How soon is too soon?
That’s the question Washington Nationals brass are asking themselves regarding one of the most talented young MLBbros waiting to crack the show, centerfielder James Woods.
It began during spring training, where the 6’7, 234-pound Woods posted a 1.214 OPS in 22-games before being told he hadn’t done enough to break camp with a spot on the Big League roster.
Now in Triple-A, the Nationals second-ranked prospect has continued to what he can to force their hand. James is destroying Triple-A pitching, batting .370 with 17 hits, and 14 runs, with an OPS of 1.130 in 12 games.
Why Is James Wood Still In Minor Leagues?
Woods looks ready to make the leap, but the Nationals don’t seem too eager to start the clock on his big-league service time. For Woods, the wait may be over soon, but the timeline has hints of service time manipulation. Despite the new rules adopted that reward players who finish in the top two of Rookie of the Year voting with a full year of service time, there is still an incentive to delay service time accumulation.
Time manipulation was a key point of contention during the last round of Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations that birthed the current agreement. For years we’ve seen young prospects show their team they are ready for the show, only to be told they won’t break spring training with the big league team.
One of the best examples of the practice took place with one of our very own MLBbros.
George Springer Knows About Time Manipulation
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer was a cornerstone of the Houston Astros youth movement and the first call-up that sparked their current dynasty. Drafted 11th overall in 2011, Springer would go on to hit .302/.397/.562 in three-plus minor league seasons. But after turning down what was clearly a lowball contract extension before his debut, he was sent down to the minors for the first 14 games.
Missing those games meant that Springer would not accumulate the 172 days on the big league roster required to accumulate a full year of service time. Fourteen games may have seemed small to some, but missing those games meant an additional year of control for the Astros.
Springer, now a Toronto Blue Jay, would eventually make his MLB debut and enjoyed great success in Houston. He slashed .270/.361/.491 while averaging 25 home runs, 65 RBI, 20 doubles, and an OPS+ of 131 in six seasons with the Astros. His 39 leadoff home runs are currently second all-time in team history, and his five-home run performance in the 2017 World Series earned him the series MVP.
Springer would leave Houston via free agency in 2020, and in a full circle moment finally accumulated the 10 years necessary to qualify for the MLB Pension when the Blue Jays visited the Astros in 2022.
“It’s Ironic, ” Springer said, “to accomplish that feat, it obviously started in this building, and that’s where it’s going to come full circle.”
Springer and the Astros situation eventually worked out for both parties. Let’s hope the Nationals are able to say the same.
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