by the Astros and will reportedly collect all revenue generated by the games. And it’s a HUGE MISSED MARKETING OPPORTUNITY.

Why? Well, anything with “Buies Creek” is already a collector’s item. But they could have had fun with that it’s a dry town and (mostly) a dry county and called themselves the Buies Creek Bootleggers. Instead, they chose the least imaginative name and logos.

31 Commments

  1. I thought about trying to go to the Winter Meetings, but what does one actually DO there? Sit in the lobby and go, “Hey, there’s Mike Rizzo?” Walk up to Billy Beane and propose a trade?

    My nomination for the best minor-league team nickname was actually for a hockey team in Georgia: the Macon Whoopee.

    Confirmation that Bryan Harper had TJ surgery and is likely out all next season:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2016/11/18/nats-minor-league-pitcher-bryan-harper-undergoes-tommy-john-surgery/

    That leaves the Nats REALLY thin on lefty relievers in the upper minors. Look for a few free-agent additions along those lines.

    1. KW – I will actually BE at the Winter Meetings–all day on 12/7 anyway. I’m going to be the American Cancer Society representative at MLB’s annual health fair for its employees. So if you do come, please drop by the ACS table. I might volunteer to do 12/8 as well. 🙂

      1. Oops, my bad, I just double-checked amd what I’m repping for is MINOR League Baseball’s annual health fair, which takes place at the same venue. I’ll be there for sure on 12/6 and possibly on 12/7. Either way, I’d love to chat with any of my fellow NP’ers who happen to come to the meetings. 🙂

  2. Glad to see you are fully up and running, Luke, especially after those ominous warning earlier in the week.
    Was that qualifier you put in the first paragraph just in case your wife reads this. 🙂

    Trading Robles would really hurt; you have to think the only trade that would involve him is Chris Sale.
    Presuming they non-tender Revere, the last thing the Nats should do is trade another hitter. All of baseball is short on pitchers and we’re swimming in pitching prospects.

  3. By the way, Campbell is a Baptist college, so they might have to wait until they move off campus to become the Bootleggers!

    1. Nice
      How about the NOLA sweet peas or was that JAX new name … Years since expos with Walker and vanderWal in lineup

      1. The lefty from Giants farm
        Just signed should be @ AA
        Evidenced by the ERA splits
        @ AAÀ/AA.
        And oh by the way , Luke, daily
        Blessing in your healing and
        A shout out for RC Orlan to join LarA in senator double barrel lefty
        Action for LeCroy .
        Joseph . We knew he would end up a Nat someday since he was always outdone in other org depth charts
        Amazing. A pitcher from a great engineer ing. school. Rose Hulman in Indiana !!

        1. What would nats do if Abreau is lost in Rule 5 minor league portion after trading Schrock ?
          David Masters plays SS @ Harrisburg with a return of Reegie Corona ??

          1. I can’t see any MLB team thinking they can carry Abreu for a full season after his feeble hitting in AZ, not to mention his 21 errors at Potomac.

          2. Just noticed that you said the minor-league portion of Rule 5. I make no claim to even come close to understanding the minor-league Rule 5 rules, but I think there are AAA and AA reserve rosters, and I would think that Abreu would be on the AA one.

        2. Hilarious Jeff, again, shouting out Rose Hulman. Indeed, hidden talent at the Ivy of Indiana.

  4. I don’t see Rizzo trading Robles: he’s still a mid-level prospect. If/when he performs well at the AAA level his value will be much increased. It’s also possible he’s potentially Werth’s replacement in 2018. This winter I see Rizzo trading pitching, which he’s very adept at finding.

  5. Robles a ‘mid level’ prospect? Gasp!
    He is step for step on the same level as Harper. It’s amazing how much less hype you get when your English is lousy.
    If they can teach him to swing without getting hit by pitches his ceiling is limitless!

    I agree completely that Rizzo will look to trade pitchers, we have what a lot of teams are desperate for; ready for the show arms.

      3. leaving Trevor Gott to bear the burden of being worth Escobar. Not Rizzo’s best deal.

        The Hawaiian is a slow mover but closed last year and that was his first year at AAA – and closing. Rizzo knows pitchers.

        1. The Escobar deal was partially a salary dump, but I haven’t given up on Gott. He posted some impressive numbers with the Angels at age 22. He had some injury issues in ’16, although I was never clear exactly what.

    1. Wow, they moved Robles to #1 over Giolito and Lopez. Their first five looks OK, but there are some shockers in the second five. I personally wouldn’t have Kieboom ahead of Dunning, but that’s a quibble. I also wouldn’t have Neuse in my top 10, and if Franco is still hanging my list at all, it would only be at #10.

      Hope Luke has time to do the top 10 arms and bats to actually force me to make my own lists.

    2. Thanks Kirkie.
      I don’t think anyone in America still has Stevenson at #9 anymore.
      Lots of love for Juan Soto.

  7. Interesting top ten. No Ward, no Severino, no Glover. And Neuse?
    I’ve decided I’m the biggest Severino fan around. Despite mediocre minor league offensive stats, I still think he will hit at a reasonable level in the majors.

    1. Not to be obnoxious, but I posted here an updated prospect list that had Robles at #1 a month and a half ago, and have been touting Soto as the biggest development of the Nats organization all year.

      And yes, I actually have Stevenson at #9!

      Here’s one man’s top 35…(no Neuse till he shows something)

      Victor Robles
      Rey Lopez
      Koda Glover
      Luke Giolito
      Juan Soto

      Pedro Severino
      Erick Fedde
      Wilmer Difo
      Andrew Stevenson
      Drew Ward

      Rafael Bautista
      A.J. Cole
      Pedro Avila
      Brian Goodwin
      Jose Marmelos

      Austin Voth
      Tyler Mapes
      Kelvin Gutierrez
      Tyler Watson
      Anderson Franco

      Telmito Agustin
      Weston Davis
      Carter Kieboom
      Yonathan Ramirez
      Matt Grace

      John Simms
      Stephen Fuentes
      Dane Dunning
      Hector Silvestre
      Jakson Reetz

      Joan Baez
      Ian Sagdal
      McKenzie Mills
      Osvaldo Abreu
      Ryan Brinley

      2. Good list. Top ten looks reasonable. After that… Grace and Simms over Dunning? Neither of the new Dominican SS?

        1. Dunning – five starts at short season for a college product does not a man demonstrate his professional ceiling….

          Simms – keeps getting it done and proving he should move up

          Grace – knocking on the door with the real prospect that his skills can play at ML. Were he to have been fully healthy, would rank higher.

          Dominican bonus babies – have proven nothing. Better even to rank Elvis, because at least he earned a GCL placement. But no, one has to start showing results on the field.

  9. I like your list, forensicane. Would have nine of your first ten and I believe because of his time in the majors (not his number of abs), Difo is not eligible.
    My other player in the top ten would be Kieboom. I’m also high on Dunning.

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