The Washington Nationals made their first truly difficult roster decisions of the Spring. They optioned four notable players in Shinnosuke Ogasawara, DJ Herz, Nasim Nunez, and Drew Millas.
The demotion of the two pitchers is particularly notable because it seals Mitchell Parker’s status as the fifth starter. Coming into camp, Parker was seen as the least sexy option with Herz being a popular breakout pick and Ogasawara being the Nats first Japanese import.
However, Parker out pitched both this spring. While Ogasawara wasn’t fooling anyone and Herz couldn’t throw strikes, Parker just did his thing.