Nationals Farm Authority

John Sickels releases an annual edition of “The Baseball Prospect Book” where he uses letter grades to assess 30-35 prospects from each MLB organization. He is currently in the process of providing preliminary top 20 lists for each team. Here is the Nats Top 20.

1. Chris Marrero, 1B-OF, Grade B+ (2006)
2. Ross Detwiler, LHP, Grade B+ (2007)
3. Michael Burgess, OF, Grade B+ (2007)
4. Justin Maxwell, OF, Grade B (2005)
5. Jordan Zimmermann, RHP, Grade B (2007)
6. Collin Balester, RHP, Grade B- (2004)
7. Josh Smoker, LHP, Grade B- (2007)
8. Adam Carr, RHP, Grade B- (2006)
9. John Lannan, LHP, Grade B- (2005)
10. Glenn Gibson, LHP, Grade C+ (2006)
11. Colton Willems, RHP, Grade C+ (2006)
12. Ian Desmond, SS, Grade C+ (2004)
13. Jack McGeary, LHP, Grade C+ (2007)
14. Jake Smolinski, OF, Grade C+ (2007)
15. Jon Albaladejo, RHP, Grade C+ (added from Pittsburgh in 2007)
16. Adrian Alaniz, RHP, Grade C+ (2007)
17. Shairon Martis, RHP, Grade C+ (added from Giants in 2006)
18. Jhonny Nunez, RHP, Grade C+ (added from Dodgers in 2006)
19. Kory Casto, OF-3B, Grade C+ (2003)
20. Josh Whitesell, 1B, Grade C (2003)

There are 15 other players in the book. Again, I emphasize that all these grades are preliminary, and that the Grade C+/C guys are close to interchangeable.

There is a lot of Potential pitching depth in this system, and many of those Grade C+ guys have the ability to end up as Grade B/B+ prospects a year from now, once we see them at higher levels and have more data to work with. Overall the Nats have done a good job adding more depth to the system.

Here is what the grades mean:

Grade A prospects are the elite. They have a good chance of becoming stars or superstars. Almost all Grade A prospects develop into major league regulars, if injuries or other problems don’t intervene. Note that is a major “if” in some cases.

Grade B prospects have a good chance to enjoy successful careers. Some will develop into stars, some will not. Most end up spending several years in the majors, at the very least in a marginal role.

Grade C prospects are the most common type. These are guys who have something positive going for them, but who may have a question mark or three, or who are just too far away from the majors to get an accurate feel for. A few Grade C guys, especially at the lower levels, do develop into stars. Many end up as role players or bench guys. Some don’t make it at all.

A major point to remember is that grades for pitchers do NOT correspond directly to grades for hitters. Many Grade A pitching prospects fail to develop, often due to injuries. Some Grade C pitching prospects turn out much better than expected.

Also note that there is diversity within each category. I’m a tough grader; Grade C+ is actually good praise coming from me, and some C+ prospects turn out very well indeed.

Finally, keep in mind that all grades are shorthand. You have to read the full comment in the book for my full opinion about a player, the letter grade only tells you so much. A Grade C prospect in rookie ball could end up being very impressive, while a Grade C prospect in Triple-A is likely just a future role player.

As a basis of comparison, here are a quick look at the spread of his grades for the past three season’s preliminary top 20s.

I think that this is a realistic and honest assessment of the Nationals currently have. He is a tough grader but is most often closer to reality than many of the experts out there. I might quibble some with his rankings of Gibson, Willems and McGeary as Cs (he does have a comment about Gibson possibly getting bumped up) but high school pitchers are so volatile developmentally that it is understandable. The only name I see missing from this list is Esmailyn Gonzalez, also one of the crop of younger more volatile prospects. Other names likely to appear in Sickels’ book are likely to be: Rog Bernadina, Stephen Englund, Garrett Mock, Yunior Novoa, Stephen King, Steven Souza, and Brad Meyers.

Fourteen of the twenty names listed above were added to the organization over the past two season. And, the Nats have moved from three top prospects (B or better) to five to nine which is a testament to the work done in organization since the Lerners took over.

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.

Baseball America has released their Arizona Fall League top 20 prospect list and there are no Nationals included.

