Nats Scouting and Development

[JCA-CrystalCity]

An interesting article on how the Nats, partly out of necessity, targeted 17 and 18 year old players out of the Dominican for several years and apparently discovered a market inefficiency.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2017/03/08/nationals-savvy-interest-in-older-dominican-players-is-beginning-to-pay-off/?utm_term=.cca1668e433d

Among the signees were Difo, Reynaldo Lopez, Severino, Rafael Bautista, Jose Marmalejos, and the player traded for Enny Romero.

After the Smiley scandal, the Lerners were reluctant to invest heavy in the DR until Dipuglia built some credibility with them.  The international scouting team targeted older pitchers and up the middle players.  Several of them fit the profile of being relatively late to pick up baseball, like Bautista.  Some were from rural areas who moved to Santo Domingo as teenagers.  The Nats were able to sign these guys for minimal bonuses.  Several were quite athletic and developed pretty quickly.  Some switched positions, too, like Lopez, who was signed as a catcher.  The team now spends more on top prospects as they turn 16, but still pursues these value signings to round out their program.

I'm starting a general topic on scouting and development that I hope will be less focused on particular players and more on the system and staff.

[Slateman]

I mean, pretty much since Rizzo has been in charge, has scouting been in question? Good to see they're getting more involved in the Latin leagues.

[NJ Ave]

I mean, pretty much since Rizzo has been in charge, has scouting been in question?

This is an interesting question that I believe deserves some exploration, actually. I'm not knocking his record, but is his strength actually in scouting and developing of is his strength in knowing the right time to "sell high"?

Because we seem to do a really good job of trading away guys who ever make a big impact for players who do.

[HalfSmokes]

This is an interesting question that I believe deserves some exploration, actually. I'm not knocking his record, but is his strength actually in scouting and developing of is his strength in knowing the right time to "sell high"?

Because we seem to do a really good job of trading away guys who ever make a big impact for players who do.

I think his strength is judging talent that is already playing professionally be it in the majors or minors

[GuyFromCO]

He's an excellent scout that knows talent, especially tools marketable to other teams. Different topic then what JCA posted, but worth a convo.

 He gets the credit for the DR signings, but DiPuglia deserves it. I'm interested to see how the new CBA affects this "scraping" strategy -- with less money to play with, you may see more smaller signings, rather than the splashy signings.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

 He gets the credit for the DR signings, but DiPuglia deserves it. I'm interested to see how the new CBA affects this "scraping" strategy -- with less money to play with, you may see more smaller signings, rather than the splashy signings.

That's mentioned in the article, too.  After the big spending splurge on Antuna, the Nats are capped at $300K for any player.  That's still more than what Robles signed for, but it will keep them from the bigger bonus babies.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

cross posting out of the MoveOn/ Lock and Load thread for the discussion of how Rizzo has done with his draft choices.

I'm looking at this site, http://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-washington-nationals/, which is fantastic for figuring out the make up of the roster, depth, and how players were acquired. 

Rizzo basically took control of baseball ops in March '09.  On the current 25 man roster, Michael Taylor was a 6th round pick drafted in '09, Koda Glover was an 8th rounder in '15, and Matt Grace was an 8th round pick in '10, and Solis on the DL was a 2d round  pick in '10.  Strasburg, Harper, Rendon and Goodwin were first round picks from '09 to '11 (we had multiple 1st round picks in '11).  Of the guys acquired by trade for drafted system products (I'll leave out Roark / Guzman), off the top of my head, the prospect price was Souza (Turner), Karns (Lobaton), Norris / Milone / Peac0ck (Gio), and ? (Romero), and Dunning / Giolito (Eaton) (Lopez was not a draftee) .  I'm not sure who of those prospects Rizzo is tied to. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Oh, my word!  You talk about inspiring the next set of prospects.

This brings up a point I was just thinking about this morning. I wonder if Soto and Robles - maybe Severino and Difo to a lesser extent - actually will have a positive impact on our recruiting ability in the DR? I certainly think we're showing the kids down there that we are willing to push kids through the system, and that they don't necessarily have to be "finished products" to make the MLB roster.

Obviously it can't hurt, but I wonder if it has any positive impact.

[UMDNats]

Nats have done a really good job developing DR players who didn't receive six-figure or big-time bonuses. Our scouts there have found some players other teams haven't and our development staff deserves a lot of credit.

[Slateman]

Well, isn't Soto a direct result of of the impact of the baseball academy?

[NJ Ave]

Well, isn't Soto a direct result of of the impact of the baseball academy?

Didn't we sign him for $1.5 million? He isn't an example of a diamond in the rough type find.

[dcpatti]

Didn't we sign him for $1.5 million? He isn't an example of a diamond in the rough type find.

Pedro Severino for a $55k signing bonus and Difo for $25k.  Maybe not diamonds like Soto is projected to be, but remarkable finds at their ages and in those price ranges for sure.

[NJ Ave]

Pedro Severino for a $55k signing bonus and Difo for $25k.  Maybe not diamonds like Soto is projected to be, but remarkable finds at their ages and in those price ranges for sure.

Not arguing that our S&D guys are not doing a good job, but I guarantee every team in baseball has Dominicans in the last 10 of their 25-man roster who are low bonus guys. Every MLB team signs 15 or 20 a year and inevitably a couple pan out.

[Elvir Ovcina]

Not arguing that our S&D guys are not doing a good job, but I guarantee every team in baseball has Dominicans in the last 10 of their 25-man roster who are low bonus guys. Every MLB team signs 15 or 20 a year and inevitably a couple pan out.

And not arguing that they should be, but right now Severino and Difo aren't in the Nats' last 10.     Suero would be another example of a cheap signing who might be roster fodder or might be a little more, depending, even if not a star.

[imref]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29719187/washington-nationals-fire-employee-throwing-coffee-woman