Nationals Farm Authority

Minors 2006 (1 of 7) - Dominican Summer League

Minors 2006 (2 of 7) - Gulf Coast League

Minors 2006 (3 of 7) - Vermont

The Nationals wrapped up a short affiliation in South Atlantic League Savannah (Montreal established the relationship in 2003) with another tough season.Savannah has not had a winning season since 2000. Beginning in 2007, the Nationals have relocated their A-ball affiliate to the much closer Hagerstown Suns.

Record: The Sand Gnats completed the 2006 season with a 56-83 record. Much like the Lake Monsters in Vermont, Savannah struggled with a Nationals organization without an abundance of lower level prospects. While the 2006 season saw appearances by likely top 10 prospect Shairon Martis (acquired mid-season from the Giants for Mike Stanton) as well as a handful of 2006 draft picks including Chris French and Adam Carr, it wasn’t enough to help the Gnats finish above 0.500.

Statistics: The trend that plagued the Lake Monsters continued with the Gnats. The pitching struggled as Savannah had below South Atlantic League average statistics in what is considered one of the stronger pitcher’s parks in the Sally League. These struggles also impacted the offense where the team also finished below league average. Hagerstown can expect a bit more firepower both on the mound and at the plate in 2007, but the struggles will likely continue until the rebuilding effort is given another season to germinate. The Suns may see a late season appearance by Chris Marrero, Stephen Englund, Stephen King, Colton Willems, or Glenn Gibson. But more likely the fans in Hagerstown will get to know Justin Maxwell, Mike Daniel, Cory VanAllen, Aaron Jackson and Chris Lugo.

Offense:

Pitching:

Players: The Gnats had only a handful of their parent clubs top-level prospects, and even those they had faced their difficulties. Whether it was Dee Brown’s early struggles before heating up mid-season or Brian Peacock’s hot start before struggling as the season wore on, Savannah faced consistency challenges in 2006.

Top 10 Savannah Sand Gnats Prospects

1. Shairon Martis RHSP - While he only made four appearances for Savannah after his trade from San Francisco (for Mike Stanton), Martis proved that he was among the better arms in the organization with a 3.80ERA, 1.27WHIP, 5.9K/9, and 1.7BB/9. The 19-year old throws a developing low-90s fastball and has an above average curve. If he can develop one additional average to above average pitch, Martis has the potential to be a top of the rotation starter for the Nationals. He’ll likely begin 2007 where he completed 2006 in AA Harrisburg.
2. Craig Stammen RHSP - The 22-year old 2005 12th round draft pick had a breakout season for the Gnats pitching 113 innings with a 3.58ERA, 1.23WHIP, 7.4K/9, and 2.3BB/9. He can throw four pitches for strikes (FB, CB, SL, & CH). What made him stand out was his tremendous work ethic. Manager Bobby Williams said, “Nobody can outwork him. He has excellent makeup. [The strongest part of his makeup is probably his incredible work ethic, his aptitude, and he is coachable. Craig has a very bright future.” Given he completed his season in A-Advanced Potomac, it would not be unexpected for him to begin 2007 in AA Harrisburg.
3. Edgardo Baez OF - The 21-year old was a 4th round selection in the 2003 draft. He began the season with Potomac but struggles there led to a demotion to Savannah. He has good raw power and can drive the ball to all fields, but he isn’t prone to swing for the fences. In 94 games for the Gnats, Baez batted 279/336/403. His plate selection certainly needs work, illustrated by 80K to 30BB in 355AB. Ideally, he’ll return to Potomac in 2007 as he is still young enough to develop.
4. Dee Brown OF - The son of the late Eagles All-Pro defensive lineman, Jerome Brown, the 23-year old 2005 10th rounder showed the makeup that drew the Nationals to him. After a slow start to the season, Brown heated up enough to warrant a promotion to Potomac where he continued to hit putting himself on the radar as one to watch. In 103 games, Brown batted 278/326/408 with a combination of power (33 extrabase hits) and speed (12/16 in SB attempts). Bobby Williams felt, “When he swings at good pitches, he has success. Once he learns the strike zone, he has a chance to be a good hitter with power.” The Nationals should push him to AA Harrisburg in 2007 given his age (23) in order to see if he can hold his own against some of the top minor league pitching prospects in the Eastern League.
5. Francisco Plasencia OF - The 22-year old was brought over from the Brewers as a minor league free agent prior to the 2005 season. He had a solid season in Vermont in 2005 and big things were expected from him in Savannah in 2006. While he didn’t put up the numbers the Nationals had hoped (261/354/371 in 132 games), he remains among the best raw athletes in the system. He has excellent pull power and his defense is above average with a strong accurate arm. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts (124 in 502AB) and like many of his Gnats teammates, improve his pitch selection. He’ll likely play the 2007 season in Potomac.
6. Ofilio Castro IF - Considered one of the better hitting prospects in the organization, the 23-year old Castro played a full season in Savannah hitting 253/342/346. His plate selection was solid walking 60 times and striking out only 65 times in 459AB. He is a good baserunner with solid instincts demonstrated by his 11/13 SB in 2006. His glove seems best fit at 2B, and he is likely to be in Potomac for the 2007 season.
7. Brian Peacock CA - Peacock was drafted in 2004, but signed as a draft-and-follow after his 2005 season in JuCo. He started the season hot batting 302/345/566 in April and 280/321/480 in May with 7 of his 12 home runs. But the drag of his first full professional season and an emergency appendectomy dragged his numbers down. He takes great pride in his defense and handles the pitching staff well. He’ll need to build his durability if he hopes to continue up the organization. He will likely replace Devin Ivany as the starter in Potomac, assuming Ivany is on his way to AA Harrisburg in 2007.
8. John Lannan LHSP - The 21-year old left was an 11th round selection in the 2005 draft. In 138 innings for Savannah, Lannan struck out 114 while walking 54. He has three developing pitches in a low-90s fastball, a curve that was sharper & showed more bite than 2005, and an improved changeup. He’ll likly begin the 2007 season in Potomac but will need to build on his efforts of 2006 in order to make his next step.
9. Gene Yost LHP - The 25-year old Yost was a jack-of-all-trades for the Gnats filling as both a starter (10 games) and a reliever (23 games). He used his plus changeup to hold opponents to a 0.244 BA while amassing 7.4K/9 and 3.5BB/9. His future is likely as a RP and he needs to jump a level soon if he hopes to make the majors. Potomac is the most logical starting point, but if he can produce, a promotion to Harrisburg could come to pass.
10. Brett Nyquist LHRP - After not pitching in 2005, the towering 6′7″ lefty returned to the Nationals organization in 2006 pitching everywhere from Savannah to Potomac to Harrisburg. The 25-year old Nyquist has an above average low-90s fastball that he used in 22 apperances, throwing 63.67 innings allowing a 2.69ERA, 1.15WHIP, 6.5K/9, 1.8BB/9. He has the fastball to excel as a relief pitcher but needs to develop a second pitch in order to work his way up through the system. He could start anywhere from Potomac to Columbus given how the numbers work out.

