The Nationals lack of minor league pitching took another hit, with three pitchers being chosen by other teams in Thursday’s Rule 5 draft. [Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports]

The Nationals also lost infielder Jeff Kobernus to the Boston Red Sox who consequently dealt him to the Detroit Tigers. Kobernus was a 2nd round pick in 2009 and spent last year in AA as well. Kobernus hit .282/.325/.333 with one home run and 19 RBI. He played in 82 games last year and it was his first action in AA. Like Rosenbaum, because he has a low ceiling and can get on base he can sneak on to a major league roster but don’t expect either of them to make a huge impact at the Major League level.

Both Rosenbaum and Kobernus will have to spend the entire season on the Major League roster or be offered back to the Nationals. Washington had lost Brad Meyers to the Yankees last year but he was returned back to the team following the season.

In the minor league portion, the Nationals lost pitcher Jack McGeary who was a 6th round pick in 2009 and has struggled with injuries since turning professional. In 6 minor league seasons, he has a 8-18 record and a 4.97 ERA between rookie leagues and A-ball. Last year he was limited to under 10 innings and had a 6.75 ERA. He was picked up by Boston.

The Dodgers picked up another pitcher in Hector Nelo. Nelo spent some time in AA last year and has a 1-6 record  despite a 2.73 ERA. Nelo was a 15th round pick by the Texas Rangers and joined the Nationals organization in 2011.

The major thing that happened today was that the Nationals lost three more minor league pitchers and the depth that I thought was needed is even more apparent now as the Nationals may not even have enough pitchers to fill all of their minor league teams.

The Nationals left the Winter Meetings but I would expect a bucket load of Spring Training invites to be handed out in the next few months leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting.

July 31, 2012; Washington D. C., USA; Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo (center) talks to reporters prior to the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-US PRESSWIRE

The team added two pitchers to the roster, protecting them from the thievery that is the Rule V draft. Erik Davis and Nathan Karns were the pitchers added and really are desirable for different reasons in the draft and you can see why the Nationals would want to protect them.

Davis is a low-upside guy in the high minors (he spent last year split between Double A and Triple A) and is having a really good winter ball season. That combination is ripe for the Rule V draft because he can easily step into a team’s bullpen who needs bullpen depth and spend the year on the Major League roster. Relievers are usually the players most often selected in the Rule V, and even Johan Santana – one of the more high profile draftees – started off in Minnesota as a reliever before becoming an ace starter. They, along with backup catchers, are the easiest to hide for an entire season if they are young and project to improving. The Nationals picked up Jesus Flores in the Rule V draft and did exactly that with him although the results haven’t been as consistent.

Karns is the other side of the spectrum. He was a top-20 prospect in the organization before last season, and although he wasn’t above A-Ball last year, has enough upside that a team could stash him in the bullpen for a year and send him back to the minors afterwards to let him develop and reap the benefits later on.

Now, don’t get me wrong. A lot of this is not earth shattering. Everyone either added to the 40-man roster, removed from it, or not added to it is flawed in some way. Sometimes a change of scenery is necessary for them to improve. It is not always a case of one team out smarting another. In this draft, a lot of players are returned but also a lot of players can benefit from the acceleration to the Major League level and from a new coaching staff.

The biggest news is that the Nationals still have two spots on their 40-man roster. Ironic, that because they still have to “replace” Adam LaRoche and Sean Burnett who declined their options and are currently not counting towards the Nationals roster. This allows them some wiggle room to sign somebody without immediately removing someone off the roster. It also allows them to be available to teams looking to trade someone to open up a spot on their 40-man roster which is a good way of adding depth pieces at a low cost.

However, despite the uncertain nature of the organization’s intent – little information is released about Instrux – it’s still worth noting which players are thought highly enough of to send down to Florida, where they’ll participate in additional games spanning from Friday, September 21st through Wednesday, October 10th.

