The St. Paul Saints signed 1B-R Telvin Nash to an unknown contract
This signing is no doubt spurred by Nash’s Player of the Year campaign in 2019 in the Atlantic League. With the York Revolution Nash hit .294/.423/.623 with 41 home runs and 35 doubles in 603 plate appearances. It was a season worthy of PotY honors and some of what I’m sure the Saints are hoping Nash can bring with him to St. Paul. Should the Saints expect that sort of production from Nash or anything remotely near it? I’m not so sure the Saints are getting the player they believe they signed.
Nash’s last baseball played in 2019 wasn’t with the Revolution or in the ALPB. Rather he spent the winter playing for Mayos de Navojoa of Liga Mexicana del Pacífico. His results for the Mayos were the polar opposite of what he had done with the Revolution. He stepped in the box 39 times and was absolutely abysmal. A slash line of .108/.154/.135 with no home runs, only 1 double, and 18 strikeouts to 2 walks is a nightmare line for a hitter. It’s not the first time Nash has stepped up in competition and struggled mightily and the Saints would do well to keep that in mind.
Nash floundered about in his previous LMP season and hasn’t put up quality numbers above the AA level anywhere in his career but in the ALPB. That’s very concerning for a guy who comes to the Saints as a bat-first power option. The American Association is right around the AA level and the Association is a slight step down from both LMP and ALPB. That being said it’s a very slight step down and it makes me wonder what will happen is Nash struggles early in his time in St. Paul?
If he struggles too much the Saints will move on from Nash and he’ll probably find his way back to the Revolution to see if sparks can fly yet again. My main issue with the Nash signing is that I’m just not sure if his bat speed is up to snuff. In LMP his bat looked slow and he looked like he had little idea what was coming down the pipe. Compared to his teammate with the Mayos, the 2019 Association Most Valuable Player, Keon Barnum, Nash looked like an outright dinosaur with a bat in his hands.
The Saints are a quality organization and more often than not they are pretty good at this player valuation stuff. The Nash signing makes sense on paper and if Nash has anywhere close to the season he did with the Revolution in 2019 then the Saints will have nabbed themselves a great player. The risk is present that Nash ends up more of a pumpkin than a stud for the Saints. It’s a risk the Saints can’t afford to ignore for too long if Nash struggles or the 2020 season will quickly get away from them.
Lead photo courtesy of Unknown – York Revolution