The Washington Nationals today announced that they have signed a two-year Player Development Contract with the Hagerstown Suns of the Single-A South Atlantic League.  Nationals President Stan Kasten made the announcement.

“We could not be happier to join forces with not only the Suns, but the town of Hagerstown , Md. ” said Kasten. “Municipal Stadium is less than 70 miles from Washington , and this partnership will provide our fans with another first-hand view as we continue with our stated commitment to player development.”

By aligning with nearby Hagerstown , the Nationals remain in the 16-team South Atlantic League.  The Hagerstown Suns joined the South Atlantic League in 1993 and currently play in 4,600-seat Municipal Stadium.  Over half of the South Atlantic League’s clubs reside within a six hour drive of the nation’s capital.

The Nationals’ agreement with Hagerstown ends a four-year affiliation with the Savannah Sand Gnats.  The Suns recently completed a two-year working agreement with the New York Mets.

Hat tip to Ballpark Digest for this rumor …

Though it’s not been officially announced, we’ve heard the Washington Nationals are switching their Low Class A affiliation to the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League). The move makes geographic sense for the Nats, who are switching affiliation from the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League). The Suns had previously been an affiliate of the New York Mets

A move from Savannah to Hagerstown would certainly move the Nationals A-level affiliate closer to Washington DC along with AA Harrisburg and A Advanced Potomac. If the Nationals in fact have agreed to this and they can also agree with Norfolk for their AAA franchise, it would place the organization in a much more manageable arrangement for overseeing their player development.

In light of the September 1 roster expansion, the Nationals have moved some players around.  I’ll update this post as I uncover the names.

So far:

From Potomac to Harrisburg: RHPs Shairon Martis & Ricardo Morales and LHP Jon Felfoldi

From Savannah to Potomac: RHP Carlos Martinez

Also, Senators OF Frank Diaz has left the Senators to return to his native Venezuela due to a death in the family.  OF/2B Tim Raines Jr has been sent down from New Orleans to fill Diaz spot.

Frankie Piliere of the always solid Capitol Dugout has a good recap of the status of the Nationals affiliations.

