Monday, June 10, 2013

Nats option Moore to Syracuse

Photo by USA Today
After Sunday’s doubleheader against the Twins, the Nats optioned first baseman Tyler Moore to Triple-A Syracuse in order to keep Chris Marrero up with the big league club. Marrero was brought up as the team’s 26th man for the two-game set.

Moore heads to the minors for the first time this season after posting a .158 average with 36 strikeouts through 38 games this season. He was struggling with inconsistent at-bats, making just 21 starts and coming primarily off the bench. Moore thrived in the role last season with ten home runs and 29 RBI in 75 games, but could not carry over the same success this season.

I had a talk with him,” manager Davey Johnson said. “We just need to get him some playing time.”

“I don’t want to waste that just talent sitting around, I’d rather have him (get) some playing time. He’ll be back soon. He’s an outstanding player.”

Moore understood the Nationals’ stance and said he simply wasn’t getting the job done. He can also see the silver lining in a stint at Syracuse.

“It’ll be great. The guys down there are great, the coaches are great,” Moore said. 

“I’ve done it before. I did it last year for a little bit and came back up and was a lot more comfortable. Playing every day and knowing you’re going to play every day kind of relaxes you a lot. Even the last couple days and the last week, I felt a lot more relaxed. I think it’s going to be a good thing.”

Ten-year MLB veteran Adam LaRoche has had a locker just one stall down from Moore for about a year and has been there before. He offered Moore some advice before he left on Sunday night.

I've told him over and over the last day or two that if they didn't care about you, you'd stay up here and get 4-5 at-bats a week or whatever it is,” LaRoche said. 

“That's the hardest thing, being a younger guy, getting sent down for the first time, it's hard to see a positive in that. But they just want him to get at-bats, get his stroke back, get confident again.”

LaRoche said Moore would be an everyday player for a lot of teams and that he’s a great presence in the clubhouse. If he had his way, he’d keep him up in Washington. 

“I hate it for him because I love having him in this clubhouse and I love having his bat and the fact that he can play outfield, play first base,” LaRoche said. 

“Selfishly, it'd be nice to have him up here but there's no doubt it's the best thing for him.”

90 comments:

SonnyG10 said...

Yep, I agree its the best for both him and the Nationals. I think we all could see it was coming.

SCNatsFan said...

I do believe Tyler just needs to get his groove back, like his attitude.

Has anyone seen any quotes from Danny?

Eric said...

::: golf clap :::

Don said...

Good call to send the guy down to play every day.

Also a good call to get Werth out of the 2 hole and into a spot where he can drive some guys in.

NI Watcher said...

I'd like to see Rendon in the 2 hole.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

When you have MiLB options it can and should be a cruel game if you don't produce. Contending teams don't normally give so much rope as the Nats have done with TyMo and Espi. They yo-yo'd Bernadina around for years when he had MiLB options. Some of it is a numbers game and some of it is because you aren't producing. Marrero, Kobernus and Lombo are now all on the clock.

The Nats in 2007 to 2009 would allow players to stay around a little longer because they were never in contention. The Mets just sent down Ike Davis over the weekend and they are nowhere near contending.

In my opinion, TyMo was a bench player and his impact on the team was minimal. Espinosa's impact was huge in a negative way and I have to believe it played into team intangibles. Just reading between the lines of what LaRoche had said on Espinosa's struggles led me to believe the players weren't in favor of Espi being in the lineup like he was.

Rizzo has made some huge mistakes. As I've said before I think he has overvalued some of his own talent much more that he should have like Henry Rodriguez and Danny Espinosa. Probably moreso with Henry as there was just nothing there besides a carnival sideshow to dazzle the audience with readings on a radar gun. Henry never had the talent of a MLB quality pitcher in terms of consistency mainly because he just couldn't throw with accuracy and you have to know where the ball is going.

The good news I think for TyMo is that he will get straightened out in Syracuse and return as a better player unless Marrero shines and blocks him from returning. Time will tell.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

NI Watcher said...
I'd like to see Rendon in the 2 hole.

June 10, 2013 10:21 AM


Give it time, he will get there.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

I can't believe I read this morning where someone is comparing the defensive stats of a new callup rookie in a new position to an 8 year veteran Gold Glove winner who is playing the same position he has played his entire professional career.

To even make those comparisons to try to force a point is a waste of time because there is no point there to make in comparing those 2 players especially given the small sample size of the new player.

MrsB loves the Nats said...

