Tuesday, March 13, 2007

I Missed This

While prospecting for gold in yesterday's pitching staff post, I missed this line:

"If Ayala doesn't make the Opening Day roster, Acta most likely will not carry 12 pitchers."

Verrrrry Interesting.

If Ayala hasn't thrown much yet, he's not going to be ready to start the season. So that'd leave 14 spots for position players instead of the 13 we've been counting on.

Catchers: [3] Schneider, Flores, Fick
Corner IF [2] Broadway, Zimmerman
Middle IF [4] Lopez, Guzman (might he not be ready?), Belliard, Wilson/Jimenez (Wilson seems to be emerging)
Outfield [5] Kearns, Logan, Church, Snelling, Escobar (DL?)

I guess Lee could steal Broadway's spot. Young is a possibility, but I'm not sure he's going to be ready given how little action he's had.

Other than at the margin here or there, the roster is basically set.

10 Comments:

  • i am holding my breath until jiminez is cut. this guy having the potential to take a spot on this roster is a budding tragedy of womackian proportion.

    By Blogger DCPowerGator, at 3/13/2007 9:37 AM  

  • It's funny... I was reading Baseball Prospectus's book over the weekend and they had a comment about Jimenez and Soriano, both of whom came up as shortstops in the Yankees organization.

    BPro was one of many statheads who thought that Soriano was going to flame out and that Jimenez was a vastly superior prospect. They'll back rationalize it now, by pointing to the car crash that almost killed Jimenez as the reason he never developed, while minimizing what Soriano's done by pointing solely to his OBP.

    At any rate, the comment in the book mysteriously uses the passive voice when it recaps the two players... something along the lines of "There were some who felt that..."

    Hilarious!

    By Blogger Chris Needham, at 3/13/2007 9:41 AM  

  • The guy who wrote those comments . . . well, he's not with us anymore.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3/13/2007 9:53 AM  

  • I don't see them carrying 5 OFs to start the year. With Escobar on the DL (like that won't happen) along with Guzman, that leaves room for everyone you list PLUS Travis Lee.

    They'll deal with the Jimenez/Wilson "choice" and who will back-up Nick when those times come. The big worry has to be if Nook fails as we all assume. They don't really have anyone ready for that role and seem dead set against putting Church/Snelling there.

    By Blogger Harper, at 3/13/2007 9:55 AM  

  • Unless someone goes on the DL, they HAVE to take 5 OFers because everybody is out of options.

    I'm not sure on Logan, but they're pretty firmly committed to him, and we haven't heard a seachange in comments about him like we did about this time last year with regards to Church.

    Snelling physically can't play CF with his knees and all the problems. (He's a DEAD ringer for Wilkerson when he's batting) Church can do it passably, but they've spent 18 months running his defense down.

    Who really knows at this point. I think they'll just muddle away with Logan though. To our detriment.

    By Blogger Chris Needham, at 3/13/2007 9:58 AM  

  • re 5th OF: can casto make this team?

    what about the dominican Lurch, abraham nunez? this year' darrrrryle ward?

    has restovich gotten a hit yet? wow, nats.com says he's 6-4, 250? how can somebody so big have so little power (6 career HRs in 240 ABs)?

    By Blogger DCPowerGator, at 3/13/2007 10:18 AM  

  • Casto could, but I don't think they want to call him up to sit on the bench. He's got what few of the other people on the roster have: options. With options, they can send him up and down to the minors without risk of losing him on waivers (as they would if they sent Church down, for example).

    The team seems favorable towards Nunez, and he's done decently enough. But it's going to take him batting .500 for the rest of the spring, I'd imagine.

    By Blogger Chris Needham, at 3/13/2007 10:20 AM  

  • The Nationals want Casto to play regularly. He won't be a 5th OF.

    By Blogger Brian, at 3/13/2007 10:23 AM  

  • I think your list is the teams thinking as well. Only Guzman's Injury Recovery along with decent springs by Travis Lee or Abraham Nunez can really change anything. Wilson has to have the edge over Jimenez. Otherwise, this team is set, for better or worse.

    By Blogger Screech's Best Friend, at 3/13/2007 11:25 AM  

  • true, casto should play every day plus he has options so he should definitely start at columbus. leave him out of the nats mix, at least until july (when all bets are off).

    By Blogger DCPowerGator, at 3/13/2007 1:00 PM  

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