AFL Update: Oct. 31, 2017
A four-run 6th broke open a one-run game as Mesa doubled up Salt River, 8-4 yesterday in the Arizona Fall League.
Kyle McGowin got the start and the Jack Morris win with two runs allowed on two homers and four hits total over three innings. He walked none and struck out four while throwing 53 pitches, 32 for strikes.
Austen Williams was the first man out of the Sox ‘pen and earned a hold with two scoreless innings. He issued a walk and struck out one while throwing 34 pitches, 21 for strikes.
Victor Robles, who led off and played center field, reached base three times with a pair of walks and… wait for it… a single (you were expecting something else?). He drove in one run on a sacrifice fly and was picked off first.
Kelvin Gutierrez (picture from earlier this month) returned to action with a bang as he tripled in two in his first at-bat and walked in the 6th. He played third base but had no defensive touches.
Taylor Gushue was the designated hitter and lived up the to the title with a 4th-inning, which extended his modest hit streak to three games. He did, however, strike out twice (nos. 11 and 12 in 10 games).
The two teams switch venues for an afternoon game with Mesa playing host. The Solar Sox are on a three-game win streak and have a 1½ game lead in the AFL East.
Victor Robles will play in the Arizona League “Fall Stars” game on Saturday. The game will televised on MLB Network at 8 pm.
Robles is the only Nat . . . unless we’re still counting Neuse, who we could reacquire at any time. The only other Nat for whom an all-star case could be made would be Cordero, which is surprising to be writing.
FanGraphs’ prospect guru Eric Longenhagen on Robles in his chat today: “I actually think his skillset is similar to Lorenzo Cain’s, but the bodies are totally different.”
Victor Robles. The answer to trivia question ? Who displaced Jayson Werth in LF and allowed Howie Kendrick to go FA to Mets ?
Let’s see who Rizzo signs this winter to upgrade from Stephen Drew??
McGowin andWilliams to me are just roster fillers. Brass looks forward to Sharp plus several lefties to join Greg Ross and Wirkin E for
Later 18. Maybe Braymer moves quicker than first thought ?
Crowe too?
With Murphy’s return time frame unclear, the Nats will push to re-sign Kendrick or Drew, or some other veteran infielder. (No Danny Espinosa jokes, please!) They will want more options than Difo and Sanchez, and there’s no one on the farm anywhere close.
Meanwhile, Robles is 100% guaranteed to start the season in the minors. The extra year of team control for a potential star is worth more than whatever he’d do in April and May.
KW Robles to Cuse makes sense since Knorr is being entrusted
With some org jewels. Not to mention a pitching mind to add to
Cuse staff set . Milacki returning ?
Kendrick would be a nice return .
Why didn’t Dusty use him more in Cub series ?
Rizzo always has a preference for Drew because he played for the D’Backs when Rizzo worked for them (there aren’t many left). Would think that the Nats would be a player for Kendrick, but Howie knows he would be mostly a back-up in DC. Will be interesting to see how the Nats build their bench.
Assuming Eaton is 100%, they may be set in the OF with Eaton-Harper-Taylor-Goodwin and knowing that Robles is on the way. Sanchez filled in admirably, but I would expect the Nats to seek one and maybe two middle infielders given that Murphy may not play at the start of the year. Nats also need a catcher, maybe two, as they are done with Jose “Home Run Valet” Lobaton, and Severino took a step back last year (and Wieters imploded in the second half).
The Nats scouting department has been really good at finding veteran pitchers that have more left than it appeared (Rich Hill, Edwin Jackson, Chris Young, Vance Worley, Matt Albers) when the Nats gave them a chance. Nats will need to do the same this off-season as the Nats lack starting pitching depth. After Eric Fedde and possibly AJ Cole (although his minor league numbers were dreadful in 2017), the Nats have no one in the system who is anywhere close to being able to assume the #5 spot in the rotation. Would expect the Nats to sign several potential starters with MLB mileage and some warts, hoping that one or two can find their lost form.
I do think the Nats will make some moves/upgrades this offseason. At the same time, they don’t have a lot of salary flexibility, even with Werth’s contract coming off the books. A number of guys are due for significant raises, including Harper and Rendon.
I do think they will add a starter. Will it be another 5th-starter innings-eater type, will they try to trade for more of a 3d starter who might be an upgrade in the playoff rotation, or will they be FA players for someone like Darvish? We’ll see. I think Cole’s future is in the bullpen. Not sure what the status is on Fedde, but right now, it’s hard to see him being the front-runner for a rotation slot on this team.
I also agree that Severino hasn’t done enough to earn an MLB slot yet, not for a contender, and not with a struggling starter like Wieters. I think they will look to sign someone like Avila or Castillo.
Will there be other changes? I’d at least think about selling high on Taylor, who is still striking out at a 32% clip.
We’ll see. The big question as far as the farm system is concerned is who do the Nats have to trade if they decide to deal? You would think they’re holding onto Robles, Soto, and C. Kieboom unless a superstar falls into their laps, but they traded a number of their second-tier prospects during the midseason buying spree. Is Fedde seen as Gio’s 2019 replacement, or trade fodder? With Seth Romero’s less-than-impressive start, could he already be on the block? Guys like Read and Johnson might also come up in trade talks.
To clarify, Romero couldn’t be traded until December, six months after the draft, thanks to the “Trea Turner Rule.”
Any word on the other Trea Turner from Mizzou school
Who was on DL with tall Leif?
Castillo or LuCroy have the buzz but Rizzo always finds the moss
Under the rocks
Scouts are paid to find hidden gems like Roark from Texas .
Romero’s numbers were pretty impressive for someone who had to ramp back up after an extra long layoff. He is going to take off in 2018.
Agree
There is a lefty looking for a contract in depth this winter
With a two way contract