This was the right move for all involved...

A DC Wonk said...

Eric said...

Mule, I just don't understand how in the last thread you call for entrenching Rendon at 2B but then call for doing something to deal with the RZim situation. Rendon's fielding is worse than RZim's both in the MiLB and now the MLB.

What makes the one tenable and the other not?

Because Rendon is the new shiny object?

Nats 128 said...

"there is no point there to make in comparing those 2 players especially given the small sample size of the new player."

If you want to do small sample sizes Rendon should be enshrined in the Hall Of Fame now with some of his offensive numbers:

2 outs w/ RISP: .500/ .500/.833/1.333

High Leverage: .500/.500/.625/1.125

Nats 128 said...

Wonk, thats kind of what I was thunking. Everybody is in happy mode over this shiny new 2nd baseman however some want to rain on the parade. He couldnt wait to run his fielding percentage. Ive had so little to get excited about this season that it really ticks me off when someone does that.

A DC Wonk said...

Probably moreso with Henry as there was just nothing there besides a carnival sideshow to dazzle the audience with readings on a radar gun. Henry never had the talent of a MLB quality pitcher in terms of consistency

I'm going to differ with you again on that. Henry had an incredible first month-and-a-half in 2012, and was a major factor in the 14-4 start we had. He had 9 saves by mid-May, and was pretty consistent (18 solid outings in his first 20 appearances) -- all at age 25.

There was a lot more to it than the fact that he could throw 100 mph.

That's a pretty high upside, and worth the gamble/extended look. Guys like Aroldis Chapman (and HRod could have been just him, and still might be) don't come around very often.

A DC Wonk said...

Nats 128 said...

Wonk, thats kind of what I was thunking. Everybody is in happy mode over this shiny new 2nd baseman however some want to rain on the parade.


I'm not sure where you are on him . . . but I'm pretty happy. He's got a nice stroke, and as far as defense goes, lots of guys have tough beginnings. Desmond had tons of errors his first full season, and has, at times looked pretty shaky -- but -- don't look now, but he's on a 43 game errorless streak.

That's PFB for a shortstop.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Harper last year lost a ball to the sun monster and since it didn't hit him on his glove it gets scored a hit. Over a full season an error like that is a small blip. On a sample size of 22 that 1 error is the difference between a .909 fielding % and .955

Neither error was an unforced error. Errors happen. The error on the groundball was unfortunate but much credit to Storen for closing out the inning.

For 4 games at the Major League level at a new position, I am pleasantly impressed that Rendon has looked as good as he has.

You can either look at the glass more than 1/2 full or not.

Eric said...

It's amazing how people conflate looking at facts with "raining on the parade" (Nats 128) or "comparing him with a vet" (Ghost).

Eventually, .896 fielding will cause problems. And, the sample size of suboptimal fielding encompasses his entire career with the Nats organization. Unsurprisingly, imo, .940 in the minors has translated to .896 in the majors so far.

Am I excited about his hitting? Absolutely. Am I still worried about a 2nd hole in the infield? Absolutely.

If that's pissing in your cheerios, Nats 128, I'm sure you'll find a way to recover.

Water23 said...

Rizzo has shifted around so pieces and finished his draft. Has anyone heard whether he might pursue Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez? Granted, dipping into the Int'l FA market has risks (Smiley and Maya come to mind) but for various reasons it does seem Rizzo has passed on a bunch of solid talent - Cespedes, Soler, Puig etc.

Alas, the talent access pipeline has changed. In the old days, Rizzo had high picks which he could overpay for drafted players. Add to that MLB implements a cap on international signings and it might make sense to overpay for M.A. Gonzalez. Due to his age, the old rules apply. He may be one of the last players to acquire this way.

Just wondering if it is worth the risk?

Eric said...

PS - the comparison with RZim is not about expecting Rendon to perform to RZim levels, but more about why there is utter lack of concern with Rendon vs. readiness to send RZim off to DH in the AL. I was replying to a *very* specific comment there.

There's no question Rendon has been a net positive so far, I'm just concerned the errors won't go away and will start to catch up with us.

mick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ghost Of Steve M. said...

A DC Wonk said...I'm going to differ with you again on that. Henry had an incredible first month-and-a-half in 2012

Wonk, do you realize the Nats have a staff sports psychologist Dr. Llewelyn. He couldn't fix Henry.

