Monday’s News & Notes

13 Commments

1. Luke, good to see you back, even in abbreviated form. Hope things are settling down for you.

   Gutierrez doesn’t get much discussion from the “gurus,” but he’s a legit MLB prospect, so his rise to Potomac should be duly noted. He probably would have progressed earlier this year if not for injury.

   And Tyler Watson keeps rolling along. I’ll be very interested if/when scouting reports start popping up on him. Someone here said that he wasn’t get much “prospect” notice because he barely breaks 90, but I don’t know if that’s true or not. He’s certainly got the frame to fill out and add velocity. And his K numbers seem to indicate that he knows how to get guys out.

   1. That info on Tyler Watson came from this Auburn Citizen article: http://auburnpub.com/sports/doubledays/doubledays-pregame-starting-pitcher-tyler-watson-has-opened-some-eyes/article_e825bad6-8b08-57dc-8f0d-404b8920b806.html. I’ve found that the Citizen is the best way to follow the Doubledays because there isn’t a lot of scouting info on the players elsewhere.

      1. Thanks. Good info.

2. Good to have you back, Luke.
   Not paying much attention this year to the DSL team this year, but what Karl & FG dug up was incredible. Lots of good arms and absolutely zero power from the bats.

3. It’s being reported that Mat Latos will be added to the Nats 40 man roster and brought up to the bigs this Thursday when rosters expand. Since Giolito again proved ineffective guessing that Latos will get a start over the next week for the Nats. IIRC, that move will require that the Nats drop someone off the 40 man roster (I believe Rzepczinski took Papelbon’s spot which gives the Nats 40 currently). Not an obvious player to release, guessing it will be den Dekker since: a) he is 29 years old and is no longer even remotely considered a prospect; b) Brian Goodwin will likely be the lefty OF bat that gets promoted when rosters expand; c) den Dekker will like be taken off the 40 man roster this Fall when the Nats need to protect their prospects from the 40 man draft.

   1. Meant to say Rule V draft.

      1. Rule V…..40 man, same thing, or as they used to say in hometown ‘same difference’.

   2. I would agree that den Dekker seems the most obvious. Rizzo might try to make a waiver-wire deal with him before DFA. He doesn’t have a lot of value at the moment, though.

      Otherwise, the 40-man roster is pretty tight, which is why I caution folks about getting too excited about potential call-ups of guys like Skole, Bryan Harper (still on the DL), or even Sean Burnett unless he really sets the world on fire. They’d have to DFA someone like Martin to add anyone else. The only other move that looks like a possibility to me would be to move Stephen Drew to the 60-day DL, but you’d think they will give him every opportunity to recover and be a part of the bench for the postseason.

      With the Chiefs currently, uh, 21 games out of the IL wild card race, I don’t see much to prevent the Nats from loading up the bus come Sept. 1 for nearly everyone who is on the 40-man, particularly the bullpen guys. There are a couple of postseason bullpen slots to be had if someone like Gott, Grace, or Martin steps up with a lights-out Sept.

4. The Nats recalled Michael A. Taylor today, and sent Giolito back down. Kind of an odd move as MAT has struggled for Cuse of late (although his BABIP is incredibly low). With Difo back at H’burg and Drew still on the DL, this leaves the starting CF (Trey Turner) as the only reserve middle infielder (and leaves no one able to play 3B if Rendon gets hurt). Granted the Nats can and will expand the rosters after the Philly series, so the risk is somewhat minimal.

   Would guess that for the Mets series (the first series after rosters expand), the Nats will bring up Difo, Severino, Latos, Martin, Goodwin, Lopez and either Burnett or Grace.

   1. MAT could not hit with the Nats and was even worse with SYR. I guess they could not bring back Difo or Goodwin since they were just sent back. MAT will more likely sit on the bench. With the relievers overworked, why not bring back another arm before the callups???

   2. Why was Difo sent out and then Taylor recalled? I know they were two different moves, but they were within a day or two of each other. Oh well. I think Taylor is out of options after this season, so they’re going to have to make a decision about what to do with him. There was a time not that long ago when I thought Taylor had left Goodwin n the dust in their progressions, but that perception seems to have flipped.

      1. I think because they had to option Difo to bring Giolito up to start on Sunday – but couldn’t bring Difo back up for another 10 days (or unless an injury replacement). They were shorthanded on offense, and on RHB’s in particular.

         Basically, just a numbers game.

5. Perhaps distracted with a looming 40-man roster move on everyone’s mind, Rafael Martin did nothing to help his case, giving up FIVE runs on 6 hits and a walk in a third of an inning tonight, raising his ERA from 3.75 to 4.66.

   Meanwhile, Matt Skole continues – likely in vain – to make his case for a call-up by going 2-for-4 with his 22nd homer. With Clint Robinson hitting well, there’s even less of a need for Skoke, but it still seems like 22 HRs at AAA should be rewarded.

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