Nationals Farm Authority

UPDATE: Per the Nationals conference call

• move was not necessarily made for the 2008 25-man roster but for the 25-man roster of a championship club
• Acta described Milledge as a gifted multi-talented athlete who can play any OF position; Acta stated he needs to play regularly to show everyone what he can do
• Acta/Bowden would not commit to a spot on the field or in the lineup; they want to wait until April to make those decisions; Acta commented he could bat anywhere from #2-7
• Milledge was on the call and thanked Bowden and the Nationals for the opportunity to play every day; his preferred position is CF though he said he can play LF/RF above average; with regards to the reported controversy in New York, he said all of it made him a better person and a better ballplayer
• Bowden sees Zimmerman, Kearns and Young as clubhouse leaders in place of Schneider
• Bowden commented on team’s need to focus on LH hitters given the trade of Church & Schneider (both LH)
• Bowden reiterated Stan Kasten’s idea of building the club through the draft and trades for young players, not free agency
• regarding Jesus Flores, Bowden beleieves Flores can develop into a #1 catcher and he is a key towards the long-term building process; no comment on whether he is the 2008 #1 catcher, part of a platoon or in Triple-A

WFAN is reporting that the Nationals and the Mets have agreed on a deal that will send CA Brian Schneider and LF Ryan Church to the New York in exchange for CF Lastings Milledge.

If this, in fact, proven true it is a tremendous deal for the Nationals. Church was on his way out of Washington this off-season. Church will be a nice complimentary piece in New York. Though losing Schneider is tough given his reputation handling an inexperienced staff, getting someone like Milledge is a boon for the future of the Nationals.

From Baseball America …

Strengths: The first thing scouts mention about Milledge is his lightning-quick bat speed. Milledge boasts one of the fastest bats in the minor leagues, allowing him to wait on pitches longer than most. He uses the entire field and has the strength to hit for average as well as power once he matures as a hitter. He made very good adjustments after he moved from high Class A St. Lucie to Binghamton, improving his pitch recognition. It’s still unclear as to whether Milledge profiles better at the top or in the middle of the order. He has above-average speed that he uses to his advantage on the bases and in center field, and he also has a plus arm. With his package of five tools, Milledge has few peers in the minors, and he has produced throughout his minor league career.

Weaknesses: The biggest knock on Milledge is his inability to control the strike zone. He’s a free swinger prone to chasing breaking balls out of the zone, and he hasn’t drawn many walks even though pitchers are wary of him. Though he has the speed to steal bases, his instincts are unrefined and he was caught in 38 percent of his attempts in 2005. He stands up too quickly when he moves toward second base, which slows him down. Milledge has lost time to work on those flaws having played just 204 games in 21/2 pro seasons. He held out for most of the summer in 2003, and a broken finger (in 2004) and a shoulder injury (in 2005) cost him playing time the last two seasons.

What this also means is that Jesus Flores will be the starting catcher for the Nationals in 2008.

Update: More on Milledge

He is a 22-year old who has played for parts of the last two seasons for the Mets, primarily as a right fielder (only because Carlos Beltran plays CF for New York).

Once again, he is still only 22 (he’ll be 23 in April). For a team like the Nationals gambling on Milledge is very reasonable.

Given MLB’s reluctance in releasing an official list of names available in the Rule 5 draft, I’ve taken to scouring the blogs out there for the other teams in hopes of uncovering some of new possibilities.

I’ll start with the Atlanta Braves and Talking Chop who was kind enough to highlight their top Rule 5 eligibles. Of the names mentioned, the one that intrigued me was Carl Loadenthal.

Loadenthal was an undrafted minor league free agent signed in 2003 by the Braves from Rider University (in New Jersey). He’s a center fielder with solid range but more importantly he appears to not only possess the ability to get on base at a much better than league average basis, he also has enough speed to steal bases. Below are Loadenthal’s numbers versus league average over his career (I omitted his 2006 in Double-A since the sample size was only 19 games).

Loadenthal will turn 26 in December so it’s getting to the point where he will need to make the next step soon or be passed by younger players, and given the Nationals plans this offseason to identify a center fielder and leadoff hitter, Loadenthal might be a consideration.

