Some big news broke from Washington Nationals camp down in West Palm Beach yesterday, as the club announced another round of roster cuts. Although all of these names were not surprising to me at all, there might be some Nationals fans who are a bit puzzled about one of the names that will not be included on the big league roster.
The names that were assigned to Minor League camp were not surprising, as righty Clay Helvey, outfielder Stone Garrett, and prospects Brady House, the team's likely third baseman of the future, and outfielder Andrew Pinckney, were all sent down. None of these names should catch you off guard, as Garrett was DFA'd a couple weeks ago, but thankfully the Nationals were able to keep him in the organization.
House put together a good showing in camp, with 8 hits in 22 at-bats, as well as an even 4:4 BB:K ratio. Based on what we saw from him in his limited opportunity, it appears as if he is on track to make his big league debut at some point in the 2025 season, and I would target him to be brought up after the trade deadline, as hopefully Paul DeJong will play well enough to be a rental acquisition from a competitive team.
The only other name that maybe had a chance to make the Opening Day roster was Helvey, who compiled 9 scoreless outings and saves 2 games, but striking out just 8 batters in 9.2 innings was deemed as not being enough for the 28-year-old to earn a spot to begin the season. He likely is going to be on a short list of guys that could get called up at some point this season, as we know that relievers can be very volatile.
The Nationals have made the following roster moves:
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) March 19, 2025
Reassigned to Minor League camp:
RHP Clay Helvey
3B Brady House
OF Stone Garrett
OF Andrew Pinckney
Optioned to Triple-A Rochester:
OF Robert Hassell III
INF Trey Lipscomb
However, the big name that stood out among the latest round of cuts is outfielder Robert Hassell III, who did about all that he could to make the Nationals at least give him a longer look than many other players. The 23-year-old had 17 hits in 46 at-bats, and showed off his true 5-tool potential that made him so sought after in the Juan Soto trade back in 2022.
Hassell III was the Nationals best and most consistent player in spring training, and he will begin the season with AAA Rochester, where he likely needed more seasoning before making his MLB debut. Of course, there are many fans out there who wanted to see what Hassell III could do if he was given the opportunity to be in the Opening Day outfield, but the reality is that there is just no need to rush his development.
With James Wood and Dylan Crews locked into outfield spots for the long-term, the competition to secure that final spot is going to be a fluid one, and while Jacob Young is locked into the spot right now, I would not consider his hold on the position to be safe at all. Although he is uninspiring at the dish, Young's impact on the bases and his Gold Glove-caliber defense in center is going to give him a longer opportunity to establish himself as the guy at this time.
After being promoted to AAA Rochester at the end of last season, Hassell III was fairly uninspiring in his short time, and the club is going to want to see him be capable of handling competition at the highest level of the minors before giving him a chance to unseat Young in the outfield of the future.
I would firmly anticipate that Hassell III makes his big league debut in 2025, and while I would predict him to be called up during the summer, if he gets off to a hot start in AAA and Young doesn't take a major step forward, I could easily see Hassell III getting the call to the show sooner than anticipated. This is nothing but a minor bump in the road for Bobby Barrels, and I am excited to see if he can carry over his hot hitting into the start of the season with the Red Wings, where he will play everyday along with Trey Lipscomb, who was also optioned.
What do you think of the Robert Hassell demotion? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.