Cate could provide future lefty relief for Nats

The Nationals’ lack of a left-hander in their bullpen finally came back to bite them over the weekend while dropping two of three to the Phillies.

Andrés Machado, who gave up the decisive blow in the form of a three-run home run to Kyle Schwarber in Sunday’s 11-3 loss, appears to have been designated for assignment and right-hander Jordan Weems seems to be the reliever replacing him from Triple-A Rochester.

So when will they finally have a southpaw in the ‘pen?

Sean Doolittle, while close to returning from his minor league rehab assignment, still seems like he needs more time on the farm before being selected back to the major league club. Jose Ferrer and Alberto Baldonado have less than impressive numbers at Rochester, and Matt Cronin is on the injured list with a 5.04 ERA in 14 appearances, the last one on May 20.

What about further down the system?

Nats face 40-man roster decisions on deadline day

Nats face 40-man roster decisions on deadline day
One of baseball's key offseason deadlines arrives later today when all clubs must add eligible players to their 40-man rosters or leave them unprotected in next month's Rule 5 draft. It's not a day that garners a ton of headlines, but it's an important day nonetheless because it offers some clues about an organization's feelings about some of its prospects, which ones it believes have a future and which ones less so. And in the Nationals' case, there are several decisions to make before...

Martinez on rain, Lester, injuries, García at short, Scherzer's velocity

Martinez on rain, Lester, injuries, García at short, Scherzer's velocity
Nationals manager Davey Martinez has plenty on his plate during the typical day at spring training. He has to check on each of his players and see how they're doing, a daily interaction the skipper prides himself upon. He makes sure to gauge the recoveries of any injured Nats. He needs to converse with his coaches to make sure everything is running smoothly in camp and with general manager Mike Rizzo to talk about potential roster moves and upcoming camp cuts. And then there's the...

Tim Cate "made big strides" over summer as he prepares for 2021

Tim Cate "made big strides" over summer as he prepares for 2021
Here is a quick update on left-hander Tim Cate. The 2018 second-rounder is rated as the No. 8 overall Nationals prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com. Nats pitching coordinator Brad Holman said Cate is not afraid to go after hitters and he believes this will help him as his career moves along. Cate went 7-4 with 3.31 ERA in 13 starts in 2019, striking out 66 over 73 1/3 innings. Holman liked the advancement he saw in Cate this summer at the alternate camp in Fredericksburg, Va., despite having...

Updates on Adon, Cate, Wells, Bourque and Williams

Updates on Adon, Cate, Wells, Bourque and Williams
Here are some more updates on pitchers who were working at the alternate camp site in Fredericksburg, Va., during the regular season. A few of them have moved over to the instructional league in West Palm Beach, Fla., for the next month. This is third installment on pitchers who were working out in Fredericksburg. Top-rated prospects Cade Cavalli and Jackson Rutledge also were at the alternate site and have moved on to West Palm Beach. Right-hander Joan Adon is in Florida at instructional...

2020 Nationals fall instructional league roster and schedule

2020 Nationals fall instructional league roster and schedule
MASNsports.com has obtained a copy of the Nationals' official fall instructional league 65-player roster for 2020. Players in attendance whom MLBPipeline.com lists as top Nats prospects include pitchers Jackson Rutledge, Cade Cavalli, Tim Cate, Mason Denaburg, Cole Henry, Andry Lara, Eddy Yean, Matt Cronin and Seth Romero, who is on a major league rehab assignment with a broken right hand. Top 20 rated Nats position players on hand: first baseman Drew Mendoza, shortstop/third baseman Yasel...

Keister offers updates on pitchers Cate, Romero and Irvin

Keister offers updates on pitchers Cate, Romero and Irvin
I recently got the perspective of high Single-A Fredericksburg manager Tripp Keister on a few of the pitchers he saw throw during October instructional league workouts and more recently in Nationals spring training. The first was left-hander Tim Cate, who I spoke with at the start of 2019 spring training in West Palm Beach. Keister said Cate, 22, moved up to Woodbridge, Va., midway through the season last year. The skipper liked the pitching repertoire Cate brought to the table for the...

FredNats manager Keister excited and hopeful for 2020 season

FredNats manager Keister excited and hopeful for 2020 season
I got the chance to catch up with high Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals manager Tripp Keister recently and he broke down thoughts on the coronavirus shutdown, their new stadium opening and his potential roster for 2020. This will be Keister's ninth season coaching in the Nationals organization, and he desperately wants to get back to baseball and get a chance to see their brand-new stadium open in Fredericksburg, which was supposed to take place April 23. Unfortunately, the coronavirus...

Nats prospect watch: Cate working on fastball command

Nats prospect watch: Cate working on fastball command
Good update here on left-hander Tim Cate and his progression prior to the shutdown. Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Brad Holman said Cate was making nice strides at camp and focusing on a few mechanical adjustments prior to the season beginning. Holman said they got started early this year with Cate in West Palm Beach. Cate, 6-foot and 185 lbs., is listed at No. 8 in the latest MLBPipeline.com top 30 roundup of Nats prospects. No. 8 Tim Cate "Tim was down in instructional league as...

