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AL East Notes: Rasmus, Drury, Rays

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Some items from around the AL East…

  • The Orioles placed outfielder Colby Rasmus on the 10-day DL due to a left hip flexor strain, the team announced prior to today’s game.  Right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis was called up from Triple-A to take Rasmus’ spot on the active roster.  Rasmus has battled hip problems in the past, and the latest injury apparently was caused several days ago when he was hit in the hip with a cleat.  This could account for Rasmus’ slow start to the year, as he has just two hits in his first 23 plate appearances for the O’s.  Rasmus’ injury will cost Baltimore one of the few left-handed bats in their lineup; switch-hitter Anthony Santander is now likely to get more playing time in right field against right-handed pitching.
  • Brandon Drury has been bothered with migraines and blurred vision since early in Spring Training, the Yankees third baseman told reporters (including the New York Post’s Zach Braziller).  Drury was placed on the 10-day DL due to the problem, which led him to be removed from Friday night’s game against the Orioles.  This newest issue seems to be the latest manifestation of an ongoing problem for Drury, as he told the team last night that he has been dealing with similar symptoms for the last six years.  This came as news to the Yankees, according to GM Brian Cashman — Drury was known to have suffered a migraine while playing for the Diamondbacks in 2016, though an MRI at the time came back clean.  Cashman said that Drury will receive “an entire assessment” on Monday: “All I care about is finding out what’s going on.  He’s in a great city and we’ll give him the best medical care that New York City has to offer.  I can’t say what my level of concern is at this point.”
  • The Rays’ plan to use a three-man rotation and frequent “bullpen days” to fill the remaining starts has already run into obstacles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Nathan Eovaldi’s injury thinned the rotation from a four-man unit down to just three regular starters, and any lack of effectiveness from the established rotation members creates a ripple effect of usage for the rest of the week.  Topkin’s piece was written prior to today’s game, though it represents a perfect example — starter Jake Faria lasted just 1 2/3 innings in a 10-3 loss to the Red Sox, forcing the bullpen to eat a lot of innings.  (Infielder Daniel Robertson was even called in for an inning of mop-up work.)  The lack of flexibility has also impacted how the Rays use their short and long relievers.  Topkin feels that making multi-inning reliever Yonny Chirinos into a full-time starter would help add more stability to the pitching situation.

Athletics Claim Trayce Thompson

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SATURDAY: Thompson has officially joined the 25-man roster, with the A’s announcing that righty Daniel Gossett has been optioned to Triple-A to make room.

THURSDAY: The Athletics have claimed outfielder Trayce Thompson off waivers from the Yankees, per a club announcement. Thompson had only recently joined the New York organization after being claimed from the Dodgers.

Oakland has bumped righty Paul Blackburn to the 60-day DL to open a roster spot. Because he is out of options, Thompson will need to join the active roster, unless the A’s decide to try to squeeze him through waivers — as the Yanks just did, unsuccessfully.

Thompson, 27, could fulfill a reserve outfielder role for an Oakland organization that is currently sporting a three-man bench. He struggled quite a bit in 2017, of course, and followed that up with a miserable stint in the Cactus League. But Thompson was an effective player in the 2016 campaign, when he turned in 262 plate appearances of .225/302/.436 hitting with good glovework and top-of-the-line baserunning.

Heyman’s Latest: Harper, Rangers, Bruce, Lagares, Cosart

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Bryce Harper’s free agent market receives an early preview by FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who lists the eight teams he feels have the best chance at signing the star outfielder when he hits the open market after the season.  The Nationals and other big-market usual suspects are cited, though the Braves are a new addition to the list of candidates, as both Sirius XM Radio’s Steve Phillips and an unnamed friend of Harper’s feel Atlanta is a logical possibility.  It should be noted that the Braves are only being named here as a “makes sense on paper” type of candidate, as it isn’t known whether Harper himself would consider the Braves, or if the club is actually preparing for a run at the outfielder.  Still, a case can be made — Atlanta is known to be preparing for the end of its rebuild, with a large array of young players that could position the team as a contender for years to come.  Signing Harper would certainly be about the biggest splash possible in announcing a return to contention, though it remains to be seen if the Braves would be open to spending the record-setting contract Harper will seek in free agency.

