Indians swap Yan Gomes to Nationals

The Cleveland Indians continue to try slip and slide their way to improving before the winter meetings as the Indians sent catcher Yan Gomes to the Washington Nationals in return for two minor leaguers that we know well and a player to be named later.

The 31-year-old Gomes still had three years to go on his contract (7,9 and 11 million per) but bounced back from some weaker seasons to make the All-Star team in 2018 as he hit .266 with 16 homers and a career-high 26 doubles.
Still, even with the solid numbers, Gomes played in 112 games. which seems like a low number but was actually the second most that Gomes played over a season.

The Indians now suddenly appear vulnerable behind the plate as they will be elevating backup Roberto Perez to the main backstop and they will be doing so after Perez hit just .168 in 62 plate appearances, which raises plenty of questions on whether Perez is capable of being the full-time water carrier behind the plate.
Eric Haase will finally receive a chance to make the team in Cleveland after a nine-game debut last season as the backup or platoon partner for Perez.
Haase hit 27 homers in 2017 at AA Akron and 20 for AAA Columbus in 2018, so he has the potential to add similar, if not more power than Gomes, but contact questions remain after hitting just .236 for the Clippers and striking out 143 times.

Cleveland's return doesn't seem terrific for me and I've had plenty of experience watching the two play.

Daniel Johnson missed time last season at AA Harrisburg but hit .269 with seven homers, 31 RBI and

21 steals in 89 games.
The 23-year old Johnson hit 17 homers in 88 games for Low A Hagerstown in 2017  as the surprise players in the Nationals system in that year.
Johnson hasn't produced similar numbers since in the remainder of 2017 at High A Potomac, nor last season at AA Harrisburg, but has the tools to rebound with plus speed ( seven triples in 2018) and could eventually be a helpful player for the major league Indians.
Still, Johnson is far from a sure thing and his nothing special numbers at AA last year does make me wonder how likely that outcome may be.
Johnson could start at AAA Columbus, but I'd think that he may start back at AA with the Indians affiliate in Akron with a good month giving him a chance to move to Columbus.

6'6  righthander Jefry Rodriguez was once the highest pitching prospect in the Washington system, before the days of Giolito, Lopez, and Fedde, but the production never matched the hype over his years in short-season and Low A with numbers that resembled pitchers more likely to be headed to independent ball than the majors.
Rodriguez did perform well in his first appearances at High A in 2017 before being suspended for eighty games for PED usage and put together a solid season in 19 starts at AA Harrisburg and AAA Syracuse with 102 strikeouts in 100 innings.
Rodriguez would eventually spend time with the Nationals, compiling a 3-3 record with a 5.71 ERA and walking almost as many as he struck out (37 to 39) over 14 appearances (eight of those starts).
Rodriguez has a plus fastball (mid-90's) and a strong curveball but hasn't mastered the finesse' part of the game and turns 26 during the 2019 season, so Rodriguez could still break through, but I wouldn't bet on that happening and I'd go even farther and think that he might have more of a future in the bullpen eventually than as a starter.
Rodriguez will be given a chance to make the Indians but could start the season in the AAA Columbus rotation.

The Indians also will receive a prospect to be named later in the trade, but I really am not thrilled with this trade.
I can understand moving Yan Gomes with his value at its peak between a strong 2018 and a controlled contract, but I would have expected more from making a trade such as this.
Jefry Rodriguez looks to me to be a bullpen arm more than a starter and with his command problems on occasion might not be counted on for that role.
Daniel Johnson appears to be another toolsy type that the Indians appear to run off the assembly line, such as Greg Allen, Tyler Naquin, Bradley Zimmer etc.
Fast and athletic, Johnson does have a chance to hit for more power than those players, but that hope is almost entirely from that half season in the South Atlantic League and I think his ceiling is more of a 4th outfielder or a platoon player than a 500 at bat starter.

