Robert Flores from MLB Network believes the Nats and their young core led by Dylan Crews and James Wood could be better than you think.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Love me some MLB Network, and I love Robert Flores his work on said Network
00:05He is on the rude guest hotline right now as we get ready to discuss national spring training baseball
00:12He was on site today to get the lowdown on the Nats Robert. It's Grant and Danny back here in DC. How are you?
00:20Gentlemen, how are you? Very well. Would you make of your stop at Nats camp?
00:25Interested when you get to go camp to camp and get the vibe and feel from a lot of teams
00:30Like how it stacks up to some of the other places you've been
00:34Well, if there was ever a major league baseball like three on three basketball event
00:39I think the Washington Nationals would do rather well. There are some impressive looking athletes
00:47Starting with with James Wood at the top. The other thing that I came away with is the
00:53Is the message that Davey Martinez gave his group at the beginning and has preached throughout spring two things one
01:02Rebuild transition, whatever you want to call it. It's done. We're done with it
01:05We're it's time to win and two we need to be we need to be better fundamentally in all phases
01:11Catching the ball throwing the ball defense in particular base running
01:17hitting throwing strikes, so
01:20Look are they are the Nationals a playoff team in 2025?
01:24I don't think so
01:26But could they have an impact on the periphery of that race?
01:30Maybe even be on the on the outskirts if you will of a wild-card birth
01:36Maybe maybe if things go right if they stay healthy and reach their potential, but but make no mistake about it
01:42I think everyone across the industry realizes just how good this team and this franchise is going to be very soon Robert
01:48You mentioned James Wood. So might as well start there, you know, we got a nice little taste last year
01:52You know less than half a season 300 played appearances or so give or take you saw the flashes
01:58What's realistic for him?
01:59Maybe this year and then you know close your eyes and dream a couple years down the line
02:04This year and then maybe a prognosticating out a little further. What do you think? I
02:08Think down the road like the ceiling for James Wood is a franchise cornerstone superstar
02:15That's the ceiling what we see now or in 2025. I think it's going to be a
02:21lot of what you saw last season, but better I think the
02:25The more he gets used to Major League pitching and the strikeout rate
02:31I think is going to continue to fall. I think was around 29% last season
02:36So look the the fundamentals and the power are there and and those are two big factors
02:43I was with Cliff Floyd today
02:45former Expo, you know
02:48He was who was a big man in in his own right, but when he was interviewing James Wood
02:53He's looking up and he was looking up at James. So but what Cliff talks about with James Wood is his
03:00his
03:01opposite field power his power from
03:05left center on
03:07That is something that is so difficult for young players and young sluggers to
03:15acquire and to perfect and
03:18For James Wood that is that's his natural swing
03:22So I think that the sky is the limit and like I said potentially this is a franchise cornerstones
03:28Cornerstone superstar type player MLB Network's Robert Flores was in West Palm Beach
03:33With the Nats for MLB Network's 30 clubs in 15 day series
03:37But you'll showcase Washington tonight at 6 on MLB Network
03:42You should check that out
03:43I'm looking forward to seeing all the interviews and content and access that you guys got
03:48Let's talk Dylan Cruz for a moment. The 23 year old is still rookie eligible about 120 at bats last year
03:55He hit 218 or so. I like Dylan Cruz a ton and followed him all the way back to LSU
04:00But I you know
04:01I don't necessarily see like the
04:04That James Wood super stardom stuff that maybe a lot of people do as a top five or so prospect in the game
04:10I just think he's gonna be a really good player
04:11Where are you at on him? And what are they saying about Dylan Cruz early in camp?
