Tuesday’s News & Notes
| Nats Deal Griffin, Franklin for Next Year’s Bullpen
Ok, maybe not, but it’s pretty clear that the Nats’ goal for the 2026 trade deadline was to get upper-minors pitching that will be ready sooner rather than later. They’re not all relievers, but if Washington can get enough starters to stop with the short-season league treatment, that alone will make writing up the games just a little easier. TRADE #1 – GUARDIANS
TRADE #2 – ORIOLES |
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | OFF DAY | @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 7:05pm | Pilkington (2-5, 4.69) vs. Beck (8-2, 2.85) |
| Harrisburg | OFF DAY | @ Chesapeake, 6:35pm | Lyon (4-4, 3.70) vs. Hunter (1-0, 0.00) |
| Wilmington | OFF DAY | vs. Brooklyn, 6:35pm | Sthele (0-0, 16.20) vs. Carreno (0-1, 6.15) |
| Fredericksburg | OFF DAY | vs. Delmarva, 6:35pm | Millikan (0-1, 7.71) vs. Mejia (0-6, 9.35) |
| DSL Nationals | Lost, 16-5 | vs. DSL Angels, 11am |
Rochester Red Wings, 18-15, 4th I.L. East, 5GB – 63-43 overall
It remains to be seen how the influx of pitchers will be distributed over the final two months of the season with—as we go to virtual press—six pitchers assigned to the Senators yesterday and thus far no releases or cases of Hellenic flu. This week, the Red Wings make their final trip to Moosic, PA to play the RailRiders for five night games and a day game on Sunday. Roster moves: 1B-DH Abimelec Ortiz, LHP Andrew Alvarez recalled to Washington.
Harrisburg Senators, 17-14, 3rd E.L. Southwest, 5GB – 51-49 overall
It’s safe to say the Harrisburg rotation is going to change this week. The $64,000 question is if Alex Clemmey or Isaac Lyon will be deemed ready for AAA or if Riley Maddox and Jared Simpson will be headed to the ‘pen or back to Delaware. This week, the Senators head to Bowie for seven, including a doubleheader tomorrow if the rains pass through without damage to the field. Roster moves:LHPs Will Dion, Josh Hartle; RHPs Joe Glassey, Ben Grable, Jack Cebert, Kendeglys Virguez; OF Nick Mitchell assigned from Washington.
Wilmington Blue Rocks, 21-14, 1st Sally Lg. North, 1½ GA – 52-48 overall
The Blue Rocks have quietly taken over first place in the Sally League North with a four-game winning streak and a chance to make some hay at home against the Cyclones this week. While releases at AA are probably more likely, there’s a chance Riley Maddox could return to help bolster a rotation that’s been patchwork all season long.
Fredericksburg Nationals, 16-19, 4th C.L. North, 4GB – 62-39 overall
Fredericksburg hasn’t won a series in the second half or three games in a row since late June. The offense remains potent but the pitching has been dragged down by the influx of FCL roster-fillers. Unlike Wilmington, it seems doubtful that there will be some “pushdown” given the bevy of guys too old for High-A, never mind Low-A. The FredNats return home this week to face also-ran Shorebirds.
DSL Arizona Red 16 DSL Nationals 5 (8 inn.)
• Reynoso (L, 0-4) 2IP, 2H, 8R, 8ER, 7BB, 2K, 2HBP, 4WP
• Moreno ⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 1K
• Araujo 1-2, 2B, 2RBI
• Ja. Garcia 1-3, R, RBI
• Tusen 1-3, BB, RBI, 2K
Rain (presumably) cut this mercifully short as the D-Nats dropped their seventh straight, 16-5 in eight innings. Franniel Reynoso lost for the fourth time on eight runs given up on two (2) hits, seven walks, two hit batsman, and four wild pitches over two-plus innings. Without video, it’s impossible to know if his two K’s came from swings while ducking out of the way. Andry Araujo came off the bench to double in two while Adrian Tusen, Joneirbis Garces, and Jawel Garcia each went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
I was expecting Young to be traded before Franklin but either could have ended up being the better 4th outfielder.
an influx of (healthy) arms was needed and now it’s time for the pitching development team to go to work.
SSS but I like what I see from Ortiz. good approach that explains his very good walk/strikeout rates for the Wings. a HR and two balls to the track last night. he’s struggled against lefties however.
Raining in Minnesota.
Feels like Indian summer
Jonathan Thomas going to be busy greeting the new arrivals in Harrisburg .
Yes Luke morning morning
Maddox back to ( waft difference a year makes .. and the difference is ..) first place Wilmington
( great song going through my head with that lyric )
Seaver King smiles
Fellow Demon deacon
Alum in the farm now
NATS and ORIOLES first deal since expos flipped for Ryan Miinor
The Gas with Glassey could be classy in BBs bullpen
Keep it classy , Glassey !
