While it was a very mild winter in the Mid-Atlantic region, it feels like forever since I have had a reason to interact with my readers, so with MASN televising tonight’s Nationals game against Detroit, I thought this was a good reason to do a Live Blog – Join me at 6pm with your questions, thoughts, or even your heckles in the comment’s section below.  Thanks!

5:59pm -> We are LIVE!!! from the now-famous butterfly chair in the NatsGM headquarters as I settle in for tonight’s Nationals game against Detroit.  Edwin Jackson is the starting pitcher for the Nationals against a mixture of starters and reserves for the Tigers.  I hope you join me with your thoughts in the comment’s section below, by email nationalsgm@gmail.com or on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom.

Scott from the Comments Section -> “Any surprises amongst the first round of cuts yesterday?”

Scott, thanks for writing… No particular surprises from the first round of cuts, I thought Rafael Martin and Jared Hoffpauir might stay in major league camp longer than the first wave of cuts, but neither was going to make the big club.  Otherwise, it was good to see the Nationals push Matt Purke and Anthony Rendon to High-A Potomac to begin the year.

6:08pm -> Wow, Edwin Jackson just struck out Andy Dirks with a nasty 3-2 slider…. best slider I have seen in 2012 thus far.  Two quick outs for Jackson and the Nats-

6:09pm -> Bad error by Jason Michaels on a routine fly ball to left field, and definitely not any help to Michaels as he is currently in a dogfight for a bench position with Brett Carroll and others.

6:11pm -> The next batter, Ryan Raburn, takes Jackson deep to left field for a home run… Michaels’ error cost the Nationals 2 runs…. After the 1st, 2-0 Detroit.

6:14pm -> Ian Desmond leads off with an opposite field double that appeared close to being a home run.  Nice to see him drive a pitch hard to the right side.  Desmond is one of the biggest keys for the Nationals and their success or lack thereof this year.

Lawrence via Email -> “NatsGM, what is your prediction for the Nationals bench on opening day?”

Lawrence, thanks for the email – Jesus Flores and Mark DeRosa are locked into positions on the bench, and I think Roger Bernadina and Steve Lombardozzi should feel pretty secure of their spots as well.  The final slot is up for grabs between a few names, specifically Jason Michaels and Brett Carroll as mentioned above.  That said, I would not be surprised if the final name is not with the Nationals as of yet, and is acquired via trade or free agency closer to opening day.  Thanks for writing-

6:21pm -> An infield single by Danny Espinosa and a sacrifice fly by Ryan Zimmerman, who continues his outstanding spring, and the Nationals are now trailing 2-1.

6:24pm -> Mark DeRosa has a terrific at-bat with two outs – He was very impressive to me last week while I was in Viera and he has continued to hit ever since.  His signing was somewhat under the radar this winter but I think he has the potential to be a real asset as a utility player this season.

Werth flies out to deep right field to end the 1st inning, after 1, Tigers lead 2-1.

6:28pm -> Totally off-topic but who thought or thinks signing Pierre Garcon for $40+ million dollars is a good idea for the Redskins?  Further proof D.C. will be a baseball town in 6 months.

6:30pm -> Three up and three down 2nd inning from Edwin Jackson… he looks terrific so far aside from the one pitch to Raburn.  Fastball and slider are both midseason quality and impressive through 2 innings.

6:36pm -> If the rumors are true that Detroit is interested in acquiring LHP John Lannan, Nationals fans should probably be rooting hard for the Nationals to hit tonight’s starting pitcher LHP Duane Below around the park.

@ScottySnodgrass via Twitter – @NatsGMdotcom What are the chances John Lannan is traded by the Nats prior to Opening Day?

Scott, nice meeting you last week in Viera – Although I do not have any inside information, the odds are pretty high that Lannan gets traded before Opening Day, as the roster crunch somewhat dictates it.  I would put it at 60% he is in another uniform before April 5th.  Thanks for the question.

6:42pm -> Nationals strand a runner in the bottom of the 2nd… after 2 innings, Detroit 2-1.  Edwin Jackson returns for his 3rd inning of work.

6:48pm -> Edwin Jackson topping out around 90-91mph with his fastball today, with some movement.  Runners now at the corners with 1 out in the 3rd.

6:51pm -> Nice 5-3 double play started by Ryan Zimmerman to get the Nationals out of the inning and minimizing the damage.  Detroit scored a run in the 3rd to now lead 3-1.

