Well, it finally happened. After a long period of ignoring obvious red flags, the Washington Nationals made one of their toughest decisions in a long time. Dylan Crews was optioned back to AAA Rochester on Friday afternoon, and the decision caused a ton of interesting thoughts on the the matter all over social media.
Most people who were up in arms about the decision online were non-Nationals fans, who simply know the name and remember how good he was at LSU, but had not realized how bad things had gotten recently. No, Crews is not done in Washington, but it is clear he needs some more seasoning against top minor league pitching, and it might pay serious dividends in the long run.
But with Crews now out of the picture, a guy who was essentially always thought of as an Opening Day starter in the outfield, who will take his place?
As of this moment, the Nationals still have 5 guys in big league camp that would be classified as primary outfielders. Those names are Daylen Lile, James Wood, Jacob Young, Christian Franklin, and Joey Weimer. With 2 guys, Lile and Wood, seemingly locked into everyday playing time, who will get the bulk of the looks for the final spot?
That is where things get interesting, as the remaining 3 guys will all compete for playing time in center field, the spot where Crews seemed most likely to be the guy coming into camp. With Robert Hassell III also being optioned earlier this week, 2 guys who seemed unlikely to make the team a few weeks ago are now on the verge of being part of the Opening Day roster.
Every Nationals fan knows what we have in Jacob Young, which is a soft-hitting centerfielder who, despite his great speed in centerfield, was indescpicably a liability on the basepaths last year. As a guy who doesn't get on base a lot, his only value to a lineup is by hitting in the 9 hole, while his back-to-back seasons of being a Gold Glove finalist carries his value.
Christian Franklin is an on-base machine, with a career .393 OBP in the minors, which is a huge reason why he has never posted below .764 at any level since his first professional season. He represents both a safe floor guy who can move around the lineup due to his great approach at the plate, and unlike Young, he has enough pop and speed on the bases to be a solid all-around player.
Joey Weimer is a former touted prospect who was claimed on waivers earlier this offseason by the new front office. He is a power-hitting center fielder who hardly walks and strikes out a ton, but when he hits the ball it tends to go pretty far. At this point it remains to be seen if he actually makes the Opening Day roster, but for now he is still in camp.
I think realistically until Crews or Hassell III is ready, the Nationals will look to give more playing time to Young and Franklin, with Weimer potentially still not being a lock to make the team. In my opinion, I would love to see what Franklin can do, as he has been a guy I've viewed as a safe option since he came over from Chicago at last year's deadline.
While the news on Crews is tough to stomach, we have to remember the kid just turned 24-years-old, and the new regime can fix what the old one did to ruin his good habits.
How do you think the Nationals should configure their outfield with no Dylan Crews to begin this season? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.