Also, I've gone through in detail what you may call the great start to Henry's 2012 season and as Davey added more pressure he started to cave to the pressure before he fell apart. By May 13th his ERA was 4.70.

Davey gave him some lower leverage saves with 2 against Houston and 1 against Miami. His 1st game against Houston he had a 3 run lead. The 2nd game a 1 run lead and the next 2 saves he came in with 2 run leads then he fell apart against the Dodgers on the Bryce debut.

mick said...

The whole key on Rendon will be the 2nd time around and how he deals with a slump... a good comparison and contrast would be Harper verse Moore, for example, clearly Bryce hit a slump verse Petitt almost 1 year to the day, this slump lasted about 7-10 days and then Bryce re-adjusted and the rest is history. Moore on the other hand has not adjusted this season so the move is correct. So, with Rendon, will he go the way of Bryce or Moore...my feeling is he will go the way of Bryce... he gleams with a confidence that is refreshing

Pilchard said...

Understand the move, but Moore had his breakout last year @ Colorado. Started all 4 games and went 7 for 17 with 1 2B, 2 HRs, 4 runs and 6 RBI, including a 462 foot home run on June 26 (the 2nd longest by a Nat last year). I am sure Moore was looking forward to getting some at-bats at Coors Field.

A DC Wonk said...

Eventually, .896 fielding will cause problems. And, the sample size of suboptimal fielding encompasses his entire career with the Nats organization.

Yes -- but!

His "enter career" with the Nats -- minors and majors, is still fewer than 80 games! Even Bryce "fast track to the majors" played in 130 minor league games before he came up.

It is way way far too early to predict his future as a fielder.

Eric said...

mick, I agree 100% about Rendon's hitting. He has a great attitude that I think will be very useful during slumps, etc.

Eric said...

Wonk, I'm not predicting anything, just keeping an eye on it.

The advice not to predict of course cuts both ways, though. No reason to predict that he will or won't improve.

mick said...

Eric... also I think his enthusiam is infectious

mick said...

I understand what Wonk means about not enough sample size on Rendon's fielding..However, let's not forget he would have been the #1 pick overall and Nats would have never had a shot at him if not for his injury. My point is, #1's are usually the real deal so the evaluation on him extends to his play in HS, Legion ball, etc.. I am not worried about the sample size with Rendon, although wonk's point is a good one

Joe Seamhead said...

Personally, I think Eric has some good points re: Rendon. I think it's exciting to see this obvious talent in his early ML career, but at the same time I wish he could've spent at least the better part of a year in the minors learning to play a new position. I generally don't like to see a player learning to play a new position in the majors. It reeks a bit of desperation to me, but between our need for a steady bat and Anthony's apparent exceptional potential, it is, though less then perfect, certainly understandable.

mick said...

Joe Seamhead

I would argue that the fact he is a 3rd baseman (longer throw to 1b) makes the adjustment to 2b rather simple for an athlete of his caliber. His speed and range I think makes the concern a bit over rated

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Mick, I agree with your analysis but mostly because you have to look at who Rendon really is and it starts with seeing the ball hitting the ball. He probably has hand/eye coordination at the highest echelon of athletes and that's where it starts with this ability to barrel up a baseball and go with the pitches and making line drive contact. BABIP will be his worst and best friend at times as we saw in ending the Saturday game on a line drive hit directly to the left-fielder.

Rendon can hit any pitch. My only fear is what I saw in the AFL Stars game. He wanted to hit some HRs on the big stage and dropped his backside to get under some balls and they were majestic long flyouts.

All Rendon has to do is stay within his game and spray line drives all over the field. That oppo double he hit yesterday was a thing of beauty. I would rather see him hit very few HRs and maintain an 800+ OPS through high OBP and XBHs comprised of double and triples.

A DC Wonk said...

Also, I've gone through in detail what you may call the great start to Henry's 2012 season and as Davey added more pressure he started to cave to the pressure before he fell apart. By May 13th his ERA was 4.70.

By May 12 his ERA was 2.63. You're picking his ERA right after he gave up the grand slam to Votto. Of _course_ his ERA would be high then.

Look at the very night before that slammer -- he pitched the 9th against those same Reds, in a 2-1 game and struck out the side in 10 pitches. That was a plenty high leverage situation.

That was May 12. Two days before, he got his seventh save by pitching a hitless/walkless ninth against the Pirates in a 4-2 game. On May 4 (his third night pitching in a row) he pitched a scoreless 9th in a tied game. The night before (May 3), he got his 6th save by pitching a perfect 9th against Arizona in a 2-1 game. The night before (May 2) he pitched a scoreless ninth in a one-run game, and ended up getting the win.