6:58pm -> Zimmerman rips a double with one out in the 3rd – Ryan is completely locked in right now and hitting the ball hard each time up.  He cannot wait for the season to start.

6:59pm -> And yes Mr. Santangelo to answer your question, Zimmerman is the most underrated player in baseball.

@DavidWillams6 via Twitter -> @NatsGMdotcom what are the odds that Bryce Harper heads north with the Nationals?

Quick answer, not nearly as good as they were a week ago, but with his injured calf and missing some games this week, I would figure his odds are less than 20% now.  That said, he will not be in the minor leagues for long, and I think June 1st is a good over/under date for when he is called up to Washington.

7:08pm -> Two terrific at-bats from Mark DeRosa and Jayson Werth, as they both draw walks to load the bases – With that, the Tigers are pulling their pitcher Duane Below, after 2.2 innings tonight as Wilson Ramos comes to bat.  LHP Adam Wilk enters in relief for Detroit.

Prediction time – Some quick Nationals predictions for 2012: Comeback player of the year – Jayson Werth, Breakout player of the year – Wilson Ramos, Best Free Agent Signing – Edwin Jackson, and Surprise Player of the year – Mark DeRosa

7:20pm -> Edwin Jackson appears to be tiring as he walks the first two batters in the 4th inning.  I wonder how much longer he will remain in the game?  Ross Detwiler is expected to follow Jackson this evening.

7:24pm -> Following a bloop hit to center field, Jackson’s evening is finished with 1 out in the 4th inning.  Jackson numbers do not reflect how well he pitched, as he looked solid through 3 innings and appeared to tire in the 4th.  Now, a NatsGM personal favorite, Ross Detwiler, comes in to pitch for the Nationals.

7:27pm -> Love that you can hear the Space Coast Stadium “Ice Cold Beer Man” through the MASN broadcast microphone.  If you have ever been to a game there, you know that man, and yes his beer “is cold and in ice!” as he promises: you won’t find a colder beer in Viera, I promise you-

7:29pm -> Detwiler impressive in relief as he shuts the door on the Tigers in the top of the 4th – now Detroit leads 4-1

The ingredients used sildenafil cipla include vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B, magnesium, zinc etc. This magnifies the length & size of male’s private part. buying viagra Though, the majority of the comedies produced follow the same plots and brand levitra online a predictable formats, some are very original and creative. Since psoriasis is not caused by any virus or bacteria or any microorganism for that matter, it cannot be transmitted by either indirect or direct the buy cialis transmission. James via the NatsGM Facebook page -> “What is your prediction for the bullpen come opening day for the Nats?”

James, thanks for writing and for your support – As for my predictions for the bullpen, I would expect it to be comprised of Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Brad Lidge, Sean Burnett, Henry Rodriguez, Ross Detwiler, and Tom Gorzelanny, with Ryan Mattheus being the final and toughest pitcher to cut.

7:38pm -> Love hearing Drew Storen interviewed by Bob and F.P., doing a great impression of Bob Carpenter.  Besides Bryce Harper who will receive all the media attention he wants once he arrives in Washington, I predict Storen will be the breakout media star of the team this season.

7:41pm -> The Nationals bats have gotten awfully quiet the last two innings – still 4-1 Tigers through 4 innings.

7:47pm -> Ryan Raburn continues to wear out the Nationals (and all spring training pitchers) with another RBI single as the Tigers now lead 5-1.

7:49pm -> Ryan Zimmerman just made one of the best defensive plays you will see from a third baseman all season, throwing out a runner at 2nd on a slow bunt to him.  Tough to really impress a big league player, but Drew Storen was clearly impressed with that play.

7:53pm -> Detwiler really struggling with his release point right now, and is having trouble locating the strike zone.

7:56pm -> Detwiler finally gets the 3rd out on a soft fly ball to shallow right field, to the bottom of the 5th, 5-1 Detroit

7:59pm -> Andy Wilk may not be a top prospect or have a recognizable name, but he is absolutely baffling the Nationals hitters right now.  Very impressive job mixing his speeds and getting some awkward swings from the Nats regulars.  After a leadoff hit by Danny Espinosa, three quick outs.  After 5 innings, 5-1 Tigers

8:04pm -> Mark Teahan enters at 3B, Andres Blanco at SS, Steve Lombardozzi in at 2B,  and Chad Tracy at 1B… Tracy is in a dogfight for the last spot on the bench and has had a nice camp thus far, and Blanco appears to be behind Lombardozzi for the utility infielder spot.

