Matt White (47) was given a shot as a starter for the big-league club, but his failure led the team to turn to a bullpen committee to handle starting work.

Nationals report: Minor league teams miss .500 mark

Date published: 9/16/2005

By TODD JACOBSON

When Nationals player development director Adam Wogan set goals for this season, .500 seemed a reasonable mark for Washington's minor-league system.

Its six U.S.-based teams were a combined 104 games below the break-even mark a year ago, and, "That's the goal we wanted and talked about," Wogan said. "So obviously we are disappointed."

There were highlights this season for the Nationals' much-maligned farm system--namely the quick rise of 2005 draft pick Ryan Zimmerman--but as a whole, the organization didn't come close to .500.

From Triple-A to the rookie level Gulf Coast League, the Nationals' farm teams were 301-387, a small improvement over 2004 but hardly the jump team officials wanted.

None of the system's teams had a winning record. None made the playoffs. Four of the six finished last in their conference or division.

A decade ago, the system was the jewel of the minor leaguers, producing stars like Vladimir Guerrero, Larry Walker, Pedro Martinez and Jose Vidro.

"As far as the pool of players in our farm system, although it's improved, we have a long way to go and you don't redo a farm system overnight," general manager Jim Bowden said. "You have to do it one draft at a time. So it takes four to five years to get it back to where you wanted to get it."

The immediate returns from the Nationals' 2005 draft were excellent. Zimmerman spent less than three months in the minors before he was promoted, and he probably won't play in the minors again.

He's the first homegrown Nationals player to make the majors.

But the system's depth was exposed the most, Wogan said.

Never was that problem better illustrated than when the Nationals went in search of a fourth and fifth starter to replace injured Ryan Drese and Tony Armas Jr. the last month.

They tried Triple-A lefty Matt White and Double-A righty Darrell Rasner. When that failed, the Nationals turned to a bullpen committee to handle the starting duties because there were very few other options in the minors.

"We are still developing depth," Wogan said. "You can look at a lot of guys that stick out, but from top to bottom, the system is still a work in progress."

Team League Record New Orleans AAA 64-76 Harrisburg AA 64-78 Potomac A 63-77 Savannah A 61-76 Vermont A 21-32 Gulf Coast R 28-48

Date published: 9/16/2005