Re: The District: The Washington Nationals (MLB The Show 15)
BREAKING: Escobar pulled from the lineup Are the Nationals about to pull the trigger on a trade?
June 17, 2015
WASHINGTON - In a late breaking move here at Nationals Park, the Nats have pulled 2nd baseman Yunel Escobar from the lineup for tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Escobar was slotted into the two-spot in the Nats' lineup tonight, but a late scratch has shuffled the Washington batting order; left fielder Michael Taylor will now bat second, while Dan Uggla gets the rare start in the field at 2nd base. Uggla has exclusively been a pinch hitter this season, and will get his first start of the year tonight as rumors about Escobar swirl around the press box. No details have emerged yet about why Escobar was pulled off the field and scratched from the lineup.
Re: The District: The Washington Nationals (MLB The Show 15)
Nats pull the trigger Bonifacio brings speed, versatility to DC
June 18, 2015
WASHINGTON - For over a month now, rumors have flown all over DC about the fate of maligned Nationals' sluggers Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman. Neither have gotten out of their season-long funk at the plate yet, and it seemed (seems?) inevitable that one or both will be moved sooner rather than later.
Wednesday, though, the Nats pulled the trigger on a trade that caught many offguard, as they sent slumping infielder Yunel Escobar and reliever Casey Janssen to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for do-everything speedster Emilio Bonifacio.
Escobar had been slated to be the everyday second baseman for the Nationals, but he, along with Werth and Zimmerman, never saw his bat make the trip from spring training, hitting an anemic .188 on the season in 149 at-bats, with five home runs and 15 RBI. Unlike Werth and Zimmerman, though, Escobar's struggles went under the radar because, unlike Werth, Escobar isn't making a huge fortune (3.1 million compared to Werth's 13), and unlike Zimmerman, the Nationals had a replacement for Escobar, and as Danny Espinosa steadily got more time at second base, Escobar's role with the club diminished to the point of no return.
For Janssen, the final straw was the blown save and loss he took in Tampa Bay the other day, at a time when the Nationals desperately needed their bullpen to slam the door shut. The loss ballooned Janssen's ERA to 4.56, and the team decided to move on from him. The Nats are now an arm short in the bullpen, and could be exploring options in that regard.
In Bonifacio, however, the Nats are getting a true Swiss Army knife of a ballplayer. Nominally a second baseman by trade, the 29-year old switch hitter can play second, third, shortstop, and any of the three outfield positions. His ability to play six different positions on the field, combined with hitting from both sides of the plate effectively (.309 vs. RHP, .322 vs. LHP, .314 overall with four home runs and 15 RBI) and his blazing speed (a dozen steals on the season for Chicago) made him an extremely enticing asset to an organization that values versatility and was looking to add more speed to the lineup.
Moving forward, the Nationals could still be looking to move both Werth and Zimmerman, but the priorities could be different now. With Bonifacio able to play everywhere, the need to replace Werth in the outfield is lessened (while replacing Zimmerman at 1st remains a priority, if they choose to move him). The need for a fresh right-hander in the bullpen is apparent now, and the whispers persist that the Nationals could be looking to make a splash by adding a left-handed starter in the rotation.
Bonifacio will wear #64 with Washington, and is expected to hit second in the lineup tonight against Tampa Bay, after arriving this afternoon, following the Nationals' 4-1 win against the Rays last night.
Re: The District: The Washington Nationals (MLB The Show 15)
Nationals add Benoit Veteran righty hopes to solidify Washington's bullpen
June 20, 2015
WASHINGTON - Things are less than ideal in the Nationals' clubhouse right now.
The lengthy road trip that ended in defeat more often than not frayed the team's nerves, and the thought that returning home would cure what ails them has been snuffed out, as the Nats have lost two out of three since returning to the home fans, including yesterday's 4-3 loss to the Pirates, which featured an uncharacteristically wild Stephen Strasburg, and the grisly sight of opposing pitcher Francisco Liriano taking a Ryan Zimmerman line drive to the face, a horrendous sight that cast a gloomy shadow over the game and landed Liriano on the DL.
All the while, the Nationals' bullpen has become stressed, both in terms of innings pitched and performance. To that end, the front office pulled the trigger on another deal late Friday night, sending 18-year old shortstop prospect Andres Lopez to the San Diego Padres in exchange for veteran reliever Joaquin Benoit.
Benoit has been one of baseball's best relievers in recent years, posting a 1.34 ERA in 63 appearances with Tampa Bay in 2010, and then following that up with ERAs of 2.95, 3.68, and 2.01 in 205 appearances for the Tigers from 2011 through 2013, before signing with the Padres before last season and registering a dazzling 1.49 ERA in 53 outings. He's followed that up with a 1.85 ERA in 28 games with San Diego this season, maintaining his stellar K ratio (39 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched); but with the Padres out of contention, the 37-year old Benoit was deemed expendable, and the Nationals scooped him up.
07-12-2015, 08:13 AM
