The Washington Nationals have made history, and not in a good way. During their 6th straight loss on Tuesday night, the team may have hit a new all-time low as they were thrashed by the Athletics, 16-7. Perhaps the most embarrassing part? The fans at the park broke out in audible "Sell the Team" chants directed towards ownership.
As part of their now 6-game losing streak, the Nationals have surrendered an astoundingly terrible 70 runs on 103 hits. Even worse, they have allowed 16 earned runs and 24 or more hits multiple times, and have committed 8 errors in the field defensively. The team has become a complete disaster, and has shown minimal signs of life.
While new relievers Clayton Beeter and PJ Poulin made their Nationals debuts last night, fellow reliever Andry Lara was optioned to AAA Rochester following another disastrous outing. Taking his place on the big league roster is former top prospect in the organization, righty Cade Cavalli. The Nationals' starting rotation has been in need of a major boost, as the unit overall has been terrible as of recent.
So how has Cavalli been faring in AAA this season? Well, it has been a pretty mixed bag to say the least. The former 1st-rounder has only pitched in 15 games for the Red Wings after initially making appearances in Low-A Fredericksburg and AA Harrisburg while rehabbing from his Tommy John Surgery a few years ago, and the numbers have not looked great on the surface.
He carries a 6.09 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in AAA, but has posted 72 strikeouts and 27 walks in just 65.0 innings. The pure stuff has always been pretty electric with Cavalli, but the continued issues with command that he has before his operation have only worsened in his return. Needless to say, expectations should be tempered for Cavalli, although he immediately becomes the second most-talented pitcher in the team's rotation by a wide margin.
Cavalli had been looking a lot better in early June, with a 3.81 ERA and his WHIP down to 1.27, but since June 8th, those numbers have only continued to rise, with him now sitting at a 6.09 ERA overall. Truthfully, this might be Cavalli's final chance to prove he can stick as a starter at the upper levels of professional baseball,
With his stuff and durability concerns, his long-term fit could be in the back end of the Nationals' bullpen, which as we all know is always in dire need of legitimate high-caliber talent. But before we push that agenda, let's see what Cavalli can do in his first time pitching on a big league mound in 3 years tonight.
What are your expectations from Cade Cavalli? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.