Nationals Farm Authority

Per a release by the Senators

The Harrisburg Senators and Washington Nationals announced today that former major league all-star John Stearns has been selected to manage the team for the 2008 season. Stearns replaces Scott Little as manager and returns to the Senators after having spent the 2007 season managing the Nationals AAA team in Columbus.

Stearns, 56, leads a staff in Harrisburg in 2008 that has very familiar faces to Senators fans. Rick Tomlin returns for a fourth season as the Senators pitching coach. Former Senator Troy Gingrich comes to Harrisburg as the hitting coach and Beth Jarrett returns for her fourth season as the Senators trainer.

As mentioned, Stearns returns to lead the 2008 Senators who will likely have top prospects Chris Marrero, Justin Maxwell, Ross Detwiler, among others. With the promotion of Gingrich, the P-Nats will have a new hitting coach in 2008.

Still no word on the rest of the vacancies.

While the bigger story of the day is the Mitchell Report, the Nationals filled out their two open spots on the 40-man with the signings today of two utility players, Rob Mackowiak and Willie Harris

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms on one-year contacts with free agent left-handed hitting infielders/outfielders Rob Mackowiak and Willie Harris. Nationals Vice President/General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcements.

“With the additions of Mackowiak and Harris, I feel we will have one of the deepest and most balanced benches in the National League,” said Bowden.

Mackowiak is a career .262 hitter with 63 home runs and 282 RBI in 818 games with Pittsburgh (2001-05), Chicago White Sox (2006-07) and San Diego (2007). He has played all three outfield positions, as well as first base, second base and third base. The 31 year-old has logged 81 career starts in left field, 137 starts in center field, 150 starts in right field, three starts at first base, 48 starts at second base and 142 starts at third base.

Mackowiak hit .278 with six homers and 36 RBI in 85 games with Chicago (AL) and San Diego last season. He hit .283 (13-for-46) against left-handed pitching at the two stops.

The Illinois native’s best season came in 2004, when he posted career highs with 22 doubles, 17 homers and 75 RBI in 155 games with Pittsburgh. He was originally selected by the Pirates in the 53rd round of the 1996 First-Year Player Draft out of South Suburban (IL) Junior College.

Harris appeared in 117 games with Atlanta in 2007 and batted .270 with 20 doubles, eight triples, two homers, 32 RBI and 17 stolen bases. Defensively, the 29-year-old made 69 starts in left field and nine in centerfield for Bobby Cox.

Harris is a career .247 hitter with 47 doubles, seven home runs, 85 RBI and 72 stolen bases in 486 games spanning seven big league seasons with Baltimore (2001), Chicago White Sox (2002-05), Boston (2006) and Atlanta (2007). Harris, who was originally drafted by the Orioles in 1999, earned a World Series ring with the White Sox in 2005.

Experienced at every defensive position except first base, catcher and pitcher, Harris has 147 career starts at second base, 75 in centerfield, 71 in left field, two at shortstop and one in right field. He also appeared twice defensively at third base for Atlanta in 2007.

They are both left-handed which helps a strongly right-handed potential roster. They both can serve as super substitute type players around the IF and OF.

If anything, this seems to make it tougher for Garrett Guzman to stick as a Rule 5 guy. Mackowiak is an older version (32 in 2008) of what Guzman seems most likely to develop into, though Guzman might have more power potential. Plus, Mackowiak offers the Nationals the chance to rest Zimmerman from time to time.

Harris provides the Nationals left-handed depth at 2B (and CF) and he has speed to be a pinch-runner now that Nook Logan has been released.

Baseball America has the latest minor league free agent signings. Signed were:

• LHP Charlie Manning - Manning will be 29 in March of 2008. The lefty has pitched most of his career for the Yankees but spent some time in the Reds organization. Manning was dealt to Cincinnati along with LHP Brandon Claussen in exchange for IF Aaron Boone (both either current or former Nationals). He throws a fastball in the high-80s mixing in a slider, change and curve. He induces his share of ground balls.
• LHP Eude Brito - Another lefty. The 29-year old Brito is a former Phillies prospect. He doesn’t have any dominant pitches but all the ones he throws (fastball, slider, curve, change) are at least average. His 2007 was a lost season after missing time due to a car accident in his native Dominican Republic.
• IF Pete Orr (bats left) - The 28-year Orr is primarily a 2B/3B who has also played some SS and OF. Defense is his only plus tool (though he has some speed). He doesn’t hit enough to be a major league regular though he has some value as a utility guy off of the bench.

If these guys stick, they are likely part of the team in Columbus.