I'm not going to say that this is entirely about money (although I'm sure at least a little of it is) and I'm not going to knock the Indians for being cheap as so many do as a reflex anytime that the Indians do almost anything either.
I'm just questioning the prospects that coming back and hoping that the questions can eventually be answered in Cleveland and not in Columbus or Akron.

Minor League Fantasy Draft-Round Three-Jesus Luzardo

I had forgotten about my fantasy draft after all the various Browns news, so I'll be filling in the final few picks of mine over the next few days.
I plan on perhaps following these players at the end of each month with a post looking at how they are playing at their respective levels,

In the third round, I planned on taking the best pitcher available and there were three pitchers that I had highest on my board ( Two players that I was watching were selected after my second round pick of Heliot Ramos), I looked over things and decided to take Jesus Luzardo of the Oakland Athletics over the other two.

Luzardo, who turned 20 after the 2017 season concluded, was drafted by the Washington Nationals but was traded at the trade deadline last season with Hagerstown Sun Sheldon Neuse to Oakland for pitching help for the Nationals in Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson.
Luzardo underwent Tommy John surgery in high school, but Washington paid a 1.4 million dollar bonus to keep Luzardo from going to the University of Miami.
Washington has had good luck with drafting injured pitchers that dropped through the draft farther than they should have due to injury and then nurturing them through the aftermath of surgery having done just that with Lucas Giolito and Erick Fedde before drafting Luzardo.
Luzardo made his minor debut last year at short-season Vermont and dazzled before the trade in five starts allowing just four earned runs over 18 innings before the trade to Oakland.
Oakland sent him to their Arizona rookie league team first rather than straight to their NY-Penn league in Vermont where he allowed just two earned runs in eleven innings there.
Luzardo's numbers in his three stops ( he also pitched some for the Nationals Gulf Coast league team). were strong with an ERA of 1.66 and 48 strikeouts in 43 innings.
Strikeouts are always a number that I look strongly at the lower levels- mainly that I want to see a strikeout per inning pitched against lower competition.
Even a finesse pitcher should have his share of strikeout in the low minors and if they aren't tricking hitters by either pure stuff or perplexing movement (of either the ball or a deceptive motion) at those levels, they aren't likely to fool many as they climb the ladder.

That's not all from Luzardo, who is reported to sit in the low 90's, but has been listed as hitting 98, he walked just five batters in those 43 innings.
Keep in mind that batters at these stops aren't always known for their plate patience, but still five walks for a hard thrower is pretty impressive to me.
The well-traveled lefthander, who was born in Peru, lived some in Venezuela before settling in Florida for high school has an excellent head on his shoulders besides his three pitches (fastball, curve and change-up) as Luzardo graduated from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas high school, the site of the recent shootings in 2016 and is involved in raising money to honor Douglas A.D. Chris Hixon, who was shot and killed during those shooting as he sought to save others.

It'll be fun to follow the power-armed lefthander as he moves through the Oakland system this season, he is expected to start at Low A Beloit, and even though drafting pitchers are always risky, Jesus Luzardo was a nice selection in round three.

I'll attempt to finish the series with my other picks (I pulled a trade later to add a third player) as the week goes on...

Hagerstown Suns-The Hitters

Now that things have died down a little for going to games, I'll take some time to do our annual review of the Hagerstown Suns with what I saw, what I think and where they may be next season.

The Suns finished second in the South Atlantic League overall,but the 2017 season will be most remembered by Suns fans for entering Kannapolis North Carolina with a two-game lead over the Intimidators with less than a week to go in the season, only to lose four games in two days and watch Kannapolis win the first half.
Next to the Bryce Harper-led collapse when the Suns lost a four-game lead with a week to play, this was the biggest late half swoon in the Suns' history.

Hagerstown's hitters were the strength of its ballclub and when I write about the pitchers that will be even clearer, but the Suns do have some interesting prospects that I really liked and will be worth following in the future.