• New Orleans: Concurs with my thoughts that the only options for the Nationals AAA affiliation are Richmond (if the Braves move) or the soon-to-be available Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
• Harrisburg: Agreement through 2010
• Potomac: Agreement expires at end of 2006, but Piliere believes there is little reason to move (as do I).  Though there were some rumblings earlier this summer about Brevard County becoming a Nationals affiliate again
• Savannah: No reason to change affiliation but stranger things have happened
• Vermont: Expires after 2006.  Piliere lists Batavia (Western NY near Rochester) and Jamestown (Southwestern NY near the NW corner of Pennsylvania)

As always, Todd Jacobson of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star provides his solid coverage of the minor leagues.  Of note:

• He interviews Davey Johnson
• Discusses the injury to 1B Larry Broadway who will not be going to the Arizona Fall League
• FLS Farm Report
• Provides some updates on the 2006 draft
• With the Diamondbacks signing of Brett Anderson on Monday evening, Sean Black is highest unsigned high school draft pick.

Burlington Free-Press describes what it’s like to be a Dominican player in the minor leagues.

• New Orleans to Washington: RP Chris Schroder
• Harrisburg to New Orleans: SP Kip Bouknight
• Outside organization to Harrisburg: SPs Matt Chico and Garrett Mock
• Harrisburg to Potomac: RPs Chris Thompson and Juan Ovalles
• Potomac to Savannah: RPs Greg Bunn and Brett Nyquist
• Savannah to Vermont: RPs Rudy Garza and Ricky Shefka
• Retired from Vermont: IF Brandon Conway
• Vermont to GCL Nationals: CA Agustin German and RP Ryan Harrison

The Nationals placed backup CA Robert Fick on the 15-day DL with a rib injury. Replacing Fick on the roster is CA Brandon Harper from New Orleans.

With the promotion of Harper and the likelihood of the DL for recently demoted SP Mike O’Connor, New Orleans has added RP Danny Rueckel and OF Tim Raines Jr from Harrisburg.

Continuing the moves, Harrisburg has received OF Cristian Guerrero and RP Chris Thompson from Potomac to fill in for Raines and Rueckel.

The merry-go-round continues to spin with the OF Dee Brown and SP Craig Stammen promoted from Savannah to Potomac.

The final moves are the assigning of recently acquired SP Shairon Martis to Savannah. The other opening has yet to be filled.

Who are all of these people?

Brandon Harper was signed in the off-season as a minor league free agent. The 30-year old Harper has spent the entire season in New Orleans hitting 292/394/425 in 43 games. During the month of July, Harper batted 383/474/574 with 1HR and 7RBI in 43AB. He’s the backup, and assuming that Brian Schneider is okay after having a ball fouled off him in the on-deck circle, Harper will see only the occasional start.

Tim Raines, Jr joined the Senators in mid-May after being signed as a minor league free agent. In 58 games with Harrisburg, the 26-year-old Raines has batted 297/362/421 with 6HR and 24/28SB. In July, Raines hit 288/348/394 while stealing 17/19 bases. He’ll likely jump right into the starting lineup replacing either the struggling Kenny Kelly (246/373/275 in July) or Ty Godwin (253/322/405 in July). All three of them project as #5 OFs at the major league level.

Danny Rueckel returns for his second tour in New Orleans. In his first stint, the 26-year old Rueckel appeared in five games throwing six innings allowing three hits, one run, no walks, and striking out five. His return to Harrisburg in July was a struggle, appearing in seven games, nine innings pitched allowing twelve hits eight runs while walking three and striking out five. He’ll settle into middle relief in New Orleans. He’s an organizational guy at this point.

Cristian Guerrero is a 26-year-old journeyman OF who has bounced back and forth between Potomac and Harrisburg in 2006. In July, Guerrero appeared in 29 games, hitting 229/301/361 with two home runs and three stolen bases. The fill-in role from team to team is his lot in the Nationals organization.

Chris Thompson has been practically everywhere in the Nationals minor-league system in 2006. The 24-year-old has made stops in New Orleans (5 games), Harrisburg (3 games), Potomac (20 games), and Savannah (5 games). July was spent entirely in Potomac. In 10 games, he pitched in 13.33 innings allowing nine hits, seven runs (only three earned), while walking twelve and striking out ten. He is much like Guerrero and is an organizational guy.

Dee Brown is a 2005 10th round draft pick out of the University of Central Florida, the 23-year-old Brown has spent the entire season in Savannah batting 278/326/408 with six home runs and 51 RBI. He has been very hot recently, in July, he batted 336/387/495 in 28 games with two homers and 18 RBI. He should ideally be slotted into the starting lineup for the P-Nats (alongside Rog Bernadina and Ender Chavez) to allow the Nationals to see if Brown has a future in the organization. Brown, the son of late Eagles All-Pro defensive lineman Jerome Brown, is best known for his power.

