Going Deep with The Nats

Tanner Roark photo by Navy Yard Nats for TalkNats

By Friday, teams will have made their decisions on tender/non-tender for 2019 contracts to unsigned players who are not signed to set contracts and this includes arbitration eligible players. The Nationals have seven players who are arbitration eligible, and here they are with their projected arbitration values: Anthony Rendon – $17.6 million , Tanner Roark – $9.8 million, Trea Turner – $5.3 million, Michael Taylor – $3.2 million. Kyle Barraclough — $1.9 million, Joe Ross – $1.5 million, and Sammy Solis – $900,000.  Continue reading →

After the build-up to the Rule 5 draft reserve list, the Nationals only protected one player and that was James Bourque who is a hard-throwing right-handed reliever who pitched last year for the High-A PNats and the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. Bourque was excellent for the Senators appearing in 15 games with a 0.92 ERA and a 1.271 WHIP. While Bourque was a virtual lock to be protected, the Nationals will expose 23-players to the Rule 5 draft including  Jakson Reetz, Drew Ward (#29 prospect), Aldrem Corredor, Andruw Monasterio, Telmito Agustin (#13 prospect), Taylor Guilbeau, and Andrew Istler. We had thought that Istler would be a candidate for getting protected, but he did not make the cut.  Continue reading →

Washington Nationals general manager continued his quick strike approach this off-season with his third major acquisition before Thanksgiving as he has signed Kurt Suzuki according to reports to a two-year deal. This is another back to the future deal as Suzuki was a part of the Washington Nationals when Rizzo acquired him via a trade in 2012 for David Freitas.  Continue reading →

Tomorrow, the Rule 5 draft reserve lists must be submitted of unprotected players by 8pm EDT which also means Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo must decide which players to protect and not expose to the Rule 5 draft. The Rule 5 draft allows players who have met the minimum eligibility requirements of tenure in the minor leagues to either be placed on the team’s 40-man roster or else get exposed to a Rule 5 draft where any team can take them — but there are rules that if another team drafts them then they must be put on the Major League team for the full season or returned.

The Nationals once drafted as a Rule 5 Jesus Flores, and he was a good find for the team. The actual Rule 5 draft happens on the last day of the Winter Meetings, and since 2011 the Nationals have not taken players rather they have lost several players. There is also the situation with Brian Broderick who failed miserably with the Nationals as a Rule 5 pick, and the Nationals returned him. Broderick along with Henry Rodriquez made up 2/7ths of Jim Riggleman‘s 2011 bullpen for the beginning of the season. Some Rule 5 players have limited experience and some have never made it past A-ball.  Continue reading →