Late Wednesday afternoon the Washington Nationals announced they had acquired left-handed pitching prospect Ian Krol from the Oakland Athletics as the Player To Be Named Later in their offseason trade of Mike Morse.  When the trade was made, the Nationals sent Morse to Seattle, the Mariners sent catcher John Jaso to Oakland and the Athletics sent right-handed pitching prospects A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen and now Krol to complete this three way deal.  The Oakland organizational pitcher of the year in 2010, Krol was the Athletics 7^th round pick in the 2009 draft, signing for an above slot bonus of $925,000.

The 21-year-old Krol posted a 2-9 record with a 5.20 ERA last season in both High-A and Double-A, allowing 106 hits and 26 walks against 89 strikeouts in 97 innings pitched.  In his four career minor league seasons, he has a 3.75 ERA and a 1.157 WHIP in 64 appearances and 244.2 innings pitched, 47 of which were starts.  Krol throws a fastball around 90mph, a demoralizing curveball, and an above-average changeup, which in addition to his excellent control has allowed him to steadily rise through the Oakland minor league system.  Unfortunately Krol is equally well-known for his questionable reputation, as he was suspended as a high school senior for an infraction with alcohol and again suspended by Oakland for two months in 2011 for an insensitive tweet.
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Assuming his off-the-field issues have resolved themselves with age, general manager Mike Rizzo did well to buy low and acquire a young left-handed pitcher with the potential to pitch professionally.  His two impressive off-speed pitches and average fastball velocity portends an eventual career as a reliever, as the shorter outings could allow his velocity to slightly increase.   However his youth, left-handed pitching arm, and excellent career strikeout to walk ratio gives Krol a reasonable chance to carve out a career in the major leagues.   The Nationals made a difficult decision parting with fan favorite Morse, but the addition of high ceiling talent Cole along with quality pitching prospects Krol and Treinen makes this one of the most lopsided trades this winter in favor of Washington.

The other evening while attending a Maryland basketball home game, an acquaintance took notice of my NatsGM hat (Yes I am a shameless self-promoter) and asked me a rather simple question, “What are you looking forward to with the Nationals this season?”  This individual is not the most astute baseball fan so I do not think she would be intrigued about my anticipation of watching Danny Espinosa’s new swing from the left side of the plate or observing Jordan Zimmerman’s improved changeup.  Therefore, in order for the cheap laugh and to keep the conversation flowing, with respectful candor I replied, “Everything.”  However, after a few days of pondering this question and thinking ahead to the rapidly approaching season, I decided to answer her question and give a short list of what I am anxious to see in NatsTown this year.

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Honorable Mention:       Henry Rodriguez hitting 100mph on the radar gun, Anthony Rendon’s debut in the major leagues, watching Bryce Harper run the bases, awkwardly singing along when Ryan Mattheus enters the game to Katy Perry’s song “Firework”, and consuming my first adult beverage of 2013 in the Red Porch bar.

9)            Opening Day

Early April weather can be more inconsistent than an Edwin Jackson season, but nothing can stifle my love and child-like exuberance for Opening Day.  Children on Christmas morning and students on the last day of school tell me to calm down on this special day.  Opening Day holds a special place in my heart, as I attend the home opener with my father each year, but this year will be particularly special with the Nationals opening at home against the Marlins and they will proudly raise their 2012 National League East Championship Flag.

8)            The MLB Draft

As an aspiring scout, the three days of the Major League Baseball draft are some of my favorite days each year.  This draft will be different than previous year’s, as the Nationals relinquished their 1^st round pick as compensation for signing closer Rafael Soriano, so the team will not participate until Day 2 of the draft and will thus be at a disadvantage trying to obtain talent.  Last year they drafted talented high school pitcher Lucas Giolito and settled for lesser-ceiling talents throughout the rest of the draft in order to secure his signature: It will be interesting to see what general manager Mike Rizzo and the Nationals game plan is this year without the benefit of a 1^st round pick.

7)            Following the Progress of the Minor League Prospects

Every Nationals fan, including myself, will be focused on the progress of Anthony Rendon in the minor leagues, coupled with the speculation of when he will debut with the team.  Rendon should have the most impact in Washington, but prospects such as Nathan Karns and Zach Walters have a chance to bolster the roster later this season and potential breakout seasons from AJ Cole, Destin Hood, and Matt Purke could make the Nationals farm system look much more impressive this time next year than it does today.

