Monday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Lost, 1-0 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 3-2 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Wilmington | Won, 16-9 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| Fredericksburg | Won, 10-8 | OFF DAY | N/A |
| FCL Nationals | OFF DAY | vs. FCL Mets, 12 p.m. | |
| DSL Nationals | OFF DAY | @ DSL Mets 1, 10 a.m. |
Buffalo 1 Rochester 0
• Abbott (L, 0-5) 4IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 3K, HR
• Je. Rodiriguez 2IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 4K
• Adams 3-4
• Palacios 1-4, CS
The Bisons completed their sweep of the Red Wings with a 1-0 shutout, sending Rochester to its fifth straight loss. Cory Abbott gave up a HR in his fourth and final inning and fifth hit total to lose for the fifth time. Jefry Rodriguez (2IP), Alberto Baldonado (1IP), and Mason Thompson (1IP) combined for four scoreless to give the offense a chance to tie. However, the Rochester bats were limited to five singles – three by Riley Adams and one each by Joey Meneses and Josh Palacios, who extended his hit streak to 14 games and his on-base streak to 27 games.
Altoona 3 Harrisburg 2
• Irvin 5IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 5K
• Peguero 2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• E. García (L, 0-1) 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 1K
• Baker 1-2, BB, RBI, SAC
• Lara 1-2, HBP
Harrisburg couldn’t make it three straight over Altoona, falling 3-2 in 10 innings in the series finale. Jake Irvin went the first five, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while setting down five on strikes. The loss went to Edgar García despite the Curve giving up their free runner on a botched sacrifice as he was thrown out at third. Instead, García walked two and gave up the go-ahead run after two walks on a one-out single to take the loss. The Sens were held to six safeties, one base-on-balls, and a hit batsman.
Wilmington 16 Hudson Valley 9
• Cuevas 3IP, 5H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 3K, HR
• Merrill (W, 1-2) 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 2K
• Millas 2-3, 4R, 3BB, 2B, HR, 2RBI
• Méndez 2-4, 2R, 2BB, HR, RBI
• Emiliani 2-5, 2R, 3B, HR, 4RBI
• Daily 2-5, 2R, HR, RBI
The Blue Rocks erased a 5-1 deficit with a five-run third and cruised past the Renegades, 16-9 to take the series, 2-1. Michael Cuevas was manhandled for five runs on five hits (one HR) and two walks over three innings. The win was awarded to Matt Merrill despite giving up a run in his only inning thrown. Leandro Emiliani tripled and homered while Drew Millas reached base five times with a double, homer, and three walks to lead Wilmington’s 14-hit parade.
Fredericksburg 10 Delmarva 8
• Rutledge 4IP, 7H, 8R, 6ER, 2BB, 4K
• B. Peña (W, 3-2) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Threadgill (SV, 4) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• Arruda 2-5, 2R, HR, 4RBI, SAC, E(4)
• V. Peña 2-5, BB, RBI, SB
• Williams 2-4, BB, RBI
Fredericksburg overcame deficits of 3-1 and 8-3, highlighted by a five-run 9th as they swept their second straight series from Delmarva with a 10-8 win. Jackson Rutledge gave up all eight Shorebirds runs on seven hits and two walks over four innings for his fifth no-decision in 13 starts. It was the 11th time he failed to pitch five complete innings. Miguel Gomez and winning pitcher Bryan Peña both tossed two scoreless while Riggs Threadgill cordero’d through the 9th with two walks for the save. Jake Arruda singled, homered, scored twice, and drove in four while Viandel Peña and Steven Williams both singled twice, walked, and drove in a run as the FredNats took advantage of seven walks and two errors to score ten times on nine singles and a two-run HR.
FCL Nationals (23-9, 4½ GA, FCL East)
With less than a month left in the season, the F-Nats are still in 1st place. As implied, it would appear the Nats are no longer evaluating the bevy of 23-24-y.o.’s as most of the players used in the first series since the break are closer to the league average of ~21.
DSL Nationals (15-20, T7th, 7½ GB)
At just a game out of last place, the best the D-Nats can shoot for in 2022 is a .500 finish. Yesterday was the DSL All-Star game, with two D-Nats appearing in the game – 2B Misael Mojica drawing a walk in his lone PA off the bench and Jefrem Leon facing three batters in the 9th, with a run let in on two hits and one batter retired for the blown save.
So many hitters proving their promotion was long overdue (Millas and Emiliani yesterday, Meregildo the day before)! Great to see that.
Speaking of catchers, I’m also really pleased to see how well Riley Adams has done in his demotion. He’s now hitting .310/.375/.552 in 7 games. But there’s really something about AAA catchers that just cannot translate success there to the major league level. Adams hit a respectable .233/.372/.475 last season, then went .209/.327/.356 over parts of the last two seasons with the Nats. Likewise, Tres Barrera hit a solid .256/.342/.439 in AAA and is now hitting only .067/.125/.067 with the Nats. Heck, even Keibert Ruiz has suffered the same fate. Destroying AAA pitching last season .310/.377/.616, he’s struggled mightily against major league pitching, batting only .259/.321/.361 in two partial seasons with the Nats.
It would be nice if one of them could get things to click.
