The Preliminary 2017 Watchlist
Here we go again on my own, traveling down the only road I’ve ever known with the seventh edition of this site’s watchlist. There’s a certain degree of fear this time around because, CBA uncertainty aside, it feels like this might get blown up in less than a month.
Why? Because even Stevie Wonder can see that the big club’s window may be closing soon, and there are immediate needs at multiple positions. Free agency may solve some of the problems, but a trade or two seems possible, if not imminent.
That means some of these guys might not be here by the time this is finalized. It’s happened before.
Truth be told, I think they should listen to any and all offers for anybody listed below. The December 2011 trade accelerated the timeline from pretender to contender; we certainly don’t want to hear the jokes about no DUIs at Rizzo’s sports bar (because you’re done after just one round).
Now for a quick explanation on what the watchlist is (and isn’t):
Six years ago, I decided to list the players that had shown some promise by position; guys who were worth watching. I don’t give a rat’s @ss about what round a player was drafted in or how much of a bonus he got.
Those two things are decided by the market and the draft rules, neither of which are fair. But I understand that they influence decisions due to the factors of “sunk cost” and reputation (of the drafter, not the draftee).
Now for the “isn’ts”…
• It’s not a depth chart. It’s ordered by the highest level played to date. The guys at the top of the column are not necessarily better than the guys at the bottom.
• It’s (mostly) based on 2016 usage. The Nats have a history of rotating MIs between 2B and SS, trying to develop utility players, and being weak at the corners of the IF and OF.
• It’s preliminary. I can’t spend the time that I used to on this site, so I’m depending on my readers to call me out in the comments. That doesn’t mean that I’ll respond to every suggestion or crticism, but I will listen.
Now, the first thing you’ll probably notice is that I’ve collapsed two categories and expanded another. This is for aesthetics: Washington has a shipload of right-handed pitching prospects, and thimbleful of middle infielders worth listing.
Take a look a look, tell me what you think, and let’s get the 2016-17 offseason started.
| C | 1B | 2B/SS | 3B | OF | RHRP |
| Severino | Skole | Abreu | Ward | Goodwin | Glover |
| Read | Marmolejos | Sagdal | Gutierrez | Bautista | Brinley |
| Barrera | Simonetti | C. Kieboom | Davidson | Stevenson | Mendez |
| Harris | Bogetto | Keller | M. Sanchez | ||
| Robles | Pantoja | ||||
| Agustin | Peterson | ||||
| Wiseman | Fuentes | ||||
| Johnson | F. Peguero | ||||
| Soto | |||||
| Florentino | |||||
| RHSPs | LHPs | DSL Bats | DSL Arms | Notable Arms |
Notable Bats |
| R. Lopez | Crownover | Cabello | Sisneros | Mapes | Ballou |
| Giolito | Borne | Falcon | Guillen | J. Rodriguez | S. Kieboom |
| Voth | Guilbeau | Mesa | Chu | Baez | Banks |
| Simms |
Watson | Morales | Duran | Rivera | Corredor |
| Valdez | McDonald | Pascal | J. Peguero | Rishwain | Franco |
| Avila | Braymer | ||||
| A. Lee | |||||
| Dunning | |||||
| W. Davis | |||||
| Sharp | |||||
| C. Peña |
When I looked at the first base selection, I had to go back to Baseball Reference to confirm that Matt Skole hasn’t had as much as a sip of coffee to date. He had a pretty good year in Syracuse, but he doesn’t have the attention of fandom as a prod to bring him to the big club. I get the sense that he is kind of Clint Robinson, but we already have Clint Robinson on the MLB roster.
Skole hits under .250 at AA & AAA, Robinson over .300 with more power. Skole may be more athletic but as a hitter there’s no comparison
Please also consider:
Reetz
Perkins
Upshaw
J. Baez
R. Encarnacion
Perdomo
Evangelista
Fedde
Cole
Antolin
Grace
Silvestre
Baez
Mills
Y. Ramirez
N. Lee
Howell
Johansen
German
I Mota
Luke, ty for the released list.
Bummer about Kernian.
Hagerstown: Ripken and Simonetti and an infielder to play 1b R/R on a boring day: Neuse/Berrerra?
Still think Mota and Franco get Hagerstown coffee in April until June decisions.
Yes, very interesting story in Schepel. another Harrisburg arm??
Merry Christmas, Luke, to you and the family and dogs,.!!
Hello Grissom
interesting if Nats bump the bonus babies from July ( those infielders ) to GCL
very interesting Luke how you left the 3b depth chart below Davidson blank which is really saying : lets see how Beckwith, Franco and Co. play out in 17.
interesting to see how Randy Encarnacion builds on his Hags time in 16 in 17.
be well, Luke.
Hello, Gil, Merry Christmas to you and everyone on Nat Nation.
