I, For One, Welcome Our New CF Overlord (The Robles Thread)

[awbb]

Corbin and Rainey

Thank you!

Of course Corbin… my tragic memory tries to forget but reality smashes it over the head with a steel chair.

[GataNats]

This is one of the dumbest things this organization has ever done

[Natsinpwc]

This is one of the dumbest things this organization has ever done

Call will be back up soon when Vic gets hurt again. Or even better maybe Wood.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This is one of the dumbest things this organization has ever done

Robles is rangier and has a better arm on D, and he has shown signs of hitting lefties well. I get they want to see if that for real by giving him a bit of run in the majors. Call has team control and he's they type of guy you keep on a shuttle for a year.

I kind of wish Elvir Ovcina would check in because he was always skeptical about some of the love Call has been shown here. I do think he gives you more consistent solid at bats and is reliable defensively. I like him better in the field than most everyone other than Young and Robles, but Robles has shown enough to deserve a shot at the short side of a platoon, runner, and defensive replacement before being cleared out for Wood, Crews, etc...

[welch]

Robles might be useful, but why allow Nunez to take a spot?

[Smithian]

Robles is rangier and has a better arm on D, and he has shown signs of hitting lefties well. I get they want to see if that for real by giving him a bit of run in the majors. Call has team control and he's they type of guy you keep on a shuttle for a year.

I kind of wish Elvir Ovcina would check in because he was always skeptical about some of the love Call has been shown here. I do think he gives you more consistent solid at bats and is reliable defensively. I like him better in the field than most everyone other than Young and Robles, but Robles has shown enough to deserve a shot at the short side of a platoon, runner, and defensive replacement before being cleared out for Wood, Crews, etc...

I like Call. I think he is a perfectly capable backup outfielder.

I spent a lot of years complaining about Robles. Still, after his 2023 and this past Spring Training, he has earned being the #4 OF on this team. If he picks up a couple hits in backup duty without doing anything truly idiotic in the field or on the bases, I truly would not be shocked if a contender took a look at him and pursued him at the deadline as a speed and D backup outfielder.

[Smithian]

Is it normal for a player entering their tenth year of professional baseball in the United States to still need an interpreter? It seems we've had younger players who speak basic English sooner in their careers. Everyone learns at their own pace, so not holding only to a standard of Juan Soto who early on could do interviews well.

And before I'm accused of double standards, I'd expect any Nationals coach or player development staffer to have basic Spanish skills.

Robles out here putting me to shame during and after the game https://x.com/masnnationals/status/1789124382574424564?s=46

[RobDibblesGhost]

Cut him. His blunders are inexcusable.

[Smithian]

crap got so bad so fast after my nice post

[rileyn]

If the organization wants to send a message that we do things the right way, Robles has to be gone. His clown show is getting worse, not better.  Let JY and Call play until the call ups begin. 

[Smithian]

If the organization wants to send a message that we do things the right way, Robles has to be gone. His clown show is getting worse, not better.  Let JY and Call play until the call ups begin. 

This is the primary downside of Robles.

He will on some hitting hot streaks. He'll do something great on the basepaths in a big moment. He'll have stretches of dominance in center.

But these days. The stupid stuff. This is why Jacob Young is starting over him and even someone like Andrew Stevenson should have been over him in the past. Give me the higher floor with a lower ceiling.

[IanRubbish]

If the organization wants to send a message that we do things the right way, Robles has to be gone. His clown show is getting worse, not better.  Let JY and Call play until the call ups begin.

I think the org. has been pretty clear that it makes personnel decisions in a very dysfunctional way, and that contracts/personal favorites/attempts by Rizzo to look heroic, etc play a greater role in who goes out there than playing poorly, or making inexcusable mistakes.

[Natsinpwc]

This is the primary downside of Robles.

He will on some hitting hot streaks. He'll do something great on the basepaths in a big moment. He'll have stretches of dominance in center.

But these days. The stupid stuff. This is why Jacob Young is starting over him and even someone like Andrew Stevenson should have been over him in the past. Give me the higher floor with a lower ceiling.

He’s a decent CF. Have not seen much dominance from him there. Young is just as fast or faster and can run down balls. And a much better baserunner. I don’t think Davey wants him on the team. Rizzo still thinks he will reach his potential but at this point won’t happen. Or at least won’t happen in DC.  They should have let him go in the off-season.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

He was given a chance to dig himself out of a doghouse this weekend. 3 starts against righties. Showed some stuff to like on Friday, especially, and had a few hits and walks. All that was undone by the re-emergence of the try too hard Vic this weekend. The drop in CF was setting up for a throw, eyeing the runner and getting ready to uncork a heave to 3rd. Unnecessary, the dude wasn't going. Then he pressed to grab an extra base when the guy in front of him, Adams, was too slow to score on the play and was going to hang at 3rd. Just no capacity to think through the situations leading to over-aggressive mental errors.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Nice analogy by Ghost Mears at Talk Nats to the poor quality reputation of American cars in the mid-80s and how the Taurus became the #1 car when Ford committed to cutting back on production errors. https://www.talknats.com/2024/05/12/a-calamity-of-mistakes-leads-to-another-one-run-loss/ . The Nats can't afford to kill themselves with errors, and Robles plays like a sexy 70s / early 80s american built piece of [mistakes], no matter his tools.

