We're five days away from Opening Day now and we already know that we will be without two of our starting three outfielders and our starting third baseman to open the season. Not to mention that Nate McLouth is still banged up and Casey Janssen may head to the disabled list as well. Not exactly how we wanted to start the year, but injuries happen and there's nothing you can do about it. I'd much rather be without Denard Span, Anthony Rendon, and Jayson Werth in April than be without them in October for the playoffs. Knowing that the Nationals will be without Span, Werth, and Rendon to open the season, here is how the final roster may play out.
Players to the Disabled List:
Really? It's not even April and we're talking about the DL? Well, Span is destined for the DL being that he will probably be out until late April or early May. As of today Rendon was officially placed on the DL with Jayson Werth likely to follow. With those two though, we have no idea how much time they may miss. Werth is playing in Minor League games which is a good sign, he just won't be quite ready by April 6th. Barring any setbacks, Werth should be a safe bet to return anytime between April 10th and April 13th, which means he would only miss 3 to 6 games or so. Rendon on the other hand is a complete toss up. He could be out for another week or he could be out for another month and a half. He's gotten three separate opinions on his sprained MCL and none of the three have said he requires surgery. That's the good news. The bad news is, what initially was supposed to be Rendon sitting out a few games, has turned into Rendon missing potentially all of April. As I said before though, I'd rather be without him in April and have him get completely healthy than have him rush back, get re-injured, and be out until July. The last two players who may end up on the DL are Nate McLouth and Casey Janssen. Neither one is a huge loss and neither one is irreplaceable. Janssen would likely see his bullpen spot occupied by Blake Treinen until he gets back, while McLouth's spot could go to a few players that are still in camp.
Replacements:
The Nationals have a bunch of players in Major League camp that are ready to fill in for these three while they are on the DL. We know that we are going to get a sneak peak at 2016 with Michael Taylor filling in for Denard Span for the first month or so of the year. Tyler Moore looks like a good bet to make the team based on the Spring he's had. I also don't think the Nationals are ready to let him go and he's out of options, so unless they're ready to trade him, they have to find a roster spot for him. The roster spot that would belong to Anthony Rendon is up in the air a bit. The Nationals could go with either Mike Carp, Dan Uggla, or Ian Stewart. Carp has had the worst spring of the bunch, but he has a World Series ring and has playoff experience that none of the others have. Don't underestimate that because I think Rizzo puts a lot of value in that. Stewart and Uggla have been impressive though after both having years where their careers looked like they were just about over. Uggla has 11 hits in 39 at bats with 2 home runs while Stewart has 12 hits in 46 at bats with 3 home runs. Both have high career strike out rates, but have really cut down on the strikeouts this spring. It's just Spring Training though, so we have to take that with a grain of salt. With all the open spots on the Nats roster right now, I'm betting Uggla, Stewart, and Carp all make the Opening Day roster. Once the Nats get healthy, that's when they will have to make some decisions as to who to keep for the year. If Werth does end up on the DL, then there will be one final spot up for grabs. Matt den Dekker and Reed Johnson appear to be the leading candidates for Werth's roster spot if he hits the DL. Matt den Dekker was acquired for Jerry Blevins on Monday and Reed Johnson was also signed on Monday. Johnson signed a Minor League deal and den Dekker has Minor League options remaining, so both are likely to be headed there by mid-April. If I had to pick one to make the roster, I would say its den Dekker being that he plays solid defense at all three outfield spots and is a left handed hitter.
Quick Thought on Kevin Frandsen:
I know Frandsen didn't exactly light it up during Spring Training this year. He was out played by both Dan Uggla and Ian Stewart. My problem with releasing Frandsen is that the Nats just let go of one of their most versatile players from 2014. He played first, second, and third base as well as left field last year for the Nationals. There's nobody left on the roster now who can play all of those positions. He's also a contact hitter that doesn't strike out a lot. Is that something you get from Danny Espinosa? No. How about Ian Stewart? Nope. Maybe Dan Uggla? Very funny. So who do you call on in the 7th, 8th, or 9th when you just need a single in order to get a guy on base? I can't see anybody on the bench right now that I would trust in that situation. I've said time and time again that Rizzo has earned my trust and the trust of every Nationals fan, but that doesn't mean that I like the move. I actually hate it.
Projected Opening Day Lineup:
1.) Michael Taylor, CF
2.) Yunel Escobar, 3B
3.) Ryan Zimmerman, 1B
4.) Bryce Harper, RF
5.) Ian Desmond, SS
6.) Dan Uggla, 2B
7.) Wilson Ramos, C
8.) Tyler Moore, LF
9.) Max Scherzer, P
Bench:
1.) Danny Espinosa
2.) Jose Lobaton
3.) Mike Carp
4.) Ian Stewart
5.) Matt den Dekker
Bullpen:
1.) Drew Storen
2.) Matt Thornton
3.) Blake Treinen
4.) Craig Stammen
5.) Aaron Barrett
6.) Xavier Cedeno
7.) Tanner Roark
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