More on yesterday's first cuts of camp

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Early March in spring training brings the anticipation of the first roster cuts. Usually, it’s a group of minor leaguers who have been in major league camp but are running out of opportunities to play as the everyday big leaguers need more reps to get ready for the season.

Technically, it is a demotion. But none of the young players should hold their heads down as they move from the Nationals clubhouse to the minor league side down the hall at the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches complex.

The Nats made their first cuts of the spring yesterday, reassigning right-handers Daison Acosta, Marquis Grissom Jr., Jack Sinclair, Tyler Stuart and Jarlin Susana, and catchers Caleb Lomavita and Max Romero to minor league camp.

“We had some young guys that threw the ball really, really well,” manager Davey Martinez said. “So now that we're trying to get our starters stretched out and see some of these other guys go multiple innings, it's time for them to get ready for their season as well. But I saw a lot of really good things. As I said earlier, for me, this is the first camp where I really feel like we have some depth. Our young guys are doing well and they're coming. So it was a lot of fun to watch these guys pitch early.”

Demoting Susana, who is the Nats’ No. 3 ranked prospect and the No. 78 ranked prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline’s latest rankings, wasn’t unexpected. But it is unfortunate that we’ll see less of the 6-foot-6, 235-pound flamethrower, who draws attention every time he steps on a mound. He could still be called up from minor league camp for games, plus one of the two Spring Breakout games next week.

The right-hander, who was the final piece of the blockbuster Juan Soto trade in 2022, pitched three scoreless innings over his three Grapefruit League appearances. He only surrendered one hit and struck out three, but he also issued four walks while needing to throw a lot of pitches.

His outings were epitomes of the Susana experience at this point of his still very young career. In his first appearance in the spring opener, he lit up the radar gun by topping out at 103 mph and bottoming out at 99 mph. But he issued two walks while needing 34 pitches, only 20 strikes, to get out of the one inning.

On Saturday against the Cardinals in Jupiter, he again flashed on the scoreboard with a 102 mph fastball that sat at 99 mph. But he issued two more walks while only throwing nine of his 21 pitches for strikes.

“It's all about repetition, right?” said Martinez. “And that's something that he wanted to clean up. Not try to overthrow. He throws hard enough. More or less, try to throw the ball over the plate.”

The message to him as he went down to minor league camp was obvious.

“Continue to throw strikes, work ahead and just be efficient,” Martinez said. “His stuff is so good. So there's a big difference from when I saw him last year to this year, as far as the way he handles himself, the way he goes about his work. He's all in, which I love about him.”

Stuart, who came over last summer in the Jesse Winker trade with the Mets, isn’t as flashy as Susana, but the Nats think he’s just as important to their future. And he’s also big.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound right-hander gave up two runs, one hit and one walk with four strikeouts in three innings over his three appearances. He was also credited with the win in that opening game against the Astros. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the Nats’ No. 15 prospect.

“Very quiet, very quiet. But another kid that we really like,” Martinez said. “Pounds the strike zone. His stuff is really good. So, like I said, he's part of that group where that depth comes in, where we really feel like he can help us along the way.”

Lomavita was just getting a taste of big league camp while getting a chance to work with the pitchers, coaches and other catchers. Drafted last summer with the Competitive Balance A pick (39th overall) the Nats got as part of the Hunter Harvey trade with the Royals, the former Cal catcher didn’t collect a hit and struck out once over his two at-bats in Grapefruit League play.

But MLB Pipeline’s No. 9 Nats prospect still learned a lot.

“He's really good,” Martinez said. “A very outgoing kid. But he learned. He earned a lot, learned what he can do. Talked a little bit about his hitting and being on time every pitch. So he's just another one of these young kids, one of our top prospects, that we feel like could help us in the future.”

MLB Pipeline’s complete updated list of the Nationals’ top 30 prospects can be found here.