Nationals Farm Authority

Baseball America has the latest round of minor league transactions.

Washington Nationals Signed: RHP Eduardo Baeza, RHP Bobby Brownlie, RHP Noel de Leon, RHP Josh Hall, RHP Dennis Tankersley, RHP Jim Ed Warden, LHP Mike Bacsik, LHP Mike Hinckley, C Humberto Cota, SS Marco Yepez, OF Jorge Padilla

Several of the above names were re-signed by the Nationals including Baeza, de Leon, Hall, Bacsik, Hinckley and Yepez.

• Eddy Baeza joined the Nationals in 2007 after two seasons in the Diamondbacks farm system. The 23-year old right-handed relief pitcher was a combined 1-3 in Hagerstown and Potomac. In 60 innings of work, Baeza struck out 52 and walked 30. Potomac seems his likely starting point in 2008.
• Noel de Leon spent the 2007 season pitching for the GCL Nationals. The 19-year old right–handed pitcher was 2-2 in 10 appearances (all relief) with a 8.10ERA and 2.40WHIP in 13 1/3 innings of work. He was signed as a minor league free agent last season after spending 2006 in the Brewers system. de Leon seems likely to begin 2008 in extended spring training with a spot likely in Vermont.
• Josh Hall  joined the Nationals in 2007 after seven seasons in the Reds organization. The 26-year old right-hander was 3-4 in 31 combined appearances in Harrisburg and Columbus. Over his 67 innings of work, he struck out 48 and walked 34. Hall will likely start in Columbus’ bullpen.
• Mike Bacsik will forever be known as the guy who gave up Barry Bonds’ record 756 home run. The 30-year old left-hander seems most likely to be a bullpen arm, probably in Columbus in 2008.
• Mike Hinckley was once considered one of the top left-handed starting pitchers in the minor leagues but injuries and inconsistencies derailed that path. He struggled in Harrisburg in 2007 where he was 9-10 with a 5.83ERA and 1.74WHIP over 25 appearances (23 starts). The 25-year old’s career might need to be reinvented as a lefthander out of the bullpen. Perhaps a return to Harrisburg is in the offing in 2008.
• Marcos Yepez was an utility middle infielder in the Nationals system in 2007, splitting his time between Potomac, Harrisburg, and Columbus. He hit a combined 298/372/367 over 403AB in 2007. The 25-year old does not project out as a starter but has an outside shot as an utility MI off of the bench for a short stint. Columbus should be his jumping off point in 2008.

The new names on the list are

• Bobby Brownlie is a former first round selection of the Chicago Cubs (2002 #21 pick). He was hyped entering that draft and the Cubs spent $2.5 million for the Rutgers righthander. The 27-year old has a hi80/low90 fastball with sink as well as a solid complement of off-speed pitches. He returned to the starting rotation in 2007 for the Cleveland Indians where he was 1-2 in eight starts where he struck out 37 and walked 14 in 48 1/3 innings of work. It seems the Nationals are looking at another reclamation project and he seems most likely to be a member of the Clippers rotation in 2008.
• Dennis Tankersley was drafted in the 38th round of the 1998 draft by the Boston Red Sox and has bounced around five organizations in his 9 year professional career. Tankersley was 10-7 for Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate, striking out 80 and walking 51 in 138 2/3 innings of work. The 28-year old righthander has two solid pitches (slider and low90 fastball) but has struggled to stick in the major leagues, spending most of the last five seasons in Triple-A. Triple-A Columbus seems most likely for him in 2008.
• Jim Ed Warden was grabbed by the Phillies from the Cleveland Indians in last season’s Rule 5 draft but was returned to Cleveland before the 2007 season began. The 28-year old righthanded reliever throws sidearm. He has shown the ability to strike out batters at nearly one per inning, but has also showed a propensity to walk too many batters for his role out of the bullpen. It appears the Nationals are filling out their roster in Columbus as Warden seems likely to a part of the Clippers bullpen in 2008.
• Humberto Cota joins the Nationals after eight seasons in the Pirates organization. The 28-year old Cota is your traditional backup catcher. Solid glove. Marginal bat. Over parts of seven major league seasons, Cota has hit 233/280/358 over 519AAB with 12 homers and 61 RBI. Cota seems likely to be the part of a catching platoon in Columbus in 2008
• Jorge Padilla was a 1998 3rd round selection by the Phillies out of high school. After eight seasons in the Phillies system, Padilla has bounced from the Mets (2006) to the Royals (2007). He hit a combined 316/387/483 between Double and Triple A in 2007 but is really an organizational type guy. The Clippers should expect him as well.

Of the names listed, the only one that really jumps out at me is Brownlie. He’s no question a longshot to develop into anything more than a #5 type guy for the Nationals but given the number of arms they went through in 2007, it would not be surprising to see Brownlie make his major league debut for Washington in 2008.