Another name that intrigued me was 2B JC Holt.

The 24-year old Holt (turns 25 in December) is another guy with little power but above average speed and the ability to get on base as well as steal a few. He reminds me a little of Jamey Carroll (though Holt is left-handed). The Nationals already have their share of middle infielders with Felipe Lopez, Ronnie Belliard and Cristian Guzman so taking a middle infielder might not be in the offing.

There really are not any pitching eligibles that intrigue me in the Braves organization.

The Washington Nationals today named Devon White as minor-league outfield coordinator. Nationals Assistant General Manager/Vice President of Player Development Bob Boone and Director of Player Development Bobby Williams made the joint announcement.

Chris Kline has the first Rule 5 draft preview up at Baseball America. Of the names he mentions as draft possibilites, the ones that catch my interest are

• Randor Bierd, a 24-year old RHRP from the Tigers - probably going to be the most hyped guys out there as a solid arm out of the pen with future possibilities in a starting rotation
• Samuel Deduno, a 24-year old RHSP from the Rockies - this is more based on the Rockies Dominican pitching pipeline than anything else
• Jamie D’Antona, a 25-year old 3B/CA from the Diamondbacks - I suggested him as an option last year as well. He could serve as a corner IF backup as well as #3 catcher. Think of him as Robert Fick with more of an upside.
• Leyson Septimo, a 22-year old LHRP (being converted from an OF) from the Diamondbacks - this one is another gut feel. If he is hitting triple digits and given Mike Rizzo’s presence/input/recommendation, he could be a gamble worth investing in.

Additionally, the 2007 Rule 5 draft order is the same as what will be the 2008 MLB First Year Player Draft order. Only teams with an open 40-man spot can select a player, I went through MLB.com and figured out who was where ont he 40-man

1. Rays (40) updated … Percival signed
2. Pirates (40)
3. Royals (41?)
4. Orioles (36)
5. Giants (38)
6. Marlins (37)
7. Reds (40)
8. White Sox (40)
9. Nationals (38)
10. Astros (35)
11. Rangers (40)
12. Athletics (39)
13. Cardinals (40)
14. Twins (38)
15. Dodgers (38)
16. Brewers (40)
17. Blue Jays (40)
18. Braves (41?)
19. Cubs (39)
20. Mariners (39)
21. Tigers (40)
22. Mets (36)
23. Padres (35) updated … Sledge released
24. Phillies (39)
25. Rockies (37)
26. Diamondbacks (40)
27. Angels (40)
28. Yankees (40) updated … Posada re-signed
29. Indians (40)
30.  Red Sox (37)

Removing the teams with 40 (and the Braves and Royals who for some reason are 41), that leaves the following 15 teams (11/30 Update: the Nationals now select 4th) :

1. Orioles (36)
2. Giants (38)
3. Marlins (37)
4. Nationals (38)
5. Astros (35)
6. Athletics (39)
7. Twins (38)
8. Dodgers (38)
9. Cubs (39)
10. Mariners (39)
11. Mets (36)
12. Padres (36)
13. Phillies (39)
14. Rockies (37)
15. Red Sox (37)

The Rule 5 draft is scheduled for next week’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, TN.

MLB teams must protect players on their 40-man rosters within four or five years of their original signing. Those left unprotected are available to other teams as Rule 5 picks.

Players who were 18 or younger on June 5 preceding the signing of their first contract must be protected after five minor league seasons. Players 19 and older must be protected after four seasons.

Teams must have an open spot on their 40-man roster in order to participate (the Nationals can with 38 currently on their 40-man roster). To prevent teams from drafting players too many players, each Rule 5 pick must be kept in the major leagues the entire following season or be offered back to his former team for half of the $50,000 selection price.

Last season the Nationals made two Rule 5 selections, one that was kept (Jesus Flores) and one who was offered back to his former team (Levale Speigner). Speigner was eventually acquired by the Nationals in exchange for minor league OF Darnell McDonald.

