-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
PLAYER REVIEW: JAKE IRVIN
Age on Opening Day 2024: 27
How acquired: Fourth-round pick, 2018 Draft
MLB service time: 152 days
2023 salary: $720,000
PROSPECT REVIEW: TREY LIPSCOMB
Age on opening day 2024: 23
How acquired: Drafted in third round in 2022 from the University of Tennessee
Ranking: No. 14 per MLB Pipeline, No. 15 per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2025
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PLAYER REVIEW: TREVOR WILLIAMS
Age on Opening Day 2024: 31
How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2022
MLB service time: 7 years, 27 days
2023 salary: $6 million
The Washington Nationals announced the hiring of three members in their scouting department on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.
- Danny Haas – Vice President, Amateur Scouting
- Brad Ciolek – Senior Director, Amateur Scouting
- Reed Dunn – Assistant Director & National Crosschecker, Amateur Scouting
Haas, 47, joins the Nationals after spending the previous five seasons (2019-23) as a special assignment scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Prior to his time with Arizona, Haas worked for the Baltimore Orioles from 2012-18, first as a national crosschecker (2012-14) before being promoted to special assistant to the executive vice president of baseball operations (2015-18). He worked for the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2011, spending the final six seasons (2006-11) as a regional crosschecker, and in 2004, was named Boston’s Scout of the Year. He joined the scouting ranks with the Red Sox in 2002 after a five-year professional career from 1997 to 2001. A native of Paducah, Kentucky, Haas played college baseball at both the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. He was selected by the Red Sox the 18th round of the 1997 First-Year Player Draft out of Louisville where he earned a degree in criminal justice.
Ciolek, 37, spent last 12 years as a member of the Baltimore Orioles scouting department, most recently as their director of draft operations (2022-23). Prior to that role, he served as their supervisor of domestic scouting operations (2019-22), assistant director of scouting (2017-19) and scouting administrator (2013-16). He joined the Orioles in 2011 as a player development intern at their complex in Sarasota, Florida. Prior to joining Baltimore, he spent four seasons (2007-10) with the New York Mets and one year (2012) as an analyst for Bloomberg Sports. Ciolek graduated from Seton Hall University in 2009 with a degree business administration and earned his Master of Business Administration in computer information systems from Colorado State University in 2017.
Dunn, 39, returns to the Nationals after working in the Atlanta Braves amateur scouting department from 2014-2023, most recently as their East Coast crosschecker. Dunn’s regional scouting coverage included the drafting of players such as Michael Harris II, Austin Riley, Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright, among others. Dunn began his career in baseball with the Washington Nationals in 2007 as a scouting assistant, a role he held until 2009, until he was promoted to scouting coordinator. He was promoted to area scout in 2010 and spent the next four years covering amateur players in Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. Dunn graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2007 with a degree in sports management.
PROSPECT REVIEW: CRISTHIAN VAQUERO
Age on opening day 2024: 19
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, January 2022
Ranking: No. 9 per MLB Pipeline, No. 9 per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2027
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PLAYER REVIEW: PATRICK CORBIN
Age on Opening Day 2024: 34
How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2018
MLB service time: 11 years, 105 days
2023 salary: $24 million
PROSPECT REVIEW: YOHANDY MORALES
Age on opening day 2024: 22
How acquired: Drafted in second round in 2023 from the University of Miami (FL)
Ranking: No. 7 per MLB Pipeline, No. 8 per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2026
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PLAYER REVIEW: MACKENZIE GORE
Age on Opening Day 2024: 25
How acquired: Traded with CJ Abrams, James Wood, Robert Hassell III, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit from Padres for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, August 2022
MLB service time: 2 years
2023 salary: $723,300
PLAYER REVIEW: JOSIAH GRAY
Age on Opening Day 2024: 26
How acquired: Traded with Keibert Ruiz, Donovan Casey and Gerardo Carrillo from Dodgers for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, July 2021
MLB service time: 2 years, 75 days
2023 salary: $730,000
PROSPECT REVIEW: DAYLEN LILE
Age on opening day 2024: 21
How acquired: Drafted in second round in 2021 from Trinity High School in Louisville, Ky.