Here’s some more from Heyman, in his weekly notes post covering all 30 teams…

  • With Delino DeShields Jr. on the disabled list due to a broken hamate bone, the Rangers are looking for center field depth.  Drew Robinson and Rule 5 draft pick Carlos Tocci have been platooning in center field with DeShields out, though that may not be a tenable situation given that DeShields could be sidelined into the middle of May.  Jose Cardona and Brett Eibner are available in the minors, but Texas would have to create a 40-man roster spot for either player.
  • Heyman provides some new details on Jay Bruce’s free agent market, reporting that the Indians offered Bruce a two-year, $18MM deal while the Blue Jays discussed a one-year deal in the range of $5MM-$7MM.  It’s interesting to note that both teams ended up signing somewhat similar veteran left-handed bats for similar price points — Cleveland inked Yonder Alonso for two years and $16MM in guaranteed money, while Toronto signed Curtis Granderson to a one-year, $5MM deal.  The Jays didn’t actually make Bruce an offer, however, and neither did the Astros, though they also had some talks with Bruce about a two-year deal.  Heyman speculates that Houston may have been considering Bruce only if top prospect Derek Fisher was dealt, and thus the Astros’ interest waned since they were able to acquire Gerrit Cole without parting ways with the young outfielder.  As it turned out, Bruce ended up landing a three-year, $39MM deal to return to the Mets.
  • Speaking of the Mets, Heyman writes that the team would still be willing to deal Juan Lagares if a trade partner could be found.  Lagares had been a frequent subject of trade rumors over the winter, and the Mets’ outfield situation has once again become overly crowded now that Michael Conforto has returned from the disabled list.  With Conforto and Brandon Nimmo both capable of playing center field, Lagares’ contract ($16MM guaranteed in 2018-19) and lack of hitting makes him expendable, though Lagares is a superb defender.  It’s possible the Mets could find an interested team later in the season as injuries or pennant race needs emerge, though one would think New York would have to eat at least some of the contract to make a deal happen.  On the flip side, Lagares could provide valuable depth if the Mets are again hit with injuries, or if Bruce is needed at first base in the event that Adrian Gonzalez can’t hold up over regular playing time.
  • Jarred Cosart will soon throw for teams in a showcase, as the free agent righty looks to catch on with another team.  Elbow surgery limited Cosart to just 24 MLB innings in 2017, and the Padres outrighted him off their roster after the season rather than pay him a projected $1.3MM via the arbitration process.

Yankees Right-Hander Ben Heller Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Yankees right-hander Ben Heller underwent Tommy John surgery yesterday, according to a team media release.  Dr. Christopher Ahmad performed the surgery, and Heller also had a bone spur removed from his throwing elbow as part of the procedure.  Heller will now miss all of the 2018 season and most of the 2019 season recovering from the surgery, as per the usual 12-15 month timeline for TJ patients.

It’s a very tough blow for Heller, who was emerging as one of the many promising young arms in the Yankees’ system.  Originally a 22nd-round pick for the Indians in the 2013 draft, Heller came to New York as part of the Andrew Miller trade package in July 2016 and made his MLB debut that same season.  Heller tossed 18 Major League innings in 2016-17, to go along with a strong minor league career that saw him post a 2.76 ERA, 12.1 K/9, and a 3.42 K/BB rate.  All but one of Heller’s 197 career minor league appearances came out of the bullpen, as his upper-90s fastball and solid slider made him a very intriguing relief prospect.

Heller was already on the 60-day DL due to the bone spur issue, which unfortunately proved to be the harbinger to a much more serious problem once doctors examined his arm.  The Yankees had planned to send Heller down to Triple-A, though the transaction was voided when he was placed on the DL.  As a result, Heller will continue to earn Major League service time for the entire season as he recovers from the Tommy John surgery.