04:15Well, I haven't full disclosure. I haven't seen I have not seen Dylan Cruz play in person
04:20I've only seen him a bunch on TV
04:23But when he was at LSU and then when he came up last season
04:26I can tell you that from talking with with Mike Rizzo today and Davey Martinez. They cannot say
04:34Enough good things about him
04:37They talk about how they first of all, they talk about his talent
04:41They talk about his his baseball instincts his work ethic
04:45and the other thing that I found interesting in that what both Mike and Davey told Cliff and I about him today is that
04:53He he loves the game and what I mean by that is he watches the game so many guys
05:00The example that that Davey told us and told the media today was in a recent spring training game
05:08Dylan Cruz played about four innings
05:11Three or four innings somewhere around there after that. He watched the rest of the game at the end of the dugout just watching
05:19so many of
05:20He and they relayed the fact that so many of the young players
05:23They're just watching their a B's on the iPad or the tablet the device
05:29Shout out to Apple
05:31but but for what Dylan Cruz did for that spring training game and other he watches the game and
05:39Davey said look, I mean there's things that you watch and pick up that you cannot see
05:45When you look at the at the tablet after you're at bat
05:48So, I think he's going to be a nice
05:53I mean if James would is that cornerstone and you know
05:56the Batman if you will then Dylan Cruz could it very well be Robin and
06:00That's that's gonna be good enough to to win a lot of games and make a lot of multiple all-star appearances
06:07So speaking of all-star appearances CJ Abrams was an all-star last year
06:10And yeah, but still a lot of disappointment surrounding a season there some ups and downs lacking consistency
06:15A couple of these months are just valleys. Then of course the maturity concerns end of the season dismissed from the club
06:21Seems everybody's turned the page on that and they've had their their Danny Tanner style heart-to-hearts and seems everybody's, you know
06:27Ready rock and roll ready to go. But this is a
06:30Tremendous talent still only 24 years old again
06:33It just it you sort of forget because the new shiny toys are so new and shiny
06:37But this is somebody that could be really really special as well. Oh
06:41Absolutely, I had someone at today today mentioned that
06:46We have all the talent. We have so many young talented players, but I believe CJ Abrams is our engine and
06:54Look it you mentioned what what happened last year and being sent down to to the minors in the in the final days of the
07:01Regular season, you know, I I have I have two sons
07:05I have one that is in his early 20s and
07:09They
07:11Sometimes do silly things they sometimes do dumb stuff and that is part of
07:18Being a young man a young 20-something year old and now you keep on the fact
07:23that many of these, you know that you have wealth and you have notoriety and
07:29So these things happen, but it sounds like first of all CJ has has taken responsibility
07:36He has worked hard
07:38He mentioned that he got in better shape this offseason really stayed in the weight room to try to build up his body
07:44He tried to eat better focus on his diet and and Mike and Davey just could not say enough great things about CJ Abrams
07:52They both love the kid. They both mentioned how just he's a really good kid and he's extremely talented
07:58But it was a hard lesson to learn
08:00But they feel confident that he's learned it and everyone's ready to move past it and now see what he can do next
08:06Robert Flores is with us on Grant and Danny co-host of MLB Networks MLB Central during the season Robert
08:13What are your concern about the 2025 Nats and where are they going to be a bit of a question mark on into the season?
08:22That's a that's a great question. You know, they I know last year they were last in the National League in home runs
08:29So, you know, where's the power gonna come from?
08:33We obviously know that James would prodigious power but still a young player
08:37I think getting Nathaniel Lowe should help although Nathaniel Lowe would tell you he's coming off a down season as far as his power
08:45numbers go Paul the young is interesting to me 20-plus homers last year in
08:50Unlimited time playing third base and and I know that they kind of slotted him in there
08:57With so, you know, I think the power trying to turn to rep, you know find a way to to get more of that
09:04That's something I'm looking at and also what what is going on with the back end of the rotation?
09:10You know, I know the three lefties are vying for that fifth spot
09:13I'm also interested this doesn't answer your question
09:16But one thing that I was interested in today and talking with him and talking with people at Nats camp Mike Soroka
09:23You know, he is a kid that is extremely talented has had some tough luck with injuries
09:28But it sounds like they're they like what they see so far
09:31So hopefully that can continue and that'd be a nice boost for the rotation for sure
09:35So Robert for us here in DC full disclosure a lot of us have been pretty I don't say irritated but disappointed
09:42And here's where I'm going
09:44Big picture you look at some of the kids that we've kind of gone through right whether and then some blow-the-radar guys
09:49Luis Garcia or some of the young members the pitching staff and this group as is assembled could be frisky could bother some teams
09:56Maybe not be a playoff team, but be on the fringes
09:59This would have been a great opportunity
10:01to kind of push through that and be a mid-80s win team with a little bit of spending and a little bit of go get
10:07It in the offseason and it seems like this organization wasn't interested in doing that kind of what's the national perspective?
