Nationals Opinions: Five Players To Watch This Spring
With the Washington Nationals having their pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training in Viera, Florida on Thursday, it is finally time to talk about baseball on the field and get to see some games in the coming weeks.
For Washington, it is expected to be a great season for manager Matt Williams after winning 96 games a season ago and their second NL East title in three years. Now, the fanbase is expecting the franchise to take it to the next level with the signing of Max Scherzer by bringing a World Series to the nation’s capital.
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While there doesn’t seem to be many jobs up for grabs, there are still some intriguing storylines to watch for the Nationals this spring. For example, if Jayson Werth’s shoulder isn’t healthy by Opening Day, who will the Nats’ left fielder be against the Mets on April 6? Plus, how will Yunel Escobar handle second base after not playing the position since 2007?
We have been taking a look at some of the non-roster invitees as well here at District On Deck over the past week. Which non-roster players will take advantage of their opportunity and find a way to make the Opening Day roster? Can Dan Uggla find his form and show Mike Rizzo that he has some power left after Rizzo took him in the MLB Draft with the Diamondbacks back in 2001?
Some, if not all these questions, will be answered in the coming weeks. So without further adieu, here are the five players to keep an eye on for Spring Training 2015:
Next: Yunel Escobar?
Aug 31, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar (11) throws the ball for a double play against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Yunel Escobar
As I mentioned before, Escobar is an intriguing name to watch because of the position change he is making this Spring. Barring the Nationals making a trade involving Ian Desmond, the 32-year old Escobar is going to be playing second base for the first time since he was with the Atlanta Braves in 2007.
Escobar’s fielding is going to be a question mark coming into Viera because of his inconsistency at shortstop. After finishing with the best fielding percentage by a shortstop in 2013, his 2014 season had him making the fifth most errors (16) of any player at the position.
As far as the offense goes, Escobar’s average has been over .250 each of the last three seasons, including a .258 batting average in 137 games last season. Can he build off the solid second half he had last year, where he hit .271 with three home runs and 17 RBI’s (Escobar hit .249 in the first half).
While there won’t be a competition at second base between him and Danny Espinosa, there is some intrigue as to whether or Espinosa can improve his swing by focusing on hitting from only the right side.
If that were to happen, could Mike Rizzo end up flipping Escobar late in the Spring for another piece that can help the team? Either way, the player that the Nationals got in the Tyler Clippard trade will be an interesting one to watch whether its to improve the lineup or improve the team via a trade down the road.
Next: Dan Uggla?
Jun 7, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dan Uggla
The signing of Dan Uggla to a minor-league deal was one of those moves that left Nationals fans a little bit puzzled. The 34-year-old’s batting average has dipped each of the past four seasons since he hit .287 with the Florida Marlins in 2010. The three-time All-Star has hit a combined 43 homers in the last three years, seven more than the 36 he hit with the Braves in 2011.
For the Nationals, it is a low-risk, high-reward signing to bring Uggla to Viera this Spring. For one, the Atlanta Braves, Washington’s NL East rivals, are the ones that are paying him $13 million next season after they cut him from his contract in the middle of last season.
The second reason would be that the Nats may be getting something similar to the Uggla of old if they have found the flaw in his swing that has prevented him from reaching those numbers. In January, it was reported by Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that Uggla had oculomotor dysfunction, which affected his vision at the plate along with multiple concussions that weren’t detected.
While Uggla won’t be likely competing for a starting spot, Mike Rizzo has given him another chance to prove he can make a contribution on a 25-man roster. Can he have a strong Spring to beat out the likes of Kevin Frandsen and minor leaguer Emmanuel Burriss for one of the final spots? Uggla has NL East experience, but can the Nationals get that player that is a career .257 hitter lifetime at Nats Park with 11 home runs and 37 RBI’s?
Tanner Roark
With the lucrative signing of Max Scherzer, the Washington Nationals now have six starters in the rotation, which would leave the team with one extra starter. With Gio Gonzalez getting the five spot, how will Tanner Roark handle being the odd man out after a great 2014 season (15-10, 2.85 ERA)?