This year, the Nationals have 61 players who are eligible for the Rule 5 draft. They are (ordered by position with pitchers in the righthand column):

As you might have noticed, the 19 players the Nationals officially signed yesterday with spring training invitations are among the eligibles. This is correct however it is unlikely a team would opt for any of them. A team could have simply offered a major league contract (and 40-man roster spot) to them and avoided any requirements of the Rule 5 process. An additional six (Powell, Castro, Yepez, Hall, Vargas & Cedeno) were added as minor league free agents this off-season and would be highly unlikely candidates for Rule 5 selection given they were also available to any team this off-season.

That leaves 36 players who are the most likely choices for Rule 5 selection (though I’ll repeat, a team could take any of the above 61 assuming they are willing to keep the player on their 25-man roster for the 2008 season).

Of those 36 above, most are not going to be selected as part of the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft. They are primarily organizational type players or play a position where it is rare for a rule 5 player to be chosen.

The Rule 5 draft is typically a vehicle for pitchers to move from one team to another. Since the 2000 Rule 5 draft, there have been 113 players selected. Of those 113, 64 players were not returned to their original team (i.e. they played at least one full season on a 25-man roster). Here is the breakdown:

As you can see, the typical candidate to hang around as a Rule 5 draftee is a pitcher. And if a bat is going to stick, it’s usually an OF or MI (typically fast guys who can serve the role of utility IF or OF and pinch runner).

Interesting bit of trivia … Jesus Flores is the first catcher to stick around for a full season over the last seven drafts (I don’t count Chris Shelton as a catcher, he was a DH who happened to catch).

I honestly believe only 11 would warrant Rule 5 consideration and even that is a bit of a stretch …

Broadway has seen his chance with the Nationals pass and it would be in his best interest if a team were to grab him in the Rule 5. He does not project to hit enough for a full time role but a team looking for a late inning defensive replacement might consider him an option.

Davis is a guy still looking for a position. He has played 2B, 3B, and the corner OF positions and might have just enough pop (though he does strike out quite a bit) to warrant a spot on the bench. The problem for Davis is he has not played above the High A Carolina League and it may be a reach for a team to grab him.

Baez is another guy who has not played above the Carolina League but has raw power and can play an above average defense in the outfield. It might be wishful thinking to consider him for a fifth OF role given his speed is nothing special.

Campbell (26), Morales (24), Perrault (25), Perrin (26), and Trahan (26) are all fungible RHRPs. Every year an unknown guy like this is grabbed by a team who believes he is only a minor correction from being a serviceable (or better) member of a major league bullpen (like the Nationals tried with Speigner in 2007). All five guys have their upsides and it would not surprise me if one of these guys is tabbed. 

Novoa is a consideration as a rule 5 lefthander who can get buried at the back end of the bullpen as a LOOGY. He is still young enough (23) to develop and a rebuilding team might see value in a lefthander.

Peralta is an intriguing option given his age. He’ll only be 22 when the 2008 season begins and like Novoa (but from the righthand side), he might be an option to be hidden in the bullpen as a mop-up guy. But like Davis and Baez, he still has not had any exposure above High A and he does not have the electric stuff that teams typically look for in a Rule 5 pick.

The last name is one that is familiar to Expos/Nats fans, Clint Everts. Everts was the #5 overall selection of the 2002 draft ahead of the likes of Prince Fielder, Scott Kazmir and Cole Hamels. Tommy John surgery has apparently derailed his career thus far and the Nationals finally moved him from the starting rotation to the bullpen in 2007 in hopes of allowing him to throw harder over a shorter period of time instead of trying to conserve pitches over the course of an average start. A team with a strong pitching coach could take a chance on Everts, installing him in the bullpen in a mop-up role with designs on converting him into a setup man.

My best guess is that the Nationals come out of the the 2007 Rule 5 draft without losing anyone in the major league portion.

I’m sure most of the regular readers here are well aware of arguably the most well-written Nationals blog out there, Capitol Punishment. His analysis of the Spring Training 19 (ST19) is well worth your time.

While I don’t necessarily agree with all of his assessments, he does a good job of culling through the names in a way only he can.