Look -- we can argue all day about Henry's skill and/or potential.

But it completely escapes me that anybody with a good memory of last season (or the ability to look up baseball-reference) wouldn't say that HRod, on May 12 2012, was the best reliever we had, and was kicking butt all season long.

SCNatsFan said...

Joe Seamhead is does reek of desperation which describes the Nationals at 2B before the call up

mick said...

Ghost

Good points, I did not know about the AFL Stars game and maybe that was anomaly , hopefully

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Joe Seamhead said...
... at the same time I wish he could've spent at least the better part of a year in the minors learning to play a new position.


Of course you are right as he needed those 2 to 3 solid weeks of playing 2nd base in the Minors and probably more than that if the need wasn't so great in DC. There's that old saying "Desperate times call for desperate measures".

MrsB loves the Nats said...

Anyone else nervous about Haren pitching tomorrow?

...

Anonymous said...

Mrs. B- I'm as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

JD said...


To me Rendon looks way more comfortable at 2nd base than I anticipated. He does not look awkward at all. Errors happen and he will clean up his game as he gets even more comfortable.

As far as the pop up he lost in the sun; for the life of me I don't understand how you go out there on a sunny day without sun glasses.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

mick said...
Ghost

Good points, I did not know about the AFL Stars game and maybe that was anomaly , hopefully

June 10, 2013 11:20 AM


I think it was an anomaly. You get into a showcase game like that and want to hit a HR. It happens.

I say leave the heavy lifting to RZim, LaRoche and Harper for the 4 baggers and just keep stroking those 2 baggers.

A DC Wonk said...

SCNatsFan said...

Joe Seamhead is does reek of desperation which describes the Nationals at 2B before the call up

I agree. Somewhat comparable, imho, to the state of Nats hitting last spring, which was a bit desperate, and let to the calling up of some 19-year old. Bryce was his name, I think ;-)

Actually, I'm being serious -- my point being that sometimes desperation in one area or another sometimes leads to the calling up of a pretty green minor leaguer -- and sometimes that works out PFB. With Rendon's sweet stroke, I think this will work out well. He's not Harper, and he doesn't have HoF attached to his name -- but I have a feeling Rendon could be up here to stay.

A DC Wonk said...

As far as the pop up he lost in the sun; for the life of me I don't understand how you go out there on a sunny day without sun glasses.

Indeed. Davey called him out on that one.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD said...

To me Rendon looks way more comfortable at 2nd base than I anticipated. He does not look awkward at all. Errors happen and he will clean up his game as he gets even more comfortable.

As far as the pop up he lost in the sun; for the life of me I don't understand how you go out there on a sunny day without sun glasses.

June 10, 2013 11:36 AM


Well said. I thought he would have looked like a guy learning a new position and not get the cutoffs or be at the bag for a dish from Desi or not cover 1st on a bunt. He made all those plays pefectly and even made that great relay throw to 3rd on that close triple.

Fundamentally he has been excellent except the groundball error. He makes the run saving catch going Air Jordan on that Carroll liner and you have both sides of the ledger covered.

SCNatsFan said...

I'm not worried about Haren. Either he pitches well or balls start to fly out of the park at an alarming rate, either way he doesn't keep you in suspense for long. Would be awesome if we could continue to build on the sweep.

JD said...


Karns is nowhere near ready to pitch at the major league level. I was a bit surprised when they called him up because he was far from dominant at the AA level. He shouldn't start another game in the big leagues unless and until he masters the minors - IMO.

I would like to see him a couple more times I guess but so far I think big Erik Davis is a downgrade from Ryan Matheus; I think he and Cedeno are not here for a long time.

Lombo is quietly having a terrible year with a slash line of .222 .234 .281. Sac flies not withstanding Lombo should not be anywhere near the starting lineup on a major league team (-0.6 below replacement level). Give some more of Kobernus instead of Lombo. Let's see what he's got.

SCNatsFan said...

And I know it is just me but it has to help to have a guy around who is smiling and laughing as opposed to Danny, who just always seems like he's about to be sentenced for some felony. Same with Willie Harris, always looked like he was told there was an IRS agent in the locker room waiting for him even after a home run. Maybe it doesn't make a difference but it sure makes for better TV!

JD said...