The top prospect of all played in just 23 games, but his bat was so impressive that I think he might have the type of bat that changes franchises in 18-year-old Juan Soto.
Soto was cruising through the SAL (.360,3 HR 14 RBI) when sliding into home plate, Soto injured his ankle and it essentially finished his season, although he did get a few at-bats in the Gulf Coast League.
Soto would have likely been promoted to Potomac in midseason, had he continued at his pace at the plate.
Soto's bat ranks with the best I've seen in Hagerstown and I'm extremely high on him to hit for average and power as he rises.
He's not perfect, he's not exactly fast and defensively, he's not going to remind anyone of a Gold Glove defender, but what a bat.
Two stories on Soto from a member of the Nationals organization that I won't name.
I was talking to this person and they asked me "What do you think of Soto"?
I responded that I was there the night that he got hurt, but before then I was very impressed.
"He's the best young hitter I've ever seen".
Really, even better than Harper?
"Oh yes, definitely"

A different conversation with the same person talking about Victor Robles, a former Sun and currently making an MLB cameo, after a discussion about Robles...
How does he compare to Soto?
"No comparison"
In what way?
"No comparison, it's not even close, Soto's much better".
Highly touted prospects have failed before and they will fail again, but Juan Soto has the potential to have Nats fans, not miss Bryce Harper, should he leave after 2018-he has the potential to be that good.
Soto may return to Hagerstown since he played so few games, but it would not surprise me if they challenged him with an assignment to High-A Potomac since he dominated the SAL in his brief stint.

2016 first round shortstop Carter Kieboom also impressed as he fought through injuries that cost him much of the middle of the season.
Kieboom's 297/6/26 earned him a spot on the SAL all-star team before the injury and he would have likely been promoted to Potomac without the injury.
I can see Kieboom having a chance to develop 20 homer power with a high average and I would bet that he could switch to either second or third if the situation required it.
I still wonder about contact at higher levels (40 K's in 179 at-bats), but we'll see how that plays out.
Defensively, Kieboom needs some work, but he's not a sieve at short and I think he has a shot at staying there, which often isn't the case for such prospects.
Kieboom almost definitely will be assigned to Potomac.

The surprise star of the season was outfielder Daniel "D.J." Johnson, a fifth-round pick in 2016 out of New Mexico State,
Johnson hit .300 in Hagerstown with 17 homers to go with 12 steals in 88 games before a promotion to Potomac saw Johnson produce similar numbers in Woodbridge.
The surprise was the increase in power as Johnson had hit just one in 2016 in Auburn, which makes one wonder-was this power an aberration (remember Bryan Meija for one example) that won't be repeated?
In any case, Johnson strikes out a bit too much (100 between the two levels) but puts the ball in play to go with good speed and it'll be interesting to see just how highly the Nationals value Johnson.
If Washington assigns Victor Robles to start next season with AAA Syracuse, they could start Johnson with AA Harrisburg...

Sheldon Neuse looked like another college bat that would be starting lower than he should when he became a Sun.
The second rounder from Oklahoma hit well, but not outstanding in Hagerstown hitting .291 with 9 homers and 51 RBI as he spent time playing both second and third base.
Neuse was then traded to the Oakland Athletics in a trade that netted the Nats Sean Doolittle for their bullpen and with Oakland assigning him to their High-A affiliate in Stockton caught fire.
Neuse hit .386 with seven homers in only 22 games in Stockton before being promoted to AA Midland (and joined another former Sun Max Schrock) and smacked out a .373 average in 18 games there.
Neuse is being played at third base full-time in the A's system and profiles best there.
Neuse's glove is a question mark, but I think at worst he profiles having a chance to be a bat-first utility player.
Neuse is likely to start at AA Midland in 2018, but since Oakland clearly has him on the fast track, has a small chance of beginning with AAA Nashville.

Tres Barrera is an interesting catcher with intriguing numbers.
The Nationals have usually made some head-scratching decisions with their catchers as far as playing time goes and this season was no exception with Barrera hitting .278 with 8 homers in 67 games as the Suns used five different catchers.
Of the five, I liked Barrera the best (liked the 18 doubles) and although he was a little old for the level (23), I'll be interested in seeing his 2018.
Considering his age, I'd figure he'd start in Potomac, but don't rule out a Hagerstown return.
The Nationals like to have catchers that were the backup (Barrera played the most games, but when Jakson Reetz was around, Reetz played more) in Hagerstown return as the starter the following year.