8:08pm -> Detwiler continues to struggle with his command but gets out of the 6th unscathed… Still 5-1 Detroit.  Not sure if Ross returns for the 7th inning, but this outing will not be on his highlight tape.

8:11pm -> Werth leads off the bottom of the 6th with a monster home run to right field off Jose Valverde – that’s a wonderful sign as that was reminiscent of his days in Philly.

8:17pm -> When asked by Bob and F.P. his approach to sliding this season, Ryan Zimmerman answered “just hit home runs and you don’t have to worry about sliding” – this is going to be a great year…

After 6 innings and the Jayson Werth home run, Detroit now leads 5-2.

Steve via Email -> “NatsGM, I assume you are a fantasy player, who are your sleepers for this season?”

Steve, thanks for the question and most certainly I play fantasy baseball… I wonder, is there any interest in forming a NatsGM league?  If so, contact me and maybe we could get one together, but I digress.  I will answer this question more fully in a “Dear NatsGM” column in the next few days, but I really like Pedro Alvarez and Dustin Ackley to have big seasons from players perhaps not expected to do so.  Thanks again!

8:26pm -> Quick, impressive inning from Brad Lidge in the 7th.  His slider was outstanding, moving straight downward reminiscent of a split-finger.  Time to stretch Nats fans, still Detroit 5-2

8:28pm -> It’s beer time…. Laughing Skull Amber Ale it is!

8:31pm -> Long-time reliever Octavio Dotel enters the game and immediately gives up a two-base error (I called it a hit) to Andres Blanco and a walk to Steve Lombardozzi… Now Mark Teahan to bat in a nice spot to make an impression on Davey Johnson and tie the game with one swing.

8:34pm -> Teahan singled to left,  Tyler Moore popped out to third, then Chad Tracy hit a sacrifice fly to score Lombardozzi – another nice at-bat for Tracy this spring.  Now 5-3 Detroit, top of the 8th inning.

8:38pm -> As Bob comes back from commercial, “a lovely Friday evening here in Viera…” ummm, Friday, someone isn’t in midseason form yet-

8:44pm -> Tyler Clippard struck out Eric Patterson on a devastating changeup… Patterson was so far out front he missed that pitch by nearly a foot.

8:48pm -> Tigers score another run in the 8th inning and now lead 6-3… Clippard’s changeup was excellent but he seemed to struggle a bit with the fastball.  Rally time-

Jenny D. via Email -> “Great coverage of the Nationals while you were in Viera; who was the most impressive player(s) you watched that were not established names?”

Jenny, thanks for the question – Besides some of the bigger names, I was very impressed with Tyler Moore’s bat and how solid he looked at third base, Michael Taylor’s physical makeup and talent is off-the-charts as is his bat speed, and Bryce Harper’s desire and hustle stood out to me as well.  There were many others that impressed, but those three immediately come to mind.

9:00pm -> This game sure is dragging for a spring training game and Lakeland is a decent drive from Viera, would expect the Tiger hitters to be swinging in the 9th… After 8 innings, the Nationals trail 6-3

9:04pm -> So I focus on baseball for 3 hours and in that time the Redskins signed 3 Wide Receivers and spent $60 million… That makes sense, not at all –

9:08pm -> Onto the bottom of the 9th and the Nationals need runs, trailing 6-3

9:14pm -> Jose Ortega enters as the reliever for Detroit in the 9th… he has a small frame and a massive fastball – big arm on this young man, file his name away as a player to remember.

9:20pm -> With that Ortega sends the Nationals down three up and three down to end the game – the Nationals fall 6-3 this evening.

Final impressions, first for Detroit, I was very impressed with Adam Wilk and Jose Ortega, two names I was not particularly familiar with prior to this evening, but they certainly made quite a lasting impression.  Also, Ryan Raburn continued his hot hitting this spring with two hits including a home run in the first inning – if he winds up batting #2 in front of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, he could be in for a monster season.

