1:58pm: Washington has announced the move. Outfielders Rafael Bautista and Andrew Stevenson will accompany Robles to the majors after receiving some MLB time earlier, which will leave the club with an abundance of outfield possibilities over the next few weeks.
The Nats moved righty Erick Fedde to the 60-day DL to clear the needed roster space. Washington decided to give Robles a chance when Goodwin suffered a setback, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post tweets.
1:20pm: In a surprise move, the Nationals will promote top outfield prospect Victor Robles, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). He’ll require a 40-man roster spot when the move is formalized.
Robles, who’s still just twenty years of age, has yet to play above the Double-A level. But the Dominican native, who signed for only $225K back in 2013, is widely regarded as one of the game’s ten or so best overall prospects, with scouts widely praising his across-the-board gifts.
Certainly, Robles has done nothing this year to detract from that lofty status. He continued to produce after earning a promotion to the penultimate level of the minors after opening the year at High-A. Through 496 total plate appearances on the season, Robles carries a .300/.382/.493 batting line with ten home runs and 27 steals.
Notably, Robles did not need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft over the coming offseason, so he would not have needed a 40-man spot this winter. And the Nats have little need for an extra player over the final weeks of the season with a division title almost secured already, which hints at other motives.
The move seemingly suggests, rather, that Robles is expected to factor in the team’s plans for the near future. While it’d rate as a surprise were he to play his way onto the postseason roster this season, perhaps that can’t be ruled out. With Jayson Werth set to reach free agency at the end of the year, it’s also conceivable that Robles could stake a claim to a job for 2018.
Perhaps the likeliest scenario, though, would be for Robles to follow the path of Trea Turner, who returned to the minors to open the 2016 season after getting his first cup of coffee in 2015. Robles has spent most of his professional career in center field, making him an ideal fit for the near-future Nats roster. While the club will expect Adam Eaton to be fully healthy in 2018, he’s best utilized in a corner spot. Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin could make for a solid platoon pairing in center if they can sustain some of the strides they’ve shown this year, so there shouldn’t be too much immediate pressure on Robles to prove himself a permanent fixture, but nobody would complain if the young phenom forces the team’s hand.
We call this the “Billy Hamilton effect.”
He’ll probably pinch run and play defense late in games for them. No need to rush his bat into everyday ABs when he only has 35 games in AA
I’m guessing this is being done so he gets more at bats with the minor league season ending. Otherwise, I can’t think of a reason why Rizzo and co. would do this.
+1
Way to start the FA clock, needlessly. Only two options remaining.
They will not use an option this year.
Showcase him for the inevitible Betances-Robles trade this winter.
Hahahahahaha in the Yankees dreams
This guy is the same as the poster who always digs on the Cubs… his affiliation is as far from the Yankees as possible.
Lol…still in the Yankees dreams
They don’t dream..they do..
Yeah that would never happen, the yankees can have fun with betances inevitably going into free agency
If Betances had more team control that wouldn’t be that bad a trade. But 2 years isnt worth it
Maybe for Clint Frazier or one of the other “untouchable” prospects. Nats aren’t that dumb.
Stop it. Get a life you’re becoming as bad as mikeyank55
Lol. For Betances? Johnny Superscout is alive and well.
I get it to an extent but at the same time, I think its a waste of a roster spot that they could have protected a player eligible for the RV draft in November. I would have invited him to major league spring training and gone from there.
Not entirely sure but I think they can at least on paper sent him back to the minors in the off-season and clear the 40 man spot anyways. It burns an option year but if he’s as good as advertised he shouldn’t need all three option years.
Nah, when a guys on the 40, they need to clear DFA waivers to be outrighted off.
After the first one the player can elect free agency.
Personally, I hope they try to take Robles off of the 40-man. Phillies have first priority.
Literally zero chance he gets DFA’d, but can’t blame a Phillies fan for dreaming.
Nice to see the Hamburgular in the Majors! Roble Roble!
Don’t get why they’d burn a year of control to get him some extra AB’s. In his case, even more than Kris Bryant’s, it’s justifiable to keep him down a while longer and just start him at AAA next year.
Took a while for this to come out. Brian Goodwin suffered some sort of setback during his rehab and is likely done for the season. Robles is, at least theoretically, the Nats backup CFer. He and Stevenson.
Not suggesting he will make their postseason roster but he’ll probably get a fair amount of playing time once they clinch. Not a bad thing if they think he’s ready, which they must. Something to watch when the games themselves become meaningless–which probably means next Monday.