Reports: Hundreds Released across the Minors, Including the Nationals
According to multiple sources, hundreds of minor leaguers have been or will be released this week – including the Nationals. No doubt this is ahead of the unstated May 31 deadline to extend “benefits” to operational employees and /or to limit the $400 pittance stipend to players they do want to keep. under lock and key.
Baseball America is all but predicting that when the releases do become known, it will exceed the March-May totals from 2019 and 2018. I’m not so sure the full extent will be known.
Why? Because every year there are a dozen or two players who are assigned to XST (or at least we assume as much) that we never hear from again. Need an example? How ’bout Blake Kelso?
It’s more than safe to say he was released, but notice that MiLB.com still lists him as “inactive.” I’ve seen that at least half-dozen times in the 50-plus players I’ve profiled as part of the “From the Archives” series that I’ve been running to keep the site going. I have very little confidence that we will see the full and entire list of guys who have been released.
After all, if MiLB wasn’t reporting dozen or so releases every year when things were “normal,” why would it suddenly disclose everybody – especially when the full extent of cuts will undoubtedly make them look bad?
It’s going to be difficult to ascertain how much of this “cost-cutting” and how much of this is in preparation for contraction. I’ve written previously that the pandemic will achieve in months that might have taken years otherwise. ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle (please don’t ask if he’s related) agrees:
Minor league baseball – which collectively ended last season as a wholly vibrant operation, with nothing but clear skies ahead – has had its guts ripped from it over the past six months. We’ll be sifting through the fallout for years. But to answer the question: MLB wants an affiliated system with 120 teams, so that’s what’s likely to happen.
Finally, there has been no listing of the players for the Nationals. If we’re lucky, someone will post a list like this. But I’m not holding my breath; that’s the only one I’ve come across, and, well, it’s the Mets.
Follow Luke’s “it’s the Mets” link above. Sad but not surprising background from one of the players released about the “toxic” environment in the system, mistreatment/misuse that led to arm injuries, and a little thinly veiled Tebow bashing.
With the draft being only five rounds, organizations will have to fill out their teams with a lot of free agents. It will be interesting to see if the Nats’ reputation for stability, not to mention their wide scouting deployment with lots of personal connections with college teams, will pay any dividends with a higher caliber group of signees. Frankly, position players should be lining up to sign with the Nats, as there will hardly be anyone ahead of them on the organizational depth charts.
We knew that the depth @ various positions would not last long in a regular regular season scissors trimming.
Mole , Luke , surprising that some of the utility players do not have “ bus driver “ attached to their credentials
One of my favorite baseball stories was the novel from the 90s called The Celebrant about two brothers individually on the good and dark side of baseball with Christy Mathewson some of the characters included …
Absolutely the perfect photo for this post. Sad but true.
I wish the Nats f.o. didn’t use the CIA as their role model when it comes to information.
Some teams (A’s, Angels) are being sleazier than others when it comes to their employees. I hope it bites them in the ass.
Clowns in America
Best wishes to Austin Davidson as he is one who was released. I enjoyed watching him play in Harrisburg.
His fate was written on the subway walls. ..
Farewell to Austin Davidson; he was 27 and spent 6 years in the Nats system. Split time between Potomac and Harrisburg last year with 213 ab’s in AA.
Alas, he only hit at .663 OPS last year so at his age the writing was on the wall. I wish him well in his future endeavors!
Pepperdine is a great degree to build life post baseball
Interesting utility guy released by the Cubs in Carlos A…
Beeter with a heater. Lol
Texas Tech. Jimmy Gonzales scouting eyes ? And the TJ asterisk …
My recent car engine blew out so now I am looking for a beater with a heater. Drum roll please , Luke ..
A feelgood story… David Price will pay every Dodger minor leaguer $1,000. Not a lot of money to him but a lot to the serfs. Good for him.
Are we surprised about the thin threads ?? Cade Cavilli son of a guy who played catcher in Angels chain 1990
Has there been a Nats list? Or did Austin Davidson post on Twitter or something? Yes, he was one I also enjoyed watching play during the parts of four seasons he spent in Woodbridge. He had a very solid .285/.363/.483 at AA in 2018 but struggled in 2019. For a 13th-round pick who hit only .266 his last season at Pepperdine, he obviously worked very hard to improve that much as a pro. Best wishes to him as he takes that determination into the next phase of his life.
None that I’ve been able to find. I have little confidence that when one does appear it’ll be complete and/or accurate.
Time for a mole , Luke
KW talked about the Nats advantage in being a bit old school and having a full compliment of scouts.
I agree completely, especially because there were so few games to watch. I know William & Mary only played 17 out of 51 regular season games scheduled.
Contrast that to the Angel’s, who just layed off all their scouts, or the Astros, who just don’t have scouts, believing they are obsolete.
Astros just go to a showing of “Stomp” and see if they can pik up the right characteristics from there… 😀
Word out now is that only 5 teams have not disclosed their cuts yet and, you guessed it, the Nats are one of them.
The Rockies released 63 players(!!!) and the Mariners 50 while the Pirates haven’t released anybody at all yet.