The Washington Nationals were the no.1 system in baseball on Baseball America's organizational rankings before the trade that sent three of the prospects on BA's November '11 Top 10 Nats' prospect list to Oakland in return for A's left-hander Gio Gonzalez and RHP Robert Gilliam. Baseball America's Jim Callis (@JimCallisBA) commented on Twitter that the deal would result in the Nationals slipping, "... a little in final rankings."
ESPN.com's Keith Law wrote yesterday in his rankings of the top organizations in baseball that the 4-for-2 trade with the A's turned the Nationals from, "a top-10 system," and, "no worse than top 15" on the list to no.21 overall because after the deal, as he wrote, "this system lacks depth." Two current Nationals' prospects and two former Nats' prospects made the ESPN.com writer and scout's list of the Top 100 Prospects in baseball when it was published this morning...
2010 no.1 overall pick Bryce Harper, who was ranked no. 2 overall on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospect list when they released it last week, and was no. 2 on ESPN.com's Mr. Law's list last season, is no.2 again this year, finishing behind 20-year-old LA Angels' '09 1st Round pick Mike Trout on the ESPN.com list for the second year in a row. Harper's slow starts and ability to adjust at each new level are noted, and his "light tower power" and high "contact rates" are highlighted by Mr. Law, who predicts that the left-handed hitting slugger who put up a .297/.392/.501 slash at A and Double-A in the Nats' system last season will start back at Double-A and likely earn a September call-up later this year.
Joining Harper on the list this year, at no.17, is 2011 Nats' 1st Round pick Anthony Rendon. The no.6 pick in last June's Draft finished the 2011 season at Rice with a .327/.520/.523 line, twenty doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI's in 63 games and 214 at bats, but struggled with ankle and shoulder issues that caused the player considered the best hitter in the draft to drop to the Nats with the sixth overall pick. ESPN.com's Mr. Law writes that the Nats' first 1st Round pick of 2011 has, "... one of the quickest bats in the minors, coupled with major league-caliber plate discipline," and predicts that a healthy Rendon could end up on top of the list next year.
Harper and Rendon are the only Nats' prospects on Mr. Law's list this season. Last year, Harper was joined by a then-21-year-old '07 4th Round pick Derek Norris (at no.33), who was one of the four prospects dealt to Oakland this winter, and then-23-year-old backstop Wilson Ramos (no.95). Norris is an A's prospect now, and he lands at no.93 this year on Mr. Law's prospect rankings. 20-year-old right-hander A.J. Cole, the Nats' 2010 4th Round pick and one of the three pitching prospects dealt to Oakland (along with RHP Brad Peacock and LHP Tom Milone) ends up at no.33 on Mr. Law's 2012 prospect list with the writer suggesting he could eventually end up a top of the rotation arm (a no.2) in Oakland.
• 2011 1st Round pick RHP Alex Meyer and 2010 2nd Rounder LHP Sammy Solis made both Baseball America's original and the updated Top 10 Prospects list after the trade with Oakland and both pitchers joined Harper and Rendon on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospect list when it was released earlier this winter, but neither pitcher made it onto ESPN.com's Mr. Law's Top 100.
0 recs | 62 comments
Based on his (in-progress) chat,
Law’s not as down on the Nats as one would think, based on the rank and people’s comments elsewhere. He puts Meyer in his ‘ten who just missed’ group, thinks the Nats’ system is in better long-term shape than anyone else in the NL East, thinks Taylor could be in his top-100 list next year, and thinks the Jackson signing seems like a great deal for the Nats.
Meanwhile, back to the snark.
jbg2772 - February 9, 2012
I'd think if all the 2011 picks have good seasons the Nats would be a lot higher on next year's list...
btw: Don’t know if last line was directed toward post above. Didn’t think I was being snarky towards Mr. Law, just wondering, though I’ve seen some snark directed his way here and around NatsTown.
Patrick Reddington - February 9, 2012
Snark.
For Mr. Law.
chubias - February 9, 2012
That's ++ snark. heh,
Patrick Reddington - February 9, 2012
KLAW = Snark
Rizzo doesn’t point to his head on that one.
Berndaddy - February 9, 2012
Sorry Patrick
I meant, back to reading Law’s snark in his chat.
jbg2772 - February 9, 2012
No worries, just wondering if I'd been unintentionally snarky. Thanks.
Patrick Reddington - February 9, 2012 via mobile
Bryce talkin smack?
Did Bryce Harper really say that DC and Fairfax suck and are boring? I am hearing them say all of this on the radio but I wasn’t aware he went that low?
dawgjk9 - February 9, 2012
If he made those comments somewhere, I haven't seen them...
But I’m sure someone else here would have and will link if so.
Think far too much is being made of his off-field antics, personally. But he seems to be fine with being a little more open publicly than most players are. Interesting to see how that works for him in the long run.
