Nationals make 12 cuts; Montero makes opening day roster

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals roster isn't down to 25 players just yet, and it doesn't appear it will be until after the club heads north and plays its final exhibition game Tuesday in D.C. But with a flurry of moves today, the Nats did finally settle a few important matters and codify the final remaining decisions they have to make before Thursday's season opener in Cincinnati.

Today's transactions: Austin L. Adams, Pedro Severino and Andrew Stevenson were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse; Tim Collins, Chris Dominguez, Edwin Jackson, Spencer Kieboom, Tommy Milone, Moisés Sierra and Christopher Smith were reassigned to minor league camp; Reid Brignac and Ryan Raburn were released.

What all that means: Miguel Montero has made the club as the No. 2 catcher, and there are now four remaining roster spots for six remaining candidates in camp: infielders Matt Reynolds and Adrian Sanchez, plus relievers Trevor Gott, Matt Grace, Enny Romero and Sammy Solís.

In the end, the toughest roster decision the Nationals will face is whether to keep a fifth bench player or an eighth reliever, with a multitude of factors (the schedule, in-game strategy, players' contract statuses) under consideration.

"For the most part, everything's been on cue and we're all on the same page," manager Davey Martinez said. "It's just now putting together information. Cause of the days off and stuff like that, seeing if we want to carry an extra pitcher or an extra position player. Stuff like: Who am I really going to pinch-hit for, if we're pinch-hitting for anybody? Health issues. Stuff like that. So we're trying to sort it all out before we make any decisions."

As always, despite all the attention given to the opening day 25-man roster, the Nationals know they need to best position themselves to have enough available players ready to be summoned from the minors when needs arise, recognizing the roster will be an ever-changing entity.

That makes contract status a key part of the discussion right now. For example: Of the six players still under consideration for the final four roster spots, two (Grace and Romero) are out of options. Only Reynolds, Sanchez, Gott and Solís can be demoted to the minors without first being exposed to waivers.

One matter the Nationals didn't have to fret over was the decision to keep Montero as Matt Wieters' backup catcher. (They'll officially purchase his minor league contract before opening day, needing to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for him.)

In selecting Montero over Severino, the Nationals decided to go with an experienced backup catcher while also positioning a prospect to better prepare himself for the future. Montero, 34, has 1,181 games of major league experience and though he's no longer the offensive force he was earlier in his career when he was a two-time All-Star for the Diamondbacks, he impressed the coaching staff this spring.

"We were really honest with him," Martinez said. "We told him from day one: 'You have to make the team.' He's hit the ball well. Like I've always said, I know he handles the staff really well. He's always been a good, clutch hitter. I like that."

Severino, 24, heads back to Syracuse for the third straight season, with the Nationals taking advantage of his final year of options to ensure he remains in the organization. He continues to be viewed by many as the club's eventual everyday catcher, which is why the front office believes he wouldn't benefit from serving as Wieters' backup in the majors.

"He's still developing," Martinez said. "Making sure that we do the right thing for him. That being said, we really value the fact that he's going to be an everyday catcher for us one day."

Stevenson, 23, also heads back to Syracuse, where he played 79 games last season. A good defensive outfielder, he struggled at the plate when called up to make his debut with the Nationals in 2017 but will be positioned to earn another promotion if the club needs outfield help along the way.

The other position players who were reassigned to minor league camp today likely will join those two in Syracuse to begin the season. Sierra, a 29-year-old outfielder, showed off his power bat this spring, hitting .327 (17-for-52) with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs. Dominguez, 31, also enjoyed a productive spring hitting .326 (15-for-46) with three homers and 10 RBIs while playing both corner infield positions. Kieboom, 27, will continue to offer catching depth for the organization after hitting .324 (12-for-37) with five RBIs this spring.

Adams (4.05 ERA in 6 2/3 innings), Collins (3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings) and Smith (1.17 ERA in 7 2/3 innings) each made strong cases for a spot in the bullpen but were victims of the numbers game. Each will be among the candidates under consideration for a promotion when the Nationals need relief help along the way.

Jackson (4.09 ERA in 11 innings) and Milone (2.08 ERA in 13 innings) are veteran starters who agreed to report to Triple-A and will be available in case of injuries to the Nats rotation.

Raburn and Brignac, on the other hand, will not report to Triple-A, each enacting "out" clauses in their minor league contracts. Raburn, the 36-year-old outfielder who hit .262 in 25 games for the Nationals last summer, decided to take one more shot this spring but said at the outset he would choose to retire if he didn't make the 25-man roster. Thus a career that included 12 big league seasons and 946 games with the Tigers, Indians, Rockies and Nationals has most likely come to an end.

Brignac, a 32-year-old infielder with 369 games of big league experience with six organizations (most of them coming with the Rays), hit just .179 this spring and now faces an uncertain future.