Jakson Reetz returned for a second year in Hagerstown and received most of the playing time after he arrived in early May.
Unfortunately, Reetz's stat line didn't improve any from 2016 and his numbers in Hagerstown in 37 games (.238/2/11) were almost identical to his numbers after a surprising (by the numbers) callup to High-A (.236/2/11) that was forced by injuries that trickled down through the system.
Reetz turns 22 in January, but at this point has to be considered a disappointment after a large bonus out of high school as a third rounder in 2014.
Reetz will be back with Potomac for 2018.


Telmito Agustin was a player that I liked last season with the Suns after an interesting half season in 2016 and he improved on those numbers in 2017 (.277/9/37) in his return.
Agustin's return came after a slow start to the season in 33 games with Potomac, so the rebound was something to watch how Agustin handled adversity.
I like Agustin's tools a lot, but there are questions to be answered- contact (74 K's in 80 games), speed (he has plus speed, but stole just nine bases) and a slight build that might be an issue in staying healthy.
Even so, he played the season at 20 and I still consider him a prospect to keep tabs on.

Jake Noll hit 16 homers in his 400 at-bats and led the team in RBI with 67 before an August promotion to Potomac.
Noll was solid, but not outstanding and again as a college product (Florida Gulf Coast) was old for the level (23) before struggling in his Potomac cameo.
Noll might wind up being an AA hired gun in the long term, but in the short term will return to Potomac where again, he's a little old for the level, but will provide some power for the P-Nats.

Venezuelan first baseman Aldrem Corredor made the SAL all-star team with a strong first two months (.308) but fell off dramatically thereafter finishing at .261 with just one homer (of five) after June.
Between that drop in production and striking out over 100 times, there are red flags for Corredor as I wonder which player is actually Corredor.
He'll be 22 next season in Potomac...

Former second-rounder Blake Perkins had some encouraging notes in Hagerstown in 2017.
Perkins improved his average 22 points over his average at Auburn in 2016, showed increased power with eight homers, stole 31 bases and covers a ton of ground in the outfield.
Perkins looks the part athletically and boosted his numbers, so what's not to like?
A team-high 118 strikeouts and the boosted average still resided at a pedestrian .255, so despite the tools, Perkins has some ground to make up,but he played the season at 20, so if he can make a similar jump in production next season and get a better grasp of the strike zone (as in what he swings at), Perkins still has a chance.
I think he'll move to Potomac, but I'd consider trying to boost his confidence with a Hagerstown return and hopefully in a month, he'll be ready for High-A.

Nick Banks was a little disappointing with a .252/7/58 on the season, which was decent, but with a pedigree from Texas A&M, I expected a little more.
Banks reminded me a little of a less dynamic Andrew Stevenson and might be one of those guys that hit better as he rises through the system.
Banks will be at High-A Potomac in 2018.

Anderson Franco struggled much of the season, but was young for the level (turned 20 in August) and showed power with 11 homers.
The rangy 6'3 third baseman struggled to stay above the Mendoza line before finishing at .201 in his first full season of baseball.
Franco had issues with the glove (24 errors) and contact with the bat (100 whiffs), but consider the age factor and initial season in non-complex ball (only 11 games in Auburn in 2016) before giving up on the power with the 11 homers and 23 doubles.
I'd bring Franco back to Hagerstown...

The remainder of the position players either I don't list as prospects due to struggles or small sample size.

Three catchers each saw limited action.
Jorge Tillero returned for ten games and 38 at-bats in which he hit .421 and was rewarded with a move to the restricted list after Jakson Reetz returned from injury.
Tillero was later released.

26-year-old Adderling Ruiz is simply a backup mitt and when he played, it showed as one game it seemed like the backstop wore a glove rather than Ruiz.

