For those of you who don't feel like opening the PDF, here are your spring training Washington Nationals:
PITCHERS-40-Man Roster
RHP Luis Atilano+
RHP Collin Balester*
RHP Jason Bergmann*
RHP Daniel Cabrera^
LHP Matt Chico*
RHP Tyler Clippard*
LHP Ross Detwiler+
RHP Marco Estrada*
RHP Joel Hanrahan*
RHP Shawn Hill*
LHP Mike Hinckley*
LHP John Lannan*
RHP Shairon Martis*
RHP Garrett Mock*
LHP Mike O'Connor*
LHP Scott Olsen^
RHP Saul Rivera*
RHP Steven Shell*
RHP Terrell Young%
PITCHERS-Non-Roster Invitees
RHP Bobby Brownlie+
RHP Jesus Colome*
LHP Gustavo Chacin%
LHP Justin Jones+
RHP Preston Larrison%
LHP Wil Ledezma^
RHP J.D. Martin%
RHP Jorge Sosa^
RHP Josh Towers%
RHP Ryan Wagner+
RHP Jordan Zimmermann+
CATCHERS-40-Man Roster
R/R Jesus Flores*
R/R Luke Montz*
R/R Wil Nieves*
CATCHERS-Non-Roster Invitees
R/R Javier Herrera+
R/R Gustavo Molina^
INFIELDERS-40-Man Roster
R/R Ronnie Belliard*
L/R Kory Casto*
R/R Ian Desmond+
S/R Alberto Gonzalez*
S/R Cristian Guzman*
S/R Anderson Hernandez*
L/L Nick Johnson*
R/R Ryan Zimmerman*
INFIELDERS-Non-Roster Invitees
L/R Freddie Bynum^
R/R Jose Castillo^
R/R Brad Eldred%
R/R Joel Guzman%
L/R Peterson T. Orr*
R/R Matt Whitney%
S/R Dmitri Young*
OUTFIELDERS-40-Man Roster
L/L Roger Bernadina*
L/R Leonard Davis+
R/R Elijah Dukes*
L/R Willie Harris*
R/R Austin Kearns*
R/R Justin Maxwell+
R/R Lastings Milledge*
R/R Wily Mo Pena*
R/R Josh Willingham^
OUTFIELDERS-Non-Roster Invitees
R/R Destin Hood+
L/L Ryan Langerhans*
R/R Jorge Padilla+
L/R Corey Patterson^
*=spent time with the Nats in 2008
^=spent time with another ML team in 2008
^=spent time with another ML team in 2008
+=spent time with the Nats organization in 2008, but not in the Majors
%=spent time with another organization in 2008, but not in the Majors
Guys who, in my opinion, have little-to-no chance to break camp with the team:
Atilano-almost 0 AA/AAA experience
Chico-terrible, plus we don't need another LH starter
Clippard-if he didnt get a chance last year, I doubt he will this year
Detwiler-really?
Estrada-ineffective last year, could use more seasoning
Martis-I will go out on a limb and say he has less than a 5% chance of making the team-he's just not ready
O'Connor-see "Chico, Matt" except add 3 years of age
Desmond-still hasn't been able to field or hit consistently well in the minors
Bernadina-too many OF
Davis-too many OF
Maxwell-needs some time in AA/AAA to get back to speed, still too many OF
Brownlie-good in AA last year, terrible in AAA as a 27 year old
Chacin-doesn't look like he has "it" back yet, maybe he never will
Jones-still can't hack it in AA
Wagner-terrible in his return to Columbus, would have to seriously impress the brass-although Jimmy Leatherpants loves the guy so he might get more of a shot anyways
Herrera-Not bad, just too many people ahead of him on the C depth chart
Molina-Bad, plus too many people ahead of him on the C depth chart
Bynum-Terrible in ML last year, not much better in AAA, behind a bunch on the MI depth chart
Whitney-Needs to find his power, chances are he'll have a Larry Broadway-showing
Hood-seriously?
Padilla-throwing the organizational fodder a bone
NRI guys with a chance, in my opinion to break camp with the team (percentages don't add up, just guesses):
Colome-50%
Larrison-25%
Ledezma-50%
Martin-25%
Sosa-25%
Towers-50%
Zimmermann-75%
Castillo-25%
Eldred-directly dependent on Johnson's health and Dmitri's weight, so basically 100%
Guzman-40%
Orr-50%
Young-25%
Langerhans-50%
Patterson-25%
Off the top of my head, the combination of most realistic and best 25-man roster we could have:
Pitchers: Balester (SP), Bergmann, Cabrera (SP), Hanrahan, Hill, Hinckley, Lannan (SP), Mock, Olsen (SP), Rivera, Young, Zimmermann (SP).
Catchers: Flores (starter), Nieves
Infielders: Belliard (platoon at 2B), C. Guzman (starter at SS), Harris (platoon at 2B/OF), Hernandez (platoon at 2B), Johnson (starter at 1B), Zimmerman (starter at 3B)
Outfielders: Dukes (starter at CF), Kearns (platoon at RF), Milledge (starter, split time between LF and RF), Pena (backup at LF), Willingham (starter at LF, backup at 1B)
Thoughts?
pena? highly doubt it. the team doesnt even want him, but hes under contract. dont even know if he will be healthy. dukes is in trouble with the law....bergmann is going to be battling for a starting spot..and where is casto? he will most likely be backing up 1B and if has a strong spring maybe even take over because johnson is never healthy
ReplyDeleteRealistically, there is no reason to expect the Nats to dump Pena yet. It all depends on his Spring Training. If he's as awful as he was last year, he'll be cut, but I have a feeling that last year was more injuries than anything (or at least partly injuries...how else can you explain 2 HR in almost 200 AB?).
