Scott Sizemore’s three-run blast in the 6th broke open a 2-1 game as the Nats tripled up the Rays, 6-2 in the 2016 Grapefruit League opener. As is custom in spring-training road games, few regulars made the bus trip. Tanner Roark got the start and turned in two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a …
And not a moment too soon.
It’s a certainly a different dynamic than a year ago. Expectations are much lower, but the managerial talent is much, much higher.
Like Matt Williams as a manager, we don’t belong here – spring training is for the big boys and the big club, even if the team’s undisputed No. 1 prospect is in the clubhouse (and he brought treats, too).
But we’ll pretend we do for about three weeks so I can re-establish my routine and have something to write about nearly every morning as opposed to once or twice a week.
It starts this afternoon with a road game against Tampa Bay with audio coverage via MLB.com webcast.
We finally made it to March. Spring Training games start tomorrow. But first, let’s take care of some housekeeping with a look at the transactions from the past two weeks, as reported by Baseball America: • Signed RHPs Burke Bandenhop, Matt Belisle, J.C. Gutierrez, and Connor Porter • Released C Edward Trejos Bandenhop and Belisle …
For the minors fans, the news is sparse this time of year, but thanks to MASN’s Byron Kerr, we can at least discuss the annual list of minor-leaguers who’ve been asked to come to camp early, a.k.a. “accelerated camp.” This is the analog to the Fall Instrux – extra time for instruction, etc. And, of …
Last night, John Sickels released his Washington Nationals Top 20 prospects list for 2016. Here’s how it breaks down by letter grade: A Lucas Giolito A- Trea Turner B/B+ Victor Robles B Reynaldo Lopez, A.J. Cole B/B- Erick Fedde B- Wilmer Difo, Anderson Franco, Austin Voth B-/C+ Andrew Stevenson C+ Osvaldo Abreu, Rafael Bautista, Christopher …
It’s hard to imagine with the ice and snow we’ve been having lately, but pitchers and catchers do report to Viera on Friday. Allegedly. And, according to some dispatches, it’s the last one at Space Coast stadium. So we’ve got one more year of beat writers bitching about Panera. Yesterday, we got the news as …
As some have already noted in the comments, there’s finally some movement on the transaction front with the Nationals signing two career minor-leaguers and a former major-leaguer to a minor-league contract. First, the guys we might see this summer: • LHP Robert Fish – Hasn’t pitched since 2013. While he’s already succumbed to Nationals elbow …
With John Sickels’s prospect book still a month out or so, I decided to finish the Watchlist with the BA book and hold out on a couple of guys that I think (hope) he’ll cover. One’s a 2015 Draft pick, the other’s a 40-man guy that I want his opinion on before I weigh in. …
After being reminded that I have a lousy copyeditor 😉 Here are Washington’s Nos. 16 through 31… 16. Drew Ward (8) 21. Rhett Wiseman 26. Phillips Valdez 17. Sammy Solis* (15) 22. Edwin Lora 27. Nick Lee (30) 18. Joan Baez 23. Raudy Read (22) 28. Taylor Hearn 19. Austen Williams 24. Juan Soto 29. …
A pleasant surprise — even if I did pay extra for expedited shipping — as the 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook arrived in today’s mail. This is almost a full week earlier than last year… and despite the recent snowstorm. A bigger surprise? The folks in Durham, NC rated the Nationals as the fifth-best organization.. …