Arizona Fall League Begins Today
The 2019 Arizona Fall League starts up today, roughly three weeks earlier than in years past. Sterling Sharp is the scheduled starter for the Saguaros, as he continues to work his way back from a midseason oblique injury.
Sharp is one of four pitchers and four position players sent by Washington to the AFL this year. A lot of the rules have been changed, though it’s not clear if the “taxi squad” – players who can only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays – are among them. My gut says it’s gone; if anyone and everyone can play, why bother keeping that rule?
For a quick review of the rest of the Nats’ contingent:
- Nick Banks – OF
- Cole Freeman – CF/2B
- Luis Garcia – SS/2B
- Jakson Reetz – C
- Nick Raquet – LHP
- Jacob Condra-Bogan – RHP
- Andrew Lee – RHP
Only Banks and Sharp are Rule 5 candidates for the first time; Reetz and Lee passed through last year. Raquet, Condra-Bogan, and Freeman will be Rule 5 candidates next year.
It’s, um, no surprise that Garcia is the youngest player on the Sagauros roster, and the third youngest in the league, behind the Cards’ Ivan Herrera and the M’s Julio Rodriguez, who was born three days before the 20th century ended in 2000.
Garcia is one of three SS’s listed but the only one those three with significant time at 3B, so you may see him there or at 2B since it’s pretty obvious his presence was requested (and the Nats were more than happy to keep Carter Kieboom in witness protection West Palm Beach) by the scouts and MLB.
This is an interesting crop of guys the Nats have in the desert this year. There’s only one stud “prospect” (Garcia), but every one of the players there has a reasonable shot at being a major-leaguer. That said, the clock is really ticking on a number of these guys age-wise.
As for picks to click, I’m going to point to Nick Banks to get a little power boost in AZ and Andrew Lee to follow on this strong performance in the AA playoff game with a lot of Ks. I’m still curious whether they will try to keep him as a starter or convert him to a power reliever. (Same for Raquet.)
I was told Raquet will work in relief.
Hence trading the better Houston Cougar alum gets more interesting.
Just love an empty BW3 to myself for a matinee
What is interesting about Sharp is that his stuff can possibly handle Fresbo and Harrisburg climates
Any buzz on the DLd Texas AM Aggie righty ?
Wow, that’s 4 players that will be looking to force the Nats hand with the Rule V draft.
The pitchers you always worry about getting picked more than the position players.
Luke, I hope the early start this year doesn’t affect that terrific photographer who was giving us all a bird’s-eye view the last few years.
One factor in Rule Five is which orgs have the time , patience and space to keep an arm on 25 man all year
The only guys I’m really thinking the Nats could promote are Fuentes, Sharp, Sanchez, maybe Braymer, maybe Reetz, maybe German, and perhaps Istler (though while he put up crazy numbers this year, he just turned 27). Of those seven, I expect they add three or four at the most, and Sharp is the only one I see as a “lock”.
Sanchez is set for minor league free agency, so the Nats would have to do like they did with Suero in 2017 and promote him right after the World Series. (They added Kelvin Gutierrez and Jefry Rodriguez a couple weeks later.)