Haren - circa 2013 the one who on many occasions resembles a batting practice pitcher and Colorado do seem like a lethal mix. But just when you are ready to give up on him he throws a gem so let's keep out fingers crossed and hope for the best.

I think it's Ohlendorf on Wednesday. He's pitched very well at Syracuse over the past month but I don't know how that translates into pitching in the show against the Rockies in their launching pad.

MrsB loves the Nats said...

JD, people felt like Lombo was/is better becuz, well he isnt Espi, and he makes contact more... even if its an out, at least he swung the bat and hit the ball....

Lombo is a good utility player. He can do almost all things okay/well enough but nothin really great...

I like him as 1 of the bench folks...

MrsB loves the Nats said...

I like Davis more than I like Cedano... which isnt saying much as I dont think either are really ready...

For the life of me, I keep forgetting about Mattheus.... which is terrible...

JD said...


Ghost,

Speaking of Zim. What has happened to him since the 3 home run game?

JD said...


Mrs B.

So what you are saying is you like Lombo so long as he's not playing. OK, I'll buy that.

I think Garcia will be up soon unless they really want to stretch him out to be a starter. I think that one of the relievers goes down when Ohlendorf comes up and I think the other one goes down when Det comes up. If/when Stras comes back then Ohlendorf goes down unless he pitches well enough to claim the Zack Duke spot as the long reliever.

MrsB loves the Nats said...

JD - NO NO NO NO... I thought the whole Lombo vs Espi thing was stupid... I made many comments that Lombo can go 0 - 4 and some folks will say its okay just becuz he isnt Espi...

I like both Espi and Lombo but I take them for what they are...

Espi is a great defender with a very confusing at bat.

Lombo is a good utility man who can fill in once in a while whenever one of your live up is out... He hasnt really shown that he should play every day, at least to me he hasn't... But i am glad he is on the team...

TexNat said...

Eric, your continual harping on Rendon's fielding percentage is bordering on the silly. He is a rookie who has been moving positions a lot. The sample size is miniscule.

It's like you don't put any stock at all into the fact that he is just starting and projects as a plus defender. You wrote there is no reason to predict he will improve. That is ridiculous.

Comparing his fielding percentage to established veterans with huge sample sizes is so far removed from reality that it raises questions as to your agenda.

JD said...


Mrs. B.

I was just kidding. Lombo's problem is that he doesn't take walks. in 135 plate appearances he has 3 walks. He's not a power hitter and he normally makes outs so his numbers would look a lot more presentable (They are not just mediocre, they are horrid) if he too a walk every once in a while.

TimDz said...

Just curious....

Did either Duke or HRod get claimed? If they clear waivers, will the Nats outright either to AAA (I believe Duke could refuse and become a free agent).

Anyone?

Unknown said...

Could we get rid of Matt Stairs, oops, I meant Chad Tracey next?

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD said...

Ghost,

Speaking of Zim. What has happened to him since the 3 home run game?

June 10, 2013 11:51 AM


Like that writer for the Washington Times yesterday said he is pulling off the pitches. That exposes him to those outside pitches.

Its that same old thing that Bryce will tell you when he bites his jersey to remind himself to keep his head inside the ball.

It's so simplistic but that's Zim's biggest issue when he goes into one of his strikeout funks.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...


Rich Campbell of the Washington Times writes...Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman went 0 for 5 and struck out three times. His front side flew open on several empty swings at pitches on the outer half, particularly on off-speed stuff.

JD - Yah, what he said.

Pilchard said...

I love that Lombo is local, and beat the odds (19th round pick) to make the majors. With that said, he is playing below replacement level, and is not an option at SS if Desmond needs a break. Lombo's numbers are dreadful in 2013:

- No power (0 Hrs)
- No speed (0 SBs; 2 CS)
- Does not get on base (3 BBs/.234 OBP)

The Nats have been patient, but would expect a move to pick up a veteran utility guy that can play SS and either run or hit with some pop.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

TimDZ, we should hear today or tomorrow. When Atlanta a week ago DFA'd their 3rd baseman they pulled him back and made a trade.

It's real telling the market on Henry that a trade didn't occur at this point which probably means he will be declared a Free Agent. Certainly he will be scooped up as plenty of teams will want that raw talent and what we don't know yet as a Free Agent if he will get a MLB deal or a MiLB deal.