ReplyDeleteBergmann and Hill will both be battling for starting spots. I have a feeling Zimmermann will start the year in AAA, but I went with ML anyways.
Casto will only make the team if someone's hurt. Willingham and Belliard will back up 1B for the time being.
So, it seems that Elijah "Dumb A**" Dukes spent his almost-$400,000 salary in 5 months this past season. So he can't pay child support. I have to say that I don't trust a player who can't do math. Or family. BTW, don't forget Sx3 tomorrow. We'll be in an Inaugural Type of Mood!
ReplyDeletePena will never play everyday. He has never been an everyday player. He isnt good enough. Bergmann may be a reliever this year and Casto will make the team if he has a good ST. They have already said he will come into ST knowing he will be a bench player this season. He cant just get sent to AAA now. They will have to put him on waivers first. Havnt you been paying attention!!
ReplyDeleteNever said Pena was an everyday player. He'll make the team because of his potential and the reasoning that his poor 2008 season was at least partly because of injuries.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing Bergmann will be a reliever, but it mostly depends on ST.
Casto is on the outside looking in. He'll only make the ML roster if someone is hurt. Otherwise, he's just trapped in a numbers game. I HAVE been paying attention-it doesn't scare me at all to put Kory Casto on waivers. If Langerhans can pass through waivers, so will Casto.
I will believe this sentence: "They have already said he will come into ST knowing he will be a bench player this season." when you post the reference/link. Otherwise, I don't believe it.
Well as a good friend Of Casto's, knowing his potential and seeing him hit this whole off season, and knowing what the Nats have told him, i believe it, well i hope, knowing Bowden can feed the guys some real BS. But I think youll be surprised with what he does this ST. And I like to defend him because I know what a talented player he is and what he has the potential to do. And this is the year it will happen. The Nats have screwed with him, in ways "fans" dont see or know and it has affected his game....he has really had to figure it out on his own, and now that he has, watch out. Im excited to see him finally do what he knows he could do all along.
ReplyDeleteyou dont have to believe anything. its just what they have told him. im sure its hard for him to even believe them after everything thats happened through his career...but i would hope they wouldnt straight lie to his face.
ReplyDeleteI love Casto, don't get me wrong! He's a nice player to have, but so far his numbers simply haven't justified being in DC full time. He hit .265/.308/.388 in September...certainly a step forward from the .193/.292/.281 line he put up beforehand, but still not great. I want Kory Casto to be the player you and I and he all knows he can be, and I want him to do it in a Nationals uniform. All I've got to say, though, is that unless the Nats make another roster move, they probably don't have room to start the season.
ReplyDeleteBowden does feed guys a lot of BS, and I hope your buddy doesn't get screwed over.
And after reading through Waiver rules here: http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2006/08/death_taxes_and_1.php it doesn't appear to me that Casto is out of options anyways.
I hope he can do it in the Nats uniform too, afterall he is the last guy from the 04 draft. Hes the last "EXPO" They should have some loyalty. yes he is out of options. I think he would know hahaha So either someone has their info wrong, or theyre just stupid. You only get 3 years to be sent up and down and when you are in Spring training even as an invite and on the 40 man roster and you get cut and go back to the minor league ST they have "used an option" they did that with Casto his first year on the 40 man. Then the last two years they did it and sent him up and down. That is 3 years. Therefore, he is out.
ReplyDeletecant believe everything you read. its obvious in baseball, things change day to day, hour to hour. what they write on the internet may be complete;y different than what really happens come ST. And once guys get there, whoever is doing the best at the time is who JIMBO wants. thats how he rolls
ReplyDeleteOh, I read the "rules" on options that you put a link to. Thats correct. But thats not Casto's case. If you disagree call his agent, or better yet call Bowden. No im kidding. But seriously He is out of options.
ReplyDeleteHey, just reading your comments and i have to say this quote by Sean, "unless the Nats make another roster move" haha haha Oh, was that serious? Come on, we all know Bowden is notorious for making sneaky random moves at the last minute to get his roster how he wants it. And its usually whoever is doing good at the time. Although sometimes even that hasnt made sense. Bowden is unpredictable and always changing thigns. Oh the roster will change. It will be different everyday of Spring training. And they will be writing different things everyday then it will all change last minute. So your boy Casto has every chance in the world, along with anyone else who does well this spring.
ReplyDeleteI had never seen the Spring Training/40 man roster rule before, thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to my "unless the Nats make another roster move"...usually Bowden adds to the ML and takes away from the minors. I know the roster will change, but I meant "roster move" as getting rid of somebody. I apologize for being too vague.
Oh no worries. I was just kind of putting Bowden down because I think he is a horrible GM :)
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, you're not the only one =)
ReplyDeleteJust get rid of Casto. He is done and cannot produce. He just needs to go back to Oregon and coach some community college team.
ReplyDelete