Nationals Farm Authority

There have a number of questions about where some of the players who were not assigned are. Below is the listing of unassigned players I had plus their current status (in the cases of injury, I do not know the specifics).

Hitters

• Arias, Dani# - extended
• Bass, Garrett - extended
• Benner, Anthony - extended
• Bergolla, William - injured
• Blackwood, Christopher - extended
• Booker, Zach - released
• Castillo, Luis# - extended
• Cruz, Frank# - extended
• Dugger, Jake - extended
• Fulse, Sheldon - released
• German, Agustin - extended (was a catcher, converting to pitcher)
• Gildea, Mark - extended
• Gonzalez, Esmailyn - extended
• Guzman, Francisco - released
• Jacobsen, Robby - extended
• Leon, Sandy# - extended
• Lopez, Yhonson* - extended
• Martinez, Jonathan - released
• McMillan, Brett - injured
• Mortimer, Steve - released
• Napoli, Joe - released
• Nolan, Ricky - extended
• Norris, Derek - extended
• Perez, Antonio - released
• Powell, Brandon - released
• Pridmore, Clint - extended
• Reagan, Travis - extended
• Rogers, Jake - extended
• Soriano, Francisco# - extended
• Souza, Steven - extended
• Stinson, Craig - released
• Tolan, Robert# - released
• Whiting, Boomer- extended

Pitchers

• Arnold, Patrick - extended
• Atilano, Luis - extended
• Baeza, Eddy - released
• Bittner, Tim - extended
• Booker, Chris - extended
• Bravo, Wuillys* - released
• Buchter, Ryan* - extended
• Corporan, Moises - extended
• de la Cruz, Eduardo - released
• De Leon, Noel - extended
• Dean, PJ - extended
• Delaughter, Ryan - extended
• Erb, Shane - extended
• Foli, Dan - released
• Frias, Marcos - extended
• Harrison, Ryan - extended
• Jaime, Juan - extended
• Lehman, James - extended
• Lugo, Chris - extended
• Maekawa, Katsuhiko* - did not report
• Marsonek, Sam - released
• Matias, Randy - extended
• McCollum, Jeff - extended
• McCoy, Patrick* - extended
• McGeary, Jack* - school
• Meyers, Brad - extended
• Morales, Alex- extended
• Peralta, Yader - released
• Phillabaum, Justin - extended
• Pinales, Jose - extended
• Pisker, Luke - extended
• Rincon, Jonathan - restricted
• Shepard, Steven - extended
• Smoker, Josh* - extended
• Staudt, Caleb - retired

I am working on the Big Board and should have it up shortly.

Geoff Morrow of the Patriot News reports in from down in Viera. It’s an interesting read.

Reports are that the minor league rosters should be finalized today. Hopefully, I should have something this weekend.

Per Barry Svrluga’s Nationals Journal …

When the club traded for Rule 5 pick Garrett Guzman yesterday, he actually passed through waivers before the trade. (This was not clear from the transaction issued by the club yesterday.) Why is that important? It means the Nats have another spot on the 40-man roster. They only have 38 slots filled. You would think that would mean there’s some movement to come.

With King and Perez already added to the 40-man, the Nationals still have two open spots with which to play.

The Washington Nationals today reassigned catcher Wil Nieves to minor-league camp. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcement.

This appears to be a roster clean up move. If the reports are to be believed, Johnny Estrada will not be ready for Opening Day, Jesus Flores is going to play full-time in Double-A Harrisburg, and Nieves will rejoin the Nationals by the end of the week.

The Nats are at 31 players in spring camp.

UPDATE: Per Barry Svrluga …

The club reassigned catcher Wil Nieves to minor league camp Sunday, a move that could mean Jesus Flores will serve, at least initially, as Paul Lo Duca’s backup. Bowden, speaking before the move, said Johnny Estrada, slated to be the backup, likely will start the year on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis, though he is “very close to being ready.”

Flores could spend a week or two in the majors although the club wants him to get a full year as a starter at Class AA Harrisburg.

This would mean the Nationals would not need to use a 40-man spot for Nieves

The Nationals returned Rule 5 1B Matt Whitney to the Cleveland Indians today. They also re-assigned LHSP Mike O’Connor to minor league camp leaving the Nationals at 32 players in spring camp.

It was no surprise that Whitney was returned. It was not that the Nationals were uninterested. It was more a function of the Nationals wanting to offer less than the Indians were willing to accept to transfer Whitney’s contract.

