Jake Noll looks to make the 2019 opening day roster. Photo via milb.com
In order to move on from my Fantasy Baseball post, here’s a mailbag that WP Nats Beat reporter Jesse Dougherty posted on 3/25/19.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/03/24/nationals-mailbag-regular-season-is-just-about-here/?utm_term=.e92f4a56efd8
Interesting notes here from today: the demotions of Adrian Sanchez in particular, which seems to indicate that NRI and 2016 7th round draft pick Jake Noll may very well be making this team. Noll signed for $190k in 2016, which definitely wasn’t a senior sign/throw away pick out of FGCU, but he’s gotten absolutely zero prospect love in his career thus far. He was ranked 26th on 2080 Baseball’s 2019 list, and got an “Honorable Mention” in John Sickel‘s post 2016 minorleaguebaseball.com list, but that’s it. And how he’s set to be the Nats primary backup middle infielder until Howie Kendrick can return. So great for Noll.
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Questions she took and how i’d answer them:
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Q: What do you think the chances are the Nats extend Rendon? I’m not too optimistic after this most recent report.
A: A good question. I’m guessing that at this point, Anthony Rendon will head to FA. He better have an action plan though with his agent Scott Boras, who has absolutely blown several high profile cases over the last couple of off seasons.
That being said, I’m hoping Rendon is taking a hard look at the landscape, taking a hard look at the contracts that some of his comparables are signing (Nolan Arenado 8yr/$260M for $32.5 AAV) and perhaps coming back to the table before he faces an embarassing off-season. Rendon is a year older than Arenado, less accomplished from awards and year end recognition … and will have to eat deferred money to stay here. Can a deal get done?
Dougherty notes that Rendon has instructed Boras to work on an extension, and they’ll work into the season. So perhaps we’ll see something like a 6yr/$180M deal in our future with deferred dollars.
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Q: How is the team preparing for having AAA players in Fresno instead of Syracuse? Any chatter from likely minor leaguers about the switch?
A: That’s a great question, one that fans like us can’t really answer other than noting the obvious: the team has “demoted” the likes of Erick Fedde and Spencer Kieboom to Harrisburg so they can be a couple hours away in case of an emergency. Meanwhile longer-term strategic assets like Joe Ross, Kyle McGowin, and Raudy Read are instead heading to Fresno to get stretched out or further tested against more senior competition.
Ironically, Spencer and his younger brother, phenom prospect Carter Kieboom, are both scheduled to now be in AA. I wonder if they’ll room together 😉
Dougherty notes the same players that I do, but has little else to offer in terms of player insights.
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Q: Can you talk about the OF depth issue with Michael A. Taylor’s injury and Kendrick’s? Any insight on the organization’s view of its internal outfield options? Any indications if General Manager Mike Rizzo thinks he needs to go outside the organization to address?
A: Well, it certainly didn’t help when exactly one third of the outfielders on the 40-man got hurt (Taylor and Kendrick). So the team is breaking camp with their 3 starters and their one remaining option in Andrew Stevenson to start the season. Depth? The next likely guy up probably is Rafael Bautista, who was on the 40-man last year and got DFA’d/assigned to AAA . Our top OF prospect is probably Gage Canning, who was in short season last year. Brian Goodwin just got released by Kansas City; maybe he’s worth taking a MLFA flier on and getting him back into the fold. The team has added some MLFA 4-A type talents that are also sitting in AAA; my guess is that they’d go there first for a short-term fix. If it turned out that Taylor was done for the season, may be then we’d go for an outside option.
Dougherty says that since Taylor’s injury is short term, nothing will happen, and that in-house options like Wilmer Difo and Matt Adams can cover.
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Q: Jake Noll has been tearing it up in spring training, Nats’ OF depth is thin, does Jake have any experience in the OF? Could his success translate to the big leagues soon?
A: This question was a day early, given today’s press reports of Noll’s likely making the team. So his hot spring training has definitely paid off.
I see no evidence of his playing the OF: he spent his first two pro seasons playing 2B, then split time between 1B and 3B last year. Conventional wisdom would seem to indicate that this level of athleticism on the dirt would translate to at least a passing ability to play LF in a pinch. But it doesn’t seem like that’s his path for now.
Dougherty notes that Noll played some OF in high school, but he only played the three positions in which he has pro experience this spring.
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Q: Do Nats fans boo Bryce on April 2?
A: I’ve been asked this many times by my Bryce Harper hating friends. His first AB will be a video tribute and a standing ovation. Perhaps by the 3rd or 4th AB he may get some boos. He’s slated to face Scherzer in the 4th game of the season on regular rest, unless the team decides to keep its rotation intact.
Dougherty seems to think the reception will be chilly. We’ll see! Maybe the team should sell out the stadium to traveling Philly fans to make a buck like they used to in the old days.