A’s To Promote Franklin Barreto, Place Chad Pinder On 10-Day DL

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The Athletics will place utilityman Chad Pinder on the 10-day DL due to a hyperextended left knee, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.  In a corresponding move, Oakland will also call up one of their top prospects, infielder Franklin Barreto.

Pinder suffered the injury during Thursday’s game and, while it wasn’t serious enough for him to leave the field that night, the A’s decided to be cautious after Pinder’s pregame workout yesterday.  Oakland has two off-days next week but also a two-game interleague series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, so the extra bench depth was required for the extra substitutions often necessary in NL games.

This will be Barreto’s third visit to the big leagues after a brief stint with the A’s last summer and another call-up in September once the rosters expanded.  The 22-year-old didn’t show much at the plate, posting just a .602 OPS over 76 plate appearances, though he did perform much better (.290/.339/.456) over 510 PA for Triple-A Nashville in his first extended taste of Triple-A pitching.  Barreto has been a staple of top-100 prospect lists for several years, including high grades from Baseball America (which ranked him as the 43rd best minor leaguer in the sport), Baseball Prospectus (63rd) and MLB.com (66th) prior to this season.

Depending on how long Pinder is out, this could end up being another relatively brief call-up for Barreto, as the A’s obviously want to see him playing every day in the minors rather than only receiving sparing playing time as a big league bench player.  (Service time considerations are also surely a factor for the organization.)  Marcus Semien and Jed Lowrie are still locked in as Oakland’s regular middle infield combo, plus Matt Chapman has quickly become a fixture at third base, not that Barreto has ever played the hot corner.  Barreto does seem in line for some work, however, as he is currently the only backup infield option on Oakland’s 25-man roster.

Brewers Select J.J. Hoover’s Contract, Designate Tyler Webb

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The Brewers have selected the contract of veteran right-hander J.J. Hoover, according to a team press release.  In corresponding moves to create 25-man and 40-man roster space, righty Brandon Woodruff was optioned to Triple-A and left-hander Tyler Webb was designated for assignment.

After a rough 2016 season, Hoover signed a minors contract with the Diamondbacks in January 2017 and ended up getting his career back on track with a decent year in the desert.  Hoover posted a 3.92 ERA and 11.76 K/9 over 41 1/3 innings for the D’Backs, though his effectiveness was belied by some control problems (5.66 BB/9) and trouble keeping the ball in the park (15.2% home run rate).  Batters did manage quite a bit of solid contact against Hoover (35.3% hard-hit ball rate), though the righty may have also had some bad luck in his results, as evidenced by a .367 BABIP and a 84.1% strand rate.

Hoover was projected by MLBTR to earn $1.6MM through the arbitration process last winter, but the D’Backs instead non-tendered him.  The Brewers inked Hoover to a minor league deal in January that, since Hoover has now reached the big league roster, will pay the 30-year-old $1.1MM in guaranteed salary, plus another $1.65MM is available in incentives.

Hoover does have some closing experience dating back to his days with the Reds, and it’s possible he could snag a save opportunity or two as part of the closer committee the Brewers will employ with Corey Knebel on the disabled list.  In the short term, however, Hoover’s arrival may just represent a need for a fresh arm, as Milwaukee’s bullpen ranks third in baseball with 36 2/3 innings pitched during this young season.  Woodruff made two appearances out of the pen, though he also started last night’s game, allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings of work.  Junior Guerra may be the top candidate for a recall the next time the Brewers need a fifth starter, as the team continues to explore its options at the back end of the rotation.

Webb made his MLB debut last season, pitching eight innings for the Brew Crew over nine appearances and posting a 5.63 ERA.  Webb has spent much of his career in the Yankees organization, minus a brief stint with the Pirates when they selected him in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, but the left-hander was returned to New York prior to the season.  The Brewers acquired Webb last summer in a trade that sent first baseman Garrett Cooper to the Yankees.  Webb has worked as a reliever in all but five of his 167 career minor league games, posting a 3.64 ERA and a very strong 11.2 K/9 and 4.45 K/BB rate.

