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While the Washington Nationals aren’t landing a lot of prospects on the yearly Top 100 lists that have come out in the last few weeks, GM Mike Rizzo said that the young players that the club had at the Alternate Training Site in Fredericksburg, VA last season impressed him and gave him confidence about where the organization stands in terms of up-and-coming talent right now.
“Those young kids that we had seen in Fredericksburg all season and then in Instructional League, [it] was extremely exciting to see those guys pitch,” Rizzo told reporters in a mid-December interview. “We’ve seen several guys that are going to help us this year in the big leagues that maybe aren’t household names by the prospects experts, but we saw a handful of guys that are close to impacting the big league roster soon.”
Do you trust Rizzo and Co. in the Nationals’ front office’s assessment of the current state of the organizational pipeline? Are you one of those people who accepts that the Nationals, in the last few seasons, have sacrificed some prospect depth for a World Series title? Go read your links...
NATS BEAT:
Cavalli cracks MLBPipeline.com's top 100 prospects list - (MASN)
"Right-hander Cade Cavalli found himself as the 99th overall prospect in MLBPipeline.com’s first release of its top 100 prospects list in 2021. He is the only Nationals prospect on the list of upcoming stars."
Is the Nationals' 2021 roster now in place? - (MASN)
"So that begs an obvious question: Are they done? Is this the roster the Nats intend to field to open the 2021 season?"
Top 10 SP Right Now: Scherzer - (MLB.com)
"Max Scherzer places third on MLB Network's list of the Top 10 Starting Pitchers Right Now."
Feeling sentimental and more than a little old to report that Daniel Murphy is retiring from baseball. He's an all-time Met. Here he reflects on a fascinating career, on and off the field.https://t.co/Yw40ThSu3s
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) January 29, 2021
No one is more familiar with Max Scherzer than new Nationals catcher Alex Avila - (NBC Sports Washington)
"By signing with the Nationals, Avila will reunite with ace Max Scherzer, who he spent five years catching when they played together in Detroit."
Avila agrees to deal with Nats (source) - (MLB.com)
"In need of a backup catcher to share the role with Yan Gomes, the Nationals agreed to a one-year contract with veteran Alex Avila on Thursday, a source told MLB.com."
Jon Lester's longevity a product of adaptation - (Washington Times)
"When a fresh-faced Jon Lester arrived in the big leagues in 2006, catcher Jason Varitek had high expectations for the 22-year-old Boston Red Sox rookie."
Why Jon Lester chose the Nationals: 'I love to win' - (106.7 the FAN)
"'I love to be a part of rotations like this one. I mean, look at this thing. I mean you've got three guys that are studs and I'm excited just to kind of sit in the background and listen to them and see what they do and compete with them.'" - Jon Lester
NATIONAL(S) BEAT:
Longtime Tigers catcher heading to Washington - (mlive.com)
"The Tigers recently signed veteran catcher Wilson Ramos to a one-year deal, forgoing the possibility of another reunion with Avila."
Get to know the new #Nats’ C Alex Avila: https://t.co/LtJtzZPBzx
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) January 29, 2021
The Top 100 prospects for '21, team by team - (MLB.com)
"Trades and graduations have stripped the system of some high-end talent, but there’s still plenty of pitching depth that could help the big league roster in the coming years."
NL EAST UPDATES:
Matt Moore returns from Japan to join Phils - (MLB.com)
"The Phillies and left-hander Matt Moore have agreed to a one-year contract, pending a physical, sources said on Friday."
After Matz trade, are the Mets still far apart from Trevor Bauer, Jackie Bradley Jr.'s terms? - (SNY - YouTube)
"SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino explains that yes the Mets traded Steven Matz in order to shed his salary but are still not close to matching the terms free agents Trevor Bauer and Jackie Bradley Jr. are looking for in a new contract."
Alex Avila's deal with the Nationals is worth $1.5 million. The team got strong feedback from Max Scherzer, Avila's former teammate in Detroit, as the talks progressed.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 29, 2021
Marlins news: Punsters rejoice as Anthony Bass finalizes Fish contract - (Fish Stripes)
"To the delight of punsters everywhere, journeyman right-hander Anthony Bass is now a Marlin."
Braves have four prospects among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list - (Talking Chop)
"MLB Pipeline rolled out their 2021 preseason Top 100 Prospect List on Twitter Thursday night and the Atlanta Braves are well represented again with four prospects including three in the Top 35."