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Erick Fedde Optioned to Syracuse, Too

Sending the best 12 or 13 pitchers north with the big club went to bat against service time and sunk costs and struck out once again. Also, Erick Fedde was optioned to Syracuse yesterday.

Pay no attention to Tanner Roark getting lit like a Kennedy at an open bar last night, his third straight outing where he’s failed to give up less than three runs or pitch more than four innings.

Never mind that Shawn Kelly, who gave up 12HR in 26⅓ regular-season innings against major-leaguers, has coughed up five big flies in his last three appearances (3IP) against the not-quite-1927-Yankees lineups of the Mets, Marlins, and Cardinals.

No, I’m not naïve; I’m quite well aware that there’s no connection between the performance of Roark, Kelley, and Fedde. But it’s tiresome to listen to the lies spouted every spring about minor-leaguers having a chance to win a job. It just doesn’t happen anymore.

Even if a major-leaguer is injured (*cough* Ryan Zimmerman *cough*) they’ll get a aging replacement veteran instead, as the signings of Jeremy Hellickson and Joaquin Benoit this year and Jeremy Guthrie last year. Just don’t complain if (when) any of the veterans continue to not perform when the games count.

33 Commments

  1. Amen. They’re really boxing themselves in with this obsession with “out of options.” Abad and Bastardo both got DFA’d this week. They’re better than Grace and Romero. Finding replacements for easily replaceable guys isn’t hard. (Plus the availability of such guys makes it more likely that at least Grace would clear waivers.) Solis and Collins have been significantly better this spring than both of them, as have Gott, Adams, and Smith from the right side. With the struggles of Kelley and Kintzler this spring, they’d do well to keep at least one of those RHP. They’d also do well to eat what they owe Kelley and end his tenure now, or at least tell him that he’s “injured,” as they seem have told Benoit.

    Fedde outpitched Cole by nearly every measure. But Cole is “out of options.” Congratulations. You get to stick with the big club because you’ve failed to stick more times than the other guy.

    And yes, whatever is going on with Roark is getting worrisome . . .

    1. “Fedde outpitched Cole by nearly every measure”

      Fedde -14.2 IP, 16 hits, 6 walks, 11 k’s, 1.50 WHIP, 2.45 ERA
      Cole – 9 IP, 9 hits, 2 walks, 13 k’s, 1.22 WHIP, 4.00 ERA

      maybe my definition of “outpitched” is different than yours?

      Also, keep in mind that Cole has started all 3 of his games, meaning he’s faced, mostly, the opponent’s better players. Most of Fedde’s appearances have been in relief, where he’s, again mostly, faced the opponent’s AA, High-A and Beer League players.

      Same goes for Gott, Adams and Collins. Most of the players they’ve faced are guys no one will ever hear from again.

      Now, I don’t think Cole is all that good and he should be in the bullpen. But, at this time, based on how he ended 2017 in DC and how he’s looked in ST this year, he has earned the #5 SP slot. Fedde needs to go to AAA and show that he can be consistent so that when he gets called up if/when Cole craps the bed, then he can step in and thrive.

      1. Well, if we’re going totally by spring stats, the clear 5th starter “winner” is . . . Tommy Milone.

        I’m not totally anti-Cole; I just don’t understand the club’s ongoing infatuation with him, or the insistence that he’s a starter, when he’s looked like a bullpen piece for two years. Does Fedde have a higher ceiling than Cole? Most of us think so, but we won’t know for sure until he gets a regular rotation spot and has a chance to get his MLB feet under him. He’s 25. It’s time. When the Nats traded Giolito and Lopez, they were betting big on Fedde. Give him the shot.

        At the same time, you set Cole up for a better chance of success in the bullpen if you start the season with him there. The team has no long man. He’s what they need in that role. Instead, he’s going to begin the season as a starter on a very, very short leash, with Hellickson already lining up on the same schedule. No pressure.

        Sigh.

        1. After a laborious start (albeit against the regular lineup of the champs), Cole ends the spring with a 4.85 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.

        2. Given the situation relative to ages of the starters and the springs of Gio and Roark if Milone continues to do well in SYR I think we may see him pitching for the Nats in the majors again.

      2. SSS, etc. but Cole did not look good last night against the Astros. But he’s out of options, and the N.L. Least is the N.L. Least, so the Nats seem comfortable to have him pitch until Hellickson is ready and/or they finally realize that piece of metal sticking out of Shawn Kelley’s back is a fork.

  3. Money talks. Rizzo has to explain to the Lerners why he is DFAing players he signed to $1 mil+ contracts. He did it with Norris last ST. He might well have to do it with Benoit soon. He will hold off on Kelley until Kelley proves he just doesn’t have it any more. That’s where guys with options come in. They can be sent to AAA while other guys without options try to work out their problems. If they do, great (I hope Kelley can revert to his 2016 performance, although I have real doubts). If not, let them go and bring back guys in AAA.