Finally, some information is coming out about the minor league coaching staff. From Barry Svrluga at Nationals Journal

One more thing I keep forgetting to slip in: The Nationals will also announce a realigned minor league coaching staff at some point. John Stearns, who managed at Class AAA Columbus last year, will almost certainly move to Class AA Harrisburg, where he’ll manage the most important Nats team — one that might have Chris Marrero, Justin Maxwell, etc. Harrisburg was one of the worst teams in the minors last year. That won’t be repeated.

Tim Foli, the former Class AAA manager who took on a roving role last year, would move back to the Class AAA manager again. Tommy Herr is out at low-Class A Hagerstown, but I’m almost sure Randy Knorr will be back at Class A Potomac.

It’s nice to see that Stearns is remaining within the organization.  Stearns is a genuinely nice guy who has always been willing to discuss the players he coaches. Interesting that Knorr is remaining in Potomac. This would be his third go-around there and I wonder how much longer he’d be willing to stick around after 2008. Rumor has it that Darnell Coles is slated to be the manager in Hagerstown. Coles was the manager of the 2007 Vermont Lake Monsters.

While the Nationals did not make picks that I anticpated, what can we learn from the choices the Nats made?

• Selecting Matt Whitney, a right-handed corner IF, and Garrett Guzman, a left-handed LF is bad news for Kory Casto, a left-handed corner IF & LF, going forward. While there is still a chance either of the guys (or both) are returned to their original organization, Casto seems to be on the outside looking in for any chance in 2008.
• As mentioned in the comments on the previous thread, Whitney seems to render Tony Batista unnecessary. This is a good thing in my opinion. If I have to carry a RH bench guy for 1B (and 3B in a pinch), gamble on the upside with Whitney. You could end up with better results (or you could end up with Tony Blanco).
• Guzman’s selection makes it more likely that Ryan Langerhans and Nook Logan are likely candidates for designation for assignment as both are out of options. As with Batista, I like the idea of gambling on the potential upside of Guzman instead of another season of Langerhans or Logan. The downside seems to be Ty Godwin, another Bowden Rule 5 selection.
• The guys the Nationals lost in the Triple-A phase of the draft (Marcos Cabral, Juan Cedeno, and Brett Campbell) are not anything to lose any sleep over. Cabral had a good season in Hagerstown but was realistically a utility-type guy. Cedeno was hardly here long enough to know anything about other than he’s left-handed. Campbell had seemed to have his cup of coffee and had seen his window in DC close.

The Nationals selected 1B/3B Matt Whitney from the Cleveland Indians. Quick scouting report.

Bowden’s POV courtesy of Barry …

“This is a Jesus Flores-type draft,” Jim Bowden said. “He’s not ready for the major leagues, but he certainly has tremendous potential.”

He can play both corner infield positions, and could serve as a right-handed bat off the bench if he shows he can handle it. “He got healthy last year for the first time,” Bowden said.

My analysis: This is a curious pick. He’s a RH 1B who at one time played 3B. Not sure how he fits in on this roster. He’s a big power bat from the right side. He was a first round selection in 2002. I am guessing the Nationals see him as a backup at 1B and 3B. Update: This could be a select and trade. No rumors, just a consideration. Update #2: Pointless bit of trivia regarding Whitney. Whitney broke his leg playing basketball a few years back. The trainer who worked with him on rehab was Lee Kuntz. Kuntz is currently the Nationals trainer.

The Nationals selected OF Garrett Guzman in round two from the Twins

from Chris Kline’s preview on Guzman

Guzman missed the entire 2005 season after breaking his neck in a car accident just days before leaving for spring training that year. Now 25, the undersized lefthanded hitter profiles as arguably the best fourth outfielder candidate on the Rule 5 eligible list, drawing comparisons to Orlando Palmeiro. While Palmeiro was a bit better runner and defender, Guzman offers more power and offensive upside. Guzman, who batted .312/.359/.453 at Double-A New Britain in 2007, has solid gap power and the ability to play anywhere in the outfield, though he profiles best in left. “He probably doesn’t run as well (as Palmeiro) but they’re very similar players who can do a lot of things for you,” said one National League scout.

Bowden’s POV per Barry

Bowden said he would compete with Ryan Langerhans for the fifth outfield spot. He hit .312 with 14 homers and 88 RBI at Class AA New Britain last year. “He could be a fourth outfielder in the big leagues right now,”

My analysis: The Nationals have potentially found their lefthanded OF in Guzman.

The Nationals passed in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 draft. They were at 37, so this was not surprising. And the losses thus far in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5

• Marcos Cabral SS to Toronto
• Juan Cedeno LHP to Detroit
• Brett Campbell RHP to Milwaukee

Cabral played the season in Hagerstown. Cedeno was signed as a minor league free agent this off-season. Campbell made a brief appearance for the Nationals in 2006, he’s a RHRP. None are considered top prospects.

