With a 4-3 loss yesterday, the Nats are no longer undefeated.  They still came out of Chicago with a series win to open the season, which isn’t too shabby.  Here’s what else you need to know.

-From us, the Nats need to do better in the run support department.

-Zimmermann was quite sharp yesterday.  Looks like he’s picking up right where he left off in 2011. [Federal Baseball]

-Prized prospect Anthony Rendon has a bad ankle sprain.  The organization hopes to know more once they can get more test results. [CSN Washington]

-Taking a look at the most recent transactions. [Nats Prospects]

The injury bug is busting its way through Nats spring training.  LaRoche, Morse, and Harper are all nursing what are described as minor ailments (but you can never be too careful).  Not quite the awesome start they were looking for.  Oh yeah, and they were shut out by the Marlins.

-Edwin Jackson has had to start over before.  Hopefully with the Nats, he’ll earn that extra contract. [CSN Washington]

-Davey think that the Nats can match up with the Phillies.  If it’s firing on all cylinders, I 100% agree. [Nats Journal]

-Who DOESN’T want to watch an awesome strikeout reel by Stephen Strasburg? [Nats Enquirer]

-A good look at the Nats possibilities at middle infield both now and in the future. A ton of talent coming that way between Desmond, Espinosa, Rendon and Lombardozzi. [Federal Baseball]

-We all assumed LaRoche’s injury last year wasn’t going to set any trends, but it is time to start seriously worrying about his health long-term? [District on Deck]

The Nationals have been talking about Ian Desmond for a very long time.  They view him as one of their core pieces for the future.  A young guy who can help lead the team into winning. Eight years after being drafted, we’re still waiting on him to “mature.”

It took Desmond six seasons to make it to the major leagues.  His considerable amount of time spent in the minors seemed to do little for his baseball mind, as he has committed a whopping 57 errors over the last two seasons.  Desmond has already committed three this spring alone.

Don’t get me wrong, spring errors aren’t a big deal.  Everyone makes mistakes while shaking off the rust.  But when a player has the kind of history that Desmond has of sloppy defensive play, it becomes a sign that there is more of the same to come.

The main problem with Desmond is that he doesn’t play like this all the time.  He can make a great double play with Danny Espinosa one inning, and bobble a soft grounder the next.  He is plagued with inconsistency, something that gets old very fast in professional sports.

» Continue reading “Will Desmond Ever Live Up To Potential For Nats?”

It took so long for any baseball to be played.  Then, it took so long for a game to be played.  That day arrived, as the Nats took on the Georgetown Hoyas this afternoon in their first real Spring Training play.  They finished it with a 3-0 shutout victory.

Matt Purke got his first look today, and it didn’t take him long to impress.  The 2011 pick pitched 3 innings with 32 pitches, 23 of with were strikes.  He walked none and struck out 3 in his start, allowing just one hit.

We also got nice looks at both Anthony Rendon and Bryce Harper.  Neither got a hit on the afternoon, but reports indicated that Harper impressed defensively.  It was an exhibition game against a college team, so we’ll take it for what it is.

» Continue reading “A Nats…Game Recap? Nats Beat Hoyas 3-0″

“Problem” has a negative connotation.  It implies that something is going wrong and needs to be fixed.  What the Nationals are having to deal with at first base is having to decide between two players who have recently hit over .285 in past seasons.

Coming into 2011, newly-signed Adam LaRoche was supposed to bring an offensive spark to the plate.  After suffering an injury in Spring Training, he never full recovered, and performed poorly in the 43 games he played before deciding surgery was necessary.

Enter: Michael Morse.  Over the two seasons before 2011, Morse saw his average rise as he got more games, from .250 in 32 games in 2009 to .289 in 98 games in 2010.  When his number was called to replace LaRoche, he exploded for a .303 average in 146 games, the most of his career.

Fast forward an off season and here we are.  Two MLB proven bats looking at the same position.

With the Nationals’ deficits in the outfield, the plan to start is reportedly to have Morse play in the outfield while LaRoche starts at first.

LaRoche has more experience both in the league and at the position.  He has proven consistency throughout his career at it.  Morse is more of a risk since he hasn’t been tested long-term, but he appears to be on the up-swing of his career, even though he isn’t exactly young at 29.

The pressure will be on for LaRoche.  If he doesn’t perform, the Nats now have the option of replacing him at first base.  That wasn’t the case last season when he went down with injury.  And if neither LaRoche nor Morse can get it done, likely minor-leaguer Chris Marrero is chomping at the bit to get a piece.

It is possible any of them could eventually be replaced by 2011 first-round pick Anthony Rendon, who will be auditioning at all four infield positions this spring. Like we said, not a bad problem to have.

What it gives the Nats more than anything is options.  For a club that used to not have many major-league options, this is huge.  The best way to build s good team is to have competition at as many positions as possible.  That’s what we have in 2012.

With the expansion of the playoffs to 10 teams likely to come in 2012, that competition is even more likely to lead to a playoff spot.

Many agree Anthony Rendon was a bargain when he fell to the Nats in the 6th spot of the 2011 draft.  Rendon was arguably the best hitter in the draft, but a shoulder injury that cut his final season at Rice very short scared away some teams. Not the Nationals, and now he’s in his first professional Spring Training.

