Whether it’s a case of necessity or the rapid progression the Washington Nationals are hoping to see throughout their minor league system, their affiliates’ rosters look a lot different than even a month ago.
A season-long wave of player promotions reached perhaps the most significant level of the year last week, with seven hitters climbing the minor league ladder.
Catcher Luke Montz and infielder Ofilio Castro moved from Class AA Harrisburg to Class AAA Columbus. Class A Potomac sent first baseman Bill Rhinehart, third baseman Leonard Davis and outfielder Edgardo Baez to Harrisburg, and outfielder Aaron Seuss and shortstop Daniel Lyons went from Class A Hagerstown to Potomac.
While some moves needed to be made to fill holes in the organization - like Harrisburg’s need for an outfielder after Roger Bernadina went from the Senators to the major leagues Sunday - most reflect an organization that’s still trying to figure out how much talent it has among its position players.
“These guys know that if you perform, we’ll give you a chance,” Washington general manager Jim Bowden said last week. “We’ve been very clear what our long-term plan is, which is building through development and scouting. If you can perform, we’ll give you a shot.”
Two of the moves are worth keeping an eye on in particular. Rhinehart is playing at his third level in less than three weeks after being promoted from Hagerstown to Potomac on June 20 in the wake of Chris Marrero’s season-ending broken leg. Now Rhinehart is a level above the Nationals’ 2006 first-round pick, and while nobody is suggesting he’s a better long-term prospect than Marrero, he has a chance to gain attention in the last half of 2008.
Similarly, Montz can set himself up for 2009 by finishing strong. Bowden has said the 24-year-old will be given a chance to compete for the Nationals’ backup catching job next season. He hit .282 for Harrisburg and is tied with Davis for second in the Nationals’ system with 14 homers.
For the affiliates themselves, the moves leave coaching staffs with some work to do - particularly at Potomac, where the Carolina League’s first-half Northern Division champions will have a playoff series to prepare for in coming months. But the Nationals’ top priority is player development, and that only means teams have to repeat their first-half teaching.
“It’s not spring training, but you’ve got to sit back and let them play a little bit. That takes a few days,” Potomac manager Randy Knorr said. “You might see something, and you tuck it in the back of your head for a week or so. My whole philosophy as a manager and a developer is if you can develop them, they’ll win for you.”
Smoker sent down
Not all of Washington’s organizational moves this week were promotions; in fact, the Nationals demoted one of their most promising pitching prospects.
Left-hander Josh Smoker, one of the Nationals’ “sandwich” picks between the first and second round of the 2007 draft, was sent from Class A Hagerstown to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League this week. The 19-year-old has struggled in his first full season, going 0-4 for the Suns with an 11.50 ERA and a walks/hits per innings pitched ratio (WHIP) of 2.22.
Senators get three All-Stars
Harrisburg had three players named to the Eastern League All-Star team this week - starting pitchers Jordan Zimmermann and Bobby Brownlie and outfielder Mike Daniel. They will be on the Southern Division team in the July 16 game in Manchester, N.H.
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