Matt Reistetter caught eleven games after being dropped from Potomac when Barrera and Reetz were out of the lineup.
The good? Reistetter hit two homers in those games
The bad? Reistetter had only three other hits.
He might stick around if one of the teams needs a backup mitt, but at 25 has become an organizational soldier.

21-year-old outfielder Oliver Ortiz (that's four words in a row that started with O) hit well in Auburn, but couldn't top the Mendoza line in Hagerstown hitting .199 in 41 games.
Ortiz did finish with ten extra-base hits (4 homers) in his 136 at bats, so I suppose I'm not quite ready to throw him on the scrap heap, but with 41 strikeouts, Ortiz will need a fast start in Hagerstown next season...

Branden Boggetto hit over .300 in Auburn and came to Hagerstown for the final 15 games of the season.
Small sample size, so hard to grade his .231 average.
Boggetto turns 24 before 2018 begins, so if the Nationals like him as a prospect, they'll start him at Potomac...

Angelo LaBruna hit a David Masters like .218 with no punch (0 homers in 248 at-bats), but can play all four infield spots in a pinch, always hustles and is one of those "locker room guys".
I can see LaBruna in Potomac (they did move David Masters there as a similar player), back in Hagerstown or even start in the real world to make money if Angelo wishes.

2016 college draftees Tyler Beckwith  (.218, 2 homers with the Suns in 30 games) and Paul Panaccione ( .202, 2 homers in 33 Hagerstown games) are cut from the same mold- light hitting can play multiple positions and scrappy play that fans like.
If one or the other has an edge to stick around, it might be Beckwith, a local product from Mt.Airy MD.

Hope you enjoyed the look at the Suns position players and gave you food for thought.
With football coming up over the weekend, I would guess the pitchers will be sometime in the early to middle part of next week...

Podcast:Special Guest Luke Erickson

The podcast returns with special guest Luke Erickson from NationalsProspects.com.
We talk prospects in the Washington Nationals system,various travels and more from the world of the minors!

Nationals send former Suns to Chicago

I usually don't write about teams trades that I don't cover,but today's swap between the Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals badly needed to be a topic for discussion.

Not just because there were two former Hagerstown Suns players involved in the deal either,but to discuss the apparent all in attitude by the Washington Nationals,a team that you always have to give credit for at least trying to improve a franchise that to this point has failed to win in the postseason.

The Nationals sent arguably their three pitching prospects and at minimum three of their top four (Depends on where you rank Erick Fedde) to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Adam Eaton.
Former Hagerstown Suns Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez are headed to Chicago along with the Nationals top draft pick from last season in Dane Dunning as the White Sox add those three players to the haul led by Yoan Moncada in the Chris Sale trade earlier in the winter meetings in an attempt to bolster one of the weaker farm systems in the game.

For the White Sox,it makes a ton of sense to move some valuable players from a team that went just 78-84 with those assets.
Chicago may not be done if they desire,as they still have players of value that they could receive even more prospects for in pitcher Jose Quintana and especially infield power bats Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier,should they desire to do so.
Giolito is the big name of the three,but I've always preferred Reynaldo Lopez of the two.
On the radar gun,the two are pretty similar,but Giolito's fastball has always been straight with little movement even in his Hagerstown days and no matter the speed,when you fire straight fastballs against major league hitting,they tend to disappear as seven of them flew over the fence in just 21 big league innings last season.
I like Lopez's stuff and movement,my main worry about him is his slight frame.
Pitchers with similar size as Lopez tend to flash brightly and flame out quickly,so there is somewhat of a risk over the long term.
I didn't get to see Dane Dunning,who was Washington's first round pick out of the University of Florida last season.
Dunning was expected to start the season in Hagerstown before the trade and perhaps with a fortunate assignment (the White Sox have teams in the SAL and Carolina leagues) I could still see him pitch.