Now, Matt William is going to prepare Roark as if he were pitching in the rotation, which is the right strategy to have. Even though the Nats have five starters already, you can never have enough pitchers in the rotation in case of an injury.
At first, I thought Roark could be an option for the eighth inning role, but that spot has already been filled with the signing of free agent reliever Casey Janssen. Plus, Roark’s stuff doesn’t transition to being one of those hard-throwing relievers in the later innings.
I would expect Matt Williams to give him a couple starts this Spring to get him used to the starter role in transition to starting off the season as the long man. While he won’t get the regular work you would like the 28-year-old to get, he can still be a positive for the Nationals because he can be a long man that will keep the offense in the game more often than not.
Roark’s mentality this Spring is going to be intriguing to watch, especially since he knows that he is the odd man out due to the Scherzer signing. He should see some starts throughout the season, but unless Jordan Zimmermann gets traded, he is going to be the long man in an already solid bullpen. There is a lot of promise in Roark, but for now, he has to wait his turn unless there is a trade or injury.
Sep 23, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Michael Taylor (18) hits a RBI double during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Taylor
With Jayson Werth’s status for Opening Day somewhat in doubt, who would be the starting left fielder for Washington if Werth can’t go? While the team does have veteran Nate McClouth on their bench with starter experience, this is a good opportunity for Taylor to show he is ready to get more playing time at the Major League level.
Taylor got the chance to shine towards the end of last season by hitting one home run and driving in 5 RBI’s over a 17-game stretch. The problem for Taylor in the minor leagues was the amount of strikeouts that he had. Last season, at double-A Harrisburg, Taylor had 130 strikeouts in 98 games.
Ideally, I would like to see Taylor get the bulk of the playing time in triple-A Syracuse this season to continue to develop his game, play everyday, and get himself ready to potentially be a starting outfielder for the Washington Nationals in 2016. However, injuries can change things in an instant.
Last spring, Taylor hit .188 with no home runs and three RBI’s in 13 games. The 13 games are the most he has played in any Spring Training in the last three seasons. If he puts up those numbers again, he won’t be winning that left field job.
All in all, Taylor is a player that can add speed at the bottom of the order in the number eight spot and be a nice bridge for the leadoff man, Denard Span, if the pitcher can sacrifice him over into scoring position. However, this is a Spring Training where Taylor needs to get good swings at the plate, cut down the strikeouts, and show the organization that he is ready to be one of the outfielders of the future.
Apr 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Sandy Leon (41) hits an RBI single in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Sandy Leon
The reason that Leon makes this list is because the 25-year old catcher is out of minor league options. Washington did bring in a couple of catchers this offseason. They signed Steven LeRud to a minor-league catcher from Philadelphia and acquired Dan Butler via a trade from the Boston Red Sox.
Washington already has two established catchers in the Major Leagues with Wilson Ramos and even Jose Lobaton. The former Rays’ catcher has been known to be an excellent pitch framer and someone that pitches like to throw to.
Last season, at triple-A Syracuse, Leon hit .229 with five home runs and 25 RBI’s in 51 games. While he did get 20 games with the big league club, he managed to hit a mere .156 in 20 games. As far as throwing out runners goes, Leon did throw out 57% of runners who tried to steal in Syracuse last season.
This is a Spring Training where Leon at least has to show other teams he can contribute if he can’t find a way to make it on the Nationals’ Opening Day roster. I don’t expect the team to carry three catchers up to Washington DC, especially if Werth’s status is a question mark.
Last spring, Leon hit .158 in 12 games. That has to improve if he wants to make the roster because Mike Rizzo has done a great job this winter of acquiring depth at the upper levels of the minor league system to make up for Leon’s disappointing 2014. Now, the catcher who has been in the organization since 2007 needs to show that he can be counted on by the team or make an impression for another club to pick him up.