Craig Stammen was a 2005 12th round draft pick out of the University of Dayton. The 22-year-old RHP has spent his entire season with Savannah. While his record is not overwhelming (6-9 in 21 games), he has pitched well in 113 innings, allowing 111 hits and 55 runs (45 earned) while striking out 93 and only walking 29. In July, Stammen pitched in 5 games, throwing 29.33 innings allowing 29 hits and 20 runs (14 earned) while striking out 19 and walking 9. Stammen has a 88-90 mph fastball, a knuckle curve, and a slider. He should slide right into the rotation in Potomac, probably bumping either Jon Felfoldi or Ricardo Morales into a long relief role.

Martis as previously discussed is the prospect acquired in the Mike Stanton deal. He should fill Stammen’s spot with the Sand Gnats.

This is going to be the placeholder for all of the moves that are going to happen today in response to the DLing of SP Zach Day and OF Alex Escobar by the Nats.

Promoted to Washington

• Saul Rivera (from New Orleans):  Rivera returns for his second turn in the Washington bullpen.  Maybe this time he’ll actually get to pitch.  Rivera is a 29-year old RH RP who has been with the Nationals’ organization since 2004.  This year he has pitched in 12 games (28.1IP) with the Zephyrs with 1.59ERA 1.31WHIP 7.9K/9 3.8BB/9 and 0.3HR/9.  Rivera should be used in longer relief stints (i.e. 2 IP).
• Santiago Ramirez (from New Orleans):  The 27-year old Ramirez was signed as a minor league free agent in the offseason after the 2005 season.  He has been pitching in relief for New Orleans, amassing 7 saves in 19G (27.1IP) with 0.99ERA 0.73WHIP 9.2K/9 1.3BB/9 and 0.3HR/9.  He is likely to assume a spot after Majewski, Rodriguez, and Eischen in the bullpen.

Promoted to New Orleans

• Devin Perrin (from Harrisburg):  The 25-year old RH RP continues his step-by-step ascent through the organization by joining the AAA Zephyrs’ bullpen from AA Harrisburg.  In 11 games (17.2IP) with the Senators, Perrin has 3.57ERA 1.58WHIP 10.2K/9 4.6BB/9 and 0 HR allowed.  He’ll likely be a middle relief pitcher but he has the ability to assume a more prevalent role in setting up/clsoing when needed.
• Chris Schroder (from Harrisburg):  Schroder is a 27-year old RH RP who was one of the Nats’ prospects sent to the Arizona Fall League.  He’s reastically an organizational guy at this point.  This is his second trip to New Orleans in 2006 (4G 8IP 0H 0R 7BB 13K).  In Harrisburg, 9 games (14.1IP) with a 5.02ERA 1.67WHIP 8.1K/9 3.8BB/9 and 1.3HR/9.

Promoted to Harrisburg

• Brett Nyquist (from Savannah):  Thanks to frequent commenter, Bill, who has some inside knowledge, we now know that the 24-year old LH RP will be jumping over Potomac directly to the Senators.  Nyquist returned to the Nationals’ organization in 2006 after a year off.  In 12 games (41.1IP) for the Sand Gnats, he has 2.83ERA 1.28WHIP 6.1K/9 2.0BB/9 and 0.9HR/9.  He’ll likely join the bullpen in Harrisburg (assuming a member of the Senators bullpen is promoted to New Orleans).
• Chris Thompson (from Savannah):  The 24-year old RH RP has been all over the Nationals organization so far in 2006.  Five games in Savannah (7.2IP 2H 0HR 0R 7BB 10K).  One game in Potomac (2IP 1H 0HR 0R 0BB 2K).  Five games in New Orleans (10.2IP 11H 2HR 9R [all ER] 9BB 11K).

Promoted to Savannah

• UPDATE - Don Levinski (from extended spring training):  The 24-year old RH RP returns to the Nationals organization after being trade to first Florida (as part of the 2002 Cliff Floyd trade) and then to Baltimore (as part of the 2003 Jeff Conine trade).  Per Baseball America, Levinski can reach 95-96 mph with his four-seam fastball, hits 88-90 mph with his heavy two-seam sinker and also owns a plus curveball.  He hasn’t pitched any higher than A Advanced (twice in his five year professional career).
• UPDATE - Coby Mavroulis (from extended spring training):  A 21st round selection out of Texas A&M in the 2005 MLB First Year Player draft.  The 22-year old made 9 appearances and pitched 25 innings with a 5.04ERA, 1.68WHIP, 10.4K/9IP, 4.3BB/9IP, and 0.7HR/9IP for the GCL Nationals in 2005.

Potomac made a few roster moves:

• OF Edgardo Baez was sent down to extended spring training; replacing him from extended spring training will be OF Reggie Fitzpatrick who has filled in at both New Orleans and Harrisburg earlier this year
• RPs Dan Foli and Chris Thompson were sent down to Savannah; no word who was removed from Savannah