clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Wire Taps: Nationals' Prospects In AFL Action On MLB Network Tonight

Matt Purke and Brian Goodwin were the only Washington Nationals' prospects in action on Monday night in Arizona. Which Nats' minor leaguers will fans in D.C. get to see on Tuesday when the Mesa Solar Sox are featured on the MLB Network?

By Patrick Reddington
Photo © Brad Barr/US Presswire

Matt Purke threw 31 of the 61 pitches he threw Monday night in HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Arizona, in a long second inning which saw the Washington Nationals' 23-year-old left-handed prospect give up three hits, two walks and three earned runs. The Nats' 2011 3rd Round pick needed just eight pitches in a 1-2-3 first vs the Salt River Rafters. He gave up a two-out double in a 13-pitch third and his outing ended after a nine-pitch, 1-2-3 fourth. In five AFL starts, Purke is now (2-1) with a 3.79 ERA, seven walks (3.32 BB/9) and 14 Ks (6.63 K/9) in 19 IP.

Monday night's game ended after just eight innings when rained in Mesa interrupted play for the second time. The only other Nats' prospect in action was 23-year-old outfielder Brian Goodwin, Purke's fellow 2011 Draft pick, fresh off his AFL Fall Stars appearance. In the Solar Sox' win, Goodwin was 2 for 3 with a two-run home run in the third inning off 24-year-old Tampa Bay Rays' prospect Grayson Garvin, a bases-loaded RBI groundout in the fifth and a single in the bottom of the eighth inning before the game was stopped...

The Nats' top outfield prospect is now 19 for 60 (.317/.349/.467) with three doubles and two home runs in 14 AFL games. The Solar Sox improved to 13-8 with the win. Goodwin told MLB.com's Teddy Cahill after the game that he was impressed with the way Purke competed on the mound. In spite of the walks and contact in the second, Goodwin said Purke, "kept throwing strikes and showed a bunch of poise on the mound." Tuesday night's Arizona Fall League game will be broadcast live on the MLB Network at 9:00 PM EDT. Until then, it's links and lots of them, starting... RIGHT NOW!!:

• THE BIG STORY!!:

• "The Nationals did not extend qualifying offers to either of their two free agents by today’s 5 p.m. deadline..." - "Nationals do not give Dan Haren a qualifying offer" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

• NATS BEAT:

• "[Matt] Garza is a hard-thrower who has had success on the playoff stage (he's posted a 3.48 ERA in 31 postseason innings) and is not eligible for a qualifying offer because he was traded midseason..." - "Nationals Pastime: What's on tap for today and a free agent to watch" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "Strasburg's bone chips were a surprise to me. The bad news is that bone-chip surgery isn't a tiny procedure. The good news..." - "Ask Boswell: Redskins, Nationals and Washington sports" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post

• "Of the starting pitchers who didn't receive offers yesterday, two stand out to me as guys who could interest the Nationals - Tim Hudson and Josh Johnson." - "Nationals Pastime: Starting to look at a couple more starters" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• “'My favorite stat right now and always has been the stat of hitting with runners in scoring position,' Williams said." - "Matt Williams’s favorite stat: RISP batting average" - Dan Steinberg, Washington Post

• "The reinstatement of Detwiler and Garcia leaves the Nationals with a full, 40-man roster for the moment." - "Washington Nationals activate Ross Detwiler, Christian Garcia off DL" - Mark Zuckerman, Nats Insider

• "In order for the Nationals to add more players to the roster, perhaps through free agency, space would have to be cleared." - "Ross Detwiler, Christian Garcia rejoin 40-man roster" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "Detwiler finished the season pitching in instructional league games down in Florida. The Nats liked what they saw from him there..." - "Nationals Pastime: Detwiler, Garcia reinstated from 60-day DL (plus Haren update)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "Williams was asked several times in several different ways to describe his style of managing during Friday’s introduction at Nationals Park." - "Matt Williams wants Washington Nationals to be aggressive on the bases" - Mark Zuckerman, Nats Insider

• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter:

• NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

• "A toast to the 2013 Washington Nationals" - Mike Oz, Big League Stew - Yahoo Sports

• "No surprises in qualifying offers" - David Schoenfield, ESPN

• "The Royals, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks all possess enough young talent to make significant offers." - "David Price could produce hefty return if Tampa Bay Rays trade ace pitcher this offseason" - Ken Rosenthal, FOX Sports on MSN

• AFL/NATS MINORS:

• "The Nationals' biggest investment this offseason in Dominican talent, Anderson Franco, played very well in his debut at fall instructional league last month in Viera, Fla." - "Nationals' 16-year-old Dominican prospect Franco shows well in fall instructional league" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "Goodwin said he thought his Nationals teammate did a good job of battling through his struggles." - "Mesa rallies behind Brian Goodwin in rain-shortened tilt" - Teddy Cahill, nationals.com: News

• "AFL Update: Nov. 5, 2013" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• "Nationals center field prospect Brian Goodwin crushed a two-run shot in Mesa's 5-4 rain-shortened win over Salt River in Arizona Fall League play on Monday." - "Goodwin major part of Mesa 5-4 comeback win" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "For five days, the players will be put through an offseason strength and condition boot camp that the Nationals believe will teach them how best to take of their bodies." - "Nationals debut minor league offseason conditioning camp" - James Wagner, Washington Post


• NATSTOWN:

• "The entire Nationals family is inspired by the intense passion for Major League Baseball and the team that’s growing in the capital area. We believe NATITUDE has made our town an even better community." - "Thank You From The Lerner Family" - Curly W Live

• "Nats Talk On The Go" - The Nats Blog

• "Monday Quickie : Starting Pitching Comments" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

• "Getting to know Matt Williams" - Noah Frank, Curly W Live

• "Doris Kearns Goodwin on getting Teddy and Taft together" - Presidents Race Fan, Let Teddy Win!

• NL EAST UPDATES:

• Phillies: "The Phillies would not offer Carlos Ruiz a $14.1 million salary on Monday, and their devotion to the popular and productive catcher will be tested in the coming weeks." - "Ruiz, Halladay head for free-agent market" - Matt Gelb, Philadelphia Inquirer

• Marlins: "The Miami Marlins Monday claimed the light-hitting, defensively-versatile Jimmy Paredes off waivers from the Houston Astros." - "Miami Marlins claim Astros infielder Jimmy Paredes off waivers" - Juan C. Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel

• Braves: "Instead of returning with a one-year deal, McCann will decline this qualifying offer before the 5 p.m. ET deadline on Nov. 11 and continue pursuing the lucrative multiyear contract..." - "Braves make offer to Brian McCann, not Tim Hudson" - Mark Bowman, braves.com: News

• Mets: "There is at least one benefit to finishing with one of the bottom-10 records in the major leagues..." - "Draft-pick compensation won't be an issue for Sandy Alderson" - Marc Carig, New York Newsday

More From Federal Baseball