Washington also passed in the Double-A portion of the draft.

At 10AM Eastern on Thursday, the Tampa Rays will likely kick off the 2007 MLB Rule 5 and make their first selection. The background on the Rule 5 Draft is as follows

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.

In clearer terms (and thanks to Chris Kline of Baseball America)

High school players drafted in 2003 and college players drafted in 2004 become eligible for the Rule 5 for the first time this year. International signees and all others signed before age 19 in the year 2003 also require protection.

There have conflicting reports of the relative strength of the 2006 versus 2007 Rule 5 draft. While there might not be a Josh Hamilton in this year’s class (a former #1 overall MLB prospect), the 2007 class of Rule 5 eligibles is deeper than its 2006 counterpart.

There are an intriguing assortment of former top 10 draft picks from the 2003 draft who have not developed as their drafting organizations would have hoped. MiLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo highlights Chris Lubanski (Royals), Ryan Harvey (Cubs), and Eric Duncan (Yankees), the #5, 6 & 27 picks in the 2003 First Year Player Draft. None have developed as hoped and were left unprotected for the Rule 5, but none of the three are older than 23 and their windows as prospects have not yet completely closed.

From a Nationals point of view, the only two names of the above three that might have value are Lubanski and Duncan. Harvey is a right-handed outfielder and if we know anything, the Nationals are already flush with that. I’ve previously highlighted Lubanski’s potential value as a left-handed bat off of the bench and fifth outfielder. The only caution is whether keeping him as a part time player would damage him developmentally. I believe the Royals were willing to expose him to the draft thinking other teams would not want to delay his development any longer by letting him sit on the bench. Rumors have it the Marlins are considering him with the #4 pick. If that’s the case, he might see regular playing time with Florida.

Duncan is another left-handed bat, albeit a corner infielder. 1B is probably his “best” position but he was drafted as and can play 3B in a pinch. I’ll pull some highlights from Pinstripe Potentials on Duncan from December of 2006:

His tool is his bat. From the start, Eric Duncan was looked on by scouts as a big time power hitter. This is a mischaracterization of Duncan. Eric Duncan will never be a 30+ home run guy. He simply does not have the swing for it. He tends to be very uncomfortable pulling balls, prefering to drive pitches in to left center field. He is one of the best in the minors at doing so. His eye at the plate is extremely selective, resulting in comparisons to Chipper Jones. His defense at 3rd was average at it’s absolute best, although he has proven to be a passable 1st baseman.

Duncan has battled a back injury that has lingered over the last several years. His left-handed bat is what would make him a possible candidate for selection. In my opinion, it would not harm Duncan’s development to be a bench player. I think what you see is what you get with him and if the Nationals think he can serve as a left-handed bat off of the bench and an occasional substitute for Zimmerman at 3B in blowout situations, he is worth consideration. (Note: One other thing to consider with regards to Duncan, he’s a New Jersey native and the Nationals Dana Brown has shown a soft spot for players from the Garden State).

Chris Kline at Baseball America highlighted several of the more popular rumored names in the Draft back on November 28 (with a follow-up on December 4). Of the names he mentioned, the ones I’d watch out for in association with the Nationals are:

• Carlos Guevara RHP Reds: The main reason I included Guevara is his team of origin. The 25-year old Guevara is a RHRP with a plus screwball. He seems a good choice for a team looking for bullpen help.
• Jamie D’Antona 3B/CA Diamondbacks: I was a proponent of D’Antona last year and I’m re-proposing him for the same reason, his ability to catch and back up at 3B. I doubt he’d be the selection given the Nats desire to identify a left-handed catcher to pair with Jesus Flores (D’Antona is right-handed).
• Leyson Septimo LHP Diamondbacks: I touched on him earlier this week … 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. It would be a project pick, no doubt but the Nats could use him as a LOOGY for the year.
• Diory Hernandez SS Braves: Known primarily for his above average glove. Hernandez hit 308/366/429 with 7 HR and 33 doubles between the Carolina (High-A) and Southern (Double-A) Leagues. There have been rumblings about the Nats looking for a defensive shortstop and Hernandez could be worth a look.
• Carl Loadenthal CF Braves: I’ve touched on Loadenthal earlier (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). He’s lefthanded which might make him an attractive option for the Nats.
• Shane Lindsay RHP Rockies: Rehabbing from a torn labrum that cost him the 2007 season (except for a brief stopover in the Hawaiian league), Lindsay has a mid-90s fastball and above average knuckle-curve. It would certainly be a gamble but it could be a project worth a look for pitching coach Randy St. Claire
• Jeff Allison RHP Marlins: Think Josh Hamilton version 2007. Allison is a former top prospect of the Florida Marlins who saw his career derailed by drugs. He bounced on and off of the restricted list as he got into and out of trouble with the law. While his make-up might be questionable, his talent is still there. Still only 23, Allison still throws a 90-93mph FB, above average CB and average C/U. Much like many of the moves so far this off-season, it would come with a considerable amount of baggage.