I don’t think this is limited to catchers, there are AAAA players at every position
Alou: It is funny. I was thinking the same thing about Elian. I bet they let him go. It will be interesting to see if they can agree to an international draft today. If they do not, I wonder if they will go back to July 2. Most top signees stayed in the DSL this year so they would not take a tax hit since the signing is now January of the same year. Gutierrez has come over and is doing well for the rookie Rangers. I sm sure teams would like to push some guys as 17-year olds again. I magibe Green and Vaquero in the same OF.
Luke Young(11th round) has agreed/signed. I was pretty excited. I am still hoping for Peoples and Ortiz, but it seems unlikely.
Sorry. Correcting…
“I am sure teams would like to push some guys as 17-year olds again. Imagine Green and Vaquero in the same OF”.
Irvin is looking more and more like they will need to add him to the 40-man over the winter to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Rutledge is looking much, much less worth protecting.
We’re told that Rutledge has too much talent to be pitching this poorly. But the fact is that he is. Obviously he needs another pitching coach or coordinator to try something different. That’s all you can do. It took Giolito seven years as pro, and countless pitching coaches, before his high school coach finally helped him figure things out and get back to what made him good. (He’s struggling this year, though.)
Irvin will be 26 in Feb 2023. He has not proven himself (yesterday was good) in Double A.
Rutledge turns 24 in April 2023 and continues to struggle in A Ball.
Neither may be protected, then again, the talent-poor Nats may keep them.
Once they trade away 5+ starters (if anyone will take them), it shouldn’t be very hard to find some 40 man roster spots.
Also, there’s A LOT of players currently on the 40 man that we wouldn’t miss, or whom couldn’t be replaced by the likes of Jake Irvin or Matt Cronin (and however poorly they’d fare in the majors). I started listing them out here, but realized it’s easier to name the players who are actually useful/have a future than list the ones who aren’t/don’t.
Pitchers:
Josiah Gray
Kyle Finnegan
Evan Lee?
Tanner Rainey
Mason Thompson
Batters:
Keibert Ruiz
Riley Adams
Tres Barrera? (let’s see if he continues to bat .067)
Juan Soto
Luis Garcia
Carter Kieboom
Victor Robles
Lane Thomas?
That’s, 10-13(!) players worth keeping around. The others would easily get DFA’d and pass through waivers. Even the worst teams wouldn’t be interested in the likes of Andres Machado, Patrick Corbin, Jordan Weems, Ehire Adrianza, Donovan Casey or Alcides Escobar.
This team really has become the 2007-2010 Washington Nationals all over again… how depressing.
I think Finnegan will be traded. I hope that some of the prospects they receive in the trades — particularly if Soto is one of them — are guys close enough to the majors that they’re already on 40-man rosters.
I’m not big on hastily adding guys who are still a long way away from the majors. The Antuna decision looks laughable now. If they didn’t think he was ready to be higher than A+, then why would any other team? Guys like Irvin, Troop, and Cronin are a lot closer to being MLB-ready than Rutledge and Denaburg are, despite their draft pedigrees.
Leandro Emiliani is sure making the front office look foolish for dragging their feet on promoting him.
Draft bonus update:
1. Green – signed ($2k OVER)
2. Bennett – signed (Not Available)
3. Lipscomb (SLOT)
4. Cox – signed (N/A)
5. McKenzie – signed (N/A)
6. Ochoa – signed (N/A)
7. Cornerlio – unsigned
8. Huff – signed (N/A)
9. Romero – unsigned
10. Stehly – signed ($144k UNDER)
That’s all but 2 of the top 10 signed. Bonus figures should come in soon, as they all signed on Friday.
Balance: still -$142k UNDER until the new numbers come in.
Just saw there’s reports out there that Cox signed for $1m ($451k OVER)
Also, it seems Romero signed too, but figures still aren’t in yet, leaving only Cornelio unsigned.
Balance: $309k OVER (Nats can exceed their allotment by 5% before forfeiting future picks, which for their total amount of ~$11m is $550,695 (but they will get hit with a 75% tax on each dollar they go over).
I was pleasantly surprised that Green signed for slot. There were rumors that he wanted at least $8 million. Everyone was surprised that the Nats gave full slot value to Lipscomb as a senior signee. Even Jim Callis of MLB.com tweeted his surprise. Since they passed on Tidwell or Priellip to take Bennett, I hope they’re getting a discount on him.
With Cox, this seems like a situation like with Infante. The Nats have drafted someone who wasn’t on a lot of boards and paid more than double slot. At least Cox just turned 18 in May, whereas Infante was turning 19 when he was drafted. (Ochoa will be turning 19 in October so is on the older side.)
Slots were raised very slightly so if you see numbers a couple thousand off that is why. Also, do not forget they have an extra $550K (approx) they can go over.
Everyone in the top ten has signed other than Cornerlio. All for slot except Cox got one million and Ochoa got 375K. I do not have my notes, but when all added up, they should have aproximately 170K extra. That may be going to Luke Young who has also signed. Crossing my fingers on Peoples and Ortiz, but they seem unlikely.
Oh good to know. Where did you get the info about bonuses? I searched around for a while and couldn’t find anything for most of the players.