Offseason Update: Dec. 9, 2020

17 Commments

1. Sao and others seem to be saying Wilmington as the fourth spot for the Nats. If so, that gives them two affiliates in the Phils’ backyard. At least three of the four will be reasonable driving distance for roving instructors. Rochester is a little far-flung driving-wise, but they’re not doing as much with player development at the AAA level anyway.

2. And here it is, at least confirmation that Wilmington has received an invitation: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/2020/12/09/wilmington-blue-rocks-live-washington-nationals-affiliate/3576089001/

   May be some wrangling still to come leaguewide, but since Wilmington isn’t actually changing a level and its parent club is going to be like 1,000 miles closer, I can’t imagine this one being a particularly sticky wicket.

   Have to imagine Fredericksburg folks are disappointed, but 1) they don’t have much recourse here and 2) entry-level baseball is actually really fun and marketable, because fans want to see hyped draft prospects make their pro debuts — it’s an actual selling point, so even if the quality of play drops a little bit, it’ll have an extra layer of novelty.

   1. And indeed, the Blue Rocks have announced they will accept. Welcome to the family, Wilmington!

   2. Agreed. There won’t be as many rehabs but those were usually a nuisance for fans like us. I’d rather see Cade Cavalli for the first time than watch a major leaguer half-ass it or tee off on some pitcher who tries to LaLoosh a fastball.

      1. With Cavalli specifically, I’ll bet that they skip him on to Wilmington directly. Rutledge might even go to AA. Denaburg probably at Fredericksburg, but who knows? It will be interesting times. It will take some time before they can figure out the quality of play, particularly at the A- and A+ levels, and adjust assignment accordingly. Maybe they’ll have to do more AA-level development at AAA, instead of having it as more of a holding pond for taxi-squad guys. AA may see more guys who might have been ticketed for A+ in the past. But who knows? It will be a whole new game of talent disbursement and development.

3. As I noted on Todd’s site, it will be interesting to see if they do push prospects, particularly the really young ones, into a full-season league. I mean, I have a hard time thinking Armando Cruz is going to show up in Fredericksburg in April (or whenever the season starts). They’ll also have the issue of trying to share SS reps between him and Infante. But in the past, you probably wouldn’t see Latino signees or high school draftees at the full-season low-A level for at least three years. There’s going to have to be a lot of rethinking of the developmental process.

   1. Complex ball stays as is; some teams will even start a second GCL or AZL team, which apparently is permitted under the new regime. I am not sure about the DSL. Anyway, I doubt Cruz would start off in Fredericksburg.

      1. I hadn’t heard that they were keeping the complex leagues. A second GCL team would basically just replace Auburn, and then not much would change.

         1. And yet…

            Using complex teams for new player development is less expensive and gives the teams more direct control. That’s pretty much it.

4. Disappointed to see the Frederick Keys lose minor league baseball, especially with how accessible they are for so many Nationals fans. I’m confused why the Orioles kept Delmarva in favour of Frederick. But Wilmington is a decent alternative, and our arrangement is vastly improved upon 2019’s set up.

5. In the end, the Nats traded Fresno for Rochester, and Hagerstown for Wilmington. Sucks that F-burg moved down a half-level, but in all, the changes are a net positive for fans living in the DC region and for the organization.

   With that said, there is no rational explanation for how Frederick was screwed. The municipality invested in the facilities, and the area supported the team. They should have an affiliated minor league team, even after the reduction to 120 teams. Just BS.

   1. Great for D.C.-area scouts, though. That MLB Draft League should draw some high-end talent. But too bad as the community eagerly supported full-season professional baseball there.

6. The six cities in the MLB “Draft League”:

   Frederick, MD
   Morgantown, West Virginia
   Mahoning Valley, OH (Youngstown) virg
   State College, PA
   Williamsport, PA
   Trenton, NJ

7. Can somebody explain to me why the Nats are going to Wilmington instead of Frederick. Makes no sense.

   1. “See Biden, Joe.” No way Wilmington was going to lose a team right now. Just a guess, of course, but not a wild one.

      1. That theory was also posited for keeping Bowling Green vis a vis Darth Vad, er McConnell, who openly campaigned for baseball to return, though he’s probably been to more polo matches than ballgames.

   2. It’s not unreasonable, given that Wilmington is more centrally located (along the I-95 corridor), its facility is probably superior to Frederick’s (slightly newer and underwent substantial renovations in 2016), and it’s a larger market (New Castle County is a little over double the population of Frederick County).

      I love Frederick — my college girlfriend was from there, and I always enjoyed visiting — and it would have been a great addition to the Nats’ farm system. But if it came down to choosing Frederick vs. Wilmington to be in the affiliated minor leagues, going with Wilmington is an entirely defensible decision by MLB.

      And KW is right, it doesn’t hurt Wilmington at all that the president-elect (a sports nut, by all accounts) is from there.

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