As for the Nationals, plenty of positives to take from this loss as both Jayson Werth and Mark DeRosa were impressive at the plate with solid at-bats, especially Werth’s rocket opposite field home run.  Pitching wise, Edwin Jackson’s stuff tonight was much better than his results tonight, as his fastball had some life and his slider had major downward movement.  Brad Lidge also deserves a mention as well, pitching a 1-2-3 inning and flashing his plus slider that moved straight down, more similar to a split-finger.

Thank you to everyone who join me this evening with your questions and for following along with this Live Blog.  I encourage you to follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom, email me NationalsGM@gmail.com, and “Like” me on Facebook search NatsGM.

After getting shut out Saturday in Kissimmee like a gambler at the race track, yesterday I was back on the Spring Training grind as the Nationals played host to the Houston Astros at Space Coast Stadium.  Unfortunately, for the second day in a row, the Nationals came up on the short end, losing 10-2 in a rather sloppy spring training contest.  Though the score looks rather gruesome at first glance, there were some positives to take from this game.

Stephen Strasburg started the game and was impressive through his first two innings, throwing mostly fastballs while sprinkling in a few of his trademark nasty curveballs and devastating changeups.  Strasburg returned for a third inning and appeared to tire a bit, giving up a home run to Chris Snyder on a fastball down the middle and a double to Jordan Schafer.  For the day, he pitched 2.2 innings throwing 44 pitches, 26 for strikes, and in general, looked like the staff ace the Nationals expect him to be this season.

The Nationals bullpen, excluding the performance from Tom Gorzelanny, was particularly solid, as Ryan Mattheus pitched 1.1 innings, striking out two batters and inducing two meek ground ball outs, against just one walk.  Brad Lidge entered in the 7^th inning and went three up and three down, making Astros prospect Jonathan Singleton look silly on an off-speed pitch that he missed by more than a foot.  Next, Tyler Clippard entered in the 8th, allowing a triple to Brian Bixler (remember him Nats fans) and a walk before getting two weak fly balls to left field to escape the inning.  Finally, Drew Storen pitched the 9^th inning and looked to be in midseason form, striking out two and needing only 11 pitches to retire the side.

Finally, a few of the players competing for spots on the team’s bench made a favorable impression Sunday afternoon; Jason Michaels started the game in left field and continued his impressive spring, going 2-2 and driving in a run in the 2^nd inning.  Mark DeRosa started the game at first base and ripped singles in his only two at-bats.  Lastly, Chad Tracy replaced Mark DeRosa at first base and ripped an RBI single in the seventh inning, and he also made two impressive plays defensively.  DeRosa is a virtual lock for a position on the bench, but Michaels and Tracy will have to continue to impress, as they are in a group of 5-6 players (Jared Hoffpauir, Brett Carroll, Mark Teahan, etc.) likely fighting for the final spot on the roster.

While I always focus on the positives early in spring training, it would not be a legitimate report if I did not mention some of the negatives from yesterday’s game as well.  Without piling on too much, Tom Gorzelanny had a nightmarish outing yesterday, only recording three outs while allowing seven earned runs, plus one inherited from Strasburg.  Gorzelanny gave up two 3-run home runs, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, and allowed four walks – and it was worse than that.  The bright side is today is March 4 and the team does not head north for another month, so chalk this up to one terrible outing.

Also, Ian Desmond made two errors today in the field, one a bobble on a relatively routine ground ball and another on a throwing error during the Astros 4^th inning rally.  Desmond improved defensively last season, mostly because he cut down on these unnecessary errors, but Ian has the talent to be a well above-average defensive shortstop and these mistakes continue to hinder his ability to reach his potential.  Finally, Jayson Werth looked just awful at the plate yesterday, striking out in his first at-bat and hitting a weak flare to second base in his other plate appearance.  True, it is the second spring training game, but the Nationals desperately need Werth to revert back to his Philadelphia form if the team is going to have a successful season, and today was not particularly encouraging.
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Final Thoughts

I spoke at length Saturday evening with someone involved with the Nationals and he could not stop raving about Anthony Rendon and how much the organization likes him as a potential shortstop.  I had never considered Rendon as a possibility at short, mostly because his body size and shape are not prototypical for the position, but then in the middle innings I look up and there he is playing shortstop.  This is an interesting subplot to this spring, and perhaps all season, because if he can passably play the position, his hitting potential makes him an all-star quality player.