Along these lines, assuming Winker's back is enough for a short IL stint, I'd take advantage of it to recall Call. Call is a Taurus, maybe not on the zodiac but on the field. He was just sent down to activate Vic, but it's time to bring him back as the righty 4th OF option, and you can do it to replace an IL'd player.

Call lacks Vic's raw speed, but uses his speed more effectively by not having the brainlock moments. His patience at the plate is his best batting strength, but that has value working over pitchers. Defensively, he's probably not a plus defender in center, but the CF starter is Young until it is Crews, Wood, or Hassell. He can back up there, and he's plus corner outfielder defender. He's the Taurus, not some broke-down sports car that lives in the shop.

I'd couple that move with a DFA of Vic and an activation of Gallo. I'd lean towards an outfield of Gallo-Young-Rosario for a while, with Call slipping into a corner against lefties. Once Wood is ready, Call is then an easy option back to Rochester.

[Smithian]

He’s a decent CF. Have not seen much dominance from him there. Young is just as fast or faster and can run down balls. And a much better baserunner. I don’t think Davey wants him on the team. Rizzo still thinks he will reach his potential but at this point won’t happen. Or at least won’t happen in DC.  They should have let him go in the off-season.

Victor Robles desperately needs a fresh start. Some club that is confident they have a group of adults in the clubhouse should jump all over bringing him in. It's just not going to happen here in Washington, DC.

[Mattionals]

Victor Robles desperately needs a fresh start. Some club that is confident they have a group of adults in the clubhouse should jump all over bringing him in. It's just not going to happen here in Washington, DC.

Does Altoona have a spot for him?

[welch]

Robles cannot be fixed. Not with the Nats and not by another team. He has talent to make it in AA and AAA, but not the baseball smarts to play MLB. Maybe it is an emotional problem...maybe a childishness? Whatever the problem is, could he make it in some other organization?

But Robles is still with the team. I hope he will be cut...is Robles hanging around because Call cannot return for a week or so?

[imref]

Svrluga has had enough:

https://wapo.st/4blMFKT

[Elvir Ovcina]

Svrluga has had enough:

https://wapo.st/4blMFKT

That's quite a blast.  But it does pretty much get to the point: there's no reason for Robles to be taking up a lineup spot any more.  He's not young, he's not useful at anything except defense, no platoon utility at his primary position, and not remotely a good enough hitter to play anywhere but CF. 

The saving grace for him is Rosario and Winker's defense, and that's only going to save him until some guys get healthy, if that long.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

That's quite a blast.  But it does pretty much get to the point: there's no reason for Robles to be taking up a lineup spot any more.  He's not young, he's not useful at anything except defense, no platoon utility at his primary position, and not remotely a good enough hitter to play anywhere but CF. 

The saving grace for him is Rosario and Winker's defense, and that's only going to save him until some guys get healthy, if that long.

yes, and, TBH, the guy you hate, Call, is a pretty good corner outfield defender. His offense is pretty limited too, but he doesn't do the brainlock things so anything a "fixed" Robles might give you at the plate is made up for by taking a lot of pitches and not generating outs by brainlocks on the basepaths. He can spot Winker and Rosario against some lefties.

It's also too bad Garrett isn't ready yet or at least not ready enough to be inserted in the MLB lineup and play like he was before injury. He's the righty platoon bat for one corner.

[Elvir Ovcina]

yes, and, TBH, the guy you hate, Call, is a pretty good corner outfield defender. His offense is pretty limited too, but he doesn't do the brainlock things so anything a "fixed" Robles might give you at the plate is made up for by taking a lot of pitches and not generating outs by brainlocks on the basepaths. He can spot Winker and Rosario against some lefties.

It's also too bad Garrett isn't ready yet or at least not ready enough to be inserted in the MLB lineup and play like he was before injury. He's the righty platoon bat for one corner.

I'm fine with CAAAll in a backup role for the reasons you said.  He just shouldn't ever have a bat in his hands.  He's better than Robles at this point.

[welch]

How many days until the Nats can re-call Call?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

How many days until the Nats can re-call Call?

I responded elsewhere, but Call was sent to the minors on 5/7. I double checked, and the basic rule is he must stay in the minors a minimum of 10 days. There are two exceptions. He can replace an IL'd player without waiting 10 days, and he can be recalled as a 27th player for a double header. Because the Nats are playing two today, he could be recalled today, or, were Winker IL'd, he could replace Winker. Otherwise, he cannot be recalled until 5/17 (or 5/18, not sure whether 5/7 counts as day 1).
https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/minor-league-options

[aspenbubba]

Svrluga has had enough:

https://wapo.st/4blMFKT

I'm not weighing in on Robles but I couldn't help but think if I were Robles I would never grant an interview with Svrluga after the hit piece and I'm sure his friends on the team would do the same. Also, wondering what was the front office's reaction to the article. Do they have a informal policy that states hands off players and families and if so would they pull the "journalists" credentials or limit access?