The Nationals have agreed to minor league deals with outfielder David Dahl and right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon, reports Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter links). Dahl was recently released by the Brewers, while Ponce De Leon was released from the Mariners organization. Both had been playing on minor league deals in Triple-A at the time of their release.
Neither player has appeared on a major league roster this year, but they’d both had extensive big league work before 2022. Dahl, a former tenth overall pick and top Rockies prospect, reached the majors in 2016. He hit .315/.359/.500 down the stretch that season, but injuries helped keep him out of MLB action the following year. That became a familiar occurrence, as Dahl missed notable time in each of the next three seasons with foot, ankle, back and shoulder issues.
The left-handed hitter was generally effective when healthy, at least early in his career. He combined for a .291/.342/.528 line while playing just more than half of Colorado’s games between 2018-19, earning an All-Star nod in the latter season. After losing most of the shortened 2020 campaign to injury, however, he was surprisingly non-tendered by the Rockies. He caught on with the Rangers on a big league deal heading into last season, but his results were disastrous. Dahl hit only .210/.247/.322 over 220 plate appearances in Texas. He was released last August and caught on with the Brewers on a minor league deal.
Dahl had spent the past year with Milwaukee’s top affiliate in Nashville. He played well there, including a .294/.357/.468 showing through 67 games this season. Nevertheless, the Brewers elected against giving him another MLB look, and he was granted his release a few weeks ago. The 28-year-old will try to play his way back to the majors on a Washington club that is rebuilding and likely to deal a few hitters over the coming weeks. Juan Soto is obviously the biggest name on the market, but each of Nelson Cruz and Josh Bell are virtual locks to change hands before the August 2 deadline. Cruz has taken almost the at-bats at designated hitter, so there could be at-bats available for Dahl there for the season’s final couple months.
Ponce de Leon, 30, pitched for the Cardinals from 2018-21. He broke in with some promise as a swingman, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in each of his first two seasons while generating a solid number of strikeouts. He punched out an elite 31.5% of opponents during the shortened 2020 season, but that year also saw him walk a career-high 14% of batters faced. Those control woes persisted last season, and St. Louis designated him for assignment after he posted a 6.21 ERA through 33 1/3 innings.
Signed by Seattle to a minor league deal in April, he’d spent the year with their top affiliate in Tacoma. Ponce de Leon was hit hard over 16 starts, posting a 7.95 ERA with an elevated 12.7% walk rate and surrendering more than two homers per nine innings. His 24.1% strikeout rate there was fine but not at the heights he’d flashed in prior seasons, and the M’s let him go this week. Washington will add him as non-roster depth capable of working either out of the rotation or the bullpen.
To eventually take the roster spots of Soto and Corbin??
That’s makes sense but still hard to see a deal coming together before the offseason. It might make sense for new ownership to decide if they want to trade Soto. I just have a hard time seeing the trade happen before the deadline in a couple of weeks.
Soto is getting traded in the next two weeks.
I’m pretty surprised Dahl never got a shot with the Brewers.
I’m surprised it took this long for someone to pick him up. I can’t believe WAS is the only organization with a need that Dahl can fill.
No shirt! Should’ve given Dahl a crack at it. Jonathan Davis has zero power.
What I have been harping on for weeks. Maybe, Ham and Egger Taylor comes back today!
That’s just it. There was no reason we fans could see. But surely there was a good reason, as the Crew needs a spark from anywhere and they still didn’t give him a shot. Something was up.
Dahl is a great gamble for Nats
I guess the Fountain of Youth could be hidden in a swamp in DC.
The only reason I made this joke was for the guy that just wants to talk baseball. Enjoy.
lol
Thanks.
The way the Soto trade could happen is with the Corbin contract attached to it. Nationals getting rid of money on books for a less return on Soto.
Soto would be a perfect fit for either of the New York Teams
Please explain in detail which teams Soto would NOT be a perfect fit for.
He might be out of the price range of such teams as the Sydney Blue Sox, the Gateway Grizzlies, and the Fuban Guardians.
There is absolutely zero chance that they will do anything to lessen the return on Soto, that’s nonsensical. If anything they will take bad contracts back to get even more elite prospects. Think of what San Diego would offer if the Nats take Hosmer and Limet back, plus prospects. Probably talking Gore, Abrams, Hassell, and then some.
Pass me whatever you’re smoking
The Nats refused to trade Scherzer to the Mets last deadline but you think they’re going to trade them Soto, lol.
The Nats seemed to fix Schwarber and Bell. Maybe they can fix Dahl.
Ponce De Leon hasn’t been the same since leading the first official European expedition to Florida or serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico.
Seems like replacements for a Soto trade. Dahl is a great gamble. Wondering if a deal breaker in a move is attaching the Corbin contract. Could see a creative package involving a Hosmer and Corbin swap with Bell included. Could be an interesting deal.
Makes little sense to be rushing to trade Soto when they plan to sell the team. The new owners might actually prefer to keep Soto. Moving Corbin? The new owners will spend 2+B to acquire the Nats. The Corbin contract even register.
My point is the Nats ownership is not acting like they’re planning to sell.
Selling the team could take another two years. It isn’t even for sale yet or have i missed the memo? I could see Josh Bell being included in a Soto trade to S.D. They would get Hosmer along with hopefully Hassel, Wood and Gasser.
The league figured out how to get Dahl out after his first couple of seasons. If the Nats can fix the hole in his swing this could be a good pickup for them, especially since he can play all 3 OF positions.
Would have loved to sign David Dahl to a minor league contract if I was Brian Cashman. Could have been an insurance policy in left field.
The Nationals Pounced on getting Ponce!