ST. LOUIS — Lane Thomas didn’t fairly make his first All-Star Sport final week, however his numbers have been adequate to think about him one of many Nationwide League’s most-notable snubs.
As an alternative of taking part in, he watched two former teammates make spectacular catches on the Midsummer Traditional. Adolis García and Randy Arozarena both robbed NL hitters of extra bases within the first inning. Had Thomas made the All-Star workforce, it could have accomplished the set.
“That was mainly our outfield in Memphis,” Thomas mentioned.
The Cardinals have been coping with a glut of younger outfielders earlier than they moved on from the three Triple-A Memphis teammates. García went to Texas in 2019 in alternate for money. Arozarena was despatched to Tampa Bay as a part of a commerce that introduced in younger pitcher Matthew Liberatore in 2020. The Cardinals shipped Thomas to the Nationals on the 2021 Commerce Deadline for veteran lefty Jon Lester.
“On the time, you could possibly have flipped a coin and put anybody on the market and gotten fairly near the identical outcomes,” Thomas mentioned. “They only had so many guys that have been related.”
At the moment of 12 months, a workforce’s composition, and the path of its season, can change abruptly. Again in St. Louis for the weekend, Thomas and his Washington teammates have been being tailed by a coterie of scouts prematurely of this 12 months’s Aug. 1 Commerce Deadline.
The Nats misplaced to the Cardinals 8-4 on Sunday to drop two of three within the sequence, however the motion a lot of their followers shall be monitoring within the coming days will happen within the entrance workplace, not on the taking part in discipline.
Like many sub-.500 groups, the Nationals are believed to be working to maneuver a veteran or two to proceed replenishing their farm system. That system obtained an inflow with the commerce of Juan Soto nearly a 12 months in the past. The obvious commerce candidate is third baseman Jeimer Candelariosince his contract expires in a number of months, however the Nats additionally might select to pay attention on Thomas — who gained’t be a free agent till 2026 — or, actually, any veteran participant on the roster.
That makes July arguably probably the most pivotal month of the season for the Nats. The thought is to construct round a core of sub-25 gamers that features shortstop C.J. Abrams, 22, catcher Keibert Ruiz, 24, and second baseman Luis García, 23.
Thomas mentioned his choice could be to stay with the membership because it progressively improves.
“We’ve obtained our shortstop for a very long time. You’ve obtained Luis taking part in second. You’ve obtained numerous good pitchers which might be developing,” Thomas mentioned. “Hopefully, I’m right here to see all these guys succeed and perhaps get to a degree the place we’ve profitable seasons, too.”
In the meantime, the Nats can solely hope their most blatant commerce chip heals quick. Candelario, whose $5 million, one-year contract expires after this season, left the primary sport of this three-game sequence within the first inning attributable to ache from a bone bruise he’d sustained whereas fielding grounders Friday afternoon. The swelling had subsided significantly in his thumb by Sunday night, and it seems Candelario will return a while within the subsequent few days, which might assist the workforce’s efforts to market him.
If the Nationals are contemplating buying and selling a reliever, that effort additionally took a blow this weekend. Righty Hunter Harvey was despatched again to Washington for an MRI on his sore proper triceps, and supervisor Dave Martinez mentioned it seems he’s headed for the injured checklist.
Candelario, too, mentioned his choice could be to stay with the Nats, however he understands a commerce is also a robust chance. He was traded from the Cubs to the Tigers in 2017 and signed with Washington final November.
“Regardless of the group needs to do with me, I’m glad,” Candelario mentioned. “I’d love to remain right here. I like the blokes for positive. I just like the workforce. However it is a enterprise, man. You’re right here at the moment, and also you don’t know tomorrow.”
Martinez mentioned he already has began discussing the potential for a late-July disruption with the younger membership.
“The largest focus for me is getting them to know, ‘Hey, you’re nonetheless a Washington Nationwide. We’ve nonetheless obtained to play collectively. You’ve obtained to convey vitality each day,’” Martinez mentioned. “Don’t fear about what you possibly can’t management. Fear about what you possibly can management, and that’s to go on the market and carry out. We have now to proceed to do this, particularly the youthful gamers. They often can get wrapped up in stuff that they learn or hear from different teammates and guys on different groups.”
That chatter isn’t going to abate for fairly a while.
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Revealed : 2023-07-16 23:56:50