By now most of us know of Bryce Harper’s phenomenal talents, but what stuck out to me today was the effort and passion he plays the game with.  Bryce entered the game in the middle innings and beat out an infield single in his first at-bat, then later in the 8^th inning, made a full out diving attempt to catch a slicing line drive.  I still believe that Harper will begin the year in the minors due to financial reasons, but he is doing everything he can to prove he belongs in the major leagues on opening day, and he is going to make the decision very difficult for Mike Rizzo and the Nationals.

Today’s “Tip of the Fedora” goes out to the fine people at the Holiday Inn Viera Conference Center – their hotel was the solid place to stay for spring training and their staff has been incredibly friendly and accommodating.  If you happen to visit, say hello to Ryan the bartender, he’s a good man and a big baseball fan!

In one of the most spectacular weather days I can ever remember, today the Nationals beat the Georgetown University Hoyas 3-0 in a well-played exhibition game.  Matt Purke started the game for the Nationals and after quickly allowing sharply hit balls to the first two batters of the game, quickly settled down and was dominant for three innings.  It looked to me as though Purke has quieted his throwing motion a bit since I scouted him last season at Texas Christian, and his velocity was reported to be 91-92mph today, improved from last seasons 88-89mph but down from the 94-95mph he reached in high school and as a freshman in college.   In addition, Purke’s slider was close to unhittable, as it baffled the Hoya hitters, and Purke flashed his solid changeup a few times as well.  While Purke is likely ticketed for High-A Potomac to begin the 2012 season, as long as his pitching shoulder remains healthy, he should be on the fast track to the major leagues, perhaps as soon as September 2013.

Rafael Martin entered after Purke in the 4^th inning and threw two scoreless innings, completely dominating the young Georgetown lineup.  I am not big on comparisons, as they usually do not do either player justice, but watching Martin today reminded me greatly of former Nationals relief pitcher, Luis Ayala, as both have very similar throwing motions, comparable body types, and both are fastball and slider pitchers.  Martin appears to be on the outside looking in for a position in the bullpen to begin the year, but he looked like a major league quality relief pitcher, and along with Ryan Perry whom I discussed yesterday, should provide strong depth to the National’s bullpen this season.

Shifting gears to the position players, Andres Blanco impressed with his glove at shortstop today, making a gold glove caliber play in the first inning ranging 30+ feet to his left behind the second base bag to throw out a speedy runner at first base.  Then in the 2^nd inning, he made another well above-average play charging in and toward third base on a slow ground ball and got the runner by two steps at first.  Yes, Blanco’s bat leaves something to be desired, but if the Nationals want to give Steve Lombardozzi a few hundred at-bats at Triple-A to begin the season, Blanco can certainly hold down the position as the utility infielder defensively.

Finally, Tyler Moore continued to impress me today with an impressive double to left field and his defensive skills around first base.  While I have not watched the Nationals starters as of yet, Moore has been the most impressive Nationals player to me in these two days, and clearly I need to reevaluate my opinion of this prospect, as he is better than I have given him credit for in the past.  If he keeps this up, do not be surprised to find him in Washington prior to the All-Star break.

Quick thoughts
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Michael Taylor is the most physically impressive athlete I have seen in quite some time: picture your ideal baseball player, multiply that by 5 and that is Michael Taylor.  I spent a great deal of time watching him hit in the batting cages yesterday, and the ball simply explodes off his bat, making a completely different and more pronounced sound than those he was hitting with.  True, he is more raw and toolsy than I typically prefer in a player, but with some polish and further development with his hit tool, he has the talent to be an above average major league center fielder.  I can clearly see why the Nationals are so excited for this young man’s future.

Previewing Tomorrow

Tomorrow the Nationals travel to Kissimmee, FL to play the Houston Astros in the first “real” spring training game of 2012 beginning at 1pm, and coincidently, the Astros starting pitcher is Livan Hernandez.  Many of the regulars are expected to travel across the state for the game, and Bryce Harper is scheduled to start in right field.  The game is sold out, so it is going to take my best imitation of a credentialed writer to find a way into the stadium tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

Today’s “Tip of the Fedora” goes to Adam Kilgore @AdamKilgoreWP, Amanda Comak @AComak, and Mark Zuckerman @MarkZuckerman for their tireless and excellent coverage of Nationals spring training.  Each individually do a terrific job and every Nationals fan should follow them on Twitter and read their work – Nationals fans are lucky to have three dedicated beat writers in one town.  Thanks to each of you!