Mariners Notes: Catchers, Injuries, Cano, Diaz

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The Mariners cut ties with veteran catcher Tuffy Gosewisch on Thursday, but Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto noted after reporting the move that the decision is tied to the fact that the organization is likely to bring another veteran catcher on board. It’s not immediately clear whether the Mariners are in talks with a free agent or chatting with other clubs about a possible minor swap, though it’s worth noting that the Angels (Juan Graterol) recently designated a catcher for assignment. The free-agent market is thin but includes the likes of Chris Herrmann, Ryan Hanigan, Derek Norris, Geovany Soto and former Mariner Carlos Ruiz.

A bit more on the Mariners…

  • Speaking of Seattle catchers, Mike Zunino’s 10-day minimum DL stint is up today but he won’t be immediately rejoining the team, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes.  Zunino is on the DL with a mild oblique strain, though the organization expressed confidence at the time of the injury that Zunino wouldn’t require the type of month-long absence that is commonly associated with oblique issues.  There had been some hope that he could be ready for the second game in Minnesota, but manager Scott Servais now says the team plans to “slow Zunino down a little.”  The skipper was insistent that there’s been no setback for his catcher, though, characterizing the decision as largely cautious in nature.  Meanwhile, Divish also notes that outfielder Ben Gamel is set to embark on a minor league rehab assignment for his own oblique strain, and he gives some positive news on slugger Nelson Cruz as well.
  • After seeing how veteran players struggled to find long-term contracts in free agency this winter, Robinson Cano is relieved to have his future spoken for, the second baseman told the New York Times’ Tyler Kepner during Spring Training.  Cano’s ten-year, $240MM deal runs through the 2023 season, giving him both security but also added motivation to keep living up to that hefty salary.  “I want to earn every penny that I get here.  I don’t want to be like those guys that, two or three years into their contract, they do really good and then they don’t care. I do care,” Cano said.  “I love this game so much, this is what I dreamed when I was a kid….If you keep working hard, you tell your body that you’re ready to go — not like guys that start sitting down, they’re gaining weight, they don’t care.  I have fans out there, I have my son, I have to be a good example.  I feel comfortable now because I got the money, but money’s not everything.”  It remains to be seen if Cano can successfully fend off the normal decline process as he enters his age-35 season, though it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t delivered for the M’s, hitting .295/.351/.472 with 97 homers over his first four years in Seattle.
  • Despite Edwin Diaz’s early-career success, he is still something of a work in progress, TJ Cotterill of the Tacoma News Tribune writes.  To this end, Juan Nicasio has already become a veteran mentor to the M’s closer.  “He knows how to pitch,” Diaz said. “So I talk to him a lot, how he can teach me how to pitch, too, how to attack hitters to get an out.”  Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. believes Nicasio’s influence will further help Diaz “train his thought process and his mindset,” which is a particularly key facet to the game for Diaz considering that “slowing the game down” helps him better control his mechanics.

Nationals Designate Enny Romero, Select Jhonatan Solano’s Contract

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The Nationals have designated left-hander Enny Romero for assignment, as per a team announcement.  In corresponding moves, the club has selected the contract of catcher Jhonatan Solano from Triple-A and also called up utilityman Matt Reynolds, while catcher Miguel Montero has been placed on the paternity list.

Romero posted a 3.56 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and 2.83 K/BB rate over 55 2/3 innings out of Washington’s bullpen last season, with those solid results powered by a fastball that averaged 98 mph.  He did allow runs in both of his outings so far in 2018, however, which seems to have made him the odd man out of the eight-man Nats pen, especially since the team needed some extra bench depth with Adam Eaton hampered by a minor ankle issue.  (Manager Dave Martinez told the Washington Post’s Jorge Castillo and other reporters that Eaton is available today and is expected to start tomorrow, quelling fears about Eaton’s status.)

Reynolds was a second-round pick for the Mets  in the 2012 draft, though after 226 PA (and a .228/.300/.351 slash line) for the team in 2016-17, New York dealt Reynolds to Washington last February after designating him for assignment.  Reynolds has spent the bulk of his pro career as a shortstop, though he has also seen plenty of action as a second baseman, third baseman, and left fielder.  The 27-year-old has hit .279/.346/.396 over 2152 career plate appearances in the minors.

