Wire Taps: Trevor Rosenthal released; Adam Eaton controversial comments on Minor League wages; Nationals can’t make up ground

To paraphrase a tweet from 106.7 the Fan: the Phillies are losing nonstop, the Mets are assaulting reporters, and the Nats somehow can’t take advantage. What a dominant division, indeed.

Here’s the scoop from South Florida:

Trevor Rosenthal never found himself, and now both he and the Nationals can move on (WaPo)
Every single Nat in the clubhouse knew what Rosenthal could be; how good of a teammate he was; how scary he'll be if he ever gets things together. But the subtext was there: this team had on a one-way ticket to contention until Rosenthal came in during the seventh on Saturday.

Conceding $8 million mistake, Nationals release Rosenthal (MASN)
Davey Martinez and the Nats did everything they could to get Trevor Rosenthal right. Trevor Rosenthal did everything he could to get himself right. But after yet another disastrous outing, the team decided for once and for all to cut bait.

Nationals fall in 10 to close out big week on down note (MASN)
In the short term, Johan Camargo's two-run homer in the tenth was a painful dagger to an otherwise impressive day. In the long-term, this homestand, save for the bullpen meltdown of epic proportions, was a good one for the Nats.

The Trevor Rosenthal Era is over: Here’s what it means for the Nationals (The Athletic)
Davey Martinez lost sleep over it two nights ago, but it had to happen: the Nats released Trevor Rosenthal on Sunday, putting themselves another $7 million in the hole and further confusing the situation in the bullpen.

The Nationals Have Finally Freed Themselves From The Curse Of Trevor Rosenthal (Deadspin)
"Trevor Rosenthal’s stint with the Nats results in final stats that are nothing short of incredible. After 6.1 IP, 12 appearances and 43 batters faced, he managed to get 19 outs, five strikeouts, 15 walks, five HBP, five wild pitches, and allowed eight hits and 16 earned runs with a 22.74 ERA and 21 ERA+."

Robles sits day after dehydration scare (MASN)
“Right after batting practice is when I started feeling the headache and a little bit of dizziness,” he said via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “I believed it was mainly because I hadn’t eaten anything. ... Once the game got going, I got something in my stomach and I thought I was going to get better. But as the game started, I did not feel any better, so that’s when I decided to come out.”

Trevor Rosenthal released by Nationals after ghastly outing against Braves (WaPo)
Davey Martinez needed to know what Trevor Rosenthal had on Saturday night. The answer was more command issues, and he was left with the same debacle he had in late April: release him, or hope for improvement. This time, he and Mike Rizzo went with the first option.

Nationals drop series finale against Braves, missing another opportunity to gain ground (WaPo)
Ultimately, it was the little things: a bad bunt, a pulled fastball, a few stranded runners. It was a weekend that could have put them four and a half back of Atlanta. Instead, they're eight and a half back. (At least Austin Voth did well?)

Adam Eaton: Exploitation of minor leaguers is ‘for the betterment of everybody’ (NBC Sports)
Eaton cites the "dog-eat-dog" world of the minors for much of the development that got him where he is today, and thinks there needs to be a middle ground, which is what everyone is suggesting, all they want is for these players to live above the poverty line for being internal cogs in huge and profitable operations, this doesn't seem hard?

Adam Eaton: Actually, The Financial Struggles Of Minor League Players Are A Good Thing (Deadspin)
"In case it’s not clear, Eaton’s problem is that he’s conflating luxury and a basic standard of living. Minor league players aren’t asking for the multi-million-dollar contracts that those in MLB are getting—though there might be some that deserve it. They’re just asking for a wage that doesn’t force them to live out of suitcases on air mattresses of host families in whatever city they get shipped off to for their Minor League assignment."

Nationals fail to gain ground in NL East (106.7)
While the Phillies and the Mets are in free fall both internally and externally, the Nats couldn't go for the jugular and make it back to .500 — and it may sting later on.

The Nationals are far from eliminated from playoff contention (BtBS)
On June 1st, with a projected win total of 82, the pundits made it clear: the Nats needed to sell. Now, they're a bit closer to where they should be, and are 13-6 in June thanks to their better pitching and higher exit velocities. But if things get really bad, is it worth trading Anthony Rendon and Sean Doolittle to solidify the young core for future generations?