When it comes down to it Spring is about getting ready, both the players and the team and the team getting ready means figuring out it's positions and roster spots. There aren't many huge questions for the Nats though.
SP
Williams and Gore are given and Mike Soroka had the inside track if he didn't crash and burn and he's actually looked good. Among the remaining 4 you have to figure Jake Irvin's age and slight experience edge gives him the next spot leaving #5 open for DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker, and Shinnosuke. That might not have been true going into the spring but since the start Irvin has pitched well and none of these guys have so those fringe decisions decided by Spring lead to Irvin being set.
So someone out of the rest will start. My money is on Herz but it could be Parker if DJ clearly needs to dial back in the strike zone. I don't give Shinno much of a chance.
RP
Finnegan, Law, and Ferrer are set as good arms here last year. You figure Jorge Lopez is set as well in that "veteran who has been sort of good recently" type they bring in. Lucas Sims is interesting in that he's never been that good and his Spring has been weak so while he should join Lopez in that rent a vet role he's opened up a chance to pitch himself out of it... if he didn't already have a roster spot. I suppose enough guys could force the issue but it hasn't happened. Luckily for him a make or break guy is Evan Reifert the Rule V pick-up who has to stay on the roster all year if the Nats like him and he's not been particularly good. Also lucky for him Colin Poche, who'd also need a roster spot, has been terrible. No, Sims stays and likely Salazar bc he has that roster spot right now too and then Oscar Ribalta who has looked good to fill in the last spot? Is that enough? I don't know. Does it matter here?
Offense
It's pretty set with Lowe, Garcia, Abrams going 1st, 2nd SS. Ruiz at C. Bell at DH. Wood and Crews in the OF. The last OF spot will be Young with Call likely in the 4th OF role. Riley Adams is basically the only back-up C in Spring. Amed Rosario as utility men, at least to start the season. I feel personally like the question that remains is do you go with the Not a 3B but has shown himself at the plate consistently well Andres Chaparro or D first vet Paul DeJong at 3B. My guess is DeJong for defense and scrappy GM favorite type play. If that's true than maybe Chaparro doesn't make the team at all and Yepez does since this person would mainly be just a bat. Tena is the odd man out here. Nunez I'd guess they'd want to see him play everyday in AAA first given his limited game time last year.
Not exactly thrilling but here we are
2 comments:
So on the pitching front, I figure that Ogasawara stays in MLB as long relief and whichever of the Herz/Parker duo loses the #5 starter job goes to AAA to stay stretched out as a starter for when they need a #6?
No real argument on your assumptions about the batting side of things. Honestly, the only real questions (barring injury) were going to be if Millas could force the C issue to make the team want to release Adams (he hasn't), and which of Chapparo/Yepez/Tena gets to be the last man on the bench--though I don't think it'll be Yepez given that Chapparo at least gives some defensive versatility and Yepez gives none since Lowe and Bell are already 1B/DH-only players so those are the only two Yepez can replace.
I don't know if they want to push anyone of these 3 to long relief just yet. Here's what I care about that is up for grabs 1) Herz starts as #5 unless there's a very good reason not to. 2) Nunez starts as the everday SS in AAA. Everything else is a big whatever for me
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