10:13on the the learners the
10:14Organization and and a group that won as many games save the Dodgers over a 10-year period
10:19Doesn't seem to be willing to pony up to get back to that spot
10:23Yeah, you know, I know that
10:26Can can I let me ask you this?
10:27Are you are you hinting that maybe they should have been in the market for Alex Bregman or something like that?
10:34So whether you win the bidding for someone or not, I totally understand, you know
10:37You're not what you want, you know, you you can't pay Pete Alonso because someone else overpaid fine
10:41But it feels like they weren't linked to any tag me in I think that it would be nice if they spent money ever
10:48There there
10:51Yeah, I I definitely get that I I definitely get that but from
10:57Admittedly, this is from someone that is not boots on the ground day in on day out basis when I look at the Nationals
11:04I I just see so much
11:06young
11:08potential
11:09I think that
11:11Look if they had signed Alex, but let's say they signed Alex Bregman. Is that enough to put them in the postseason? I
11:18Don't know probably no
11:21Okay. So then why are you doing it? Well, I mean it makes you I mean that would be my my reply
11:27Yeah, isn't it better to win 83 games than then 73, you know, or whatever it might be
11:33And it doesn't have to just be Bregman, right?
11:35I mean they basically have the exact same payroll they had last year and just took the money that came off the books from Corbin and
11:42spread it out to like
11:44Seven guys that you know didn't have huge markets and so yeah, it would just be nice. I think one name
11:50I would have liked in Tana. I think that would have been maybe
11:54You know put put him that you put him in the in the mix of that rotation. I love gore
12:00I love urban if you put King Tana there
12:03You know, I think that would have been interesting and I get it
12:07I mean as fans
12:08we all want our teams to spend a lot of money and and and
12:12Or be more aggressive than sometimes they are. I just think with the Nationals
12:18I
12:19Think that they what they want 71 they got 71 wins last year
12:24I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that they can't approach
12:2978 80 and then
12:31You know, maybe you even surpass that a little bit and maybe that like I said there you're on the periphery of the
12:39Of the postseason or maybe you're right in it. Maybe you're right in it come July and
12:45You get real aggressive at the deadline
12:48I mean, you know, so I I I don't have too much of a problem with this
12:53Too much of a problem with this kind of plan that they went in going into 2025
12:58especially when you consider that they they're just I think they're right right on the brink of being a real real dangerous team in
13:062026 and beyond a real flow before we let you go
13:09I want to ask you just more broadly because we don't always get the the National Baseball guests on
13:15about the division
13:17They're penciled in as the fourth team because you got three pretty
13:21Sizable juggernauts here that the triumvirate that is the Braves Mets and Phillies
13:26How do you see that pecking order because all three look like they're loaded
13:30Yeah
13:32Yes, I mean look look you you're dealing with with maybe the best division in in baseball
13:38I mean the Marlins they're kind of in a bit of a they're definitely in a rebuild and transition
13:44And I mean they might be trading Sandy Alcantara at some point this year
13:48But yeah, I I think the Braves are gonna bounce back in a big way
13:53It's like they almost get a de facto free agent class coming in with all their guys that were injured
13:59I'm gonna be real interested to see what Ronald Acuna jr. Looks like after another knee injury
14:05The Phillies with that rotation, you know that they're always going to be in it
14:10so I I would
14:13Golly that's tough man. It really is tough
14:16I think I would lean brave but I mean, it's just a toss-up between right now. I think the Braves and
14:24in the Phillies
14:26With within that kind of causing them problems and causing them fit throughout the season
14:31Robert this is a treat me
14:32I really appreciate the time and and you know
14:34Good luck to that slog going through all those really nice cities in Florida hanging out in nice weather seems miserable
14:39Well, there is a there's a really nice Arby's right around the corner
14:44Staying out at West Palm. So I'm eager to try that check it out. We've been to that Arby's a few times covering
14:51It's actually the let's store number 93. I think really really good spot. Very good. Yeah, very good. See you
14:59Thanks guys. You got it. There's Robert Flores of MLB Network with us on Grant and Danny