Solano’s stint in the big leagues may be a short one while Montero is temporarily absent, though appearing in a game would mark Solano’s first MLB action since 2015.  Solano played in 43 games for the Nationals and Marlins over the 2012, 2013, and 2015 seasons, and the 32-year-old has since played for the Nats’ Triple-A affiliate.

Yankees Place C.C. Sabathia, Brandon Drury On 10-Day DL

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The Yankees have placed left-hander C.C. Sabathia and infielder Brandon Drury on the 10-day disabled list, the team announced.  Sabathia has been sidelined with a right hip strain, while Drury is suffering from severe migraines.  Right-handers Domingo German and Luis Cessa were recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in corresponding moves.  Righty Jonathan Holder was also optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to create more 25-man roster space for infielder Jace Peterson, who has been signed to a Major League contract and selected from Triple-A.

Some roster-shuffling was expected in the wake of the Yankees’ 14-inning marathon with the Orioles on Friday, particularly since the two teams have a quick turn-around for this afternoon’s 12:05PM CT start.  Cessa and German will provide some fresh arms to a New York bullpen that had to work 10 innings last night after Sabathia’s start was limited to just four innings due to his injury.

He told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that “It was sore, and I never felt that spot before, ever, throwing a baseball.”  An MRI revealed no serious damage, however, and since the Yankees are off on Monday, Sabathia could end up missing just one start if he spends only the minimum 10 days on the DL.  Given Sabathia’s lengthy injury history, the DL placement could be something of a precautionary move on New York’s part, particularly since a roster spot was needed for an extra reliever.

Drury also had an early exit from last night’s game, leaving in the sixth inning due to migraines and impaired vision.  Such injuries are often difficult to attach to a timeframe, though it’s possible Drury could also be facing a minimal DL stint.

The Yankees have been hit hard by injuries in the early going, with Sabathia and Drury joining Greg Bird, Aaron Hicks, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clint Frazier, Ben Heller, and Billy McKinney on an already-crowded disabled list.  If that array of names wasn’t lengthy enough, Gary Sanchez and Tyler Wade also left Friday’s game due to a calf cramp and flu-like symptoms, respectively, though there isn’t yet any word on their status.  Sanchez obviously wasn’t going to start today anyway after catching 13-plus innings yesterday, though Austin Romine is the only other available catcher on New York’s active roster.

Cessa or German could potentially make a spot start in Sabathia’s place, while Drury’s spot will be filled more directly by Peterson, who originally signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in January.  That original minors pact would have guaranteed Peterson $900K if he reached the big leagues (it’s fair to assume that his new MLB contract contains similar terms).  The four-year veteran has a .234/.319/.331 slash line over 1278 career plate appearances with the Padres and Braves.  Peterson’s left-handed bat allows him to platoon with righty-swingers Ronald Torreyes and Miguel Andujar at third base, plus he could also see some action at second base depending on Wade’s status.

Offseason In Review: Washington Nationals

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s 2017-18 Offseason In Review series.  Click here to read the other completed reviews from around the league.

Major League Signings

Trades & Claims

Option Decisions

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

Nationals 25-Man Roster & Minor League Depth Chart; Nationals Payroll Overview

Needs Addressed

Another great regular season, another postseason disappointment. The refrain is familiar at this point for the Nationals, though it’s also far from clear that there was any reason to waver from an approach that has delivered a steady stream of MLB talent since the organization’s breakout 2012 season.

The latest NLDS calamity did not lead to a roster shake-up, unsurprisingly, but it did result in wholesale change in the field leadership. A largely unexpected decision not to pursue a new contract with skipper Dusty Baker left the organization searching for a new manager and coaching staff. The Nationals ultimately settled on Davey Martinez — who, like several other recent hires, he has never before held that role. Among the rookie skippers, though, Martinez stands out for his ample experience on MLB coaching staffs — particularly, a long run alongside current Cubs and former Rays manager Joe Maddon.

