It’s the last week of spring training, and questions remain regarding the makeup of the Nationals’ 25-man Opening Day roster.
Who’s the center fielder? Free agent signee Rick Ankiel appears to have the inside track for the job, though the competition this spring with incumbent Nyjer Morgan is fairly close outside of Ankiel’s obvious power advantage. Batting average is a push, and Morgan’s on-base percentage is considerably higher. Morgan has six steals to Ankiel’s two, and Morgan has no errors to Ankiel’s one. The defensive numbers can be deceptive because Morgan’s speed allows him to reach balls Ankiel might not.
If you can believe the rumors, the Nats would like to move Morgan to another team. The incidents he was involved in last season, which spanned a couple of weeks and resulted in a suspension by Major League Baseball, may be lingering on the minds of some decision-makers.
There’s no way to excuse some of the things Morgan did last year, though the brawl with the Marlins isn’t one of them. When Mike Rizzo obtained him from Pittsburgh in late June 2009, the Nationals’ general manager thought he was getting a future star, and from that point until season’s end he looked prescient: Morgan hit .351 in 49 games. You could make the case that had he not been injured in Chicago in late August, the Nats’ 2009 win total would have easily cracked the 60 mark. When he didn’t sniff .300 in 2010 and had those issues, many fans turned on him.
Morgan has some unique skills and at 30 shouldn’t be consigned to the scrap heap. Ankiel is 31 and three years removed from his best season. Plus, he is not a leadoff hitter. Morgan has a minor league option left, and there may yet be interest from another team looking for a fourth outfielder.
Jerry Hairston is a lock to make the team as a jack-of-all-trades, but who will be the other utility infielder? I’m betting on Alex Cora. At 35, he’s no kid, but he’s had an impressive spring and has the type of makeup that both Rizzo and manager Jim Riggleman prefer. He’s like another coach. While incumbent Alberto Gonzalez has also hit well this spring — and is seven years younger — Cora has the intangibles Gonzo does not, including postseason experience.
Does Matt Stairs make this team? Ostensibly an outfielder, he’s played in only two games in the field with no chances this month. While he owns a glove or two, that’s not why he’s in camp. I think he makes the club as a bat off the bench, though he’s one of those guys who may end up as trade fodder after the All-Star break.
“The Final Countdown” is more than a closer’s entrance tune this week.
Examiner columnist Phil Wood is a baseball historian and contributor to MASN’s Nats Xtra. Contact him at [email protected].
