2020 26

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

I think we now know enough to reasonably speculate.

C Gomes/Suzuki
1B Thames/Zim - This platoon should produce nicely.
2B Howie/Cabby - I'm guessing Castro mainly plays 3B.  Cabby keeps Howie fresh with 2-3 starts a week.
3B Castro/Cabby - Castro is much better against lefties, so Cabby can start against some tougher RH matchups.
SS Turner/Difo - I think Difo makes the team as a utility guy.

That's 9 IF.  If Kieboom forces his way up, then Cabby essentially takes the Difo role.  That would be ideal.  If Kieboom isn't the answer, then a 3B bat at the deadline is an option, and likely could be the #1 item on the wishlist.

OF: Eaton, Robles, Soto.  MAT is the #4 guy, unless he's traded to free some salary and replaced with Stevenson.  In that scenario, who plays CF if Robles is out?  Thames is capable of playing a corner spot if needed.  That's 13 position guys.  Do we maybe carry both MAT and Stevenson for 14 total position guys, and go with 7 in the bullpen?  I'm guessing no.

Rotation: Max, Stras, Corbin, Sanchez, Ross
*Fedde with his option in the minors

8 bullen guys:

Voth (Long)
Elias
Strickland
Rainey
Suero
Harris
Huddy
Doo

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Offensively, I think we overall get more production from 1B.  Hopefully Robles can take a significant step forward, and Soto/Turner continue gradual improvement to compensate for losing Rendon.  We're more a matchup/platoon team now, with maybe only the 3 OF and Turner being full-time.

The bullpen being much improved from the opener through the deadline could give us 5 "lost" wins from last year.

All in all, you hope this equates to a team that can once again get into the postseason and hope to catch fire.  We'll see if a big deadline addition is made to fill in any holes.  Another big bat looks to be what's missing.

[bluestreak]

Stevenson can play center field. Pretty capably, actually.

[Expos]

Lineup: 8
1. SS Trae Turner
2. RF Adam Eaton
3. 2B Starlin Castro
4. LF Juan Soto
5. 1B Eric Thames
6. 3B Astrubal Cabrera
7. C Kurt Suzuki
8. CF Victor Robles

Bench: 5
C- Yan Gomes
1B- Ryan Zimmerman
2B- Howie Kendrick
OF- Michael Taylor
IF- Carter Kieboom or Wilmer Difo

Rotation: 5
1- Stephen Strasburg
2- Max Scherzer
3- Patrick Corbin
4- Anibal Sanchez
5- Joe Ross or Erik Fedde

Pen: 8
Sean Doolittle
Will Harris
Daniel Hudson
Tanner Rainey
Wander Suero
Hunter Strickland or David Hernandez
Roenis Elias or Fernando Abad
Austin Voth or Javy Guerra

And either Kieboom wins the 3B position over Cabrera or he goes back to AAA. Rizzo won't have his #1 prospect sitting on the bench. He will be playing FT somewhere.

Love that squad.

[rileyn]

Lineup: 8
1. SS Trae Turner
2. RF Adam Eaton
3. 2B Starlin Castro
4. LF Juan Soto
5. 1B Eric Thames
6. 3B Astrubal Cabrera
7. C Kurt Suzuki
8. CF Victor Robles

Bench: 5
C- Yan Gomes
1B- Ryan Zimmerman
2B- Howie Kendrick
OF- Michael Taylor
IF- Carter Kieboom or Wilmer Difo

Rotation: 5
1- Stephen Strasburg
2- Max Scherzer
3- Patrick Corbin
4- Anibal Sanchez
5- Joe Ross or Erik Fedde

Pen: 8
Sean Doolittle
Will Harris
Daniel Hudson
Tanner Rainey
Wander Suero
Hunter Strickland or David Hernandez
Roenis Elias or Fernando Abad
Austin Voth or Javy Guerra

And either Kieboom wins the 3B position over Cabrera or he goes back to AAA. Rizzo won't have his #1 prospect sitting on the bench. He will be playing FT somewhere.