I just wonder if anyone can fix him. Time will tell as this will be a story we will all want to follow.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Pilchard, everything you say is correct but Lombo as a bench player is much better than Lombo the starter. As a pinch-hitter he is the best on the Nats. 5-17.

Tracy, Kobernus, Marrero, and Lombo are all replaceable. They know it and we know it but before anyone starts complaining about Lombo, Chad Tracy is still on this roster and unless they are waiting for something to happen in Denver, this guy has been a huge flop.

Positively Half St. said...

TimDz- I was plowing through the comments to see if anyone asked the question you did, or answered it. I see a whole lot of past tense HRod comments, but we may not have seen the last of him. If he ends up in Syracuse, we might even see him again this season. I'm not sure Duke would be worth the effort, which is sorta sad. He seems a solid guy from his tweets, and was useful on the team last year. He just seems so eminently replaceable now.

+1/2St.

Pete said...

base running miscues aside, I actually liked what I saw out of Kobernus at the plate. Granted, very limited sample, but with plus speed and willing to take a walk. Anyone know how his defense was in the minors at 2nd?

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

War of Words between DC's 2 sports talk stations. Mark Zuckerman gets a shoutout. Didn't even know Danny Espinosa had a show on 980AM.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2013/06/10/106-7-the-fan-espn-980-on-nats-coverage/

MrsB loves the Nats said...

GoSm - Yeah I am counting down the days until Chad Tracy is DFA'd... But I dont think it will happen... Chad is a servieable guy who is doing jack squat..

Maybe they think his vet presence helps...

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

+1/2St., don't keep your hopes up that Henry will sign back with the Nats. I'm sure he is looking for his quickest road back to the Majors which is not with the Nats and probably with a team like Houston who might put him in their bullpen.

I'm sure we will hear shortly that Henry has signed on with a new organization. What we don't know is whether or not he gets a deal to go to a MLB team or to someone's MiLB affiliate.

baseballswami said...

Tyler Moore -- I love that three people handled this with ultimate class -- Davey Johnson, who said the perfect things and, I think really seemed to mean it -- Tyler, who said the mature things and seems to have the right attitude -- Adam LaRoche, who gave his seal of approval and words of understanding and support from a respected veteran. Reading what all three said, coming from three different places, all classy. Davey and Adam obviously think highly of Tyler and Tyler obviously knows what the situation is and what he needs to do for himself and the team. I cannot imagine any of the three of them handling this any better.

TimDz said...

Can the Nats outright Henry to AAA or does he have enough service time to refuse the demotion?

If the Nats CAN outright Henry to AAA, WILL they? Or will they just give him his release?

A DC Wonk said...

JD said...


Karns is nowhere near ready to pitch at the major league level. I was a bit surprised when they called him up because he was far from dominant at the AA level. He shouldn't start another game in the big leagues unless and until he masters the minors - IMO.


Perhaps this has been discussed and I missed it, but:

Can anyone explain why Stammen isn't being considered as a spot starter?

NatsLady said...

Ryan had two clutch hits this week and is hitting over .400 RISP. That's what happened to him.

It didn't start off as a sunny day. (Rendon)

Stammen not spot starting but he is more valuable 2 or 3 innings at a time than 5 once.

Mattheus was in the dugout chatting with Gio yesterday.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

DC Wonk, I believe Davey and Rizzo find Stammen too valuable in the bullpen and don't want to put all those starters innings on his arm.

Section 222 said...

The difference in attitude between Ty-Mo and Espi after their demotions speaks volumes.

Someone said it reeked of desperation to call up Rendon so quickly. Well, I'm glad Rizzo finally got desperate to have someone playing 2B who could sustain and OPS over .600. I was desperate for that a month earlier. As for Rendon's fielding, he's already showing he can play the position adequately, and I think he'll pretty quickly show he can play it very well. His fielding percentage at this point after all of 48 major league chances this season is truly meaningless. I agree with TexNat that there is every reason to think he will get better.

Yesterday might have been the turning point for the season, but now we head to Colorado where our injury-riddled starting rotation could really be a problem. Last year when we went out there, our bats finally came alive even though we just split the series. I'll be very happy if we take 2 out of 3.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

TimDz said...
Can the Nats outright Henry to AAA or does he have enough service time to refuse the demotion?

If the Nats CAN outright Henry to AAA, WILL they? Or will they just give him his release?

June 10, 2013 12:39 PM


If Henry clears waivers, I am sure the Nats will try and retain him. Again, chances are he will be claimed and that has been part of the fear of doing a DFA is that another team picks him up and the Nats can't control where he goes or receive any trade compensation for him.

