Offseason Update: Jan. 3, 2025
Sorry. Just a post to let you (and the search engines, natch) know we’re still here.
As per usual, I’ve begun work on the 2025 player pages, having finished off the catchers (and trying not to feel old since all three of ’em are younger than my youngest son).
I’ve also updated the Road Trips page to include the two new stops I made in 2023 and one of the two new places I visited in 2024. If all goes well, 2025 will be a rarity: five new stops, four new cities.
Last, but not least, our vow to have a long break without dogs lasted just a little less than five months. Above is Rascal, an 80+ lb. American/English bulldog mix we adopted from a shelter just before X-Mas. He’s an older dog and has already made it into the lug phase but will still murder a squeaky toy, so I’m hoping his playfulness means he’s younger than some of the initial estimates (6-8 y.o.). Either way, it feels good to have a dog again.
Welcome to Rascal, who looks like he could be a power-hitting catcher, albeit one who might not be too adept at fielding his position. So he’ll fit right in!
The Nats bet big, in terms of draft capital, on catchers in the 2024 draft. Some gurus thought that Lomavita might creep into the top 15 picks, so maybe he was a steal for the Nats. Others thought he had significant chase issues at the plate, so maybe he wasn’t. It was interesting that the Nats then doubled down on catching with the Bazzell pick.
It will be interesting to see if the Nats keep the pair together and splitting time, probably at Wilmington, or if one will go there and the other to Fredericksburg. If the latter is the case, will draft order rule, or will performance? In the very SSS as pros, Bazzell hit better, and got on base better, than Lomavita did.
There were only seven MLB catchers who topped 20 homers last season, so fingers crossed that Lomavita can be one of those guys. Only 17 of them reached at least 2 fWAR, so the bar for competence behind the dish is quite low at the moment, including on the DC MLB roster.
Considering that the Nats pushed Crews, Morales, and Pinckney to AA to start their first full pro seasons, it’s possible that they give a similar push to Lomavita and Seaver King as well. There’s virtually no one of high prospect consequence standing in their way of rapid promotion through the organization at C and SS, respectively.
personally I hope they do not skip high A ball. the fears associated with the ballpark may have cost them with Crews. Wood certainly proved you can have success there.
that being said there are a lot of players who have accumulated significant time in Fredericksburg so there may be a log jam
Fredmd I am reading this @ 3:32 am in Fresno ( ole Nats AAA home for a hot minute ) . What did you mean “ it cost them skipping Crews in A plus ?
The Cavilli soap opera ( as the TJ turns .. ) makes me think of expectation in a prospect when the Expos always were looking for a lefty starter prospect and BJ Wallace ended up being injured and never blossomed .
Like one of the top word replies in customer service – bummer !
while I believe Crews can still develop into a solid major leaguer his early struggles in AA suggested too rapid a rise.
I may have worded it poorly but the ballpark argument has always seemed overblown to me.
Hey Jessica , Nats beat writer! I have met AJ Minter in my travels !
Matt Adams helps Rizzo with the Nats securing the
2025 top pick then goes to Padres to help tutor kids @ El Paso . Ok I get it . Maybe Matt loves Tex med food more than food in Virginia or North Carolina .
Todd you’re correct . The next incubating group of relievers at ROCH should be Adon and JR to rise up when ready
Salazar , Zach B , Thompson (???? ), Ribalta, .. Acosta, Armstrong just signed ..like micro wave popcorn let’s see how many kernels pop.
AJ Minter signing still hasn’t happened to help out Ferrar and Le Costa .
How does the Harrisburg outfield get fleshed out ? Sparse considerations on winter roster between AA/A. Haas has to sign a couple “ suitcase joes “ from AA free agency .