Of the ST19, the guys I see with the most value are:

• Chad Moeller: As I have previously mentioned, the Nationals should be looking for a backup catcher in order to allow Jesus Flores to both develop and work with the high ceiling minor league pitchers
• Antonio Perez: I agree with Chris that Perez could fill in well as a utility IF (especially if he can allow Acta to sit Ryan Zimmerman from time to time)
• Bobby Brownlie/Jason Stanford: Right and left-handed (respectively) options for #5 starters. Both have battled injuries but given the injury problems the current Nationals rotation has faced (Shawn Hill, John Patterson, and Jason Bergmann), it is without question worth having a couple of starters to fill in for a couple of weeks.
• Steve Shell/Arnie Munoz: See Brownlie/Stanford but this time will an eye towards the bullpen.

A Nationals press release from today …

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with 19 minor league free agents, including righthanders Steven Shell and Dennis Tankersley, catcher Humberto Cota, and infielders William Bergolla, Yurendell de Caster and Antonio Perez. The club also agreed to terms with lefthander Mike Bacsik, righthander Bobby Brownlie, righthander Tristan Crawford, lefthander Mike Hinckley, lefthander Arnie Munoz, lefthander Jason Stanford, righthander Jim Ed Warden, catcher Chad Moeller, infielders Luis Jimenez and Ed Rogers, and outfielders Jason Dubois, Tommy Murphy and Jorge Padilla. All 19 players received an invitation to 2008 Nationals Spring Training.

Of the nineteen names above, six of them are new (in bold italics).

• Bergolla, 24, hit .306 with 22 doubles, seven homers and 37 RBI in 99 games with San Francisco’s Triple-A Fresno squad in 2007. He appeared in 17 games with Cincinnati in 2004 for his lone big league experience, batting .132 with an RBI. In eight minor league seasons, the Venezuela native is hitting .289 with 144 doubles, 27 homers and 253 RBI.
• Perez, 27, batted .218 with two homers and nine RBI in 26 games with Oakland’s Triple-A Sacramento team in 2007 before a sprained right knee ended his season in May. The Dominican native has appeared in 216 big league games with Tampa Bay (2003), Los Angeles-NL (2004-05) and Oakland (2006), batting .244 with six homers and 43 RBI overall. He played in a career-high 98 games with the Dodgers in 2005, batting .297 with 13 doubles, three homers and 23 RBI.
• Stanford, 30, is 2-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 23 games (12 starts) in portions of three big league seasons (2003, ’04, ’07) with Cleveland. The 30 year-old owns a career record of 52-37 (.584), a 3.21 ERA and a 2.9/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in eight minor-league seasons. By signing with the Nationals, the 6-foot-2 Stanford will play outside the Indians organization for the first time since signing with Cleveland as a non-drafted free agent in 2000 out of UNC-Charlotte.
• Moeller, 32, is a veteran of eight big league seasons with Minnesota (2000), Arizona (2001-03), Milwaukee (2004-06), Los Angeles-NL (2007) and Cincinnati (2007). He has appeared in 421 big league games overall, including a career-high 101 contests in 2004 with Milwaukee. Moeller is a career .224 hitter with 26 homers and 113 RBI. The University of Southern California product played in a combined 30 games with Los Angeles-NL and Cincinnati in 2007, batting .161 with a homer and two RBI.
• Rogers, 29, batted .249 with 16 doubles, six homers and 35 RBI in 111 games with Boston’s Triple-A Pawtucket club in 2007. The Dominican Republic native, who originally signed with Baltimore as a non-drafted free agent in 1997, hit .207 with a homer and four RBI in 30 big league games with the Orioles in 2002 and 2005-06. Rogers is hitting .262 with 55 homers and 371 RBI in 930 minor league contests.
• Murphy, 28, appeared in 20 games in three stints with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2007, batting .184 with a double and two RBI. The switch hitter spent the majority of the 2007 campaign with Los Angeles’ Triple-A Salt Lake club, where he hit .270 with 18 doubles, six triples, four homers and 32 RBI in 80 games. Murphy, who was selected by Los Angeles in the third round of the 2000 draft, also appeared in 48 games with the Angels in 2006, when he hit .229 with four doubles, a homer and six RBI.