Baseball America Nats No. 5 prospect: LHP Tim Cate

Baseball America Nats No. 5 prospect: LHP Tim Cate
The Nationals have a talented left-handed pitcher in Tim Cate, who continues to get notice in the Baseball America Nats top 10 in 2020. The southpaw showed well last season for high Single-A Potomac and comes in at No. 5 this season. No. 5 Tim Cate Baseball America Nats correspondent Lacy Lusk said the University of Connecticut product demonstrated he belonged in the Carolina League with some solid pitching in 2019. Cate started 13 games at low Single-A Hagerstown before moving up. "He looked...

Update on three southpaws at Potomac: Cate, Raquet and Teel

Update on three southpaws at Potomac: Cate, Raquet and Teel
Here are some updates on a few pitchers working for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals. One of those previewed - Kyle Johnston, the Nats' No. 21-rated prospect - was sent to the Toronto Blue Jays for right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson last week. P-Nats manager Tripp Keister gave updates on three other pitchers, all southpaws: Tim Cate, Nick Raquet and Carson Teel. Cate is the left-handed starter taken in the second round of the First-Year Player Draft in 2018. He has gone 4-3 with a 3.64 ERA...

Updates on Cate, Cluff and Grace

Updates on Cate, Cluff and Grace
Left-hander Tim Cate has been promoted from low Single-A Hagerstown to high Single-A Potomac. The 2018 second-round selection out of UConn has gone 4-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 13 starts this season, striking out 73 and walking only 13 in 70 1/3 innings. Here is my sit-down with Cate from spring training, which focused on building from his lower half. "Cate has made tremendous strides from last year to this year with his development of all three pitches, fastballs have been commanded better,...

2019 Nationals minor league rosters announced

2019 Nationals minor league rosters announced
Here are the 2019 rosters for the minor league affiliates in the Nationals system. Shortstop Carter Kieboom will be at Triple-A Fresno. Left-hander Tim Cate begins in low Single-A Hagerstown. Infielder Luis Garcia and pitcher Wil Crowe are at Double-A Harrisburg. Pitcher Mason Denaburg remains at extended spring training. Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies Pitchers Kyle McGowin Joe Ross Austin Voth Scott Copeland Paolo Espino Tanner Rainey Austin Adams Jimmy Cordero Austen Williams Brady Dragmire...

Nats top prospects: No. 6 - LHP Tim Cate

Nats top prospects: No. 6 - LHP Tim Cate
The Nationals certainly hope that some of their cache of left-handed starters can make their way to the big club over the next few seasons to help bolster the rotation. Seth Romero and Tim Cate - the Nats' No. 6 prospect, according to Baseball America - come to mind. The Nats took Cate in the second round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. The 21-year-old from Manchester, Conn. demonstrated his ability with solid performances for the University of Connecticut over a pair of seasons. Cate,...

Nats top prospects: No. 10 - RHP Jake Irvin

Nats top prospects: No. 10 - RHP Jake Irvin
Let's run down the recently released Top 10 Nationals prospects according to Baseball America, counting down from No. 10 to No. 1, as the end of the year approaches. We begin with the No. 10 Nats prospect: right-hander Jake Irvin. Irvin, 21, was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma. He is 6-foot-6, 225 lbs., and got to pitch in 11 games, starting seven, for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nationals and the short-season Single-A Auburn...

Instructional league wrap-up: three collegiate hurlers

Instructional league wrap-up: three collegiate hurlers
Nationals pitching coordinator Paul Menhart had some nice words on the progress of three pitchers fresh out of college: left-hander Tim Cate and right-handers Jake Irvin and Reid Schaller. Cate, 21, was a second-rounder from UConn. He appeared in 13 games with 12 starts for the short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays and low Single-A Hagerstown Suns, going a combined 2-6 with a 5.02 ERA in 52 innings, with 45 strikeouts and 16 walks. Irvin, 21, was a fourth-round selection from Oklahoma. He...

Nats agree to terms with 22 first-year draft selections

Nats agree to terms with 22 first-year draft selections
The Nationals have agreed to terms with 22 players selected in the First-Year Player Draft, including second-round selection left-hander Tim Cate out of the University of Connecticut. Nationals vice president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo and assistant general manager and vice president of scouting operations Kris Kline made the joint announcement Wednesday. The Nats' top overall selection in the first round - right-hander Mason Denaburg, the 27th overall selection -...

Kline on Nationals draft picks Denaburg and Cate

Kline on Nationals draft picks Denaburg and Cate
Nationals assistant general manager and vice president of scouting operations Kris Kline had more details today about the selection of prep right-hander Mason Denaburg and Connecticut left-hander Tim Cate in the first two rounds of the First-Year Player Draft. "It was two guys we really wanted the first day," he said. "It was a great first day for us." Kline said Denaburg, taken with the 27th overall selection in the first round out of Merritt Island (Fla.) High School, impressed Nationals...