The Nationals announced Wednesday that they’ve optioned struggling third baseman Carter Kieboom to their alternate training site in order to open a spot on the roster for lefty Sean Doolittle, who has been reinstated from the injured list.
Though Kieboom has yet to find his groove at the plate in 2020, it’s still a surprise to see the Nats option him out. The organizational hope had been that the 22-year-old, long considered one of MLB’s top overall prospects, could step into the Anthony Rendon-sized void in that lineup. That’s not to say that anyone expected the 2016 first-rounder to single-handedly make up for Rendon’s lost production, but Kieboom has been touted as a potentially plus hitter in his own right.
The future for Kieboom may still be bright, but he’s yet to find success in multiple big league auditions. He’s without an extra-base hit through 64 plate appearances this year, and he’s batted a combined .169/.299/.236 in 107 PAs dating back to last year’s debut. Clearly, that’s a far cry from last year’s .303/.409/.493 slash in 494 trips to the plate with Triple-A Fresno.
With Kieboom now out of the mix at third base and Starlin Castro on the shelf following surgery to repair a fractured wrist, the Nats will need to lean more heavily on the veteran trio of Asdrubal Cabrera, Josh Harrison and Howie Kendrick to carry the freight at second and third base. Kendrick has been limited to first base and DH exclusively in 2020, but he did appear in 23 games at second base and 15 games at third base during the 2019 regular season. Depending on how the Nats approach Monday’s looming trade deadline, we could see them look to add some infield depth — although starting pitching seems like a greater area of focus with Stephen Strasburg lost for the year and 60 percent of the rotation struggling to ERAs north of 5.00.
Didn’t get much of a chance
Sure didn’t. Shame. Maybe next year.
That makes 2 years in a row now where at the first sign of him struggling they send him down without giving him a chance.
Modern FOs are all about extracting value out of a player’s pre-free agency (even pre-arb) years. They aren’t interested in giving a player time to work it out an risk only getting 4 or 5 productive years instead of 5 or 6.
I’m only being half-tongue-in-cheek here.
I remember seeing him last year at Triple-A Fresno. It’s frustrating seeing them give up on him so quickly. Had him on my fantasy team in case he had success. He obviously didn’t, but it just feels like he gets to be the fall guy with the Nats bad year this year.
To be fair though he didn’t produce like a major leaguer.
Effectively adds a year of team control, right? Assuming he stays down long enough to offset his service time from last year. Can’t really argue given his performance.
Really wish the FO would view this properly as a transition year and give the kids more of a chance. Even if we do make the playoffs it’s highly unlikely we survive with the state of the rotation and bullpen, so see what we have. Kind of frustrating.
No idea why this double posted.
It is a transition year but Garcia is .324/.342/.459/.802 in a very small sample size and looks better than CK at the plate and in the field. Glad he is staying to see how he adjusts. Kieboom needs work and wasn’t going to get ABs the way he is playing. Maybe he can get fixed in Fredericksburg and you delay his player clock as a bonus.
Agreed. Gear up for the next run. The short season is a great opportunity to give Keiboom some MLB reps.
You play the game to get into the playoffs, where anything can happen. Dont give up on the season. Get into the playoffs and hope Scherzer-Corbin-Sanchez get back on their A games.
Mr. Adams forgot they still have Luis Garcia starting most games at 2B.
Not a kid that helps a team make the playoffs this year
Bust
Carter Keiboom for Kris Bryant this offseason.
The regular season ends in only 4 weeks. In a season like this, you cant keep giving umpteen chances to the kid when you’re in a playoff hunt. 20 K’s in 50 AB’s this season — that is brutal. Let him go to Fredericksburg to get swings in, and maybe teach him to stop putting so much pressure on himself. The Nats gave Danny Espinosa a zillion chances to succeed, they’ll extend Kieboom the same courtsey.
And PLEASE keep Kris Bryant away from DC. Thank you.
See you next season NATS. Gotta go to the market and get a starting pitcher, a 3rd baseman and a catcher. Period. Rizzo needs to get his contract or it’s all over for another 5 yrs.