Alu can hit, and the former senior sign out of Boston College is making a push for a 40-man spot next year. The short-levered Alu can let the baseball travel deep before he decides to swing, and after taking a more proactive approach early in his pro career, his walk rates have skyrocketed in 2022. Even if that’s a small sample blip and due for a regression (he does swing over top of breakers fairly often), there are still hitterish elements here. Alu can put the barrel on pitches all over the zone, he pokes stuff on the outer third to left field and can double into the gap that way, and he has enough raw power to be dangerous when he opens his hips to turn on inside pitches. Without big power, Alu isn’t a fit as an everyday third baseman; instead, he could be a good part-time role player at a couple of different spots. While he’s moonlighted at second base and in left field a little bit, he hasn’t been seen enough at either spot to know how he’d play either position. If he can incorporate defensive versatility into his game, Alu will have a consistent place on a big league roster.

At this point I'd rather see a guy who may be a nobody (but has a 5% chance of being a MLB guy) instead of Franco out there.

The Nats don't need Franco. The team doesn't need Cruz except for the "veteran clubhouse presence".

2-4 with his 4th HR yesterday now sitting at .265/.323/.458 --  meanwhile Franco is slashing .159/.196/.243 in his last 30 games with 3 HR and 1 multi-hit game.

When does he have to be added to the 40 man roster?  I think he gets another year?  If he had to be added, then I'd definitely see him come up at the end of the year.  If not, then I could see him just finishing out the year at Rochester and being invited to next year's spring training. 

Give Kieboom or an FA a run at 3rd, then if Alu does well in Rochester and Kieboom Kiebusts, swap them at some point in 2023.

then the 2019 draftees I think will be among the call ups in September if they are in the running not to be exposed in rule 5.  Rutledge might be the exception.  At this point, this guy might be as likely to pan out as CK, especially with his arm injury on top of past flailing in the majors.

you'd only do it if you have already made the decision you were not going to expose them.  I've built that in for both Cronin and Alu. Cronin would be easy to hide on an MLB roster for a year, and Alu has probably shown enough at AA and AAA to make him a guy who might get taken were he left off the 40 man.  Like I said, he may deserve an equal shot at the 3rd base spot along with Kieboom at this point.