Patrick Reddington - February 9, 2012
Agreed
I am of the mind-set of “who cares”? He is just here to play ball..and if he does that well, all is well in my book. If we are legit contenders, he will stay and we will pay to keep him in the long-run. Keep in mind that he is a 19yr old kid, when I was 19 I was just as bad if not worse. Could only imagine what would happen if I had the $$$ he has at that age!
dawgjk9 - February 9, 2012
Fairfax isn't Paris
Its fine. but hard to have an outlandish opinions about it if you aren’t from there. who would purely adore coming there if you were from somewhere else.
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
and DC
is not Vegas. totally different vibe.
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
I just don't get the mindset to go out of your way to slam your city
Sure, answer honestly if asked, I’d respect that, but to tweet about Cowboys love and everything else… and look, yes, he’s 19, but a bunch of baseball players came up young and got $$ and yet did their best to fit in. In fact, it is very much a baseball thing (see Strasburg, et. al.) I’m sorry, but I don’t like “if he can hit I don’t care.” That’s like SF being behind Bonds. I love that the HOF includes “character”. But, apparently once again it’s just me…
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
why cant he be a cowboys fan?
i didnt know that signing with the nationals meant he had to switch his allegiance to one of the cowboys rivals
billybeingbilly - February 9, 2012
Besides, there is a huge population of Cowboys fans in DC.
I was told by someone in the office, that many of the local African-American families in DC won’t support the Redskins, because they were the last team to integrate, while the Cowboys were among the first teams to do so. Whatever the reason, a large number of DC fans support the rival team, more than just transplants.
chubias - February 10, 2012
If that's true now, it is revisionist history for most of them.
In the 80’s and early 90’s there were far far fewer Cowboys fans in DC than now, and the Redskins strongest support was from African-Americans, as it is now.
Doncosmic - February 10, 2012
No reason, taste aside,
speaking as someone who still roots for the Giants after 25 years of living in MD…
jbg2772 - February 10, 2012
This ticket business just got moar reals...
@washingnats: RT @SenBobCasey: I’m calling on the @Nationals to reverse course on a reported plan to block @Phillies fans from buying tickets to games at Nationals Park.
Patrick Reddington - February 9, 2012 via mobile
Or what?
What could the Senator from Pennyslvania do? Give me a break.
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
Get over youselfs Phillie fans
Capitals did the exact same thing to the Penguins, and I dont hear them b!tching about it. If im the Nats I set up the same block for all games agaist Phillie, just to piss them off
jeff550 - February 9, 2012
Actually the Pens fans whined even worse and got someone to step in and stop it.
The difference there being that that entailed all ticket sales, not just presales, I think (or it was more extensive).
brs03 - February 9, 2012
Which made it even more delicious when the Pens did it to the Wings, of course, but that’s the way it works with them it seems.
brs03 - February 9, 2012
So ridiculous
so so so ridiculous. its a marketing gimmick. poor phillies fans, who vomit on opponents fans and throw batteries. sniffle, i feel bad for them.
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
I thought the Terrapins fans threw batteries.
Whiter Mage - February 9, 2012
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1999/08/10/cardinals_phillies_ap/
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1999/08/10/cardinals_phillies_ap/
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
That was only for J.D. Drew, after he dissed the Phillies after being drafted by them, and eventually signed with the Cards.
jbg2772 - February 9, 2012
right, and that little girl, she was an awful individual
com’on. because you are fan never gives you the right to do something of that nature. never in a million years.
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
My mom was attacked by two Philly fans at a Skins game when I was in 8th grade.
That’s what I will always remember them for. She had no injuries, but they are still scum.
Horcasitas4 - February 9, 2012
We should call on our Senator to ask him to stop complaining.
Oh wait. This is nothing the Caps haven’t done for Penguins games. I’d like to think Bob Casey has other issues to worry about.
Whiter Mage - February 9, 2012
You mean the Senator that represents the Nats?
Oh….wait.
Doncosmic - February 9, 2012
thats actually funny
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
If nothing else, we should key in Mayor for Life
Marion Berry on him.
Whiter Mage - February 9, 2012
The former mayor is not allowed to be around key's of anything.
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
I'd give him some keys just to watch him hit another tree...
Trees don’t have coalitions, do they? The Rush song Trees, talks about the oppressive Oak tree. maybe the good Mayor can hit one of those.
Berndaddy - February 9, 2012
or lynrd skynrd that smell
oak tree in my way.
Bsullivan - February 9, 2012
By "our senator" you must not be from DC
#taxationwithoutrepresentation
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
Sarcasm my friend.
Whiter Mage - February 9, 2012
SORRY!
Hadn’t read your posts so I wasn’t sure, and also I was stupid.
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
It's ok
I’m relatively new in these parts. Not new, but I’m not a regular.
Whiter Mage - February 9, 2012
We be nice to them, if they be nice to us.
