Robert Hassell III " aka Bobby Barrells"

[aspenbubba]

It looks like Hassell is making a strong statement, so far, to make the OD roster. Does he take Calls spot as the presumptive 4th OF or does he push Young to the 4th spot. If he becomes the 4th OF will he get enough AB's or will he be better served going to Rochester? And if he continues to rake in AAA when do you promote him to the show? If either Call or Young falter then it is an entirely different scenario.

[Natsinpwc]

Way too early.  They only played a few games.

[Slateman]

Lol, Hassell isn't getting called up before the trade deadline unless someone gets hurt.

It's like 4 games at the beginning of ST. Let's see him do this for like 200 plate appearances in Triple A

[JCA-CrystalCity]

He doesn't look lost, but they are going to let him play regularly in AAA for half a season unless there's an injury. I still think Call is the 4th OF. Not sure of Call's option status, but I think that he makes the team and sticks until mid-season or a few injuries

[aspenbubba]

Lol, Hassell isn't getting called up before the trade deadline unless someone gets hurt.

It's like 4 games at the beginning of ST. Let's see him do this for like 200 plate appearances in Triple A

Actually it is 7 games and 20 AB's. 5 more than anyone else. And yes, I said ,SO FAR.

[welch]

Sure, let Hassell start the season at Rochester, but if he makes the Nats then the Soto trade matches the Milt Pappas for Frank Robinson trade as one of the most one-sided in history.

[varoadking]

Sure, let Hassell start the season at Rochester, but if he makes the Nats then the Soto trade matches the Milt Pappas for Frank Robinson trade as one of the most one-sided in history.

Lou Brock / Ernie Broglio...

[Natsinpwc]

Lou Brock / Ernie Broglio...

Fergie Jenkins for Bob Buehl and Larry Jackson
Ryne Sandberg for Ivan De Jesus.

I mean the Phillies handed the Cubs tow HOF guys and they still couldn’t win.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Pedro from the lad to Montreal for a SS is way up there

[Smithian]

Hassell needs to be hitting every day in Rochester. We have three OF who should be playing every day. My guess is Ahmed Rosario is the 4th OF, and he’ll be perfectly adequate if someone needs a day off or has a brief knock. If someone hits IL, Hassell may get a look, but not before.

[GataNats]

No reason for him to be in AAA.  Play the year with the young guys

[imref]

Who is he displacing?

[welch]

Who is he displacing?

Should be Call on the Nats, but let him play CF every day in Rochester...at least for a few months.

[imref]

I think Hassell plays everyday in Rochester and either comes up to displace Young, or they move Wood to DH (replacing Bell).

[welch]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/03/05/robert-hassell-iii-nationals-spring-training-health/

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The bat path didn’t look quite right. It was something between a check swing and a full one, repeated over and over on the back fields at Washington Nationals spring training Friday. The man it belonged to was outfielder Robert Hassell III — who had a right wrist sprain last year, another wrist injury in 2023 and a hamate injury in 2022. All of which added an extra layer of concern to the observation.

But this was just batting practice in late February. The prospect is healthy, truly healthy. That swing, aesthetically unpleasant and unusable in a game, is the starting point for a spring breakout. The motion helps Hassell understand the angle his bat must meet the ball to lift it into the air. Shortstop CJ Abrams — who also learned to elevate the ball last year — does it, too.

Consider it, then, a success this spring: Over his first nine spring training games, on top of impressive defense, Hassell has been the team’s best hitter, going 9 for 23 with three doubles and a homer. Heck, you can ignore the sample size and just look at the general trajectory off his bat. The ball is going in the air.

And the succession of wrist injuries, plus a few we didn't know much about...

[Smithian]

I think Hassell plays everyday in Rochester and either comes up to displace Young, or they move Wood to DH (replacing Bell).

I don't think they'll DH James Wood this year unless worried about durability.

For James Wood to DH in full health is not great. Part of the high upside is he had the impact bat plus a glove that maybe could hold up in CF. It was unlikely he'd make it in center, but at least he'd be a plus in the corner. I look at last season as new to the bigs and mostly new to LF. If in year 2 in the leagues he profiles as a DH, ouch. The bat has potential to be special, but if he needs to live at DH, the long term ceiling drops.

Good thing is I don't think it will be a problem. Unless Wood is a true disaster, I am fine riding out his growing pains in LF for at least a couple years.

