WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Victor Robles will not be on the Washington Nationals’ Opening Day roster, at least not this season. The organization optioned its top prospect to Class AAA Syracuse on Tuesday, a move that does not constitute a surprise and reinforces the statements made by General Manager Mike Rizzo that Robles will not sit on the bench. Wherever he plays, he will play every day.
While several other organizations are weighing the benefits of bringing top prospects onto their Opening Day rosters against the extra year of control they get if they wait until midseason, the Nationals’ decision with Robles had little to do with control. Asked for the earliest date at which the Nationals could call up Robles and still postpone his free agency another year — a calculation based on accumulation of major league service time — one Nationals official said he hadn’t even thought about it. Robles will play every day in Syracuse. If one of the starting outfielders gets hurt, they will call him up, service time be damned. This is the plan for now, of course. Plans can, and often do, change.
Regardless of the long-term implications, Robles will be the starting center fielder for the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate to start the season, a fairly prestigious position for any 20-year-old, and one he has not yet experienced. Robles was in Class AA Harrisburg when the Nationals called him up last fall. He had only played in 37 games there at the time — 37 games above High-A ball before debuting in the majors. Robles hit .324 with an .883 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in those 37 games.
[ Victor Robles is the Nationals’ future, but you’d never know from talking to him ]
Here, in extended Grapefruit League time, Robles started strong, then struggled. As of 12 days ago, Robles was hitting .276 with a .323 on-base percentage. As of Tuesday, he is hitting .188, 1 for his last 19. But no one in the organization thought Robles would transition to the higher levels without some adjustment period. He fell victim to traditional tendencies of youth — proving he can hit the fastball, getting too eager when fastballs stop coming and chasing breaking balls out of the strike zone.
As of right now, Robles does not have a clear path to major league duty this season, particularly given that the Nationals want him to play every day. With Michael A. Taylor in center, he might not have a clear path to everyday duty there beyond this year, either. Taylor, of course, was a Gold Glove finalist in center field last year.
Should Bryce Harper leave in free agency, or should Taylor not duplicate the consistency he found last year, Robles will be a clear heir to a spot in that Nationals outfield, wherever it is. Multiple people in the organization and two rival evaluators have all said, unprompted, that once Robles gets a spot in that outfield — however it comes — he probably won’t give it back.
But this is not Robles’s time, not quite yet. For now, he will get everyday innings in Syracuse, which means Brian Goodwin will almost certainly be the fourth outfielder on the Opening Day roster — as expected. Outfielders Andrew Stevenson and Moises Sierra remain in camp, though both are expected to be sent back soon. Manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday that he plans to start moving those players projected to be on his Opening Day roster to different positions soon, which could mean more outfield innings for Wilmer Difo, Matt Reynolds and perhaps even Howie Kendrick. Because Daniel Murphy will likely begin the season on the disabled list, either Difo or Kendrick will start in his place. The other can serve as a backup infielder as well as an outfielder. Reynolds has played all three outfield positions, too.
- Trea Turner was “a little sore” today after having an ingrown toenail treated Monday, Martinez said. He was not in the lineup Tuesday, though Martinez does not expect him to miss significant time.
- Stephen Strasburg allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings against the Marlins Tuesday. The right-hander will have one more start before heading north and pitching against the Reds in the second game of the season. Strasburg said he feels fine physically, and just dealt with execution trouble Tuesday — something that bothered him, but didn’t leave him concerned about his status moving forward.
Read more on the Nationals:
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Svrluga: Dialing back the Max: Nationals seek to manage the relentless Scherzer
The Nationals’ overhauled coaching staff is experienced, fiery and very, very loud
Boswell: Mike Rizzo waits on a contract extension from the Nationals, one he’s easily earned
‘There wasn’t a dry eye’: An eager Adam Eaton returns to the Nationals’ outfield