Since it sounds like Lubanski is going to be off the board, so if I had to make the choice I’d take a chance on (1) Hernandez, (2) Lindsay, or (3) Septimo [Septimo is more a longshot]. I have no idea who is going to be out there in the minor league portion of the draft so I won’t even hazard a guess.

For the sake of completeness, here is a link to the Nationals Rule 5 eligibles though I doubt anyone will be selected.

UPDATE: From Barry … Jones went 11-8 with a 3.72 ERA at three minor league levels and had come a long way, Bowden said. But he blew out his knee playing basketball this winter. A shame, really.

Barry Svrluga has the notes in his latest blog posting.

The Nats took two players — pitchers Justin Jones and Billy Traber — and unconditionally released them, creating more space on the 40-man roster. They have four open spots

Both Jones and Traber are left-handers. Traber is more of a LOOGY at this point in his career while Jones (who was grabbed in the minor league portion of the 2006 Rule 5 draft) was a candidate for the starting rotation in Harrisburg.

Traber split time between Triple-A Columbus and Washington in 2007, throwing almost an identical 40 innings at each level (40 1/3 in Columbus & 39 2/3 in Washington). He is a soft-tossing lefty and the Nats had given him several chances with mixed results.

Jones is another soft-tosser who came on as a starting pitcher as the season progressed in Potomac. The 23-year old was a long shot for anything more than perhaps a spot start in 2008 but the Nats apparently decided the roster spot was more valuable than hanging onto Jones.

As Barry mentioned, the Nationals are at 36/40.

Additionally, Barry commented …

The consensus in the industry is that this is a weak Rule 5 crop — not like last year, when Washington took both Jesus Flores and Levale Speigner. Depending on how it goes above them, the Nationals could sit this one out.

I’ll grant Flores as a strong Rule 5 pick but have to quibble with Speigner. As for the overall strength of the Rule 5 draft, I don’t necessarily believe this draft is significantly weaker than the 2006 version and I would hazard a guess the Nationals make at least one selection.

UPDATE:  The Nationals have moved from #5 to #6 in the draft order with the Reds release of Jorge Cantu

Here are the 20 teams that can select (have an open spot on their 40-man) in tomorrow’s Rule 5 Draft. 

1. Rays (38) 
2. Orioles (37)
3. Giants (38)
4. Marlins (39) … if the Cabrera/Willis trade is official prior to the draft (Marlins can draft regardless of trade status)
5. Reds (39) … waived Jorge Cantu
6. Nationals (38)
7. Astros (36)
8. Athletics (39)
9. Twins (38)
10. Dodgers (38)
11. Blue Jays (39)
12. Cubs (38)
13. Mariners (39)
14. Tigers (38) … if the Cabrera/Willis trade is official prior to the draft (otherwise the Tigers are filled at 40)
15. Mets (37)
16. Padres (35)
17. Phillies (39)
18. Rockies (38)
19. Diamondbacks (39)
20. Red Sox (38)

Right now the Nationals outfield consists of four righthanders in Austin Kearns, Lastings Milledge,Wily Mo Pena, and Elijah Dukes. As of today, the fifth outfield spot looks to be a battle between lefthander Ryan Langerhans and Kory Casto, righthanders Nook Logan or Jason Dubois, and switch hitter Tommy Murphy.  To be honest, none of those options seem that palatable. Carrying five righties in the OF seems unwise, Langerhans did not seem to provide enough bat to warrant a roster spot, I honestly don’t know what the Nats think about Casto, and Murphy is really a wild card.

With that in mind, a name the Nationals might consider in the Rule 5 draft is Kansas City Royals OF Chris Lubanski. Lubanski was the 5th overall selection by the Royals in the 2003 draft. The intriguing thing about him is he is lefthanded.

A quick summary from Baseball America … very athletic; plus speed; smooth stroke with leverage that bodes well for power; improved plate discipline and pitch recognition; good range in the OF; not adept at stealing bases and is tentative in the outfield; fringy arm

Lubanski will be 23-years old entering the 2008 season and his days as a top prospect may be behind him (he was #4 in the Royals system according to BBA in their 2007 Prospect Handbook). He would be an intriguing option for the Nationals in the Rule 5 draft and would likely be the top lefthanded OF prospect for the Nats if he was in the system.