I'm not worried about a massive OF crunch. An OF crunch means everyone is healthy, neither Crews nor Wood has fallen off, Jacob Young has improved his hitting a bit, and Hassell has hit his way out of Rochester. If that happens, it's a good problem. It's not that hard to find ABs. Hassell and Young can rotate or both play if Martinez wants to find some off days for Woods or Crews, either bench or DH.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Hassell as the long side of a platoon with Young as a 4th OF / short side guy would be fine. I assume Hassell would be in a corner while Crews plays CF, with Young in CF and Crews in right in that case. If this happens by the end of the year and 3rd base is figured out, then it'll be pretty remarkable to have every position out of system minor leaguers or products of the Soto trade (Except C and 1b, and Ch was a product of the Scherzer deal while 1B was acquired for a guy claimed off waivers).

[welch]

Hassell as the long side of a platoon with Young as a 4th OF / short side guy would be fine. I assume Hassell would be in a corner while Crews plays CF, with Young in CF and Crews in right in that case. If this happens by the end of the year and 3rd base is figured out, then it'll be pretty remarkable to have every position out of system minor leaguers or products of the Soto trade (Except C and 1b, and Ch was a product of the Scherzer deal while 1B was acquired for a guy claimed off waivers).

I think Hassell should get some ime in Rochester, playing CF everyday. Then promote him to a platoon with the Nats. His string of injuries should make it risky to put him in CF every day, but nothing could be better than a four-man group of outfielders who are all worth being starters, and who field well enough that they could play a respectable CF in a pinch.

And, yes, JCA, awe-inspiring lineup of all Nats-draftees or players gotten in the Soto trade.

(And maybe the Nats should hire Preller as an assistant GM to handle the draft?)

[Smithian]

I think Hassell should get some ime in Rochester, playing CF everyday. Then promote him to a platoon with the Nats. His string of injuries should make it risky to put him in CF every day, but nothing could be better than a four-man group of outfielders who are all worth being starters, and who field well enough that they could play a respectable CF in a pinch.

And, yes, JCA, awe-inspiring lineup of all Nats-draftees or players gotten in the Soto trade.

(And maybe the Nats should hire Preller as an assistant GM to handle the draft?)

It's not impossible the Nats could fill a lineup this year filled with guys who debuted with Nats.

It would probably need to be Wood or Tena at DH, Chappy at 1B, something like Nunez and Lipscomb on the left hand side

A lot of things would have to had gone way wrong for it to happen, but not impossible at all if Bell and Lowe are unavailable one day

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

I don’t like promoting prospects of any regard to simply platoon.  Let Hassell put up numbers in AAA and rebuild his value.  If Young improves his hitting enough to be a true everyday CF, and Hassell is raking, then he becomes trade bait. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I don’t like promoting prospects of any regard to simply platoon.  Let Hassell put up numbers in AAA and rebuild his value.  If Young improves his hitting enough to be a true everyday CF, and Hassell is raking, then he becomes trade bait. 

well, it would be longside of a platoon with young initially, so that's an easy adjustment. The guy who probably should be displaced when Barrels or Yoyo is ready is Bell by a rotation.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

well, it would be longside of a platoon with young initially, so that's an easy adjustment. The guy who probably should be displaced when Barrels or Yoyo is ready is Bell by a rotation.

If Young shows even marginal improvement at the plate with his added muscle, he’s too good to be a short-side platoon/4th OF.  Bell has always been such a streaky hitter that I’d be hesitant to suffer through a cold few months and pull the plug without getting the hot months. 

Hassell hasn’t exactly banged down the door to date.  All of this is still very preliminary and hypothetical.  I’m happy he’s showing flashes, but it would take an extremely impressive few months before I’d really worry about finding him a spot.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Only way he's up before August is of there's an injury or two. Call still is the 4th OF at the start of the season.

[aspenbubba]

For James Wood to DH in full health is not great. Part of the high upside is he had the impact bat plus a glove that maybe could hold up in CF. It was unlikely he'd make it in center, but at least he'd be a plus in the corner. I look at last season as new to the bigs and mostly new to LF. If in year 2 in the leagues he profiles as a DH, ouch. The bat has potential to be special, but if he needs to live at DH, the long term ceiling drops.

Good thing is I don't think it will be a problem. Unless Wood is a true disaster, I am fine riding out his growing pains in LF for at least a couple years.

He is not good in LF as I stated early on last year when he fist came up. His offensive skills overrode his defensive liabilities and were probably never addressed by his coaches in college or the minors. He should be considered a candidate for 1B or DH as Morales has shown nothing to date.

[Natsinpwc]

Wood was -0.6 OAA last year. So not hood. No harm in him playing LF this year and seeing if he can be better. Team is not contending. Plenty of time later on to deal with that.