AFL TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Cameron Maybin, of, Peoria Saguaros (Tigers)
2. Evan Longoria, 3b, Scottsdale (Devil Rays)
3. Travis Snider, of, Scottsdale (Blue Jays)
4. Matt LaPorta, of, Mesa (Brewers)
5. Adam Miller, rhp, Surprise (Indians)
6. Andrew McCutchen, of, Phoenix (Pirates)
7. Reid Brignac, ss, Scottsdale (Devil Rays)
8. Jordan Schafer, of, Peoria Javelinas (Braves)
9. Dexter Fowler, of, Peoria Javelinas (Rockies)
10. Taylor Teagarden, c, Surprise (Rangers)
11. Matt Antonelli, 2b, Peoria Saguaros (Padres)
12. Anthony Swarzak, rhp, Phoenix (Twins)
13. Jeff Clement, c, Peoria Javelinas (Mariners)
14. Jake Arrierta, rhp, Phoenix (Orioles)
15. Eugenio Velez, 2b/of, Scottsdale (Giants)
16. Joe Savery, lhp, Peoria Saguaros (Phillies)
17. Max Scherzer, rhp, Scottsdale (Diamondbacks)
18. Sean Gallagher, rhp, Surprise (Cubs)
19. John Mayberry, of, Surprise (Rangers)
20. David Huff, lhp, Surprise (Indians)

The only realistic Nationals options for this list were Garrett Mock or Justin Maxwell. Mock was honestly a long shot given his age and years of experience. Most of the players listed above are from drafts 2005 or later. Mock was a 2004 draft pick and has battled with injury and inconsistency over the past couple of seasons. Aside from his start yesterday where he was lit up for eight earned runs over only three innings of work, Mock handled himself well for the Javelinas. As for Maxwell, it appears it was more a function of his AFL performance (207/305/324).

• Across the Affiliates 2007 - DSL (1 of 7)
• Across the Affiliates 2007 - GCL (2 of 7)
• Across the Affiliates 2007 - Vermont (3 of 7)
• Across the Affiliates 2007 - Hagerstown (4 of 7)
• Across the Affiliates 2007 - Potomac (5 of 7)

Disappointing. The only word to describe the Senators in 2007. The Harrisburg Senators won seventeen of their last twenty-six games, yet still finished the season with an Eastern League worst record of 55-86, 5 1/2 games behind the next worst team.

While the Nationals have made great strides in improving a player development system laid barren under MLB’s stewardship, there was no clearer indicator of the work that still needs to be accomplished in the rebuilding effort than the 2007 Harrisburg Senators. They featured only a few players considered “prospects” with the remainder more or less organizational type players. To put things into perspective, of the 27 players who played any time for the Senators in April, only nine players remain with the organization (Rog Bernadina, Seth Bynum, Josh Whitesell, Devin Ivany, Collin Balester, Beltran Perez, Brett Campbell, Gerald Plexico and Zech Zinicola). And only Bernadina and Whitesell are on the 40-man roster (though Balester and Zinicola do not yet have to be placed on it). The steps the Nationals have taken seems likely to bear fruit for Harrisburg in 2008 as players such as Chris Marrero, Justin Maxwell, Ross Detwiler, among others make their likely debuts.

STATISTICS

Hitting

Pitching

Offensively, the Senators were not … well, offensive. Hitters like Whitesell and Bernadina provided enough of their skill-set to keep the Senators roughly league average at the plate. Where the Senators ran into trouble was on the mound, whether it was the starting pitching or relieving, the Senators battled inconsistency, injury and overall bad performances to their league worst record. Aside from a few highlights like Balester or John Lannan, the pitching performances left much to be desired.

I’ll once again harp upon the roster composition. As the average age for Harrisburg demonstrated, they were older than the average team. This is even more a factor behind their struggles when you consider the fact that most MLB teams use their Double-A teams as the location where their top prospects get their final challenge before a promotion to the majors. The Nats Double-A team had less than a handful of such players. Their Double-A affiliate was, in essence, a Triple-A team to their actual Triple-A team. Interchangeable players/skill-sets. An assortment of older players who had maxed out in other organizations. Many of these players understood the opportunity available to them with Harrisburg was unlike most other Double-A teams. The Nationals were holding an open casting call for their major league starting rotation, bullpen spots, outfield, first base as well as several bench roles. By playing with the Nationals, these players has the chance to crack a major league roster.

