Six more players were sent packing as the Nationals play their final Spring Training game in Florida this afternoon.
A.J. Cole and Trevor Gott were optioned to Syracuse, while Neal Cotts, Jhonatan Solano, and Jacob Turner were re-assigned to minor-league camp. Journeyman Vance Worley was released outright.
As the headline suggests, there are two more cuts to be made – and it appears to be a battle between Michael Taylor and Wilmer Difo for the last bench spot, and whether or not the Nats opt to carry a long man. In the case of the latter, Jeremy Guthrie would be that guy as the Nats waived Clint Robinson on Tuesday because he is out of options, which would open up the necessary spot on the 40-man roster.
The choice between Difo and Taylor is not about options; both have one left. It’s about whether you value versatility (Difo) versus tools (Taylor).
This is a minors site, so I have to leave that there and shift to this unpleasant reality regarding the guy in the subhead, Koda Glover: He has multiple options left and he’s competing against guys with one (Sammy Solis) or none (Enny Romero). As well as he’s pitched this spring, Glover could still be the odd man out.
I’d love to be wrong about this, but I’ve never been one to go after Moby Dick and bring the tartar sauce. Nats GM Mike Rizzo has done nothing to change that, never mind where I’m from (New England), or what my parents lived through (the Great Depression). I root for “our guys,” but I know deep down they’re still going to be treated like chattel cattle more often than not.
I suspect we’ll see the first of these two final cuts if/when Robinson clears waivers, which should be tomorrow. The other cut may not be until Sunday, unless Rizzo pulls off another late-March trade.
As always, feel free to discuss in the comments.