Love that squad.

I want to see Robles make that jump this year, so that he forces his way up in the order.  We will need it.

[Slateman]

How many games can Kendrick start?

RHP Platoon
Trea Turner - SS
Adam Eaton - RF
Juan Soto - LF
Howie Kendrick/Starlin Castro - 2B
Eric Thames - 1B
Victor Robles - CF
Asdrubel Cabrera - 3B
Yan Gomes/Kurt Suzuki - C


LHP Platoon
Trea Turner - SS
Adam Eaton - RF
Juan Soto - LF
Ryan Zimmerman - 1B
Starlin Castro - 2B
Victor Robles - CF
Asdrubel Cabrera - 3B
Kurt Suzuki/Yan Gomes - C

I figure you basically never start Kendrick on back to back days

[imref]

Does Stevenson have options?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Does Stevenson have options?

Does Stevenson have options?

He was drafted in 2015 and called up in 2017. His contract was selected fromSyracuse on 7/23/17.  http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/transactions/?tcid=mm_mlb_players#month=7&year=2017&team_id=120.
He finished the year with the team after his call up.  There would have been no need to put him on the 40 Man roster before his call up, so I don't think he burned an option in 2017.  If I'm right, then he's burned 2 options (2018 and 2019) so would have one more.

[Natsinpwc]

How many games can Kendrick start?

RHP Platoon
Trea Turner - SS
Adam Eaton - RF
Juan Soto - LF
Howie Kendrick/Starlin Castro - 2B
Eric Thames - 1B
Victor Robles - CF
Asdrubel Cabrera - 3B
Yan Gomes/Kurt Suzuki - C


LHP Platoon
Trea Turner - SS
Adam Eaton - RF
Juan Soto - LF
Ryan Zimmerman - 1B
Starlin Castro - 2B
Victor Robles - CF
Asdrubel Cabrera - 3B
Kurt Suzuki/Yan Gomes - C

I figure you basically never start Kendrick on back to back days

He will get chances at first when Zimm is hurt. I think Thames only had 50 ABs last year against lefties.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I think we now know enough to reasonably speculate.

C Gomes/Suzuki
1B Thames/Zim - This platoon should produce nicely.
2B Howie/Cabby - I'm guessing Castro mainly plays 3B.  Cabby keeps Howie fresh with 2-3 starts a week.
3B Castro/Cabby - Castro is much better against lefties, so Cabby can start against some tougher RH matchups.
SS Turner/Difo - I think Difo makes the team as a utility guy.

That's 9 IF.  If Kieboom forces his way up, then Cabby essentially takes the Difo role.  That would be ideal.  If Kieboom isn't the answer, then a 3B bat at the deadline is an option, and likely could be the #1 item on the wishlist.

OF: Eaton, Robles, Soto.  MAT is the #4 guy, unless he's traded to free some salary and replaced with Stevenson.  In that scenario, who plays CF if Robles is out?  Thames is capable of playing a corner spot if needed.  That's 13 position guys.  Do we maybe carry both MAT and Stevenson for 14 total position guys, and go with 7 in the bullpen?  I'm guessing no.

Rotation: Max, Stras, Corbin, Sanchez, Ross
*Fedde with his option in the minors

8 bullen guys:

Voth (Long)
Elias
Strickland
Rainey
Suero
Harris
Huddy
Doo

Stevenson, Noll, and Kieboom, along with Barrera and Read, are at Fresno as depth pieces when guys get DL'd.  Sanchez, too, if he clears waivers.  I don't see the team releasing Voth in order to have Javy as the long man.  Voth is guaranteed a roster slot, I/M/O, as is Ross.  Guerra, if anything, is in a competition with Strickland, Abad, Elias, Hernandez, Austen Williams, and Finnegan for 2 roster slots.  If they try to keep a vet at the expense of another bullpen slot, then Rainey is exposed, but I suspect Finnegan, Braymer, and Williams may be stashed at Harrisburg for a quick call up if needed.

[Slateman]

He will get chances at first when Zimm is hurt. I think Thames only had 50 ABs last year against lefties.

