Feature Photo: Brian Goodwin, OF, Nationals
Heading into 2015, the Washington Nationals were sitting pretty as the pre-ordained World Series winners. Their roster was the deepest in baseball; they had a seemingly easy East Division to win; and their superstar Bryce Harper was about to have a breakout MVP season.
They treaded water for the first half of the season; a slow start coupled with some flatline performances from key contributors Jayson Werth and Stephen Strasburg kept them within arm’s reach of the pesky New York Mets. Then Anthony Rendon hit the disabled list, as did Strasburg. The rotation started spouting leaks, and before you knew it the Nats were getting swept by the Mets in a key NL East division matchup in early August. They lost their flimsy hold on first place August 2nd, and the Mets put their foot on the accelerator to the World Series from there.
The Nationals aren’t in a hurry to repeat the tire fire that was the 2015 season. In a move to help avoid a repeat poor showing, and to add some much-needed depth to their outfield, they acquired veteran Ben Revere on January 8th. Given the injury risks present on their current roster – specifically Jayson Werth, who has played in 81, 129, 147 and 88 games over the past four years – the Revere acquisition makes good sense.
And the Nats might not stop there, with mlb.com reporting today that the Nats participated in the Justin Upton free agent sweepstakes (he’s now a Detroit Tiger), and today making an offer to former Met Yoenis Cespedes. If the Cespedes deal, or a deal with another outfielder, comes to fruition this off-season, it will only further inhibit the potential major league contributions of Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin in 2016, and perhaps open them up to being traded.
But specific to the Revere transaction – he won’t be taking Werth’s spot in left field, but he does allow for more flexibility with the bench roles, and barring any more moves by the Nats, one of those spots will likely be taken up by the 24-year-old Taylor, who’ll be entering his third season with the team. Behind Taylor is the 25-year-old Goodwin, another outfield prospect projected to contribute sometime in 2016. He was once seen as a potentially solid everyday contributor, with speed and defensive feel in center and some pop. But Goodwin’s profile came a bit undone after an aggressive promotion to Double-A in 2012. The promotion leveled off his development path, and came at a time when he might have benefited from more seasoning – it ultimately affected his stock.
Goodwin has the tools to contribute as a fourth outfielder, but with Revere now on the roster, and Taylor above him on the depth chart, it’s difficult to see how Goodwin will be able to work his way onto the Nats Opening Day roster.
Outside of Goodwin, the Nationals crop of outfield prospects with proximity to the majors is thin. Rafael Bautista uses his speed well in the box, on the basepaths and in center field. He’ll have to maximize those talents, though, because his hit tool and natural strength won’t be enough to warrant an everyday major league role. Bautista should start the year in Double-A after holding his own in High A last year. The Revere trade likely pushes his major league arrival back to late 2016 at the absolute earliest, should he remain with the Nationals at all based on how their off-season moves ultimately pan out.
Revere’s acquisition won’t affect Victor Robles’ timetable much. Last off-season, Robles was a hidden prospect. His resume included a short stint in the Dominican Summer League and some time at Fall Instructs. A breakout 2015 season in the lower minors increased chatter around the tooled-up teenager. Even though his ETA remains in the distant future, he does warrant mention as a player to watch as the Nationals advance him through their system.
The Revere deal also allows for some flexibility in trading away redundant outfield assets like Bautista, and the Nationals haven’t been afraid to pull the trigger on trades. Guys like Bautista and Goodwin won’t be headliners in a deal, but they are players who can be added in as secondary or tertiary targets to sweeten a deal if the Nats seek to add some late-season talent for another push towards the postseason. If the Nationals add another free agent outfielder to the mix before Spring Training – the probability for a deal will only rise even further.
