We knew it was coming after yesterday’s split squad games and today the cut came down with the Washington Nationals sending seven players to minor league camp. Among the cuts are infielders Will Rhymes, Anthony Rendon and Matt Skole, catcher Sandy Leon, outfielder Eury Perez and pitchers Pat McCoy and Nathan Karns.
Mar 8, 2013; Melbourne, FL, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher
Nathan Karns(57) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals during the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Rendon will be starting the season in AA Harrisburg, and that is not a surprise. He will probably be up to Syracuse by the summer.
For the others, their future may be in Washington but they were not on the doorstep of this year’s team and the team needed to make room to start playing regulars more often to get ready for the season. The Nationals brass said they wanted to lower the number of position players in major league camp, especially as the regulars will play more games and more innings in those games as they get set for the season.
Joining Rendon in AA Harrisburg is Leon and Karns.
Perez was optioned to AAA Syracuse.
Skole, McCoy and Rhymes were sent to minor league camp as they are not on the 40-man roster and were invitees to big league camp.
The moves leave 42 players in major league camp for the Nationals.