Regular Lineup

‘*’ = lefthanded

‘#’ = switch-hitter

‘$’ = released/traded

There is not much to add here other than to notice the number of players here that were released. Rather than view this as a glass half-full, I suggest that it was an indication the Nationals have begun to turn the page towards an implementation of “The Plan”. The need for organizational type players is moving from a necessity to field a starting Double-A roster to how a successful organizations employs it … complementary pieces to fill out the back end of a Double-A roster.

Top 10 Harrisburg Senators Prospects

1. Collin Balester, RHSP
2. John Lannan, LHSP
3. Garrett Mock, RHSP
4. Rog Bernadina, CF
5. Josh Whitesell, 1B
6. Zech Zinicola, RHRP
7. Jon Albaladejo, RHRP
8. Frank Diaz, OF
9. Dee Brown, LF
10. Ofilio Castro, IF

As it should be clear, this is going to be a challenge to get to ten. Of the top 10 listed above, I’d realistically put the “prospect” tag on only the top 4. The guys at #4-8 can all be major league contributors but I’m not 100% sold on them as anything more than bench guys.

Balester feels like he has been around forever but the righthander is still only 21 years old. He added a change-up to his repertoire to go along with his fastball/curveball in 2007. While his record while in Harrisburg was not that impressive (2-7), his peripherals 7K/9IP, 2.3BB/9IP and 0.8HR/9IP with a 1.29WHIP. He profiles out as a #3 starting pitcher but has the chance to be a solid #2. I’d expect Balester to be given a shot as a minor league invitee in 2008 though there is no real reason to add him to the 40-man unless he really performs in the spring. I’d imagine he starts 2008 in Columbus but is among one of the first options if injury/ineffectiveness in Washington dictates.

Lannan once again appears on a list. The 23-year old lefthander is what he is. He is a soft-tosser who most teams are happy to have. He doesn’t strike out a whole lot of guys and relies on pitching to contact. He seems a best fit as a back of the rotation type of guy and should have every opportunity to make the Nats out of spring training. He’ll either be a #5 in Washington or front the rotation in Columbus.

Mock continues the trend of starting pitchers on this list. The 24-year old righthander had a lost season as he rehabbed from knee surgery and sore arm that cost him most of the season. He’s now pitching in the Arizona Fall League where he is making up for lost time with a 1-1 record, 2.31ERA, 1.03WHIP, with 18K an 8BB over 23 1/3 innings of work. He is another guy who pitches to contact and relies on his defense with a heavy sinking fastball. He’s quickly approaching the make-it-or-break-it stage of his career. Added to the 40-man roster this off-season, he should be given every opportunity to make the Nats rotation in 2008, likely as a #4 or 5. If not, he’ll be in Columbus.

Bernadina is another name that has been bouncing around the organization for a few years. He’s an intriguing outfield prospect but his ceiling is likely as a #4 or 5 outfielder. He has incredible speed and is an above average defensive center fielder. His main issue is going to be plate discipline and getting on base. He was also added to the 40-man this off-season but will most likely be in Columbus to start 2008.

Whitesell had a breakout season for the Senators in 2007. The 25-year old 1B hit 21 home runs for Harrisburg, batting 284/425/512. He was also considered the best defensive 1B in the Eastern League. He does not project to be a starting player but is the best in-house candidate for a utility 1B role backing up Dmitri Young in 2008. I’d hope the Nationals look to Whitesell for that role in lieu of a third season of Robert Fick.

Zinicola had a really disappointing 2007. He regressed quite a bit from the 2006 minor league pitcher of the year. The power righthander is still a bullpen option but needs to work on his control if he has any chance of contributing at the major league level. It would be no surprise if he’s back in Harrisburg in 2008, though Columbus seems a more likely location.

Albaladejo was a pleasant surprise for the Nationals after picking him up after the Pittsburgh Pirates released him. He is a strikeout reliever with a low-90s fastball who finally seemed to harness what made him an option originally in Pittsburgh. He’s going to get every opportunity to fill in the Washington bullpen but much will be dictated by who sticks around at the front end of the bullpen (Chad Cordero & Jon Rauch specifically).