2012 Draft pick Robert Benincasa pitched in the ACC Regionals with FSU before joining the Nationals organization in June. (Image Credit: Mark Dolejs-US PRESSWIRE)

On the pitching front, a pair of 2012 Draftees – Robert Benincasa and Brett Mooneyham – highlight the group. Benincasa, the team’s 7th Round selection out of Florida State, made his professional debut with Auburn after signing. He appeared in 16 games out of the bullpen for the Doubledays, striking out 32 (12.3 K/9) while walking just 3 (1.2 BB/9) over 23.1 innings of work. The right-hander possesses a strong fastball and slider combination, but is could very well be working on his other pitches while in Instrux (likely his changeup and/or splitter). Mooneyham, meanwhile, made 9 starts (10 appearances total) for Auburn, pitching 42.1 innings of work in his first professional season. He went 2-2 with a 2.55 ERA, 29 strikeouts, and 16 walks. The left-hander out of Stanford has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter but has long struggled with consistency in his mechanics.

Left-hander Robbie Ray will be joining them in Florida after a highly disappointing season. Ray, who surprised many in 2011 and earned himself a shred of top prospect list consideration this past winter, was just 4-12 with a 6.56 ERA over 105.2 innings (22 games, 21 starts) for High-A Potomac. What was most concerning for Ray was the total abandonment of his control on the season. His walk rate jumped to 4.2 BB/9 and his WHIP rose to 1.618 – both career worst marks since being taken in the 2010 Draft. Fortunately for Ray he’s still just 20 years of age, so time is on his side.

One other notable name to appear on the Instrux roster is Robert Gilliam, the “other guy” in the trade that brought Gio Gonzalez to Washington in January. Gilliam, 24, is the oldest of the Washington pitchers to be in Instrux, had a disappointing first season in the Nationals organization. He began the year with Double-A Harrisburg before getting demoted to High-A Potomac in July. In 27 combined appearances (19 starts) on the year he posted a 4-9 record and 5.74 ERA over 120.2 innings of work. His WHIP has risen steadily three straight years and has struggled against higher competition. 2013 may be a big year in determining whether he has a future within the organization.

As for the position players, Cutter Dykstra is just one of the names worth noting on the Instrux roster. Dykstra, acquired from Milwaukee after the 2010 season in return for Nyjer Morgan, struggled mightily in his first season within the Nationals organization. However, with a demotion to Class-A Hagerstown in 2012 he bounced back, hitting .291/.366/.408 with 7 HR and 64 RBI over 492 plate appearances on the year. The son of former Major Leaguer Lenny Dykstra saw time across the diamond in 2012, appearing at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field.

Outfielders Destin Hood and Michael Taylor both will appear in games over the coming weeks. Hood’s 2012 season was a lost cause after a promising 2011, thanks largely to injuries that limited him to just 94 games on the year. He hit .245/.301/.344 over 389 plate appearances with Double-A Harrisburg, a level he’ll likely repeat in 2013. Taylor, coming off just his second year as an outfielder, showed promise both offensively and defensively, but is still a project in the works. He hit .242/.318/.362 over 431 plate appearances with Potomac. Both Hood and Taylor were among the organization’s top outfield prospects entering the 2012 season. While Hood’s stock may have slipped, Taylor’s likely has grown.

2012 Draft selections Spencer Kieboom and Tony Renda will get some extra work in before concluding their first professional seasons. Kieboom, a 5th Round pick out of Clemson, was touted as a glove-first catcher with offensive upside but he impressed more at the plate than in the field in 41 games with Auburn. He hit .258/.362/.305 over 155 plate appearances and hit well with runners in scoring position. He permitted 9 passed balls behind the plate but did throw out 43% of opposing base stealers. As for Renda, the second baseman continues to earn comparisons to Dustin Pedroia despite showing little signs that he’ll reach the same prowess from a power standpoint. Renda, the team’s 2nd Round pick from UC Berkeley, hit .264/.341/.298 over 334 plate appearances.

Matt Skole will also head to Instrux, though his appearance on the roster is merely to keep him fresh before he heads West for a stint in the Arizona Fall League.

Washington has a fair collection of players making up their Instrux roster but it’s important to remember that these games are mainly for instructional motives, not to be confused with serious competition. Even still, it’s worth noting that the Nationals have assembled a strong group of talented players throughout their minor league system, including a number of quality additions from this past June’s Amateur Draft.