A sidebar comment or two to the Luke list just posted.
1) Crownover and Hector ( where have you been?) Silvestre should park up @ Burg.
2) By my next birthday (3/31) we should know how Nats will use A. Sanchez and the best name
in baseball. K. Norfolk either as depth @ AAA or AA.
3) a short list of guys to hurry through Hagerstown? Banks, Johnson, Upshaw(?), Neuse,
4) LaBruna and Noll bench depth @ Potomac 4/17??
5) bullpens evolve over the course of a season
6) Sagdal makes Potomac before Davidson and Meijia? Yes, Luke, we read your lukewarm
love towards Bryan. But Meijia could eat up that banbox in Harrisburg. worth the push.
7) 2017 should be fun to see how some of the NCAA LHPs 2016 draft evolve. Braymer, Howard
especially. Ryan Williamson with his personal caddy, Shepard.
Where does Sheldon Neuese
And T Berrerra truly play?
Grissom
Encarnacion and Evangelista
Break canp with Perkins @ hags?
RHSP: I assume the Fedde omission was just an oversight. I guess the assumption is that Cole will “graduate” this year, here or elsewhere. I’d suggest moving Mapes to this list and Simms and Valdez to “Notable Arms.”
LHP: I’d suggest adding Y. Ramirez, who got 11 starts at Auburn at age 19 and held his own.
INF: Wow, the brutally honest reading of truly advancing guys is pretty sparse, isn’t it? I’m interested to see Luke’s take after watching them for a season that Abreu is on the list and Mejia isn’t, but I don’t disagree.
OF: Move Keller to “Notable Bats,” maybe? I don’t have a problem with the omission of Perkins, but some others probably will.
C: Tough call on whether to include Reetz. He’ll probably advance, but Barrera may pass him in the pecking order pretty quickly. I see that S. Kieboom has been consigned to the dreaded “Notable Bats,” even as he got his MLB cup of coffee.
Notable Bats: If Banks gets a cameo, Neuse probably deserves one as well. Both of those guys got off to disappointing pro starts.
Mejia just didn’t strike me as having what it takes to make it beyond High-A. His defense was also very spotty. I hope I’m wrong, but the knee-jerk comp is Adrian Sanchez. As for LHPs… that’s primary reason why Crownover made this pass. The org is short on them, so I’m willing to add at least two based on that factor alone. Reetz, to me, didn’t play his way back on… I certainly don’t want to invoke the Billy “But He’s Still Young” Rowell argument. That said, Blake Perkins may have a case because he was promoted before the end of the season without the corresponding “numbers.”
Reetz may have to play some 1b just to speed the bat along since Berrerra and Shepard coming along.
Shepard the caddy to Ryan Williamson.
I know that reclamation projects from other organizations rarely make the list, but Jimmy Cordero does seem to have a “Notable Arm.”
Would consider dropping Harris, Simonetti, Bogetto, Sharp, C. Pena, McDonald, Braymer and Rishwain since they were old for the GCL. Would consider adding Cole, Fedde, Jake Noll, and Mills.
I cling to some hopes for Simonetti because any sign of power in the organization is welcome, even if it comes attached to a lot of K’s. I assumed that part of the reason they didn’t move him to Auburn was because they were giving Ripken and Kerian their last chances.
I’m also intrigued by Noll, all the more so when you look at the lack of legit depth in the infield. Plus he made it through three levels after the draft, one of the few to do so.
Noll should play potomAc
In April considering Sagdal
Could plow through to harrisburg
Especially IF a team takes a farm level rule Five flier on O Abreau .
Some people don’t like Noll or Beckwith but potomAc 17 could use them
Carter Kieboom , Franco Mota
Coffee cup time april in hags ??
Cole and Fedde were definitely omissions via table rebuilding. I’ll have to think some more about the “too old for the level,” though I have to give some credence to positions where the depth is shallow. Jake Noll is definitely a good example of an oversight… multi-level players can get overlooked, especially now that I’m not actively watching he GCL and DSL.
One could argue, without even being too snarky, that depth is shallow everywhere except RHP and speedy OFs with limited power.
Since I recommended dropping quite a few for “too old for the level”, figured I should recommend adding a few too. Juan Evangelista seemed to do well in very SSS in CF in the GCL at 18 yo. Jacob Howell pitched at 3 levels at 20 yo as a fresh draftee. Yonathan Ramirez is 19, left handed and pitched fairly well at Auburn.
You could also make a case that anyone who is on the 40 man roster and still officially a prospect is someone to keep an eye on. So maybe add Grace and Cordero even though they are older relief pitchers.
I still think a sleeper is switch hitting utility guy Franklin Sierra
Have to admit, laughed out loud at the ‘ thinbleful’ comment.
A true sign of good health is when your full snark is back up and running!
What, no Ripken??? I kid… I kid.
Billy’s nephew?