The Nationals’ current 40-man squad consists of 38 players after the club announced on Sunday that Infielder Adrián Sanchez had been injured on the 60-day list with a torn right Achilles tendon. That means they picked 22 non-40-man players for the pool, a list highlighted by infielder Luis García and right-handed Jackson Rutledge, two top prospects. It is likely that Washington will fill the last two 40-man squad positions before the regular season, which is scheduled to start on July 23 or 24.
Here is the Nationals’ 60-player pool, broken down by position and in alphabetical order:
Jugs (36): Fernando Abad, Joan Adon, Dakota Bacus, Aaron Barrett, James Bourque, Ben Braymer, Tim Cate, Patrick Corbin, Matt Cronin, Wil Crowe, Sean Doolittle, Roenis Elías, Tyler Eppler, Paolo Espino, Erick Fedde, Kyle Finnegan, Sam Freeman Steven Fuentes, Javy Guerra, Ryne Harper, Will Harris, Daniel Hudson, Jake Irvin, Kyle McGowin, Kevin Quackenbush, Tanner Rainey, Seth Romero, Joe Ross, Jackson Rutledge, Aníbal Sánchez, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Wander Suero, Austin Voth , Nick Wells, Austen Williams
Catcher (6): Tres Barrera, Welington Castillo, Yan Gomes, Raudy Read, Jakson Reetz and Kurt Suzuki
Infielders (11): Asdrúbal Cabrera, Starlin Castro, Wilmer Difo, Luis García, Howie Kendrick, Carter Kieboom, Jake Noll, Brandon Snyder, Eric Thames, Trea Turner and Ryan Zimmerman
Outfielder (7): Emilio Bonifácio, Adam Eaton, Yadiel Hernandez, Victor Robles, Juan Soto, Andrew Stevenson, Michael A. Taylor
One way that this pool could change is when players choose to log out. They can do this for personal medical reasons or to avoid endangering their families. MLB did not plan to play its season in a bubble like the NBA, and trusts that players and their families will exercise caution when they are not on the team and monitor each other. It worried many, including a handful of Nationals players, when first baseman Ryan Zimmerman recently articulated in his running journal for the Associated Press.
The other way to change is through the usual transactions: trades, cuts, injuries that require a trip to the list of long-term injuries, and so on. Baseball’s operations manual contains specific guidelines for a player who switches to the so-called “Covid 19 Injury List”. There is a possibility that the viruses may start the season before the start or make it impossible to end it. For a reason not so similar, it could also change the layout of a club on a particular day.
While the Nationals have not yet publicly explained the thinking process behind their 60-player pool, there are differences within the group. García and Rutledge make headlines, a young group that Washington can develop at their alternate training location and otherwise support under unforeseen circumstances. They are joined by Tim Cate, Matt Cronin and Seth Romero, jugs chosen in the first rounds of the most recent designs. Wil Crowe, Joan Adon, Jake Irvin, Nick Wells and Steven Fuentes are other young weapons in the system that are not on the 40-man squad but could end up on it in the future.
At the other end of the spectrum are the veterans with whom the pool was filled. All of them received invitations to spring training from non-roasters in February and brought different experiences in the major league to a strange situation. This list includes the pitchers Fernando Abad, Paolo Espino, Sam Freeman and Kevin Quackenbush, the catcher Welington Castillo, the infielder Brandon Snyder and the utility man Emilio Bonifácio.
A handful of non-40-man players are invited to the training camp. In theory, they would have the best chance of joining the 40-man squad or becoming one of 30 players activated for the opening day. Active rosters start at 30 before dropping to 28 on day 15 of the regular season and 26 on day 29. The clubs will then promote 26 players for the rest of the season and the playoffs should this happen.
When traveling, the clubs can carry a “taxi team” with up to three players, one of whom should be a catcher. Other than that, the inactive player pool will be located at the team’s alternate training location, which is likely located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Players will earn $ 400 a week until the first week of September when the minor league season ends. You stay ready and wait for a call.