Once Martinez was installed, the Nats did not have a lot of work to do over the winter. Veteran outfielder Jayson Werth wrapped up his contract, but there was no need to find a replacement with Adam Eaton returning from the knee injury that cost him most of the 2017 season, Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin coming off of productive campaigns, and top prospect Victor Robles waiting in the wings after briefly ascending to the bigs late last year.

Otherwise, the club saw a few role players hit the open market. The resulting openings were steadily addressed by free agent signings throughout the course of the winter.

The two most significant players to depart — mid-season acquisitions Brandon Kintzler and Howie Kendrick — were both brought back, in fact, after successful showings in D.C. Kintzler, who makes up for his lack of strikeout prowess with loads of groundballs, will rejoin Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson in a late-inning unit that the club lined up entirely via trade last summer. The price tag seems fairly appealing in comparison to the slightly loftier deals given to similarly useful relievers. Kendrick, too, was picked up for a low-AAV, two-year agreement. The sturdy veteran will help the team cover for the early-season absence of Daniel Murphy at second before sliding into a utility role.

Beyond those two spots, the most glaring holes were a lefty bench bat to replace Adam Lind and a second backstop to go with Matt Wieters, who exercised his player option after a poor first season in Washington.The club elected not to pursue a reunion with Lind, instead adding the younger Matt Adams. Much like his predecessor, Adams has never figured out left-handed pitching, but won’t be asked to do so in D.C. as he fulfills a supporting role to Ryan Zimmerman at first. Behind the dish, the Nationals picked up veteran Miguel Montero on a minors deal rather than striking a more significant acquisition.

Pitching depth was the last piece of the puzzle, with Matt Albers, Joe Blanton, and Oliver Perez all departing and the final rotation spot still up in the air. While there were whispers all along that the Nationals could use their remaining openings to fit a more significant acquisition — Jake Arrieta, Greg Holland, and any number of hypothetical trade candidates seemed intriguing — that never came to pass. Rather, the organization took something of a volume approach. Jeremy Hellickson signed a minors deal and will likely get a shot as the fifth starter if A.J. Cole stumbles. The aging but hard-throwing Joaquin Benoit got a small guarantee to fill out the pen, but will open the year on the DL. Plenty of other former MLB arms will populate the upper minors, including former Nats Edwin Jackson and Tom Milone along with Carlos Torres, Cesar Vargas, and Tim Collins.

But the Nats saved perhaps their most significant move for last. Just days into the 2018 season, the organization announced a long-anticipated new contract with president of baseball operations and GM Mike Rizzo. The agreement puts an end to any speculation that the ownership group might turn elsewhere. Despite Rizzo’s success in turning out a contending product, the organization’s handling of its managers had created a bit of uncertainty in Rizzo’s status. While it’s resolved for the time being, the deal only promises two more seasons, so questions could start up again sooner than later.

Questions Remaining

Ultimately, Rizzo took a fairly straightforward approach to filling out the roster this offseason. On the one hand, that’s largely to be expected given the state of affairs at its outset. On the other, perhaps it’s somewhat surprising that we weren’t surprised. Rizzo, after all, has engineered a string of moves over the years — including a variety of offseason signings (Werth, Jackson, Rafael Soriano, and Scherzer) and trades (Doug Fister, Trea Turner & Joe Ross, Eaton) — that were largely unanticipated before coming to fruition.

Given that history, and the run of playoff woes, a splash of some kind felt likely. While there’s still evidently no resolution to the team’s long-running TV rights fees dispute with the neighboring Orioles, that hasn’t stopped the organization from running one of the game’s highest payrolls. The Nationals are over the luxury tax line again (so there was no soft cap on spending) but are only slightly over the threshold at this point, so wouldn’t have incurred a huge tax bill with a major salary addition.

Though there’s ample talent on hand, the roster certainly isn’t without its question marks. Two key position players, Eaton and Murphy, are returning from significant leg surgeries. Zimmerman had a great bounceback 2017 effort but can’t be counted on to repeat it given that he’s now 33 and had struggled a fair bit (both with injuries and on the field) over the three prior campaigns. Turner wasn’t nearly as exciting in his sophomore effort, while some regression might be anticipated for Anthony Rendon after an MVP-caliber ’17 campaign. And it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see Taylor and/or Goodwin stumble a bit — both have more than a little swing and miss in their games — though that’s the one place that there’s an obvious potential replacement (Robles) to be called upon.