Obviously Rizzo tried to trade Henry and couldn't get any value for him leaving the DFA as the only remaining option.

Steady Eddie said...

Disagree with those who think calling up Rendon was a mark of desperation. Calling up Corey Brown to start in LF would have been desperation; calling up a #6 overall draft pick who would have been #1 without the question mark of his injuries is seeing what you got on the offensive side.

Now calling him up to play second base with all of what, 7 or 8 or 10 games in pro ball in that position was what I would call more necessity, driven by the Danny 2013 debacle.

But the point is, unless you're 10 or 12 games over .500 and leading your division at this point in the season, you have to find a place for That Bat. I agree completely with Ghost that he has the skills to maybe be the best pure hitter on this team. And added to that, he has what seem to be tremendous baseball smarts and a great eagerness and capacity to learn, both in terms of being able to adapt to the ways the league will find to adapt to him, and -- as a partial answer to Eric -- to learn how to play a cleaner second base. (Though jeez, kid, don't you even own a pair of sunglasses???!!!)

One of the other big additional factors could be what SCNatsFan identified, which is that Rendon brings this open joy to the game which could be a real asset to the clubhouse, especially one that has been as tightly wound as the first couple months of the season have made them. That kind of inspirational play and mood are looking like 2013's Bryce. (In case you can't tell, I have a huge mancrush on the guy. But take a little of your bonus and get some sunglasses, kid!)

Jane Elizabeth said...

I have a theory why you need a guy like Zach Duke on your staff. From time to time, a team is simply not going to be in a certain game early on. Most relievers are unwilling to go in and just coast through because they have short term contracts and the like. They can't afford to have their stats take a hit. You can put a guy like Duke in and he doesn't care if his ERA goes from 6.00 to 8.00. In essence you are paying him not to care but just to get through innings. Now who is going to be the guy to chew through innings?

Secondly, there was a guy on here a while back who swore that Rendon would never be brought up to anything but 3rd because he has bad ankles. He seemed to have inside information or something, but apparently the Espy situation got so bad that they had to bring Rendon up.

Eric said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eric said...

"It's like you don't put any stock at all into the fact that he is just starting and projects as a plus defender. You wrote there is no reason to predict he will improve."

What percentage of MLB projections ultimately play out to the most optimistic scenario?

"Comparing his fielding percentage to established veterans with huge sample sizes is so far removed from reality that it raises questions as to your agenda. "

lol, OK Tex.

The bottom line for me is, as Joe pointed out, I would have preferred that Rendon get more time in the minors. I'd rather learn if his fielding improves or not there than here.

I'll be rooting for him, for sure, and, for now, holding my breath on hits to 2B...kinda like I do on throws from 3B. Hopefully in a month or two both Zim and Rendon will have tightened up and this will all be moot.

Anyway, it baffles me that people are so bugged out that I, personally, am a little concerned about this. What's the big deal? I'm not predicting where he'll end up, just expressing how I feel about the immediate future.

Surely no one's asking me to...censor my thoughts or something?

Section 222 said...

No, definitely not asking you to censor. It just seems like you've had a burr in your backside about Rendon's fielding for a while, which wasn't justified. Fielding numbers, particularly in the minors, don't tell the whole story, and to get worried about such a small sample in the bigs while downplaying the likelihood of improvement, especially when he's also made some very impressive plays so far, seems disingenuous. It also seemed like you were enamored of Espi's defense so much that you were willing to live with his historically bad hitting, and therefore had an agenda to downgrade Rendon's potential to help the team. I think we stuck with Espi too long and keeping Rendon down on the farm out of concern over his defense would have been a huge mistake. Especially when Tony Beasley told Davey he could handle the position.

If you're holding your breath as much for Rendon as you do for Zim, your breath control will be getting a major workout. Honestly, I have more faith in Rendon improving than I do in Zim. Remember when Zim was going to be a work in progress until June? Well, it's June....

Holden Baroque said...

Although, to be fair, it will still be June for about three more weeks. And he does seem to be getting better.

Not that I don't still flinch on routine plays.

Holden Baroque said...

For what little it's worth, I'm not at all worried about Rendon. Learning on the job in MLB is suboptimal, but as the man said, necessity is a mother, and you could see him learning over the course of one game. He'll be fine.

TexNat said...