Ranking: No. 6 per MLB Pipeline, No. 14 per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2025
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PLAYER REVIEW: VICTOR ROBLES
Age on Opening Day 2024: 26
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2013
MLB service time: 5 years, 33 days
2023 salary: $2.325 million
PLAYER REVIEW: RILEY ADAMS
Age on Opening Day 2024: 27
How acquired: Traded from Blue Jays for Brad Hand, July 2021
MLB service time: 2 years, 50 days
2023 salary: $728,800
PROSPECT REVIEW: ELIJAH GREEN
Age on opening day 2024: 20
How acquired: Drafted No. 5 overall in 2022 from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Ranking: No. 5 per MLB Pipeline, No. 5 per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2026
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PLAYER REVIEW: JAKE ALU
Age on Opening Day 2024: 26
How acquired: 24th-round pick, 2019 Draft
MLB service time: 73 days
2023 salary: $720,000
PROSPECT REVIEW: ROBERT HASSELL III
Age on opening day 2024: 22
How acquired: Traded with MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit from Padres for Juan Soto and Josh Bell in August 2022; originally drafted No. 8 overall by Padres in 2020 from Independence High School in Thompson’s Station, Tenn.
Ranking: No. 8 per MLB Pipeline, No. 4 per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2024
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PROSPECT REVIEW: BRADY HOUSE
Age on opening day 2024: 20
How acquired: Drafted No. 11 overall in 2021 from Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Ga.
Ranking: No. 3 (No. 40 overall) per MLB Pipeline, No. 3 (No. 56 overall) per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2025
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PROSPECT REVIEW: JAMES WOOD
Age on opening day 2024: 21
How acquired: Traded with MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit from Padres for Juan Soto and Josh Bell in August 2022; originally drafted in second round by Padres in 2021 from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Ranking: No. 2 (No. 7 overall) per MLB Pipeline, No. 2 (No. 7 overall) per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2024
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PROSPECT REVIEW: DYLAN CREWS
Age on opening day 2024: 22
How acquired: Drafted No. 2 overall in 2023 from LSU
Ranking: No. 1 (No. 4 overall) per MLB Pipeline, No. 1 (No. 3 overall) per Baseball America
MLB ETA: 2024
* Projected by MLB Pipeline
PLAYER REVIEW: JACOB YOUNG
Age on Opening Day 2024: 24
How acquired: Seventh-round pick, 2021 Draft
MLB service time: 37 days
2023 salary: $720,000
The Nationals are cutting ties with infielder Michael Chavis, outfielder Blake Rutherford and reliever Hobie Harris, clearing necessary space on their 40-man roster as they prepare to enter the offseason.
Chavis, Rutherford and Harris cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Rochester. Both Chavis and Rutherford, who ended the season on the active big league roster, had the right to declare free agency and chose to do so, leaving the organization. Harris, who made the Opening Day bullpen but spent most of the season with Rochester, will be a minor league free agent at the conclusion of the World Series.
Those three moves, plus comparable moves with reliever Victor Arano and outfielder Travis Blankenhorn earlier this month, cleared a total of five spots on the Nationals’ 40-man roster, which ultimately will be needed for players who ended the season on the 60-day injured list.
The Nats had six such players on the 60-day IL at season’s end: catcher Riley Adams, outfielders Stone Garrett and Victor Robles, and right-handers Cade Cavalli, Carl Edwards Jr. and Stephen Strasburg. Edwards becomes eligible for free agency after the World Series and is unlikely to return.
Strasburg has already come to the conclusion he’ll need to retire after a failed attempt to return from thoracic outlet surgery, but until he and the organization come to an agreement on how to handle the $105 million he’s still owed through 2026, he will need to occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