Diaz was removed from the 40-man roster this season and is currently a minor league free agent which should tell you all you need to know about this top ten list. Diaz is arguably one of the best defensive outfielders in the organization but doesn’t have the offensive skills to be anything more than a defensive replacement in the majors (if he makes it). I’d imagine he is playing for another organization in 2008.

Brown seemed to max out in Potomac as he struggled with his promotion to Harrisburg. He has a combination of power and speed but hasn’t proved he can hit at higher levels. He should be back in Harrisburg in 2008.

Castro is a middle infield prospect who also seems to have maxed out in Potomac. He is going to back in Harrisburg in 2008.

Courtesy of Geoff Morrow’s blog over at Penn Live

Former Harrisburg manager Scott Little, who directed the Senators to a 55-86 record this summer, has been named manager of the Frisco RoughRiders, Class AA Texas League affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Frisco finished 85-55 this summer but was swept in the first round of the playoffs. Little, 44, played for the Class AA Eastern League Senators in 1988, spent a few weeks with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1989 and retired a couple years later before embarking on his coaching career. He announced after the 2007 season he would not return to the Washington Nationals’ organization, but said later he would entertain offers from the Nationals, who are still trying to fill coaching vacancies at several levels, including Senators’ manager. Little previously managed in the Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations.

Still no word on the coaching decisions in the organization

The Hagerstown Suns have made it a priority this off-season to replace the infield at Municipal Stadium. After months of planning, the infield renovation project began Wednesday. The project includes complete stripping of the infield grass, leveling and laser-grading the entire infield as well as laying new sod and infield dirt.

The project was made possible through a partnership by the City of Hagerstown, Washington County, Hagerstown/Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Washington Nationals and the Hagerstown Suns. Alpine Services Inc. of Gaithersburg , MD won the bid to perform the renovation. Alpine Services Inc. also resurfaced the entire playing surface of Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, MD one year ago. Harry Grove Stadium is home to the Frederick Keys.

It is believed that this is the first resurfacing at Municipal Stadium since the Suns began playing in Hagerstown in 1981.

Updates of the progress can be viewed online by visiting www.hagerstownsuns.com and viewing the “Photo Gallery” selected from the menu on the left margin of the Suns’ homepage.

The following webpage links directly to the Infield Renovation Photo Gallery.

Buried at the bottom of Ken Rosenthal’s latest update at FoxSports was this item

Nationals right-hander Garrett Mock is pitching well in the Arizona Fall League, and could be the team’s No. 3 starter next season. The Nats would like to trade for another young, major league-ready starter — and the Mets’ Kevin Mulvey and Twins’ Kevin Slowey both fit that description. However, the Indians’ [Cliff] Lee would be a more established option. Nats outfielder Ryan Church, a left-handed hitter coming off a 15-homer, 70-RBI season, continues to intrigue many clubs.

Mock is currently 0-1 with a 2.95ERA and 0.98WHIP in six appearances (five starts) for the Peoria Javelinas. In 18 1/3 innings of work, Mock has allowed eleven hits and seven walks while striking out fourteen. Mock is a hard-throwing righthander who was acquired in 2006 along with lefty Matt Chico from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Livan Hernandez. Mock is primarily a ground ball pitcher who tries to pitch to contact. His repertoire consists of a low to mid 90s fastball, slider, changeup and the occasional curveball. The 25-year old Mock is coming off of a tough 2007 in which he rehabbed a knee injury. It seems likely that Mock will be presented with a chance to audition for a spot in the 2008 rotation.

The other names mentioned would all be have to be acquired through a trade. Here are some quick scouting reports on the three:

LHP Cliff Lee was originally drafted by the Expos in the fourth round of the 2000 draft and was part of the infamous Bartolo Colon trade where Omar Minaya, assuming the Expos were going to be contracted, dealt Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Grady Sizemore to the Indians in exchange for Colon (Lee Stevens and Tim Drew were also components of the deal). The 28-year old Lee has fastball, cutter, change-up and curve. He is under contract for at least the next two seasons ($3.75M in 2008 and $5.75M in 2009 with a 2010 team option for $8M or a $1M buyout). Lee missed a large chunk of the 2007 season with an abdominal strain. He seems to be the type of pitcher the Nats should target, accomplished major league resume and coming off of a down season. He was available off of waivers this past season and it’s surprising if there were interest that the Nats didn’t make a claim them.

