Who will be on the 26 man roster Opening Day?

[IanRubbish]

Trying to figure out who the 14 position players will be on the OD roster:

C - Ruiz, Abrams (Millas has options left)
DH/1B - Meneses, Gallo
2B - Garcia, Nunez
SS-Abrams, Vargas
3B-Senzel, Kieboom
OF- Garrett, Call, Thomas, Robles (Young on OD roster if Garrett not available but he's got options)

This is who I'm guessing it will be, not who it should be.  OF could get interesting as callups happen throughout the year, and Millas would have my vote to make it.

[varoadking]

Trying to figure out who the 14 position players will be on the OD roster:

C - Ruiz, Abrams (Millas has options left)
DH/1B - Meneses, Gallo
2B - Garcia, Nunez
SS-Abrams, Vargas
3B-Senzel, Kieboom
OF- Garrett, Call, Thomas, Robles (Young on OD roster if Garrett not available but he's got options)

This is who I'm guessing it will be, not who it should be.  OF could get interesting as callups happen throughout the year, and Millas would have my vote to make it.

Yuck...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Trying to figure out who the 14 position players will be on the OD roster:

C - Ruiz, Abrams (Millas has options left)
DH/1B - Meneses, Gallo
2B - Garcia, Nunez
SS-Abrams, Vargas
3B-Senzel, Kieboom
OF- Garrett, Call, Thomas, Robles (Young on OD roster if Garrett not available but he's got options)

This is who I'm guessing it will be, not who it should be.  OF could get interesting as callups happen throughout the year, and Millas would have my vote to make it.

13 and 13 pitchers. I think that's by rule.

I'd say - 4 OFs - Thomas, Gallo, likely Robles, maybe Young instead of Robles, and say Call or Winker. Winker would platoon with Garrett mostly at DH.
6 IFs - Meneses, Abrams, Senzel, likely Garcia, Nunez, and Vargas, with Baker and Alu on the outside.
2 Cs - Ruiz / Adams
1 DH - Garrett.

Gallo will be in the field, either at OF or at 1st. I don't think Garrett starts the year in the field unless he shows enough the last week of the spring.

[imref]

Trying to figure out who the 14 position players will be on the OD roster:

C - Ruiz, Abrams (Millas has options left)
DH/1B - Meneses, Gallo
2B - Garcia, Nunez
SS-Abrams, Vargas
3B-Senzel, Kieboom
OF- Garrett, Call, Thomas, Robles (Young on OD roster if Garrett not available but he's got options)

This is who I'm guessing it will be, not who it should be.  OF could get interesting as callups happen throughout the year, and Millas would have my vote to make it.

I'd think Young over Call unless they want Young to get regular playing time at Rochester.

[IanRubbish]

13 and 13 pitchers. I think that's by rule.

I'd say - 4 OFs - Thomas, Gallo, likely Robles, maybe Young instead of Robles, and say Call or Winker. Winker would platoon with Garrett mostly at DH.
6 IFs - Meneses, Abrams, Senzel, likely Garcia, Nunez, and Vargas, with Baker and Alu on the outside.
2 Cs - Ruiz / Adams
1 DH - Garrett.

Gallo will be in the field, either at OF or at 1st. I don't think Garrett starts the year in the field unless he shows enough the last week of the spring.

It's a max of 13 pitchers out of the 26, but many teams carry just 12 w/14 position players.

I forgot about Winker, but guessing he could go down to Rochester because he's on a minor league deal.

Would love to see Young over Call just for his speed and defense.  Call is 29 but still has options, and he belongs in Rochester.   And due to unending franchise loyalty to Robles, Calls's also easily the first go when one of Wood/Crews/Hassell gets called up.   Call also won't fetch a bucket of balls at the deadline and doubt Rizzo expects more than that from him.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Frankly, I prefer Call as an MLB backup if Young doesn't start because I want playing time for Young and I don't care if Call is stuck on the pine. Only reason to keep Young up as the backup is if Crews / Wood / Hassell are the OF at AAA.

[imref]

i'd still like to see Crews starting in CF come opening day.

[welch]

Young should start in CF with Robles as the extra OF.

Kieboom should be gone. Vargas can back up SS and 3B.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Broke out OD roster speculation into its own thread

[Slateman]

Why do we need a 5th OFer with Gallo and Senzel on the team?

The outfield can be Garrett/Gallo - Robles - Thomas
Senzel can play CF. Gallo can play all three OF positions.

Why do we need Young or Call at all?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Young should start in CF with Robles as the extra OF.

Kieboom should be gone. Vargas can back up SS and 3B.

