PLAYER REVIEW: CADE CAVALLI
Age on opening day 2023: 24
How acquired: First-round pick, 2020 draft
MLB service time: 41 days
2022 salary: $700,000
PLAYER REVIEW: ERICK FEDDE
Age on opening day 2023: 30
How acquired: First-round pick, 2014 draft
MLB service time: 4 years, 99 days
2022 salary: $2.15 million
PLAYER REVIEW: PATRICK CORBIN
Age on opening day 2023: 33
How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2018
MLB service time: 10 years, 105 days
2022 salary: $23 million
PLAYER REVIEW: JOSIAH GRAY
Age on opening day 2023: 25
How acquired: Traded with Keibert Ruiz, Donovan Casey and Gerardo Carrillo from Dodgers for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, July 2021
MLB service time: 1 year, 75 days
2022 salary: $703,500
PLAYER REVIEW: TRES BARRERA
Age on opening day 2023: 28
How acquired: Sixth-round pick, 2016 draft
MLB service time: 172 days
2022 salary: $700,000
PLAYER REVIEW: ALEX CALL
Age on opening day 2023: 28
How acquired: Claimed off waivers from Guardians, August 2022
MLB service time: 74 days
2022 salary: $700,000
PLAYER REVIEW: RILEY ADAMS
Age on opening day 2023: 26
How acquired: Traded from Blue Jays for Brad Hand, July 2021
MLB service time: 1 year, 49 days
2022 salary: $706,700
One current Nationals outfielder and one former Nationals outfielder were named Gold Glove Award finalists this afternoon, with Victor Robles and Juan Soto sharing that distinction despite no longer being teammates.
Robles is a finalist among National League center fielders, joining the Padres’ Trent Grisham and Diamondbacks’ Alek Thomas. Soto is a finalist among NL right fielders, joining the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts and the Diamondbacks’ Daulton Varsho.
Gold Glove Awards are selected via a combination of analytics and a vote among managers and coaches, all of which are submitted prior to the end of the regular season. The top three finishers at each position in each league are considered finalists, with the winners set to be announced Nov. 1, prior to Game 4 of the World Series.
This is the second time Robles has been named a finalist, coming three years after his breakthrough rookie season in 2019. He stands a good chance of winning this time, given the fact his 12 Defensive Runs Saved led all NL center fielders and ranked behind only the Royals’ Michael A. Taylor (another former teammate) and the Guardians’ Myles Straw among all major leaguers at his position.
Robles also recorded an NL-high seven outfield assists, though he was charged with six errors (also an NL-high).
PLAYER REVIEW: YADIEL HERNANDEZ
Age on opening day 2023: 35
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, October 2016
MLB service time: 2 years, 28 days
2022 salary: $714,000
PLAYER REVIEW: NELSON CRUZ
Age on opening day 2023: 42
How acquired: Signed as free agent, March 2022
MLB service time: 15 years, 82 days
2022 salary: $12 million
PLAYER REVIEW: VICTOR ROBLES
Age on opening day 2023: 25
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2013
MLB service time: 4 years, 33 days
2022 salary: $1.65 million
PLAYER REVIEW: LANE THOMAS
Age on opening day 2023: 27
How acquired: Traded from Cardinals for Jon Lester, July 2021
MLB service time: 3 years, 14 days
2022 salary: $723,600
PLAYER REVIEW: CÉSAR HERNÁNDEZ
Age on opening day 2023: 32
How acquired: Signed as free agent, November 2021
MLB service time: 8 years, 154 days
2022 salary: $4 million
PLAYER REVIEW: ILDEMARO VARGAS
Age on opening day 2023: 31
How acquired: Signed as minor league free agent, May 2022
MLB service time: 3 years, 7 days
2022 salary: $700,000
PLAYER REVIEW: KEIBERT RUIZ
Age on opening day 2023: 24
How acquired: Traded from Dodgers with Josiah Gray, Donovan Casey and Gerardo Carrillo for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, July 2021
MLB service time: 1 year, 64 days
2022 salary: $701,300
PLAYER REVIEW: LUKE VOIT
Age on opening day 2023: 32
How acquired: Traded from Padres with MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell III, James Wood and Jarlin Susana for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, August 2022
MLB service time: 4 years, 169 days
2022 salary: $5.45 million
PLAYER REVIEW: CJ ABRAMS
Age on opening day 2023: 22
How acquired: Traded from Padres with MacKenzie Gore, Luke Voit, Robert Hassell III, James Wood and Jarlin Susana for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, August 2022
MLB service time: 131 days
2022 salary: $700,000
PLAYER REVIEW: LUIS GARCÍA
Age on opening day 2023: 22
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2016
MLB service time: 1 year, 164 days
2022 salary: $700,000
PLAYER REVIEW: JOEY MENESES
Age on opening day 2023: 30
How acquired: Signed as minor league free agent, January 2022
MLB service time: 65 days
2022 salary: $700,000
We always knew the Nationals weren't going to be good this season. We just had no idea how bad it would get, not only in terms of their 55-107 record, but the fact they traded Juan Soto in early August in an attempt to completely revamp their farm system.
Sometimes, it's tougher to predict how a bad season will play out than a good one. That certainly was the case for me and my colleagues on the Nationals beat, who attempted way back on April 7 to guess how things would go this year and in most cases failed miserably.
There were a few spot-on predictions, but plenty more swings and misses, as you'll see below. As has been our tradition since we first made these predictions in 2010, we always come back to revisit them after the season ends, just to show everyone out there how misguided we were all along ...
WHICH NATIONALS WILL BE SELECTED FOR THE ALL-STAR GAME?
Bobby Blanco (MASNsports.com) - Juan Soto
Jessica Camerato (MLB.com) - Juan Soto
Jesse Dougherty (Washington Post) - Juan Soto
Andrew Golden (Washington Post) - Juan Soto
Craig Heist (106.7 The Fan) - Josh Bell, Nelson Cruz
Chelsea Janes (Washington Post) - Keibert Ruiz, Juan Soto
Pete Kerzel (MASNsports.com) - Juan Soto
Bill Ladson (MLB.com honorary) - Juan Soto
Mark Zuckerman (MASNsports.com) - Juan Soto