6)            1^st Home Series against Atlanta and Philadelphia

The Braves come to town the second weekend of the season, April 12-14, in what should be a much-hyped early season series, with both teams wanting to make a statement to the other.  Weeks later, the Phillies visit Washington from May 24-26 for their initial series of the year between the two teams.  Both series fall on a weekend and should be a “hot ticket,” and you are making a mistake if you have yet to purchase your tickets for these games.  Mark it on your calendar.

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Sure, the easy answer would be “No,” as Desmond batted .292/.335/.511 with 25 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 130 games played last season en route to making the All-Star game and winning a Silver Slugger award.  While we should temper our expectations in terms of home run totals this season, many will exaggerate the extent Desmond will regress from his 2012 numbers, as evidenced by Bill James’ projection of a .279/.326/.445 with 18 home runs and 22 stolen bases.  These numbers would make Ian one of the top-5 shortstops in baseball, and I look forward to watching him prove the doubters wrong in 2013.

4)            Davey Johnson’s Final Season

One of my favorite parts of each day during the season is watching Davey Johnson’s postgame press conference, as I seem to learn something new about baseball almost each time.  His baseball knowledge is simply incredible and he is quite an asset to the Nationals organization.  The Nationals have a great team on paper, even better than last season, and I look forward to watching Davey masterfully use his roster this season to maximize their success and learn more about the game from observing and listening to him along the way.

3)            A Full Season from Stephen Strasburg

Owning perhaps the most devastating arsenal in baseball and without any innings restrictions in 2013, Strasburg enters this season as a leading contender for the National League CY Young award.  His repertoire and talent gives him the opportunity to throw a no-hitter each time he takes the mound, and I will make every effort to be sitting behind home plate for his home starts this season, likely awestruck by his masterful changeup.

2)            The Emergence of Danny Espinosa

I am predicting a monster season from Espinosa, which might sound a little strange considering the questions in terms of the health of his left shoulder and coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign in which he posted a .247/.315/.402 batting line with 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases.  However, further examination of his numbers shows that an awful April (.205/.300/.269) pulled down his cumulative first half statistics (.232/.309/.374) and his 2012 numbers as a whole.  Danny has worked hard this offseason to strengthen his shoulder and shorten his swing from the left side of the plate in order to decrease his strikeouts, which at 189 was excessive last season and severely pulled down his batting average.  If this hard work and the combination of his experience and polish from 1,400 major league at-bats come together this season, Danny should have little difficulty matching or exceeding his .264/.321/.432 numbers in the second half of 2012, with 20-25 home runs.

1)            Bryce Harper

Not quite sure I can ever remember being so excited for a player’s future as I am in Bryce Harper.  Certainly most of that comes from him being a Nationals player, and some of it from the fact that I have been fascinated with his career path ever since hearing about him as a precocious 14-year-old kid, but the combination of his immense talents and insatiable desire to be great has me absolutely giddy like a teenage boy with his first crush to watch him every day this season.  I am comfortably predicting a .275 batting average with 30+ home runs and a gold glove award in left field for Bryce this season, and I would not be the least bit surprised if he exceeds these numbers with room to spare.  Enjoy Nats fans, Bryce will be in Washington through at least 2018, and should receive plenty of MVP votes after this season.

Shameless Plugs -> Follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom, Email me your questions and comments to NationalsGM@Gmail.com, and “Like” us on Facebook by searching NatsGM.  Thanks for reading!

As the calendar now says March and we are officially one month from Opening Day, today is a good day to reflect on the early happenings from Nationals spring training.  Unlike last spring, this has been a relatively quiet and injury-free camp, as only Christian Garcia’s forearm seems to be the only new injury and Davey Johnson has made the rather public decision to bring along his veteran players coming off injury such as Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinosa, and Wilson Ramos very slowly.  Instead we have seen a healthy dose of playing time given to reserves and youngsters such as Tyler Moore, Steve Lombardozzi, Corey Brown, and Anthony Rendon.  While it is difficult to find much news amongst the early spring training games, here are a few positives I have noticed in the first few weeks in Viera.

