The Nationals entered the season with a three-headed, revolving door in right field: Willie Harris, Michael Morse and Willy Taveras.
Roger Bernadina? He opened the year at Class AAA Syracuse, having failed to capitalize on a spring training opportunity to win a spot on the big-league roster.
Six months later, the 26-year-old leads the Nats in playing time right field and ranks second only to Nyjer Morgan in playing time among all outfielders.
But does all that experience guarantee Bernadina a starting job in 2011? Not necessarily. The Nationals like much of what they've seen from the versatile outfielder during his first full season in the majors, but they haven't quite seen enough yet to declare him an everyday player.
Read the full story with Jim Riggleman's quotes on CSNwashington.com.
14 comments:
I a word: NO.
From FJB earlier this year, the average RF in 2009 hit .270 / .345 / .446. I'll assume it's about the same this year, as I can't be bothered looking.
Roger this season .253 / .311 / .394.
I know his D is amazing, but really....NO
oh, and Willie Harris should only play against the Mets.
Wow! Roger has had more playing time than the Hammer? I know Josh has been out for a while, but I didn't think Roger had passed him. After all, he started the season in the minors. Throw in that Josh was an everyday starter and Roger was, for the longest time, only a platoon/ spot-starter and that surprises me.
If Morgan can be a everyday player, everyone can fit in that job.
The real question is, will someone use the Jaws-of-Life on the Lerner's wallet and buy us a real or at least average MLB RF?
How about Bernie as the everyday CF, with the Hammer in LF and Morse in RF? I think that Bernie in CF is better than Morgan.
(If Dunn leaves, which I guess is likely, then either Morse plays first and we find a power hitter to play RF, or we find a power 1B and Morse stays in RF.)
I love this guy's arm, but the one play that stands for me out more than any other is the night he got picked off of second base against the Mets in early July, killing one of the most exciting rallies of the year. Heartbreaking and mind-boggling at the same time.
Sometimes that swing reminds me of Cerrano in Major League. Jobu is not helping him hit the curveball...
If they make him the an everyday player, it will be because they have no one better. Which is sad as well as depressing. If after what we have seen this year, the owner refuses to pay for a legit outfield, i just might spend my entertainment $ on something more rewarding. I'm tired of watching AAA players who "might" make it in MLB someday. After five years of this crap, I'm sick and tired of it all.
It all depends which Bernadina we see at the plate. I also think you compare him to CFs as he isn't your prototypical RF.
Mark asked the question, and if it is a MAYBE or a NO on Bernadina then it has to be a HELL NO on Nyjer.
I say YES as I think Roger will improve next year, and we are looking at a guy who has slumped badly the last 45 days.
I believe Rog has the potential to be the everyday CF for the Nats but would I say he has not locked up a starting job in the Nats outfield. I think he definitely has a great shot at being the 4th OF next season given his versatility. Of course, offseason moves could affect Rog's position on the depth chart.
There's room for one of Bernadina, Morse, and Morgan to start in the outfield. They need to get an established outfielder with some pop, and then decide which one of those three guys starts based on who they get (if they got a good centerfielder, maybe Bernadina and Morse could be a passable platoon). This team won't hit enough if two of those three guys are starting.
As much as many of us are loathe to accept it, Nyjer will walk in 2011 with the CF job locked up. So right field will become a Mike Morse / Roger Bernadina platoon unless a free agent arrives. Not the best situation of course, but it's what we have.
An outfield with Willingham, Bernadina and Morse, as many have suggested, would be about as poor defensively as any outfield in MLB. Nyjer has his defensive problems, but he's still better defensively than Morse.
No. Bernadina doesn't have the bat to be a regular RF. Maybe at CF, but Rizzo seems to love Morgan. And another platoon in RF in 2011 is likely to produce the exact same results as this year....below average/mediocre. Rizzo needs to go out and get a real RF. Jason Werth will be probably available as the Phillies are reportedly unlikely to resign him. Imagine a 3-4-5-6 line-up of Zimmerman, Dunn, Willingham, Werth with Espinosa and Desmond as the middle infield. That's starts to look like a core line-up of a real MLB team.
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