Right. If/when gets hurt, Kendrick probably becomes the primary first base against LHB. I'm just hoping it happens in June and that Kieboom is ready to come up and play second or third full time, shifting Castro if necessary, and making AsCabby the primary utility infielder.

[Elvir Ovcina]

He was drafted in 2015 and called up in 2017. His contract was selected fromSyracuse on 7/23/17.  http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/transactions/?tcid=mm_mlb_players#month=7&year=2017&team_id=120.
He finished the year with the team after his call up.  There would have been no need to put him on the 40 Man roster before his call up, so I don't think he burned an option in 2017.  If I'm right, then he's burned 2 options (2018 and 2019) so would have one more.

He did get sent down after his initial call-up, but he came back before the 20 days were up, so he didn't use an option in 2017.  Spotrac, which is the only online source I've seen that tracks options reasonably accurately, shows him with one remaining.  Regardless, he'd get a fourth one anyway if he had used all three, as he would have burned 3 in his first 5 professional seasons (Fedde actually did this). 

[sixthree175]

He will get chances at first when Zimm is hurt. I think Thames only had 50 ABs last year against lefties.

I have a feeling Zim is going to retire.  Does he really want to sit on the bench after winning a World Series?

[GburgNatsFan]

He's been saying for quite a while that he knows his role will change.

I have a feeling Zim is going to retire.  Does he really want to sit on the bench after winning a World Series?

[UMDNats]

I have a feeling Zim is going to retire.  Does he really want to sit on the bench after winning a World Series?

guy just won a world series, has more money than his family will ever need, and will get $2-3 million to play another year and won't even have to wear down his body. no-brainer

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

guy just won a world series, has more money than his family will ever need, and will get $2-3 million to play another year and won't even have to wear down his body. no-brainer

Yea, the good thing is that he's not a guy that has a body that is up for playing everyday anyway.  There's no awkward "benching" of him when he's ready to play 150+.  Starting against lefties and a righty here or there maybe is about all he can handle.  That and being a nice pinch hitting option late in games. 

[HalfSmokes]

Now he gets to transition into a front office job probably doing charity work/outreach. Not a bad life 

[UMDNats]

Now he gets to transition into a front office job probably doing charity work/outreach. Not a bad life 

while probably making like $150k while 90% of regular employees get stiffed out of any kind of raises or decent salaries

[JCA-CrystalCity]

while probably making like $150k while 90% of regular employees get stiffed out of any kind of raises or decent salaries

owed $2MM per year for the next 5 years under his  last contract for personal services.

[Expos]

Lineup: 8
1. SS Trae Turner
2. RF Adam Eaton
3. 2B Starlin Castro
4. LF Juan Soto
5. 1B Eric Thames
6. 3B Carter Kieboom
7. C Kurt Suzuki
8. CF Victor Robles

Bench: 5
C- Yan Gomes
C- Wellington Castillo
2B- Howie Kendrick
OF- Michael Taylor
IF- Astrubal Cabrera

Rotation: 5
1- Stephen Strasburg
2- Max Scherzer
3- Patrick Corbin
4- Anibal Sanchez
5- Joe Ross

Pen: 8
Sean Doolittle
Will Harris
Daniel Hudson
Tanner Rainey
Wander Suero
Hunter Strickland / David Hernandez
Roenis Elias / Fernando Abad
Austin Voth / Erik Fedde / Javy Guerra

[Mathguy]

Expos - where is Ryan Zimmerman on this roster ?

[Expos]

Expos - where is Ryan Zimmerman on this roster ?

Eating nachos and enjoying retirement

[imref]

I don’t think Castillo is on the roster.

[tomterp]

I don’t think Castillo is on the roster.

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/nationals/source-nationals-have-minor-league-deal-catcher-welington-castillo

Well, minor league deal.

[imref]

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/nationals/source-nationals-have-minor-league-deal-catcher-welington-castillo

Well, minor league deal.

Yeah. I just don’t think he makes the OD roster