Washington Should Sign J.J. Hoover

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

According to the most recent Baseball America “Minor League Transactions” column, former Cincinnati Reds right-handed reliever J.J. Hoover has elected free agency after being outrighted from the 40-man roster in August. A long-time personal favorite since scouting him in college, I believe the Washington Nationals should immediately attempt to sign Hoover to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Hoover entered the year as one of the favorites to act as the closer for Cincinnati, but unfortunately his season started poorly and he never recovered, allowing 29 runs, 29 hits and 12 walks in only 18.2 innings pitched before being demoted. Prior to 2016, Hoover had been one of the more reliable relievers in baseball, posting four consecutive solid seasons for Cincinnati. For his 5-year major league career, the 29-year-old Hoover owns a 4.12 ERA, 4.37 xFIP, and a 1.263 WHIP, with an impressive 8.9 K/9 ratio against a 4.2 BB/9.

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Finally, Hoover has spent his entire career with Cincinnati, pitching in their hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, which has contributed to his elevated his 1.4 Home Runs Allowed per 9 innings ratio. As evidence, Hoover has allowed 25 career home runs at home in 137 innings verses 12 homers in 105.1 innings on the road – perhaps a change of scenery and a friendlier home park for pitchers could help rectify this issue.

In conclusion, while I certainly understand why Cincinnati decided to outright Hoover from their roster, I believe he represents an intriguing, no-risk gamble this offseason for the right club. If he was truly injured or if he simply needs to recapture his previously higher arm slot, relievers with a career 8.9 K/9 ratio and a track record of success are rarely available on a potential minor league deal. Washington’s front office should quickly seize this opportunity and see if a change of scenery can help J.J. Hoover return to his previous form.

THE NatsGM Show #80 – Guest Dan Rozenson

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

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THE NatsGM Show Episode #80 is now available and we are proud to welcome back to the program Pitch F/X guru for Baseball Prospectus and BrooksBaseball.net, Dan Rozenson!

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Thank you to Dan for joining us and to our sponsor, No Halftime, for their promotional considerations. Please Rate and Review the show on iTunes and thanks for listening!

THE NatsGM Show #79 – Guest Andrew Bailey

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

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THE NatsGM Show Episode #79 has arrived and we are proud to welcome former co-host of the Red Porch Report and good friend, Andrew Bailey.

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Thank you to Andrew for being such a terrific guest and to No Halftime, for sponsoring our interview. Please Rate and Review to our show on iTunes – Thanks for listening!

The Washington Nationals Trade Chris Bostick to Pittsburgh

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Ryan Sullivan

In a slightly overlooked part of Joe Ross’s return from the disabled list, last week the Washington Nationals designated minor league infielder Chris Bostick for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Then Monday, in a related move, Washington traded Bostick to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for catching prospect Taylor Gushue and cash considerations.

The 23-year-old Bostick split time this year between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse, hitting .250/.313/.386 with eight homers and 11 steals. Acquired as part of the Ross Detwiler trade, Bostick showed promise in 2015 splitting time between High-A and Double-A, batting .258/.312/.398 with 12 home runs, 42 extra base hits and 31 stolen bases. He possesses above-average to plus speed, and average raw pull power, but his inability to consistently make contact hinders his overall offensive profile.

Defensively Bostick does not project particularly well at any one position, as his fringe-average arm and mediocre hands makes him a liability in the infield. In addition, he does not have enough arm strength for right field or center field, making him profile as a left fielder. With experience, one would expect Bostick to play an average or better left field, but his offense do not profile at a corner position. Hence the scout’s conundrum with Bostick is he does not hit enough to be a starter in the outfield and is not a good enough defender to play in the infield. So while I believe in his ability to be a versatile National League bench player, this is likely also his eventual ceiling.

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Listed at 6-1 215lbs, Gushue is rather athletic for a catcher, possessing good receiving skills plus an average or better throwing arm. His footwork and ability to block pitches need refinement, as they were raw coming out of college. His career caught stealing percentage is below-average at 25%, likely in part due to his sloppy feet. Gushue has an intriguing package of raw tools, but his inability to make consistent contact likely limits his upside to a backup catcher or career option lingering at Triple-A.

Overall I was disappointed by the team’s original decision to designate Bostick for assignment, as he has long been a sleeper of mine and I believe there are more expendable players currently on the 40-man roster. Considering the team recently traded another infield prospect, Max Schrock, I would have preferred to part with relievers Rafael Martin, Matt Grace or Yusmeiro Petit rather than Bostick.

However, considering the circumstances involved in trading a designated for assignment prospect in late September, the Nationals did well to receive an intriguing catching prospect and cash in return for Bostick. Washington has done a nice job in recent years developing catching prospects, and I am intrigued to see if the organization can develop Gushue’s skills into a potential major leaguer. With the obvious caveat that I disagreed with the original decision, Washington’s front office made a solid trade getting Taylor Gushue for Chris Bostick.

NatsGM Grade -> B-