I may be with you on Young, but I think Robles is either starting or cut. With Winker, Garrett, Gallo, and Thomas, I think OF slots will be tight. Garrett could start on the IL, but I believe the happy talk that he should be ready to at least DH. As for Winker, while he's on a minor league contract, I think he's on the team if he shows any signs of an offensive bounceback. I'll also give Blankenhorn an outside shot. My guess is one real CF plus 2-3 guys who could play there in a pinch (Thomas, Gallo, and Senzel).

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Why do we need a 5th OFer with Gallo and Senzel on the team?

The outfield can be Garrett/Gallo - Robles - Thomas
Senzel can play CF. Gallo can play all three OF positions.

Why do we need Young or Call at all?

I think I was channeling your thoughts just now. More you look at it, roster slots may be tight. Young is just a plane ride away in Rochester until Crews / Wood are added to the roster.

For a bad team, roster spots might be at a premium. 3 OFs leaves room for a 7th IF or a 3rd catcher.

[HalfSmokes]

Trying to figure out who the 14 position players will be on the OD roster:

C - Ruiz, Abrams (Millas has options left)
DH/1B - Meneses, Gallo
2B - Garcia, Nunez
SS-Abrams, Vargas
3B-Senzel, Kieboom
OF- Garrett, Call, Thomas, Robles (Young on OD roster if Garrett not available but he's got options)

This is who I'm guessing it will be, not who it should be.  OF could get interesting as callups happen throughout the year, and Millas would have my vote to make it.

I wonder which jerseys they'll try to push?

[PowerBoater69]

i'd still like to see Crews starting in CF come opening day.

Crews, House, Hassell, and Wood have 15 of the Nats 49 hits. But the goals for 2024 are draft position and service time manipulation.

30% of the hits in 20% of the at bats.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

So, when the Nats have the "futures" exhibition, will anyone be rooting for the regular lineup against the prospects?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I wonder which jerseys they'll try to push?

easy. Abrams, Thomas, Gore, Gray, Ruiz. Thomas will be one of "the" guys until he's dealt or leaves. A FotF light.

[IanRubbish]

Crews, House, Hassell, and Wood have 15 of the Nats 49 hits. But the goals for 2024 are draft position and service time manipulation.

I'm sure the Lerners' goals also include finding cheaper bat boys and ball girls. 

I'm actually ok with a little service time manipulation with Wood and Crews both being Boras clients.  MacKenzie Gore is also Boras, so we lose him in 2028 if he's any good, so the real benefit for this year will be the excitement when they make in-season debuts, kind of like how it was with Harper and Stras.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

those guys, and even Baker, are not on the 40 man roster, so I could see that, all things being even, there's a service time incentive to not add them until late April. With Wood / Crews / House and now maybe Hassell, you have a legit argument that there were gaps in their performance last year that justify minor league time.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

BTW - We haven't talked about the pitching staff going north. I think there's a less mystery.

Strong presumption that the rotation will be Corbin, Gore, Gray, Irvin, and Williams, with Rutledge and Davies contending and Adon most likely in the pen or waived and outrighted.

Finnegan, Harvey, Rainey, Floro (if healthy), Robert "Hunter/Jerry" Garcia, Ferrer, then some combo of Weems, Adon, Barnes, Rutledge, or other invites.

[imref]

James Wood is making a pretty strong case to be the everyday RF or LF. He did have over 200 PAs in AA last year. Given the amount of playing time he's getting this spring it certainly seems like he's in the mix.

[Natsinpwc]

James Wood is making a pretty strong case to be the everyday RF or LF. He did have over 200 PAs in AA last year. Given the amount of playing time he's getting this spring it certainly seems like he's in the mix.

Just afraid that once he starts facing top fight mlb pitchers day in and day out they will exploit his weaknesses.  Could ruin him permanently.  Would sell some tickets though. 

[welch]

Just afraid that once he starts facing top fight mlb pitchers day in and day out they will exploit his weaknesses.  Could ruin him permanently.  Would sell some tickets though. 

The big 3 OF kids should start in Rochester. Maybe a couple months AA for Hassell because he had such problems last year.

S o far, Nunez not impressive. Maybe the Nats keep him around by the Rule 5 rules, but he has never hit much. By rights, he should be in Rochester.

[imref]

time to start worrying about Joey?

[Natsinpwc]

time to start worrying about Joey?

No. That was last year.   He’s on a cheap contract anyway so fits in the Lerners plans.

[IanRubbish]

BTW - We haven't talked about the pitching staff going north. I think there's a less mystery.

Strong presumption that the rotation will be Corbin, Gore, Gray, Irvin, and Williams, with Rutledge and Davies contending and Adon most likely in the pen or waived and outrighted.

Rutledge can't get into the rotation with all the walks.  Think he might need to read Rizzo's sign a few more times.