The Positives

1)            Starting Pitching

The Nationals have only played six spring training games, but the starting pitching as expected, has been extremely impressive thus far.  Stephen Strasburg has made two starts and has been somewhat rusty with his fastball command, but his velocity is good and his curveball and especially his changeup are both in midseason form.  While the rest of the staff has only made one start, Zimmermann was extremely impressive in three innings Sunday, Gio was solid Monday night and flashed his patented knee-buckling curveball, Detwiler followed up on Tuesday with a good effort and flashed his new-and-improved curveball and finally Dan Haren was showing fastball velocity at 89-90 and touching 92, which is a great sign after averaging 88.5mph on his fastball last season.  Granted it is only a few innings in February, but these positives should not be ignored by fans and hopefully portend good things to come from the starting rotation this season.

2)            Impressive Youngsters

Anthony Rendon has been the talk of Viera, showing impressive defense at third base and batting .417 with a home run, two doubles, and five runs batted in over the first 12 at-bats of the spring.  Rendon’s beautiful, level swing gives him plenty of power and his defensive skills make him appear major league ready but unfortunately for him he does not have a place to play.  Rendon will begin the season in the minor leagues, most likely in Double-A Harrisburg, but should not need more than 250-350 additional minor league at-bats to refine his approach and could arrive in Washington early in the season if an injury opens a spot in the everyday lineup.

In addition to Rendon, right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns made an exciting two inning appearance Monday night against the Mets, pumping fastballs in the mid-90s and flashing a knee-buckling slider, giving the impression he could help the team out of the bullpen later in the year.  Eury Perez has started out well at the plate batting .375 with two stolen bases this spring and his elite speed and defensive skills at all three outfield places makes him an intriguing potential reserve for the Nationals.  Finally, Chris Marrero entered camp as a bit of an afterthought after a difficult 2012 season, but he has created a buzz with his noticeable bat speed and flashes of power in the early going.  Still only 24-years-old and the pedigree as a former 1^st round pick back in 2006, Marrero still has time to carve out a career in the major leagues, most likely as a slugger off the bench.
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3)            Bryce Harper

Difficult to believe it took this long to mention the man on the cover of Sports Illustrated and reigning National League Rookie of the Year, but Bryce has entered this spring en fuego batting .600 with 2 doubles in 10 at-bats.  Most Nationals fans are expecting Bryce to build on his excellent rookie season, with the unspoken fear that he succumbs to the dreaded Sophomore Slump like Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond before him, but his improved physique and hot start this spring should help him avoid a down year and could help propel him to a monster season in 2013.

4)            The Forthcoming Roster Crunch

Mike Rizzo and the Nationals front office has done an excellent job in recent years of building depth throughout the organization and one of the consequences of this is the upcoming roster crunch on the 25-man and 40-man roster.  Because of the limited space available on the Nationals bench and five spaces spoken for in the bullpen, players like Carlos Rivero, Henry Rodriguez, and Chris Snyder could find themselves on the trade market later this month.   Both Rivero and Rodriguez are out of options and face a difficult challenge to make the opening day roster, however they are talented players that could use a trade and a potentially larger opportunity in a different city.  Snyder is a non-roster invitee who has been impressive with some solid hitting early in camp and while he may not have a great opportunity in Washington, he is one of the best 60 catchers in baseball and should secure a job as a backup somewhere in the big leagues.

The Plugs -> Follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom, Email me your questions and comments to NationalsGM@Gmail.com, and “Like” us on Facebook by searching NatsGM.  Thanks for reading!

As NatsGM has been quiet in recent weeks due to a bad case of writer’s block, I thought this evening would be the perfect time for our first Live Blog of 2013, as the Nationals play at home in Viera against the New York Mets, televised on MLB Network.  Join me Live at 6pm with your comments, questions, jokes, and predictions for the season ahead as we say goodbye to February and get one step closer to Opening Day and the upcoming season.

** A few minutes before 6 o’clock on the east coast and we are LIVE from the NatsGM headquarters!  My infamous butterfly chair was a casualty of my lackluster exercise and diet routine this winter, but otherwise everything in the office remains the same as last season.  With a cup of coffee in hand and Stephen Strasburg on the mound, lets begin this 1st Live Blog of 2013.

I encourage each of you to leave your questions or comments in the comment’s section at the end of the article, or send them to me @NatsGMdotcom or NationalsGM@Gmail.com.

6:05pm – Excited to watch d’Arnaud this evening, but not exactly the “A” squad sent from Port St. Lucie by the Mets this evening.  Let’s see how Strasburg attacks this lineup and if he has better fastball command than he did last Saturday during his 1st start of the spring.

