We’re planning a two-team mock expansion draft here at MLBTR – just for the fun of it! Currently, we’re creating 15-player protected lists for each of the existing 30 teams. You can catch up on the rules for player eligibility here. We’ll have plenty more next week, culminating in a live draft event.
The American League results are in! Click here to see who’s protected and who’s available for each AL team.
Click here for previous entries in the series. The Nationals are the last team up for discussion.
First we’ll remove free agents Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Kurt Suzuki, Asdrubal Cabrera, Sean Doolittle, Eric Thames, and Anibal Sanchez from consideration. Adam Eaton’s $10.5MM club option for 2021 is worth entertaining, so I’ll add him to the poll. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg make the protected list due to their no-trade clauses. We’ll lock down seven players out of the gate:
Max Scherzer
Stephen Strasburg
Juan Soto
Trea Turner
Patrick Corbin
Victor Robles
Carter Kieboom
That leaves eight spots for the remaining 23 players. You can review the Nationals’ contract statuses and service time here.
Tres Barrera
Aaron Barrett
James Bourque
Starlin Castro
Wilmer Difo
Adam Eaton
Roenis Elias
Erick Fedde
Yan Gomes
Ryne Harper
Will Harris
Daniel Hudson
Kyle McGowin
Jake Noll
Tanner Rainey
Raudy Read
Joe Ross
Adrian Sanchez
Andrew Stevenson
Wander Suero
Michael A. Taylor
Austin Voth
Austen Williams
With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! In the poll below (direct link here), select exactly eight players you think the Nationals should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.
Castro
Harris
Hudson
Rainey
Suero
Taylor
Gomes
Eaton
I had to choose aging players on this one, but they are all good aging players, so I’m not too worried.
Hudson has had two TJ surgeries. How much longer will he hold up?
this team paid Corbin a lot of money. i dont think a past TJ concerns them that much.
I give your Staff credit for coming up with content during this loooong offseason .
We are in win now mode and thats important bc there are a lot of 1 yr players we will be taking over the controllable players- Harris Hudson Castro Gomes Eaton take your Rose
6-Difo is a nice versatile cheap piece which is nice to have when your running a 100 mill staff
7/8-Suero/Voth – Less about upside more about role…..Ok with taking upside guys here
***Spotrac shows Taylor a Fa next year, sometimes they are incorrect but he might not be elig here for this exercise
Voth has definite upside.
I like him, especially to fill a 5 spot and maybe 4 if/when Anibal leaves, but I think that might be his ceiling (4/5 starter). Not that thats a bad thing
He fits the teams window very well, hopefully everything they wished Joe Ross could have been for what seems like a century now
Ross’ problem was getting side tracked by nagging injuries. He seems to have kicked that for the most part now and is looking like a very strong swingman/4 or 5 starter.. My list kept both Voth & Ross on the Rizzo principle “you can never have too much pitching”…
I think keeping Castro and Gomes is a mistake – they’re both pretty replaceable. I’d rather have the four or five years of team control with Suero and Rainey. There was talk of Difo being non-tendered this Spring as well, so I don’t think he fits into the plans going forward either.
I’d keep Eaton, Voth, Fedde, Suero, Rainey, Harris, Hudson and MAT. This leaves an infield hole, but at least the Nats keep their pitching depth.
I can see keeping an arm for Gomes- At 6$ mill hes a nice player, especially since Suzuki is gone after this year but you can find comparable fill ins at that rate- I think Wash does value the stability for the staff though as thats their bread and butter
Thats odd to hear about Difo, makes me wonder if its something off field.- I think Castro and Difo help keep the payroll down instead of having to fill the hole in the inf like you said. Kinda have too with a 100 mill staff- Hes not a starter but with an inf that old id want the fresh cheap versatility around.
Spotrac has this MAT last year until free agency, they make errors, but if correct he wouldnt be elig
I think the Difo speculation was because he’s out of option years and Nats were likely carrying Castro, Asdrubal, Trea, and Kieboom for the infield. Keeping Difo would mean not carrying a 4th outfielder. It’s just hard to see how he would get playing time this year barring injury.
As for Castro, you convinced me. He’s fine and durable, if unspectacular. Also, you’re right about MAT. He will be a FA, so I’ll protect Castro instead.
I think Michael A Taylor would be the guy I take if he were available. I still think he can be an everyday player. Huge fan of him
Totally hear ya, I think going to an expansion team would be the best thing for him
Poor guys turning 30 already soon and never really gotten a shot nor will he with Wash without Robles Soto Eaton going down to inj
I bet thru the years Wash has gotten many offers as well, they just enjoy the insurance they have in him more at the end of the day as well as the late game defensive skills and speed on the paths he provides
Free Taylor!
Taylor certainly had a shot to play in 2016, and when him and Revere struggled mightily, Trea took the job and never looked back (that year). He also played plenty in 2017 and played well, but hasn’t replicated it since.
after Feede, Ross, and Voth the group really goes down hill. I guess Suero, Hudson, Rainey, Elias, and Castro finish of my eight.
Talk about a top heavy team….lots of stars on top then nothing lol
On the final AL results, how the heck did Nathan Eovaldi pull down enough votes to get protected?
name recognition
My list
Starlin Castro
Adam Eaton
Eric Fedde
Yan Gomes
Will Harris
Tanner Rainey
Joe Ross
Austin Voth
My Original list had Hudson over Harris but in reconsidering both age and potential production the obvious choice was Harris.
Notable absences include The Say A Kid [Micheal Taylor] The Nats are both stocked at the MLB level and have prospects coming up through the system.
Difo came down to a choice between him and Castro. I went Castro though I know this is potentially a short term choice.
Stevenson deserves to get some consistent playing time. He is nor as much of a sure loss from the roster an unprotected reliever or a catcher like Gomes. But his age may make him a prime target for expansion teams.