( anchorman !) anchor in a bullpen
We are awaiting BB to AAA , young Turks .
How much $$$$ did Pitt pay for Hassel 3?
What’s the price of a bag of balls these days?
Bryce Harper to the outfield
Brohm to first
Too bad Yo-yo not healthy to form Ortiz platoon together
Luke Maddox and Simpson to Wil
My guess
In an insanely ironic twist of fate, Christian Franklin gets traded mere hours before he may have gotten his big break with the Nationals. Wood looks like he too may go down with the Nationals’ newest achilles heel, the oblique, which could have paved the way for Franklin’s debut. Hope it pans out for him in Bawlmer.
As we got close to the trade deadline and Griffin was still here, I thought for sure we were going to hold pat and hope to get a compensatory 1st round pick for him (likely) refusing a QO this offseason. The going rate for talent this trade deadline felt way down compared to previous years, and a comp pick would’ve been good for a 50/55 FV prospect. Alas, Toboni wanted numbers over talent. I liked the Mead for Early trade, but I’m very underwhelmed with everything else. Weirdly, Franklin yielded almost as much talent as Garcia and Griffin, which is.. not very much.
It’s definitely a risky strategy to opt for quantity over quality. FanGraphs have studied the success rate of prospects, and found that the bust rate of prospects increases significantly as their rating decreases. A 35 or 40 rated prospect, which the 9 players we obtained yesterday were exclusively rated, have a “Star Odds” rate of 0.4%, whereas as 50 rated pitcher has a 7% “star” success rate. Clearly, quantity doesn’t trump quality, unless you talking about dozens of 35/40-type prospects, which we didn’t get.
But I really hope we’ll get some value out of these bullpen arms THIS YEAR. Because with the subtractions (and potentially Wood too), the rest of this season could turn into a real slog.
On another note, the DSL Nats really stink. It’s been this way for so long that I’m kind of numb to it, but I really, really hope we see some serious shake up in our Dominican operations this winter. It’s incredible that almost every other team can field TWO full rosters with significantly better talent than the Nats’ one team. That needs to change. Fast.
Only the young ( DSL ) can say ….( Neal Schom guitar solo )
Here is an option for young Turks
Promote Pinckney !
Next year for Fred with the
NCAA arms drafted
Harrisburg later than sooner
Peterson and BB to AAA?
Nunez and Cabrera up from blue rox ?
With all those pitchers already assigned to Sens, it will be interesting to see who stays and who goes.
Which is the more accurate predictor of future success? Prospect rankings? OR a talented analytics and scouting front office team with a pretty nice budget to work with? I have no idea, but the Nats’ front office personnel have to be able to spend more time and resources analyzing each player involved in these trades than the prospect rankers have been able to devote. We see pretty much universal commentary that the Nats didn’t get much in return for two high-performing 2026 MLB players. Nonetheless, I’m wondering if there are trends and qualities that the front office knows about and the prospect rankers do not fully grade?
interesting video of Bird being told that he’s been dealt on the mound as he’s pulled from the game.
One of the pitchers acquired from Cleveland, Josh Hartle was a teammate of Seaver King at Wake Forest. That 2024 WF team had Seaver King, Nick Kurtz, Chase Burns and Hartle… They somehow didn’t make out of the regionals.
As a WF sophomore in 2023, Hartle was WF’s #2 starter behind the Reds’ Rhett Lowder, and Hartle was dominant all of 2023 (11-2 2.81 ERA 12+K per 9), including being the only pitcher to beat 2023 LSU (with Skenes and Crews) in the 2023 CWS.
After Hartle’s 2023 season, Hartle was a projected first round pick after the 2024 season, but Hartle had a rough season. WF opened the 2024 season #1 in the nation, and Hartle was the #1 starter ahead of Chase Burns. Hartle performed so poorly in 2024, that he dropped to the 3rd round.
Hartle has been a roll lately for AA Akron (2 runs or less in his last 4 starts). Hartle is 6-6 with good command. He’s actually similar to Foster Griffin as a lefty with good, but not great stuff, but when he has command, opponents just don’t score runs against him…
https://x.com/GuardsInsider/status/2082629945751166996
I had my eyes on Hartle as a possible pick that year Pirates grabbed him
Talk about full circle
Conga line push up of two lefty swinging catchers
Meckler show your stuff
Just 102 F in the shade in Dallas
From the “that didn’t take long” department, Christian Franklin is up with the O’s for tonight’s game. Wonder if he would be playing Philly tonight without the trade if Wood has to go to the IL.