Monday’s News & Notes

40 Commments

1. So thru two weeks at Auburn, 5th rounder Gage Canning is slugging .630. It’s obviously a small sample size, but… at Arizona State this season, he slugged .648.

   He had 9 HRs at ASU and has 2 already at Auburn. But where he really pads his slugging percentage is by being a triples machine. He had 11 in 55 games in college this year and 25 in three seasons at ASU and he’s got a trio of three-baggers already at low-A.

   Gotta figure he’s in Hagerstown pretty soon.

   1. With the current state of Hagerstown’s outfield, I’d hope it comes pretty soon.

      1. Canning and Rhinesmith.

2. Speaking of Hagerstown, six weeks after turning 18, Luis Garcia is now hitting .299 in the Sally.

   While he looks like a fast-riser thru the minors, I’ll be surprised if we ever see him in a Nats uniform. (Unless it’s the P-Nats.) Assuming Soto, Robles and C. Kieboom (who continues to rake at AA) are still untouchable, Garcia seems most likely to be the the prize asset used this month to get a bat to help the parent club’s morbid offense.

   Would a package of Garcia, Fedde or Rordriguez, Taylor or Goodwin, any catcher on the Nats roster and maybe another minor league arm be enough to get Realmuto?

   As for Kieboom, the way he is hitting, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on the Soto Express. But, the question with Carter is where do you play him? The left side of the Nats IF has been fairly productive (both Rendon and Turner are borderline all-stars) and the club seems fairly committed to letting Murph take spring training in games that count so 2B doesn’t appear to be an option right now. Plus Kieboom has never played it in the minors. I’d love for them to change that soon as he looks like he could be ready for the bigs from the start of the year next season.

   1. Agree that it’s time for C. Kieboom to get some reps at 2B. He may be part of the September callups, but i see his time coming in 2019 when he could battle Difo and Kendrick for the 2B job.

   2. Marlins probably would ask blue chip variety again

      1. I don’t see the Marlins trading Realmuto unless they get a package that includes Robles or Kieboom. Realmuto isn’t eligible for FA until 2021; so, there is no rush for the Marlins to trade him now.

         Really unbelievable how pathetic Pedro Severino’s offense has been. He is hitting .170 with no home runs despite essentially playing everyday for two months; Severino was never a great offensive player in the minors, but he wasn’t completely impotent. Even his generally solid defense can not make up for the total lack of offensive production. If the Nats don’t deal for catcher soon, wouldn’t be shocked if the Nats called up Raudy Read before the ASB.

         1. Is it really a shock that a career .244/.294/.339 hitter in the minor leagues is struggling in the majors?

            I never understood the positivity around Severino. We could have bought any number of replacement level veteran catchers. Instead we bought the clubhouse cancer, and released him at the first opportunity to do so.

            1. Not surprising if Severino was struggling. He is beyond struggling. He is 8 for his last 93. He has no power at all (no homers in almost 200 PAs). His OBP in June was .127. That’s worse than most starting pitchers.

            2. He could never hit in the first place.

               He hit .172/.226/.207 last season in the majors. What was anyone expecting?

            3. Will,

               Severino had 28 ABs in the majors last year. That sample size is so small that it’s not relevant. By that logic, why not rely on Severino’s 2016 MLB stats, when he hit .321 and slugged .607 in 2016?

               The point is that there is a difference between being a weak hitter, and getting on base at 12% rate for a month, which is abysmal. Severino’s offense has under-performed extremely low expectations which is hard to do.

            4. I was also one who never believed that Severino would hit enough to be anything more than an MLB backup.

               I don’t see the Nats paying the price it would take to get Realmuto. There are other guys out there who would require much less to get. Plus they’ve got significant money committed to Wieters, who likely will be back by the All-Star break. And yes, I think Read will also get an MLB look, although defensively he’s nowhere close to Sevy or Kieboom.

               Not saying that they won’t trade to get a catcher, but it would surprise me if they give up the significant assets it would take to get Realmuto.

         2. Read for sure.
            Let’s not over pay for Realmuto
            6 games out on July 5 th with injuries not fully healed. Jeez we could be ten out by All Star break

            1. Forget Realmuto, go prospect just as with Wilson Ramos … go Sean Murphy.

      2. Does this feel like a close but no cigars Year.
         Or just that Bryce 34 is in biggest slump

   3. See Luke’s take on Garcia and Antuna in the comments on the Sunday update. He thinks both look good at the plate but that both would benefit from staying at Hagerstown for the whole season, particularly defensively.

   4. Forget Realmuto … better off trying to pry Beane’s best catching prospect Sean Murphy … Murphy’s defense is Severino-like as is his arm and he’s apparently gotten used to wood after spending too much time with aluminum bats. Putting up good numbers in AA. I’d go that route first and save the prospects they may be needed.

   5. Carter Kieboom is not on the “Soto-express” at age 20 plus … just look at his strike out walk ratio. He’s doing well in AA and probably gets to see the Arizona Fall League. Its his defense that’s impressive, given the fact he’s still at shortstop in the high minors. That bodes well.