6:09pm – High praise from F.P., comparing Anthony Rendon’s swing with former Seattle Mariner superstar Edgar Martinez… I prefer a right-handed John Olerud but either way, his swing is supermodel-quality beautiful.

6:10pm – So Jordany Valdespin is now officially the Met equivalent of former Philly Raul Ibanez

6:13pm – Love the fact I can hear the local Space Coast beer man through the broadcast microphones yelling “Ice Cold Beer!  Beer that is Cold and in Ice!”… I’ll give him props, he does keep his beer extremely cold.  He is one of the main things I miss about Viera, FL

6:16pm – Not Strasburg’s best inning, but he did show some solid composure, not to mention a devastating curveball followed by an even more impressive changeup to strike out the Kirk Nieuwenhuis to end the inning.  To the bottom of the 1st, Mets lead 1-0.

6:21pm – Terrific leadoff at-bat by Denard Span… Worked a 2-2 count, then fouled a ball off to left field, then next pitch pulled a double down the right field line.

6:25pm – I will never get tired of watching that AB from Jayson Werth in Game 4.  If you want to teach kids plate approach and how to hit, tell them to look up that at-bat on YouTube.  “Best AB I’ve ever seen” – F.P.

6:29pm – After Span’s double, the Nationals go down rather easily as Suzuki, Werth, and LaRoche go 1-2-3… Onto the Top of 2, Mets lead 1-0.

6:36pm – Strasburg is mixing in more curveballs in the 2nd inning.  He’s still struggling with his command, especially with his fastball, but the curveball and changeup look midseason form.

6:38pm – Strasburg strikes out former National Brian Bixler on a lethal changeup… Wow that was filthy!  Mets still ahead 1-0, bottom of the 2nd-

6:44pm – The Mets starting pitcher Montero looks like an excellent prospect in his own right.  I have seen some comments on Twitter about him being their breakout star of the spring, and I can see why… power fastball, clean motion, excellent frame with projection, and a solid breaking pitch.  He may not be quite as eye-popping as Matt Harvey or Zach Wheeler, but the Mets are developing some pitching.

6:47pm – I heart Anthony Rendon… Oh that swing and approach!  Man-crush rapidly developing as he ties the game with a double to the right field gap.  Nats tie it at 1, to the 3rd inning we go.

6:56pm – Count me as skeptical that Zach Duke will be able to replicate Tom Gorzelanny’s statistics from last season… I am hoping Bray can take his job as the only lefty in the bullpen.

7:00pm – The last Met hitter missed Strasburg’s changeup by a minimum of a foot as he struck out and Kurt Suzuki threw out a runner at third to end the inning.  Strasburg still a little rusty but has been impressive with 6 strikeouts in 3 innings.  Bottom of 3, Nats and Mets tied at 1.

7:04pm – Another good at-bat from Denard Span to draw a walk to start the 3rd inning… Looking for a late sleeper in fantasy baseball leagues this year, Span could hit .290 with 20-25 steals and score 100+ runs in 2013.  Not a bad value late in your drafts.

7:11pm – Two stolen bases for Span and a sharp ground ball RBI for Jayson Werth and the Nationals take the lead 2-1.  Span brings some speed and “play-making” ability the Nats have lacked the past few years and should be another dimension for the offense this year.

7:19pm – Zach Duke relieved Strasburg to start the 4th inning and looks impressive, forcing some swings and misses and flashed a good changeup and curveball and was locating his fastball.  The lefties in camp have started fast so far in the competition for spots in the bullpen.

7:22pm – And that quickly Duke gives up a Viera wind-aided ground rule double and the game is quickly tied at 2.  Couple tough breaks for Zach as he threw the ball pretty well in the 4th.

7:31pm – Another good at-bat by Rendon to drive in Ian Desmond and get the Nationals back on top 3-2.  Love his approach at the plate and that he has a plan for each AB.

7:34pm – Chad Tracy hits a screaming line drive at the right fielder to end the 4th inning.  Nats 3-2 over the Mets, onto the 5th inning.

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7:41pm – I’ve been a critic of his this winter, but Zach Duke has looked solid this evening, locating his fastball and getting ahead of hitters, then getting to chase out of the zone.  Strong outing for Duke this evening.