Eric, you clearly have an agenda with regard to Rendon/Espi. You go out of your way to cite statistically insignificant numbers for Rendon, but then ignore a much larger body of work for Espi indicating that he is one of the worst hitters in the major leagues.

Your comment that there is no reason to think Rendon will improve as a fielder tells us all we need to know. The guy has played barely more than a handful of games in his career. And, what, 2 or 3 at 2b?

Trying to draw an equivalence between a player of Rendon's experience and Espi's or RZim just comes off as, as Sec. 222 put it, disingenuous.

Nobody is asking you not to speak your mind, but if you continue to selectively cite statistics to harp on Rendon while ignoring the elephant in the room with other players, you can expect to get push back.

DWS said...

An interesting read. One persons opinion on the draft, and the effects on a player.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9348666/the-mlb-draft-work-quite-possibly-immoral-replace-it

Joe Seamhead said...

Well, I am 100% pulling for the young man to excel on both sides. I love his infectious smile, just as I did Michael Morse's. My wife calls him Mikey Jr. because he has shown a bit of MM's goofball smiles and antics already. I love a little color and character on the teams I root for. I expressed my opinion that I don't like to see any rookie player learn a new position in the majors. It's usually not optimum, but necessity is the mother of invention, {and yes, I was a Zappa fan]. We were/are desperate, as we were losing more then we were winning with Espinosa and Lombardozzi, thus my statement that playing Rendon at 2B, with as few games as he has played the position, reeked of desperation. Hell, I still think ideally it would've been better for him to play most of the year in the minors because he hasn't stayed healthy in the field for 3 years. But, and I repeat, "but" this kid is looking to be exceptional. Let's hope it continues. Can he turn a fast moving double play? Probably. Will he have growing pains in the form of some frustrating errors? Probably.Can he hit? I'm pretty sure that the answer there is: definitely.

Holden Baroque said...

I don't think Eric was saying there was no reason to think he'd improve; I understood him to mean there was not enough data to draw that conclusion, which is not the same thing. I happen to think there's enough information to take a pretty good guess, especially if you include observational data along with straight stats (the kid just looks like he gets it), but I don't think he's bashing Rendon.

Eric said...

"No, definitely not asking you to censor. It just seems like you've had a burr in your backside about Rendon's fielding for a while..."

I mean, I'm not super confident about his fielding. Not sure what this burr is you're talking about, unless it refers to how people feel about said lack of confidence.

TeX, you're hilarious, keep it coming!

Sofa, that's exactly where I'm coming from.

Eric said...

Oh, and this has nothing to do with Espi. I was fine with Lombo taking over until Rendon or Espi or Kobernus or anyone else proved ready in the field. I'd still be OK with that. Because Lombo is solid on D TODAY and also has been pretty productive on offense recently.

In addition, Rendon is fun to watch and his offense is very impressive.

TexNat said...

Eric, I don't blame you for waiting and seeing on Rendon at 2b. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at 3b long term.

Just seems you focus rather exclusively on your defensive concerns. Perhaps you are just a stickler for that side of the ball.

Eric said...

Heh, that last line is a little out of the blue. I included it to say that, despite my concerns, I enjoy watching him. I'd like nothing more than to see him step up and leave me with nothing but good things to say.

Eric said...

TexNat, its not so much that I'm a stickler for D, I just see it as a two-sided game and feel that D often gets short shrift until its a real problem.

With Rendon, a big part of the reason why it came up today is because of a comment in a previous thread suggesting Rendon be declared the starting 2B henceforth but then in the next paragraph suggesting that RZim get shipped off to DH in the AL due to his problems on D.

Those two points taken together struck me as being pretty contradictory. I think its also the source of this notion that I'm comparing Rendon to RZim, which I'm not.

Unknown said...

Rendon's jumping grab last night was a game saver....one that doesn't show up in stats.

Eric said...

That was nasty, no doubt!

Kevin Booker said...

Rendon is already one of the better hitters on the team. His bat was more advanced when he came out of college than Harper's was when he entered professional baseball. Nobody on that team has the bat speed he has except maybe Harper. His approach at the plate is well beyond his years and it shows with his patience and high walk totals. He's only going to get better and better. He should be in the 2 hole with his high contact rate and ability to put the ball in play. It won't be long before they start busting him inside as he seems to be weary of inside pitches....but he'll adjust just fine.
He has reached base safely in 9 straight big leagues games, going 11-for-30 (.367) with 3 2B, 4 R and 6 BB.

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