3. Today is international signing day. This has proven to be the most important scouting and developmental success for the Nationals in recent years, since the Baby Nats set a record for minor league winning percentage and then, the 225K signing of Victor Robles and many others (such as Juan Soto) to follow.

   So we will not recognize the names (yet), but given the success of the DieSL Nats, scouting age 15-19 year olds is a crapshoot, and I trust DiPuglia.

   Names added through the days ahead, especially those not yet 16 (as was Soto once).

   https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2018-mlb-international-signings-tracker/

   What I am loudly hoping for is that the Nats have designs to stock multiple DSL teams in the coming years, and to continue to sign high numbers of talents in order to stock the developmental pipeline in a pool that they are clearly developing future ML talent. If the ML draft is 40 rounds, there is no reason not to sign the same number of high school talents at pennies on the dollar, from countries all over the world. Great budget and greater talent pool, while teams like the Red Sox indulge in 72 million dollar investments for hyped Cuban cigars.

   1. FanGraphs’ list is here: https://www.fangraphs.com/scoutboard.aspx?draft=2018int&type=0&pos=all&team=all

      Don’t expect the Nats to sign anyone on these top lists, as we’re still capped at signing anyone above $300k for going over cap in 2016.

   2. Gil great idea. Nats Red and Nats white DSL
      Is that DeLaRosa OF related to same suname of pitcher on auburn ??
      Interesting a Russian / DR parent
      Marriage with kid named Amparov??
      He could not learn hockey in DR?

   3. Look at DSL today. No slugging in first part of game but just speed never sleeps meets small ball. Coool

      1. And they beat a lefty with respective ERA
         Look at the history of the unsuccessful Senators when many Cubans were signed who ended up
         Successful in Minnesota while Bronfman decided to seed the farm from the ground up after failing to sign Reggie Jackson when he motored into Baltimore for a year .
         Brass knows they have to compete in intl circles on a level just a shade below Boston or Texas. Ok. A few shades below those harvesters.
         Everybody indoors today ??
         Time to bash Boston. Come on Bryce. Let it loose !

   4. Hmmm no Russian name. Gil. Amparo. No V on the end
      The more discerning question is
      : $300k given to J DeLaCruz related
      To Christopher in DSL OF mix ?? Both hit left handed.
      Cool to see a switch hitting OF on list. Granted a table setter. Big 6’3 R/R OF on list
      Arms arms arms. And another arm

      1. 18 signees sonfar. Most in the majors. I love it.

   5. This heat is getting to me. Nats collecting lads with names De Los Santos.
      Patience in July being sapped with heat advisory.

   6. Several tall 16-18 year old pitchers
      Who might have enough frame to
      Put much more muscle mass on.
      Now do many of these kids get placed in the academy learning English , nutrition / weight lifting but never
      Reach the actual DSL game day roster
      For awhile ??

4. Funny Jeff, had the same reaction. But hey, no one speculated re the pedigree of Vlad the Impaler!

   The Nats signings continue to be gems at under budget. Leandro Emiliani, who is starting at GCL fresh out of the 2017 international draft, got. 175k bonus, nowhere near the 300k paid out to other names (including current DIeSL stars). It’s not money we should be looking at, but quantity, especially quantity of pitching.

   I’d call them the Guerrero Nats and the Vidro Nats. 🙂

   1. Is Jose Vidro in the Nats or Mariners
      Scouting system ?
      Gil, the list released is not complete yet with the Dollar General signing period ??

   2. Gil. Those Mercedes signees brothers ??

5. The folly of the money argument is best illustrated by Luis Garcia vs. Yasel Antuna.

   At this point, the organization does not need to spend over the moon, except to hire great scouts they can send to all the corners of Central America and the Caribbean.

   1. Kind of agree that the Nats have been good at finding solid prospects for less than $300K, but there are some super elite prospects that are head and shoulders above the rest, and it helps to the flexibility to target one of those guys if the scouts feel like an elite prospect is special. For example, in 2015, the Nats signed Soto for $1.5 million; unfortunately, they can’t go after the Juan Soto types in the 2018 international FA class.

      1. Maybe lerners are counting their money for 34

         1. The Rizzo rule extended to the International Prospects. Teams are now limited in what they can spend … seeing lots of deals where International pool funds are exchanged. I don’t think the Lerner’s are the issue.

6. Mason Denaburg is in DC and rumors are that a deal is close. The deadline to sign 2018 MLB draft picks is Friday.

   1. Bob Miller busy the last few weeks .
      Millertime!!

   2. According to Chelsea its just a matter of the physical now … and then he probably goes to the GCL to get acclimated.

7. Nick Raquet has a long way to go it seems. Not sure it was worth losing Pivetta for Papelbum. Id didn’t know he could ratchet it up to 98 mph in a game? There he was after starting 2 days before coming in for the win over his original franchise in the 13th inning. Guess he’s still smarting over getting dealt away and making us suffer for it too.

   1. Who would have known then ??
      Pivetta has turned out better than
      Perceived in AA peric
      Would that be ironic if Densburg turns out better than Dunning ??

   2. Phillies have a deep system. Pivetta could be on the move in the future ?

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