As for O’Connor, with the release of John Patterson and the near certainty of Matt Chico winning the #4 spot in the rotation, O’Connor will likely join the Columbus rotation to open the season

CA (4):  Paul Lo Duca, Johnny Estrada, Jesus Flores, & Wil Nieves; Nieves is not on the 40-man roster

1B (3): Nick Johnson, Dmitri Young, & Matt Whitney; Whitney is a Rule 5 guy

2B (2): Ronnie Belliard & Felipe Lopez

3B (2): Ryan Zimmerman & Aaron Boone

SS (2): Cristian Guzman & Pete Orr; Orr is not on the 40-man roster

OF (5): Austin Kearns, Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes, Ryan Langerhans, & Garrett Guzman; Guzman is a Rule 5 guy

UTIL (2): Willie Harris & Rob Mackowiak

SP (6): Odalis Perez, Jason Bergmann, Tim Redding, Matt Chico, John Lannan, & Mike O’Connor; O’Connor is not on the 40-man

RP (8): Chad Cordero, Luis Ayala, Jesus Colome, Joel Hanrahan, Ray King, Jon Rauch, Saul Rivera, & Chris Schroder; King is not on the 40-man

Mark Zuckerman has the latest round of cuts.

After the game, the club announced it has reassigned outfielder Alex Escobar and catcher Humberto Cota to minor-league camp. Cota, however, exercised a clause in his contract that allowed him to opt out and become a free agent.

As Mark mentions, this means Wil Nieves is the likely backup in DC to start the season (with Johnny Estrada likely unready and Jesus Flores headed to the minors for full-time work).

The Washington Nationals today reassigned left-handed pitcher Arnie Munoz and right-handed pitcher Steven Shell to minor-league camp.

That leaves 41 players in major league camp.

Additional minor league transaction

Signed: RHP Daniel Foli

Dan Foli, the son of Columbus manager Tim Foli, is back with the Nationals for a third season.

Old news by now, but the Nationals optioned 3B/OF Kory Casto to Triple-A Columbus this morning. Casto was almost an afterthought in spring training in 2008. Aaron Boone looks like the primary backup to Ryan Zimmerman and the outfield is already chock full of options. Casto will likely be the starting 3B for the Clippers to begin the season.

Just out from the Nationals …

The Washington Nationals today reassigned right-handed pitcher Collin Balester, right-handed pitcher Rob Bell, left-handed pitcher Eude Brito, right-handed pitcher Bobby Brownlie, right-handed pitcher Adam Carr, shortstop Ian Desmond, outfielder Jason Dubois, catcher Javier Herrera, first baseman Luis Jimenez, infielder Ed Rogers, right-handed pitcher Brian Sanches, left-handed pitcher Jason Stanford and right-handed pitcher Dennis Tankersley to minor-league camp.

The Nationals also optioned outfielder Rogearvin Bernadina to Double-A Harrisburg, right-handed pitcher Tyler Clippard to Triple-A Columbus, left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler to Single-A Potomac, outfielder Justin Maxwell to Double-A Harrisburg, right-handed pitcher Garrett Mock and first baseman Josh Whitesell to Triple-A Columbus. In addition, the Nationals released catcher Chad Moeller unconditionally. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcements.

The Nationals spring roster currently stands at 44 players.

Well, I guess I’ll have to update my projections some.

• Detwiler to Potomac
• Bernadina to Harrisburg
• Mock to Columbus

And tip of the cap to commenter Positively Half Street who has noted that Moeller has already signed with the Yankees.

UPDATED SPRING ROSTER (Likely starter first, then alphabetical)

CAs

• Lo Duca, Paul (RH)
• Cota, Humberto (RH)
• Estrada, Johnny (RH)
• Flores, Jesus (RH)
• Nieves, Wil (RH)

1B

• Johnson, Nick (LH)
• Young, Dmitri (SW)
• Whitney, Matt (RH - Rule 5)

2B

• Belliard, Ronnie (RH)
• Boone, Bret (RH)

SS

• Guzman, Cristian (SW)
• Lopez, Felipe (SW)

3B

• Zimmerman, Ryan (RH)
• Boone, Aaron (RH)
• Casto, Kory (LH)

IF

• Orr, Pete (LH - not on 40-man)

LF

• Pena, Wily Mo (RH)

CF

• Milledge, Lastings (RH)

RF

• Kearns, Austin (RH)

OF

• Dukes, Elijah (RH)
• Escobar, Alex (RH - not on 40-man)
• Guzman, Garrett (LH - Rule 5)
• Langerhans, Ryan (LH)

UTIL

• Harris, Willie (LH)
• Mackowiak, Rob (LH)

SPs

• Hill, Shawn (RH)
• Patterson (RH)
• Bergmann, Jason (RH)
• Perez, Odalis (LH - not on 40-man)
• Redding, Tim (RH)
• Chico, Matt (LH)
• Lannan, John (LH)

CL

• Cordero, Chad

RPs

• Ayala, Luis (RH)
• Colome, Jesus (RH)
• Hanrahan, Joel (RH)
• King, Ray (LH - not on 40-man)
• Munoz, Arnie (LH - not on 40-man)
• O’Connor Mike (LH - not on 40-man)
• Rauch, Jon (RH)
• Rivera, Saul (RH)
• Schroder, Chris (RH)
• Shell, Steven (RH - not on 40-man)
• Wagner, Ryan (RH)