Direct from the Press Release:

The Washington Nationals today announced their roster for players participating in the 2008 Instructional League.   Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden, Assistant General Manager and Vice President, Player Development Bob Boone and Director of Player Development Bobby Williams made the joint announcement.

The Instructional League (IL) is intended to provide the best and brightest prospects in the Nationals’ system with high-intensity instruction and attention provided by Washington’s top minor-league coordinators, managers, coaches and instructors.  During the 25-day slate, players will participate in workouts and play in games on a daily basis.  For the second consecutive year, the Nationals will compete in IL pool play with similar squads from the Astros, Braves and Tigers organizations.

 Those invited to the IL will report to the Nationals Spring Training Complex in Viera, FL on September 16, with the first workout scheduled for September 17.

Over half of the club’s 47 players participating in the IL were selected in the 2007 or 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

The IL class of 2008 includes shortstop Esmailyn “Smiley” Gonzalez (the 2008 Gulf Coast League batting champion), left-handed pitcher Jack McGeary (Washington’s sixth-round selection in the 2007 Draft, led the GCL with 64 strikeouts this season), outfielder Michael Burgess (paced professional baseball with 28 outfield assists, finished second among Nationals farmhands with 24 home runs and tied for second with 79 RBI this season), outfielder Destin Hood (Washington’s second-round selection in this year’s First-Year Player Draft), shortstop Danny Espinosa (a third-round pick in the ‘08 Draft out of Long Beach State University), left-handed pitcher Graham Hicks (selected in the fourth round of this June’s Draft) and catcher Adrian Nieto (Washington’s fifth-round selection in the ‘08 First-Year Player Draft).

The Nationals’ 2008 Instructional League roster:

PITCHERS (22) RHP Edulin Abreu,  LHP William Atwood, RHP Martin Beno,  RHP P.J. Dean, RHP Paul Demny, RHP Shane Erb, RHP Marcos Frias, LHP Austin Garrett, LHP Bobby Hansen, LHP Graham Hicks, RHP Juan Jaime, RHP Cole Kimball, LHP Kevin Light, LHP Patrick McCoy, LHP Jack McGeary, RHP Brad Peacock, RHP Hassan Pena, RHP Jose Pinales, LHP Atahualpa Severino, LHP Josh Smoker, RHP Steven Stewart, RHP Colton Willems

CATCHERS (5) C Daniel Killian, C Sandy Leon, C Adrian Nieto, C Derek Norris, C Sean Rooney,

INFIELDERS (11) SS Dani Arias, SS Danny Espinosa, SS Esmailyn Gonzalez, 3B Stephen King, 3B Ronnie Labrie, 2B Stephen Lombardozzi , 1B Chris Marrero,  1B Tyler Moore, 2B Jake Smolinski, 2B Francisco Soriano, 3B Steven Souza

OUTFIELDERS (9) OF Michael Burgess, OF Chris Curran,  OF J.R. Higley, OF Destin Hood, OF Marcus Jones, OF Justin Maxwell, OF Eury Perez, OF J.P. Ramirez