For Washington,who had been rumored to be talking to Pittsburgh for Andrew McCutchen to patrol center field,this comes as a surprise.
Adam Eaton hit .284/14/59 and those numbers have been consistently in that range over the last three years with the power picking up over the last two seasons.
Eaton brings some speed and intangibles to Washington as he is a high intensity player that Nationals fans should quickly love.
At 28,Eaton should be in his prime years and is under contract for five years (three years and two club options),so that could play into the exorbitant price paid for him.
Eaton is also a good defensive right fielder,but is not as solid in center,which is where he will play as a National.
Bryce Harper isn't moving from right,so plugging Eaton into center means that Trea Turner can be moved to shortstop,where his bat will play even more than center.

In my opinion,this smacks of a panic move.
The Nationals see the window closing with several of their bats possibly moving on over the next two or three seasons and having dealt many of their top prospects (they have held onto Victor Robles and Juan Soto) in trades,the Nationals are in win now mode.
I understand that and give them credit for continuing to tinker with the lineup in an attempt to put them over the top,but this is such an oppressive cost for a player that is good but not great.
Desperation can make teams do things that they normally would not and I feel some desperation on the Nationals part.
Had the Pirates received those three players for Andrew McCutchen,I would have rated it an excellent deal for the Pirates,but to add those three pitchers for Adam Eaton,I would score that as a win for the White Sox.
Prospects are far from a guarantee and they arrive with plenty of risk,but the more you get-the better your chances of success.
Adam Eaton may be a productive player in Washington,but the White Sox made the better deal-even with risk....

Nationals sign Max Scherzer and why this affects the future

The Washington Nationals snagged the big fish of the free agent arms in the eyes of many in signing former Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer to a seven year deal for 210 million dollars.
Half of the contract is deferred,so the blow to the current salary structure is not as bad as it could have been and might enable the Nationals to keep Jordan Zimmermann for the season (free agent after the year) in an attempt to finally get over the top after falling short for the last few years.

For the short term,this is a great signing as the team has installed one of the best strikeout pitchers in the game into a rotation that already features Stephen Strasburg,the aforementioned Zimmermann,Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez for what should compete for the best overall rotation in the game.
Scherzer might be the piece that the Nationals needed and for a team in win now mode makes sense as a short term signing.
My guess has always been that Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are out as soon as they are free agent eligible,so there is a window in Washington.
If Washington wins a championship,this deal was worth it at almost any cost.

However,I see some red alerts flashing and I'm not sure that that fans will be thrilled in the long run,unless the Nationals win multiple titles in the term of this contract.
The first of which is that despite Scherzer's top of the game last two years and a good 2012,for a pitcher that is 30-Scherzer's stat line is not as impressive as one would suspect.
You could make an argument that Scherzer is just now hitting his stride and I would tend to agree judging his numbers,but it could be that you have seen his peak years and even though his first 2/3 years in D.C.might be strong,Scherzer might have left his best games in Detroit.
Two other red flags to me are a flyball pitcher (never less than 18 homers allowed in six seasons) leaving a pitcher park in Detroit's Comerica and the high effort delivery that might make Scherzer a candidate for a breakdown.
Scherzer's delivery makes me wonder about mechanics leading to injury and I would even predict this-even with a great season-leaving Comerica Park will see Scherzer's home runs allowed totals go near 30 in 2015.
Both of those are theories and concerns on my part,but ones that should have Nationals fans at least thinking over the next few seasons.

All and all,I think the Nationals made an error by making this a seven year deal,although deferring some of the money allows them some financial flexibility and takes away some concerns,but in the near future,Washington has made them the chic' pick to win the senior circuit with this signing.
Assuming that the team keeps Jordan Zimmermann (and that is an assumption),this team's starting pitching matches and maybe exceeds anyone else's in the league,so if they can get decent help from the bullpen-Washington shouldn't have any issue in winning the division at least.

Great for the short term,questionable for the long-the Washington Nationals continue to go all in on Scott Boras clients in an attempt to win the championship that has eluded them thus far.
I applaud the effort,even as I question the methods and decision making....