RHP Kevin Mulvey was a 2006 second round selection by the New York Mets. His name came up around the trade deadline involved in the rumors of a Chad Cordero to New York. I am less confident here that Church would (a) be enough or (b) the Mets have any interest/need for Church.  Below is his BBA scouting report from last season:

Strengths: Mulvey came to pro ball with a feel for four pitches. His fastball sits at 90-93 mph and touches 96. He has good leverage in his delivery, which allows him to maintain his velocity and might give him more as he matures physically. His 82-84 mph slider has short, late break. He’s effective at changing batter’s eye level with his mid-70s curveball. His changeup should at least provide a weapon against lefthanders. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a fluid arm action and little effort.

Weaknesses: Though he can throw all four of his pitches for strikes, Mulvey’s command within the zone needs work. His changeup is still a below-average pitch at this point, and he lacks a true putaway pitch.

RHP Kevin Slowey was a 2005 second round selection by the Minnesota Twins. This is another case where I have a hard time understanding why the Twins would move him. Below is his BBA scouting report from last season:

Strengths: Slowey resembles Brad Radke for his fastball command, which some scouts rate an 8 on their 2-8 scale. He puts his 88-92 fastball wherever he wants, usually with good life. His delivery is so easy that it creates deception. In the high Class A Florida State League all-star game, Slowey threw nine straight fastballs to strike out the side, and only one drew a swing. His moxie makes his tools play up.

Weaknesses: He throws 90 percent fastballs with average velocity, and it’s hard to see Slowey succeeding in the majors with that approach. He saw the benefits of pitching backward—throwing secondary pitches in fastball counts, and vice-versa—against Cuba, when he gave up only one run in five innings. His changeup is ahead of his slurvy breaking ball at this point, but both need more work.

Both Slowey and Mulvey are under their respective teams control contractually for at least the next three seasons (Mulvey even longer than that). It would seem to me that the chances either would be made available for Ryan Church are long. However, if the offer is made, it’s certainly something the Nats should consider.

 I had the right 10 in the wrong order ….

1. Chris Marrero, OF/1B
2. Ross Detwiler, LHP
3. Collin Balester, RHP (I had #6)
4. Michael Burgess, OF
5. Jack McGeary, LHP
6. Josh Smoker, LHP (I had #3)
7. Jordan Zimmermann, RHP (I had #10)
8. Glenn Gibson, LHP (I had #9)
9. Justin Maxwell, OF (I had #7)
10. Colton Willems, RHP (I had #8)

The chat with Aaron Fitt is up at 2:30PM. If you have any questions and don’t have a BBA account, let me know and I’ll see what I can pull together.

Baseball America is scheduled today to release their top 10 ranking of Nationals prospects. It’s already been announced that Chris Marrero will be the Nationals #1 prospect. And according to the BBA podcast, the other names mentioned were Ross Detwiler, Josh Smoker, Jack McGeary, Glenn Gibson, Colton Willems, and Jordan Zimmermann. No rankings were provided but if I were to hazard a guess based upon how BBA values a prospect, I’d say

1. Marrero
2. Detwiler
3. Smoker
4. Burgess 
5. McGeary 
6. Balester
7. Maxwell
8. Willems
9. Gibson
10. Zimmermann

I have no inside information, but that would be my guess.

Additionally, Aaron will also be conducting a Q&A this afternoon to discuss the Nationals organization.

Baseball America has the latest round of minor league baseball transactions which includes three moves by the Nationals, signing RHP Buzz Vargas, IF Brandon Powell, and MI Ofilio Castro.

Vargas spent time in both Vermont and Hagerstown in 2007. The 23-year old RHP is organizational bullpen depth for the Nats. My guess is Vargas starts 2008 in the Potomac bullpen.

Powell was taken by the Padres in last year’s minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft but returned to the Nats at the beginning of the 2007 season. He split time between Potomac and Harrisburg in 2007. the ceiling for the 27-year old Powell is also organizational depth (at IF/DH) but it would not surprise to see him serve as a short term option for the Nationals off the bench if injury dictates. I’d expect Powell to start in Columbus, perhaps as their starting 2B or 3B.

Castro is a 24-year old MI who also split 2007 between Potomac and Harrisburg. He’s another organizational type guy who is likely to return to Harrisburg in 2008, unless positional needs bumps him up to Columbus.