Nationals Farm Authority

Here is the 2009 draft order, pending the outcomes of today’s White Sox/Tigers game (and potentially a White Sox/Twins game tomorrow) …

The Tigers #10 pick (11th overall) will move. With a win today, the Tigers pick moves to #11 (12th overall) while a loss moves the pick to #9 (9th overall).

Additionally, the White Sox pick has the potential of shifting based upon the outcome(s) of the remaining game(s). A loss today or a win today/loss tomorrow keeps the selection at #21 (23rd overall) while two wins moves the selection down to #22 (24th overall).

If the Twins play on Tuesday, their selection can moves as well … a win keeps them at #22 (24th overall) while a loss moves it to #21 (23rd overall).

The Nationals just dropped their final game of the season 8-3 in Philadelphia locking themselves in as the 1st pick in the 2009 draft. It does not matter what the Mariners do this afternoon against the Athletics.

It is not something to be that proud of as a fan of the Nationals. I would never want to root for my team to lose 102 games. But now the Nationals and Lerners have zero excuse in the 2009 draft. They have the ability to pick the best player in the draft … along with the 10th pick overall. You always draft the best available player early in the draft but I hope to see the Nats add an impact arm and bat … preferably from college in 2009.

It will be interesting to see what happens this off-season. The Nationals have already dismissed their entire coaching staff with the exception of manager Manny Acta and pitching coach Randy St. Claire.

Will President Stan Kasten leave?

Will GM Jim Bowden be let go?

Whatever happens, the Nationals will need to do something this off-season because the current product on the field is not major league. I am a fan of the player development side of the Nationals but the Lerners will need to do something this off-season or the Nationals and their fans are likely to be a similar position in 2009.

Enjoy the off-season.

Well, it’s all come down to this.

With Seattle defeating Oakland and Philadelphia holding off Washington (on a very good double play with bases loaded and one out in the ninth), the Nationals hold a one-half game “lead” on Seattle entering the final day of the season. A Nationals loss or Mariners win will secure the 1st overall pick in the 2009 draft.

With the Nationals loss in Philadelphia last night, Washington locked themselves in at no worse than the 2nd overall selection in the 2009 draft. Additionally, with the win by Seattle over Oakland, the Nats moved within one half game of the 1st overall selection.

The Nats get the 1st overall selection if:

• Washington loses both games to Philadelphia AND Seattle wins at least one of their remaining two games against Oakland
• Washington loses one of their remaining two games to Philadelphia AND Seattle wins both of their games against Oakland

The Nationals final home game was canceled by the steady rain the DC area experienced on Thursday. The game will not be made up. Meanwhile, the Mariners lost to the Angels and the Padres defeated the Dodgers so the standings headed into the final three games of the season are …

The Padres can no longer clinch the 1st overall selection in the draft (and the Mariners no worse than the 2nd).

With last night’s game leaving the Nationals with only 161 games while Seattle and San Diego will finish with 162. It’s now a matter of counting losses (assuming no more rain outs).

If the Nationals finish with the same number of losses as the Mariners or Padres, they will finish with a record 0.5 game worse than either team. It’s much more likely to happen with San Diego than Seattle. The next Padres win or Nationals loss locks in the 2nd overall selection. However, the likelihood of getting the 1st overall selection became much more unlikely. A “tragic” number of five means that the Mariners need to sweep the Athletics while the Nationals drop two of three to the Phillies or the Phillies need to sweep the Nationals while the Mariners take two out of three from the Athletics.

UPDATE: Just got home and my copy of BBA was in the mail, the Carolina League top 20 had 1B Chris Marrero at #10 and LHP Ross Detwiler at #11. Eastern League had RHP Jordan Zimmermann at #5 and the International League had RHP Collin Balester at #18.

With four games to go …

From Seattle’s perspective

• Any combination of Padres wins and Mariners losses totaling two OR any combination of Nationals wins and Mariners losses totaling six clinches the 2nd overall pick in the draft for the Mariners
  • If both of the above happen, the Mariners clinch the 1st overall pick
• The Mariners can pick no worse than 3rd
• Remaining schedule (all home): vs LAA(1) & vs OAK(3)

From Washington’s perspective

• Any combination of Padres wins and Nationals losses totaling two OR any combination Mariners wins and Nationals losses totaling five clinches the 2nd overall pick in the draft for the Nats
  • If both of the above happen, the Nats clinch the 1st overall pick
• The Nationals can pick no worse than 3rd
• Remaining schedule: vs FLA(1) & @PHI(3)

From San Diego’s perspective

• Any combination of Nationals wins and Padres losses totaling seven OR any combination of Mariners wins and Padres losses totaling seven clinches the 2nd pick in the draft for the Padres
  • If both of the above happen, the Padres clinch the 1st overall pick
• The next Padres loss or Pirates win clinches the 3rd overall pick
• The Padres can pick no worse than 4th
• Remaining schedule: @LAD(1); vs PIT(3)

The release came out via email and thankfully Chico Harlan over at Nationals Journal has a link to the PDF version (So I do not have to copy/paste).

Enjoy.

Just one Nat appears on this list, at #11 OF Michael Burgess

For those interested, here is what to watch for the final five games of the season …

From Seattle’s perspective with five games left

• Any combination of Padres wins and Mariners losses totaling three OR any combination of Nationals wins and Mariners losses totaling seven clinch the 2nd overall pick in the draft for the Mariners
  • If both of the above happen, the Mariners clinch the 1st overall pick
• The Mariners can pick no worse than 3rd
• Remaining schedule (all home): vs LAA(2) & vs OAK(3)

From Washington’s perspective with five games left

• Any combination of Padres wins and Nationals losses totaling three OR any combination Mariners wins and Nationals losses totaling six clinch the 2nd overall pick in the draft for the Nats
  • If both of the above happen, the Nats clinch the 1st overall pick
• The Nationals can pick no worse than 3rd
• Remaining schedule: vs FLA(2) & @PHI(3)

From San Diego’s perspective with five games left

• Any combination of Nationals wins and Padres losses totaling eight OR any combination of Mariners wins and Padres losses totaling eight clinch the 2nd pick in the draft for the Padres
  • If both of the above happen, the Padres clinch the 1st overall pick
• Any combination of Padres losses and Pirates wins totaling two clinch the 3rd overall pick
• The Padres can pick no worse than 4th
• Remaining schedule: @LAD(2); vs PIT(3)