SmeagolRobBobS - February 9, 2012
Don't worry,
he’ll get quiet quickly when we go to #NatsParkNorth
Tvm950 - February 9, 2012
NPN!NPN!NPN!
jbg2772 - February 9, 2012
Ok, I'll be the one to slam Law (though hopefully not to snarkily)
I hope he is far more right this year than last. He had Norris way ahead of Ramos, and now Norris has fallen 60 spots in one year while Ramos had an awesome rookie year in the Bigs?! And I’d take #2 and #17 in a sport where so many don’t make it than a whole lot of guys further down the list, so why are we rated way below average? And at any rate, in context, it doesn’t matter so much for such a young MLB team… we aren’t in need of a ton of guys to come up, especially since two are considered near-locks.
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
One is considered a lock.
Don’t know who else you might be thinking of. Rendon? He has promise but he’s no lock.
RobBobS - February 9, 2012
"pretty much" a lock, not "a" lock
I think that the guy who was considered the best hitter in an entire draft and who is now apparently healthy is about as good as you get.
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
oh, and I should have made clear I meant a lock to be a useful MLBer, not necessarily a star
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
I don't share your optimism
But then again, I like to be pleasantly surprised.
RobBobS - February 9, 2012
you don't think it's likely a #1 hitter in a draft is even going to be able to handle the MLB?
On what basis? That he was injured so he didn’t hit a lot of bombs last year (and is now healthy)? You know me, I don’t have huge faith in prospects, but I do in basically everyone thinking he was the best hitting prospect in all of the draftees.
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
Presuming to respond for RobBobS
since I share his opinion (I hope). I say once more, Rendon has not played a single inning in professional ball. Until he does, I decline to anoint him, especially as he hasn’t tested his healthy shoulder under game conditions.
He may have been the #1 hitter in the draft, but he’s still untested.
jbg2772 - February 9, 2012
Thanks.
Said better than I could.
RobBobS - February 9, 2012
Ok, once again outnumbered, I quit! I will have no confidence in him, too.
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
Sigh
I have confidence in Rendon’s potential. I’ve just gotten tired of the presumption (not by you here) that he’s a gold-plated lock and it’s a fait accompli that he’ll either (sooner rather than later) push Zimmerman to first base, or magically master playing second between now and opening day and shift Espinosa to short and Desmond to utility player/center fielder/trade wire.
There are no locks, especially before someone’s played their first professional game. Injuries, bad coaching, drugs, Steve Blass disease, life can intervene.
Rant and apologia complete.
jbg2772 - February 9, 2012
Zim is not moving anywhere, however if scouts think he could be a GG caliber 3b, he should be able to be at least a decent 2b, and who said anything about opening day? I do see him as having a shot at a september callup though.
Doncosmic - February 10, 2012
According to Keith Law on Twitter, putting Rendon at 2b would be a terrible decision.
Concerning he has had two recent ankle injuries, 2b wouldn’t be a good place to put him.
If that is true and he proves to be as good as advertised, what exactly does that mean?
Is it either trade Rendon and Extend Zimmerman, or vise versa?
Do we put Rendon at 1b and Werth/Harper at CF? By then there is no way Werth could play center.
It might come down to choosing three of the 4 of Zimmerman, Rendon, Morse and a quality/great center fielder. That’s about two to three years away, but it could be a problem that has a huge effect on our franchise.
Horcasitas4 - February 9, 2012
I think that his ankle will be fine at 2B, or 3B
but that will all be played out in the minors
jeff550 - February 9, 2012
Out of those four
Morse is a FA after 2013. You probably let him walk, considering he’s older, had only one good year thus far. Werth in left, Harper in right (or vise versa), and you go with either someone like Bourn or Victorino after next year in free agency or see if Taylor/Goodwin can develop into legit centerfielders. If Rendon’s ankle doesn’t hold up in the minors, you stick him at 1B. Otherwise, you deal with him being a below-average defensive 2B. If you can’t resign Zim, he goes to 3rd. I don’t think it’s a big issue, the situation is quite flexible.
Jaumiusk - February 9, 2012
or if he and zimm are great and Morse is kept then you trade him for a good return
you’re right, this is a nice “problem” to have
William.Hatheway - February 9, 2012
I’ve heard more than one person mention putting Zim at short and Rendon at 3B, though the obvious question of “Why are you moving a gold glove defender?” comes to mind.
Whiter Mage - February 9, 2012
I haven't heard that
I’m not sure if Zimm has the range for short.
mk7676 - February 9, 2012
They talked about it shortly after he first came up
but at this point I agree with you (although Cal Ripken made a career of positioning and later of hypnotizing the media and Baltimore FO)…
jbg2772 - February 9, 2012
Right. It’d be interesting to see if the idea happens.
Whiter Mage - February 9, 2012
To a certain extent, you have to just let him play and hope his body holds up
He has a bum shoulder, so he can’t throw, and he has a bum ankle, so he can’t field. Got it. Well, you have to put him somewhere, and we have a third baseman.
mk7676 - February 9, 2012
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