That said, there really wasn’t much cause for the Nats to go out looking for upgrades in any of these situations. Behind the plate, though, it’s quite another matter. Matt Wieters struggled badly last year and ultimately opted in for another season at an unappealing rate of pay. Pedro Severino has long been considered ready defensively but has not made strides with the bat at Triple-A. While the organization brought in another veteran in Montero, there are obviously reasons — inability to control the running game and an awful second half at the plate — that he was available on a minors pact.

That unit seems unlikely to be terribly productive. While youngster Raudy Read touched the majors last year and might have become an option, he’s sitting out the first half of the year for a PED suspension. The Nats ultimately watched as a string of receivers — Welington Castillo, Chris Iannetta, Alex Avila, and Jonathan Lucroy among them — sign for less than they’re paying Wieters. There was an effort to acquire J.T. Realmuto from the Marlins, who made all kinds of sense for the Nats, though it seems the Fish held to their lofty asking price and nothing got done.

The result is sub-optimal and could set the stage for a mid-season acquisition. Of course, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see the Nats end up pursuing a relief arm over the summer, as that has become an annual rite in D.C. and is fairly common for any contending team. The Nationals pen doesn’t seem to be a particularly compelling group, though there is a fair amount of depth and the three-man high-leverage unit is at least settled to open the year. An argument could have been made to pursue further relief additions, though the team chose a defensible course. It’ll have a few months to evaluate some of the interesting but inconsistent or not-yet-established arms in the stable.

Speaking of evaluating arms, that’ll also be the team’s preferred method of dealing with its fifth starter’s slot. Cole is first up, and he’ll need to make real strides after a putrid first outing on the year. If he doesn’t show quite a lot in short order, Hellickson will take the helm once he’s at full speed. With prospect Erick Fedde and some veteran depth options still also in the mix, the Nats ought to be able to get by well enough.

The overall rotation mix is still strong, led by two outstanding starters in Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. Then there’s Tanner Roark, who is a quality hurler. And let’s not look past Gio Gonzalez, whose volatile reputation is belied by his steady effectiveness. Last year’s 200-inning, sub-3.00 ERA output won’t likely be repeated, but Gonzalez has somewhat quietly been one of the game’s best starters for quite some time and is a solid bet to provide good innings.

Still, it feels as if there may have been an opportunity missed here. True, the Nats can still go get a premium starter at the deadline if they feel there’s a need. Like the catching position, though, the best time to find an upgrade might have been during the course of a strange free-agent market that left quite a few significant players earning less than had been anticipated. Waiting until the deadline is also something of a luxury reserved for teams that don’t face real competition within their division. After bringing in some veterans and enjoying good health all spring, the Mets seem to be revived and may well put up a greater fight than had been expected.

Overview

Adding quality veteran bench assets was both predictable and sensible. Those moves should help the Nats fill in for any major absences and help ensure that the team’s regulars get plenty of rest without a drop-off in play. But the winter effort somehow feels a bit incomplete.

After all, this is the club’s last season of control over star outfielder Bryce Harper. Unless there’s a well-guarded extension effort underway — as there was, successfully, for Strasburg — he’ll hit the open market at season’s end. While the Nats will be among the likeliest suitors for Harper, it’s far from certain he’ll be back.

It’s somewhat surprising, then, that the team didn’t find a way to make another big addition, whether in the rotation or, especially, behind the plate. Having already pushed past the luxury tax line, spending a big more wouldn’t have had any impact on future spending plans. And this organization has already shed a fair bit of young talent in recent years — pitchers, especially — while trying to build around its core. Spending cash seems generally preferable to coughing up trade capital over the summer, but the latter will be required if an impact move is needed.

How would you grade the Nationals’ offseason efforts? (Link for app users.)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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