Catching up on Transactions
Things have been slow, but with the Baseball America transaction post earlier this week, we have some stuff to discuss:
SIGNED
• RHP Boone Whiting
RELEASED
• RHP Andrew Cooper
• RHP Sam Johns
• RHP 2B Thomas Alvarez
• RHP OF Wilman Rodriguez
OUTRIGHTED TO AAA
• RHP Erik Davis
• RHP Taylor Hill
Whiting would appear to be in the mold of other AAA/AA inventory, but *gasp* not a former Arizona draft pick. He struggled in two stops at AAA, going 0-2 with an 7.77/7.10/2.32 line in seven appearances for Mempis; 4-7, 1 SV and 6.04/5.78/1.82 in 22 appearances for Colorado Springs.
Cooper’s release is a mild surprise, given he turns 24 in June and wasn’t terrible (3.53/3.63/1.40) for the Suns last summer. Johns and Rodriguez appear to be classic cases of aging out (both will turn 25 by mid-July). Alvarez, who at one point was the youngest American-born farmhand in the Nats system, looks like he simply hit his ceiling as he struggled to produce a line of .204/.332/.284 in 151 games over four seasons in the DSL and GCL.
I want that “Boone, boone, boone!” Can Boone Whiting use Boomer Whiting’s walk-up music? I assume there are no “Family Ties” between Whitings, Smiths, or Johnsons. In other news, I’m saving up for a trip to Viera and hope to write some content for either Luke or others if they’ll have me!
Welcome back, SD. Liked your old photo better.
This was left unsaid during Luke’s gremlin attack, but it was a good bit of luck that neither Hill nor Davis were picked off the waiver wire. They still have potential. This will be Davis’s chance to show he has recovered from surgery & Hill needs a bounceback year to show he can make it to the show.
You never have enough starting pitching.
Mark L, it will be an uphill climb for both. My hope is both can exceed expectations at AAA and earn the trade that gives them an opportunity. Tyler Clippard’s doppelganger deserves an opportunity with the Mets!
Mark L, it’s not that I changed my picture. I’ve been away from the site so long I used my auxiliary email address! Yikes!
SD, much better.
Reminds everyone that greatness is watching over us.
Sir, MLK is certainly a latter day founding father but Michael “BATMAN” Taylor was discovered by Luke, vetted by me, and has bribed me with a game used broken bat. In my extremely biased and utterly untrustworthy opinion, he is SUPERgreat. May you have a peaceful and blessed day Mark L.
Every time I hear another story of the Nats looking for outfielders, I just shake my head. MT was 8th in the league in hitting with runners in scoring position last year and will only get better.
Mark L. They clearly don’t trust Taylor or just want to give him more time. Question is, do they send him back to AAA to get AB’s or waste him on the bench as 4th outfielder if they go out and sign Cespedes?
My thought is that should they sign Cespedes, MAT will likely be part of a trade for Lucroy. With Harper’s clock ticking, they have to be in win now mode and cannot afford to wait on Taylor’s development.
Dusty and MT. Interesting mentor influence .
Soul drummer I hope to run into you on b fields .
Nobody is talking Heisey as a quiet man in spring
… Yet….
Rebound years in Goodwin and vettleson
I will take Grissom opinion over Wilbon PTI
Anyday
Expo fans / Lee Stevens hitting coach
Modesto Raisins. Rox club
My opinion on YC. No draft pick to surrender
, no true R/R guy besides Taylor in system
To play OF in that role. DK Carey a ways away
.
Draft should be used on other needs. LH starter
A bat @ another position
Michael Taylor’s agent must be pleased as punch Cespedes is signing with the Mets.
YC did the Nats a big favor by picking the Mets.
By any advanced stats Taylor already was their 3rd best hitter in 2015, plus you get eye-popping defense.
In other news Kk revived Lucroy as trade bait. The Brewers would want some of a good haul of our young pitchers. He would be an upgrade at catcher.
Marlon Byrd still out there
Lol
I love Michael Taylor and feel it would be a mistake to give up on him – though we don’t know what the Nats have been offered. The question, however, is whether the Nats will park Taylor in AAA to play every day if he does not tear up spring training and demonstrate he should be playing regularly in place of Werth an/or Revere in a three-positions-to-fill-two platoon?
Back to the minors – I am surprised that the Nats have not really made any deals to inject minor league prospect depth. Only Michael Brady in the Gott trade and the Blue Jays return in the Revere deal (after the Nats scout spring training).
The Cespedes pursuit, for me, was always partly motivated by covering for the potential departure of Harper with a marquee player ahead of time and entrenched (philosophically, like the Scherzer signing). If Taylor’s ceiling is so high, then minor league time lowers his service clock as well. Werth may still have something offensively in the tank and if he does, Revere’s presence enables the Nats to let Taylor ripen.
Roster and organization planning is so much less chaotic with controllable players. But locking in players who are in the lineup every day vs. those who spend half the year on the DL is a crapshoot. The Nats are in that place with Ramos now, and with little time to resolve the potential of Severino and Kieboom.
Barring another OF acquisition Taylor will not go back to AAA. As it stands, we will start against lefties, come in to play CF in the late innings, and will spell Werth, who misses 45 games per year on average. As things stand with no long term injuries for Harper or Werth, Taylor will get 350 to 400 plate appearances in 2016 (possibly more if he plays well).
Add me to those pleased that Davis and Hill cleared waivers. If Davis makes it all the way back, he will have a decent chance at a DC appearance at some point in 2016. Hill looked like he had MLB potential in 2014 (2.81 ERA at Syracuse with 1.118 WHIP) but really struggled last season. He turns 27 in March, so it’s getting to be now-or-never time for him.
Time will tell it safe to say MAT will roam the
Outfield for nats in April. Heisey and Reed Johnson
Battle for bench bat job .
Gorski and Laffey @ Cuse should be interesting .
Poll question : who wins spring battle
Between Tyler Moore and Chris Heisey??
Grissom ?
Poll question with winter still embracing us:
Surprise guy of March camp ???
Goodwin
Shackelford ??
Tyler Moore??
Turner ??