Not all of these 19 players will remain with the Nationals beyond spring training (I’d be surprised if it ends up any more than 10 of them). Of the new names above

• Antonio Perez is another of the Bowden/Reds alum to join the Nationals (he was part of the Ken Griffey Jr trade)
• Bergolla is another Reds alum. A middle infielder with speed. Think of him as a 2008 version of Bernie Castro.
• Stanford made it back to the majors last season after missing most of 2004 and 2005 after elbow reconstruction surgery
• Rogers was once a highly hyped Orioles prospect (he drew comparisons to Derek Jeter back in 1997). As part of a crackdown on actual names/birthdates after the events of 9/11, it was then revealed he was has actually three years older than Baltimore believed he was.
• Moeller seems the clubhouse favorite to be the backup catcher in Washington (assuming Jesus Flores is given regular minor league playing time in the minors)

MiLB.com is currently releasing their top 50 prospects as determined by a survey of 20 members of the scouting community. Two Nationals have popped up in the 31-40 range.

1. Chris Marrero

Marrero’s draft stock had dropped during his senior year of high school, but not enough for the Nationals to pass on him in the first round. He quickly jumped on the fast track in his first full year, moving up to the Class A Advanced Carolina League as a teenager. The kid can flat-out hit. He can hit for both average and power and should also draw a fair number of walks with his excellent approach at the plate, especially for someone so young. A converted third baseman, his outfield play was fine, flashing a decent arm from left field. He’s never going to be a threat to steal bases.

That bat will get Marrero to the big leagues in a hurry. The Nats’ system is deeper than it’s been in the past, but Washington won’t get in Marrero’s way. He won’t turn 20 until July, but look for him at the upper levels of the Minors in short order, with a September callup a possibility.

1. Ross Detwiler

Just because Detwiler is so slight, don’t mistake him for a finesse lefty. He’s got outstanding stuff, with four options — two fastballs (two- and four-seamers), a curve and a changeup. He improved his command considerably during his junior season of college, helping make him a top 10 pick.

After just nine games and 33 1/3 innings in the Minors, Detwiler was rewarded with a callup to Washington and a spot on the 40-man roster. He threw just one inning, but it was a sign that he likely isn’t long for the Nats’ farm system. While it’s unlikely you’ll see him in Washington on Opening Day, a 2008 arrival isn’t out of the question.

Geoff Morrow of the Patriot News has the story.

The Harrisburg Senators will introduce Randy Whitaker as the team’s new general manager today, a source said Monday.

More important was this item

The Senators, Class AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals, still don’t have an on-field manager. The Nationals have stated earlier they hope to have their minor league staffs announced by the winter baseball meetings.

MLB winter meetings are scheduled for next week (December 3-6) in Nashville, TN.

The Washington Nationals signed an additional five players to minor league contracts:

• RHP Tristan Crawford: The 25-year old Crawford joins the Nationals after eight seasons in the Twins organization. He has pitched primarily out of the bullpen with an occasional spot start. Over 395 career innings, Crawford has allowed 415 hits and 233 runs (187 earned) while striking out 352 and walking 139. He should pitch out of the bullpen for Columbus in 2008.
• RHP Steven Shell: After seven seasons in the Angels farm system, the 24-year old Shell joins the Nationals system. Shell pitched primarily out of the bullpen for the Angels Triple-A affiliate where he was 7-3 with a 4.73ERA over 31 appearances (7 starts). He was also a member of the World Cup winning Team USA team where he made three appearances with no record and a 13.50ERA. Shell is a control pitcher without overpowering stuff. He should see a spot in the Clippers bullpen.
• 1B Luis Jimenez: The 25-year old Jimenez split the 2007 season between the Triple-A affiliate for the Red Sox and the Double-A affiliate for the Orioles. Primarily a DH at this point (though he has played some 1B), Jimenez slugged 22 home runs for the Bay Sox over 320 AB. The Clippers appear to have their 2008 DH.
• 3B Yurendell De Caster: The 28-year old played the last seven seasons in the Pirates organization. In 2007, while playing predominantly 1B, De Caster batted 280/380/413 with 9 home runs and 54 RBI. De Caster has played not only 1B, but also 3B and corner OF. He seems likely to be a member of the Clippers in 2008.
• OF Jason Dubois: The 28-year old outfielder has bounced from the Cubs to the Indians to Orioles over his seven-year major league career. Over his minor league career, he has batted 289/367/521 with 130 home runs. He seems targeted for Columbus in 2008.