7:47pm – I know it only counts as a groundout to third base, but Chris Snyder has been making some hard contact thus far in Viera.  Not sure there is a place for him in DC, but he is a MLB caliber catcher and he’ll latch on somewhere.  Off to the 6th inning, still 3-2 Nats.

7:51pm – Now on to pitch the 6th inning is Yunesky Maya, who can only be considered a disappointment in his career with the Nats so far.  I can remember being so excited when it was announced the team signed him, as I thought it showed that the Nationals would spend generously overseas to acquire talent.

7:58pm – A hanging what looked like a curveball to Brian Bixler is hit for a single to left-center field and the Mets tie the game at 3.

7:59pm – No internet snark, but I wonder if the Nationals would DFA Maya at some point this season, especially if there is a roster crunch.  Tough to admit their mistake and let him walk but not sure he can help them at the big league level this year.

8:05pm – Another solid hit for Chris Marrero, this time a double down the right field line as he took a high fastball the other way.  He faces a difficult roster crunch and is limited defensively to first base, but nice to see Chris swinging the bat well.  Have always liked him since watching him in Hagerstown and up the organizational ladder.

8:12pm – Good left-handed at-bat from Espinosa in the bottom of the 6th, to work a walk after getting behind 1-2.  If he can improve some from the left side this season, Danny could have a monster year for the Nationals.

8:18pm – Good eye from Matt Skole to take a 4-pitch walk from the struggling Mets reliever Ramirez.  Tough for a young hitter with the bases loaded to stay relaxed and swing at strikes.  Will be interesting to see how Skole produces this season at Double-A, big year in his development path.

8:29pm – Pretty obvious Maya does not have enough fastball to get hitters out consistently.  He has good offspeed stuff and can locate the fastball most of the time, but when the hitter knows he is throwing gas, the batter squares it up far too often.

8:31pm – Wild pitch or passed ball by Maya and the Mets tie the game at 4.  Now to the bottom of the 7th-

8:39pm – Zach Walters sure looks the part of a big leaguer, but he has struggled in spring training so far.  He could help the team this summer if there is an injury in the middle infield, but he needs to show more contact with his bat before reaching the majors.

8:43pm – Nice dig F.P. with the Jeffrey Maier reference… Always nice to make Orioles fans cringe, good work!

8:46pm – Nats miss a golden opportunity to blow the game open as they had the bases loaded and one out and hit two straight fly balls to end the inning.  After 7 innings, tie game at 4.

8:49pm – Lefty Patrick McCoy enters the game in the 8th inning as he tries to make a name for himself in the left-handed pitcher competition in the bullpen.  He had solid numbers last season in Harrisburg and should be a stalwart in the Triple-A bullpen this season.

8:52pm – A quick 1-2-3 inning for McCoy, as he induces 3 flyouts and the side is retired.  He was impressive and is a name to file away as a lefty with a good arm.

8:58pm – The Mets made a mid-inning pitching change… Apparently they do not have dinner reservations this evening.

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9:09pm – Nice splitter from Ryan Mattheus to strike out Den Dekker… I haven’t seen him throw much of that split-finger before and I want to see him throw it more, it has some late diving action especially to lefties.  Solid 1-2-3 inning for Mattheus, still 4-4 bottom of the 9th.

9:16pm – I know Carlos Rivero is unlikely to make the roster out of spring barring an injury, but this kid is a big league quality player and is not going to make it through waivers next month.  Here’s hoping the Nats can trade him rather than lose him outright if it comes down to it.  Rivero has some real thump in his bat for an infielder.

9:20pm – I jinxed him, Rivero strikes out with men on 1st and 2nd to end the 9th inning.  Time for some free baseball, off to extra innings tied at 4.

9:25pm – Impressive and near dominating effort from Ryan Mattheus to go 6 up and 6 down against the Mets.  Mattheus had some nasty movement going on his sinker and flashed a good slider and splitter as well.  Nice work.  Off to the bottom of the 10th still tied 4-4.

9:34pm – Chris Snyder strikes out to end the inning and what looks like the game in a 4-4 tie through 10 innings.  Definitely some positives to take from the game, the positive play of Anthony Rendon, Zach Duke, and Ryan Mattheus, and a good outing from Stephen Strasburg.

Thank you for joining me tonight for this Live Blog.  I encourage you to Follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom and Like us on Facebook search NatsGM.  I will be back tomorrow with a new article – thanks again for reading and please spread the word!