    1. Why is Rizzo DFA’ing guys with million dollar contracts? Because the Lerners were too cheap to sign Holland and Arrieta and he’s stuck trying to try to fill roster holes at bargain prices. I’m not as concerned with which replacement level minor leaguer fills the last BP slot as I am with the fact that the Nats’ overall pitching depth is terrible and could have easily been fixed. The Lerners may not be quite as bad as Daniel Snyder in not caring if they win a championship as long as they can maximize profits, but their true colors are really showing this year.

      1. In fairness, it’s not just $$ attached to Arrieta but draft picks and $1 million for international FA’s forfeit. As for Holland, no one else has grabbed him so it’s not just the Lerners who are wary of him.

        It’s a long season. If Cole can make at least 5 competitive innings in the five spot, Roark rebounds from last year, and the Nats avoid injuries, they’ll be alright.

  4. the best course of action for Eric Fedde is to go to AAA, make himself back into a starter and be ready if injuries or ineffectiveness create an opening.

    the best course of action for A J Cole is to be given the fifth starter job and see if he can succeed.

    both of these are also in the best interest of the club.

      1. Gil have you seen some of the cats called over from back fields ?
        Sundberg, Meijia, Davidson ?
        Justin Miller has more in the tank than a rock and roll band beard??

        1. Nats inked a former Braves
          Catcher to add to the Barrettboys grouping. Switch hitter too.
          Auburn probably with Suns stocked already

        2. Double take on Nats transactions page. Rhett Wiseman listed as CF?
          Interesting that Ricardo Mendez gets called over for some PT.

  5. Totally agree with your comments, Luke. The pandering to veterans wears me out. I was so glad to see Werth leave. I’ll be almost as happy to see Zimm go, unless he can duplicate last year’s first three months. Which I’m fairly sure is not going to happen.
    I’d like to see Severino get his chance. Understandably, there is a ton of doubts about his offence. But he was relatively decent in 2016 in a brief stint with the major league club.
    Yes to Fedde and Gott. No to Kelley and Montero.

  6. Syracuse could do cool promotion nights with Fedde: fender guitar concert and Fedde. Fishtail classic car show & Fedde .
    How will LuCroy play Ward and Kelvin G in same lineup ?

      1. Bench for Senators ? Gamache, Davidson, Norfork, Perez, Fuenmayor?? Sundberg , Keller , DJ, Jones outfield ?

  7. Two-run HR by Soto against the Fish in the other side of the split squad. Very interested to see if they push him and Kieboom on to Potomac to start the season.

    1. Interesting even more is brass
      Handing an extra glove to Noll
      AndJoey Harris this spring. With all the IF @ Potomac. Noll makes sense becoming the next David Masters.
      Harris could meanwhile slide around Suns lineup with Scudder off bench ?? Hmmmm

  8. Jeff,

    Greetings from SFla. saw a bit of major league baseball and interacted with a motley array of major and minor Nats, with some interesting input. My favorite:

    1) A recent high draft pick pitcher told me, in an appraisal of minor league talent, “Juan Soto is on a totally different level. He is a major leaguer right now. The guy is going to be an all star.”
    2) Billy Gardner told me the pitchers we “don’t know about” who made a big impression with him are Gabe Klobotsis and James Bourque.
    3) Austin Davidson says that Erik Fedde’s velocity has taken a big step forward
    4) Marmolejos knows about “Orange” and says that if Jimmy Cordero can ever get it over the plate consistently, look out
    5) Ryan Zimmerman said the two minor leaguers he saw who really impressed him on the mound were Phillips Valdez and Sterling Sharp. Somebody else mentioned Sharp to me as well.

    Other than that, a lot of updates on injuries and such.

    I recommend the trip heartily to any father to take son. Can’t wait to do this next year.

      2. I also just returned from spring training. In response to your mention of Ryan Zimmerman in your article, I spent a lot of time at the minor league fields. Zimmerman would bat every inning in the minor league games, but he never ran. Even if he got a hit, the coaches would yell for a runner to go out to first. Not a good sign a week before the season. Yes, it’s getting tiresome hearing that he’s a veteran and he knows what he need to do to get ready for the season. Wait until he pulls a hammy running to first in the opener.

    2. Well sharp and B Hill were honored last season for throwing BP for a big name rehabber .
      Sharp seeks to be a guy who has a wide arsenal of junk. Lol

    3. Moises Sierra just made the club in my estimation with Raburn cut loose to talk with Twins.
      Borque last late summer looked like a guy who needs to be on top of his stuff to last 7.
      That scout who found Gabe has a big smile on his face and probably a bonus coming soon
      Ty Gil

    4. Gil, catching corp @3 for chiefs. Maybe kieboom plays some 1b, maybe a dull afternoon in LF.. pushing Fuenmayor to AA? Hunter Jones still in the B fields ??? That Senators outfield on opening day roster should be interesting .
      Brass seems to be trying guys with different position gloves. Franco playing both corners.
      Long time to April 5 th Luke. Lol
      Enjoy

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