Baseball is shut down right now, but it’s not. Many teams have opted to freeze their transactions, not per any mandate, though the Nationals are not one of them. Instead, on Saturday, Washington made several interesting roster moves, including releasing pitchers Hunter Strickland and David Hernández.
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The Nats also reassigned Jacob Wilson, Brandon Snyder, Taylor Gushue, JB Shuck, Dakota Bacus, Bryan Bonnell and Wil Crowe to minor-league camp. They optioned Jake Noll, Ben Braymer, Aaron Barrett and Kyle McGowin to Triple A.
The problem is, there is no minor-league camp right now, no Triple-A camp to be sent to. Amid a state of national emergency because of the coronavirus outbreak, players have been told to go home, uncertain if they will get paid and what the future holds.
The MLB Players Association asked for a roster freeze earlier in the week, though it has not happened yet. Compensation remains one of the many issues being discussed between MLB and the MLBPA (which governs only big leaguers’ rights). As The Athletic noted earlier Saturday, things like service time and performance bonuses for players will have to be worked out. But the bigger concern lies with players who aren’t on the 40-man roster and who don’t have the security of a big-league deal.
There are scores of players, including some who were sent to minor-league camp Saturday by the Nationals, who are faced with huge decisions. Do they go home? Do they get another job? How do they manage to stay ready when they aren’t being paid and when they have families to support? The situation is fluid, and it still could change. Washington is hardly the only team sending minor-league players home with no readily available options.
While many Nationals players have elected to stay in West Palm Beach, Fla., and work out, the number who have could dwindle later this month as leases start to run out. Strickland, who won the World Series with the Nationals last season, will stick around for a few days before heading home with his family. Hernández, who was living with teammate Patrick Corbin, has more flexibility and will fly back to California later this week.
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There’s a chance, particularly with Strickland, that a smaller deal is negotiated to bring him back. While the timing given the outbreak looks cruel, it is a big money saver for the Nationals. Strickland, on a nonguaranteed contract, was scheduled to earn $1.6 million. Given the timing of the release, the Nationals now owe him only a fraction of that.
Regardless, both pitchers, along with all the players sent into an unprecedented limbo Saturday, will continue throwing, hitting and conditioning. Routine is what keeps them sane. Keeping that routine without a regular paycheck will be doable for some and impossible for others.
The far-reaching consequences of a lengthy shutdown extend beyond the on-field personnel, of course. While several ownership groups across the major professional sports — such as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank — have pledged to pay for hourly workers affected by the shutdown, there has been no word from the Nationals and the Lerner family. Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis told The Athletic on Friday that any part-time staffers scheduled to work an event at Capital One Arena through March 31 will be paid.
(Photo of Hunter Strickland: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)