The Phillies filled their biggest need right before the winter meetings ended, acquiring center fielder Ben Revere from the Minnesota Twins for right-handers Vance Worley and Trevor May on Thursday.
The Phillies filled their biggest need right before the winter meetings ended, acquiring center fielder Ben Revere from the Minnesota Twins for right-handers Vance Worley and Trevor May on Thursday.
The Washington Nationals filled one of their longest-standing needs Thursday and, in turn, opened up a litany of options as they build their roster for the 2013 season.
With the addition of Denard Span, the Washington Nationals aren't just plugging a player into the lineup and moving on. He's like that nice new piece of furniture that causes the homeowner to redecorate the entire room _ just so everything is in the perfect spot.
If you lined up the Potomac Nationals in no particular order, one player would stick out quite easily. Standing at 6-foot-9, Alex Meyer is the tallest player in the entire Washington organization.
The Nationals' farm system, ranked No. 1 over the winter by Baseball America, fell to No. 12 when it was re-ranked in March in the wake of the Gio Gonzalez trade. Outside of outfielder Bryce Harper, there are more prospects at Single-A and Double-A this year than those who are near major league-ready.
When Baseball America's 2011 draft preview was sent off in late May, it projected Anthony Rendon and Alex Meyer would be off the board after the sixth pick. It listed Brian Goodwin as the sixth-best center fielder available. Many thought Rendon would be the first-overall selection, and there wasn't much hope that if Meyer made it past the Washington Nationals' first pick at six, he'd still be there at No. 23.
This year, there was no Bryce Harper and no Stephen Strasburg. There was no No. 1 overall pick deemed once-in-a-generation waiting until the clock struck midnight to relent, get paid record sums and join the Washington Nationals.
On the first day of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, the Washington Nationals sent a message for their strategy this year: We're not afraid to take a risk.
