Crew arrives in West Palm:
Davey Martinez’s advice to Dylan Cruz heading into his first major league spring training was simple.
“Be a sponge and learn as much as you can,” the director said.
“We’re excited to have him. It was nice to see him today. He looks good.”
Crews, who turns 22 on the 26th of this month, arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday.
“He’ll get a chance to play a little bit in spring training,” the captain said.
“But I want him to go out and just fit in and be with the players and learn as much as he can. He’s going to help us. It’s just a matter of when. I don’t know. It could happen sooner or later.
“But he’s definitely going to help us and help us win a lot of games here.”
Cruz told reporters he already feels like he fits in.
“I’m very excited, very excited and ready to go here,” Cruz told reporters. Quoted by Jessica Camerato of MLB.com on sunday:
“I feel like I belong in this locker room right now. [I am] Be ready to act with them and get used to them. ”
According to Baseball America, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, No. 1 overall pick by the Nationals, and No. 6 overall prospect in baseball, was promoted to AA in his first professional baseball experience. Last year, he had a combined batting average of .292/.377/.467 with nine doubles and five home runs with three stops along the way.
GM Mike Rizzo was asked what he learned about Crews this winter that he didn’t know before joining the organization.
“There wasn’t much we didn’t know,” he said.
“But he kind of reinforced what we knew. He cares about being on his feet, that’s a big thing about him. I think you’ve seen it through the minor leagues and that kind of growth, through him playing grueling, stressful seasons, having success in college, and then coming to the pro game and honing those things these past few months. I think that was important for him to finish the season in Double-A.”
Martinez said Sunday that he has learned a lot about the crew in the short time he has been on the cruise.
“What I’ve learned about him in a short period of time is that he understands who he is,” Martinez said.
“He knows where he is and he knows what he needs to do. He’s quiet, but he has leadership and you can see it.
“I watched all of his college games and he has a great idea of what he’s done and what he wants to do.
“I’m excited. I’m looking forward to seeing his work, watching him in the outfield, watching him hit…”
Bullpen depth:
Davey Martinez turned to Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey (when healthy) Appeared in 67 and 57 games, respectively, in 2023, with Finnegan pitching 69 games. 1⁄3 IP and Harvey 60 2⁄3 IP in general.
Both players had career-high innings totals, and Finnegan finished with 28 in saves, while Harvey, who had never made a save in the majors until last season, set a career-high with 10 total saves.
By the end of the year, both relief pitchers were gone.
“They’re not good,” coach Davey Martinez admitted during the final weekend of the regular season.
“They both pitched great innings for us. They worked really hard. Finnegan set a career high in saves and did a great job of closing out games for us. He certainly needed a break this winter. I joked with Harvey and said, ‘You’re going to Winter Ball,’ and he started laughing.”
Harvey, in particular, has a long history of injuries and was sidelined due to tightness in his right elbow, so the team was cautious and wanted to strengthen their relief staff with late-game options heading into the winter. Captain of the Nationals.
GM Mike Rizzo said what they’re looking for this winter is that what they have on the market is “a good, talented major league reliever that we can count on to be in our A and B groups.” “He is a player who will not cause such divisions.” -group. “
Martinez said he wants options so he doesn’t have to rely on Finnegan and Harvey as much as he did last season.
Veteran Dylan Floro joins and Tanner Rainey returns (From Tommy John surgery), and Many pitchers signed minor league contracts. Martinez, who was invited to join the Nationals in spring training, said last week that he thinks they have the arms needed to assemble a deeper, more reliable “pen.”
“We definitely wanted to make sure we added a guy in the back of the bullpen who could throw,” he told reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“The biggest thing is keeping Finnegan and Harvey out for three or four days in a row.
“Especially when Harvey got hurt. And now we have Rainey, who just came off Tommy John.
“So we tried to get some players together in a place where if Finnegan needed time off, Harvey could close up shop, or vice versa. Floro’s had previously closed down.
“If Laney attacks the strike zone, throws strikes, and is healthy, he’s another guy that can throw at the back of the bullpen.”
Martinez said having multiple late-inning options that he trusts was a key goal of the offseason, and he believes he achieved it.
“We were definitely trying to get a guy who could throw in high-leverage situations and get guys out in key moments.”
opportunity:
Davey Martinez had a short message for prospects attending major league spring training and non-roster invitees in camp vying for opening roster spots in Washington, D.C.
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Fight for those spots.
“I want them to come here and compete and fight,” Martinez said.
“You know, nothing is really set in stone. There really isn’t.”
“Just get out,” he said.
“I want them to come here and fight for jobs.”
Will the top players struggle to win that spot this spring?