There has been a lot of speculation about where Rendon will eventually play.  The Nats have their options of what to transform him into.  In Spring Training, they said they would give Rendon work at all 4 infielder positions while in Viera.

Here’s the problem: when looking at the Nats’ roster, the infield is probably the most certain part of the lineup.

Rendon could potentially be a huge bat, and by the time he is ready for the majors, there may be an opening on the infield.  However, as of right now, it seems pretty tight.  Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, and either Adam LaRoche or Michael Morse will have it covered this year.

» Continue reading “Nats To Try Rendon Throughout Infield”

Spring Training is officially under way and the stories are flowing. Here’s what you missed:

-From us yesterday: Strasburg’s plan to not tweak his schedule may not work out; Spring Training through twitpics so far.

-Gio Gonzalez has high hopes for his play as a National. [CSN Washington]

-Wilson Ramos comes into 2012 with a new tattoo and a new life outlook after what could lightly be called a traumatic off season. [Comak]

-Davey Johnson joins in on the pitching and catching fun. [Nats Journal]

-Ex-Nat Christian Guzman could be reunited in Cleveland with ex-Nat manager Manny Acta. Oh, the irony. [CSN Washington]

-Both Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon made Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list. [Federal Baseball]

-With all the talk of Viera, it’s worth mentioning that this could be the Nationals’ last season there for Spring Training. [District on Deck]

-The Nats didn’t really add batting over the offseason, so it is going to be important for the ones they have to perform.  One of those is going to have to be Adam LaRoche. [Nats Blog]

-Chris Marrero is nursing a torn hamstring.  Not optimal time when the Nats have a bit of a first base debate going on. [Nats Journal]

Today the actual action begins.  Yesterday we had entry interviews and such, but today organized events actually start.  Here’s where we’re at:

-The guy of today (Zimmerman) on the guy of tomorrow (Harper). My God, every time this guy opens his mouth I like him more. [Nats Journal]

-Speaking of the most talked about baseball guy who’s never ever played triple-A, Harper has high hopes for this season. [Comak]

• And if you think he’s a brat, take a look at his middle school self. [Nats Enquirer]

-Mike Rizzo jumped on The Fan to talk off season and 2012. [Federal Baseball]

-Davey Johnson thinks this Nats team has more potential than most teams he’s seen.  That’s really saying something coming from a guy who has been in baseball roughly 500 years. [Nats Journal]

-The Nats’ top pick in 2011, Anthony Rendon, will try out all infield positions during Spring Training.  With Zimmerman already at 3rd, they must be looking to see where he could make the best fit. [CSN Washington]

-Looking at the ever-puzzle of Ian Desmond. [District on Deck]

-Part 1 of a pitching analysis of the Nats minor league system. [Nats Prospects]

For the last few years, the Nationals had developed a reputation for having a lot of depth in their minors, specifically in pitching. However, the Nats gave up a lot to bring Gio Gonzalez to Washington, and their minor-league depth took a hit.

Here is a list of the top 20 Nats prospects as of now from Baseball Prospectus:

1. Bryce Harper, OF
2. Anthony Rendon, 3B
3. Matt Purke, LHP
4. Brian Goodwin, OF
5. Alex Meyer, RHP
6. Destin Hood, OF
7. Michael Taylor, OF
8. Steve Lombardozzi, IF
9. Robbie Ray, LHP
10. Sammy Solis, LHP
11. Tyler Moore, 1B
12. Chris Marrero, 1B
13. Eury Perez, OF
14. Zach Walters, SS
15. Taylor Jordan, RHP
16. Josh Smoker, LHP
17. Jason Martinson, SS
18. Matt Skole, 3B
19. Sandy Leon, C
20. David Freitas, C

As you can see, without Tom Milone, Brad Peacock and others, three of the top five prospects listed were picks in the 2011 draft. This list is younger and less experienced, but gives other other players a chance to shine.

It’s interesting that players like Chris Marrero and Steve Lombardozzi, guys who spent September with the big club last season, are in the middle of this list. Bryce Harper is the obvious number 1, but the high ranking of the 2011 picks is interesting.

When Anthony Rendon, Matt Purke, and Alex Meyer work their way through the ranks, the Nats will have a new wave of young talent to supplement their already solid group.

What do you think about the list? Were there any snubs, over-achievers? Give your thoughts in the comments!

It is the offseason, but that apparently doesn’t mean that the Nationals are done playing baseball for the winter.  Several Nats are still playing, whether it’s prospects in the Arizona Fall League or international competition.  So here we go with some updates on what the Boys of Summer are up to since the seasons changed.

Arizona Fall League

It’s AFL time! In the last few years, it’s typically been where the youngest, brightest Nats talent suits up after the draft.  Bryce Harper is playing this year, but has accumulated only two hits in six games.  No one freak out, it’s fall for a reason.  He’ll be fine.

Anthony Rendon is the notable absentee, but that is also nothing to be concerned about.  He is still recovering from shoulder injury, and the Nationals are notorious with taking time with both their top prospects and injuries.  Since Rendon is both, they are going to be as cautious as possible.  The strategy has worked so far, for the Nats are widely held as playoff threats in 2012 and 2013 with their plethora of healthy prospects.

» Continue reading “Nats Go International With Offseason Play”