The first thing I noticed looking at the Harrisburg Senators roster three weeks into March is that the Washington Nationals Double-A affiliate doesn’t have a catcher. It hasn’t all winter. After the Nats cuts, the Rochester Red Wings have four receivers, which is sad. The season opens in Erie on April 4.

I suspect C.J. Stubbs will likely be demoted back to Harrisburg. Stubbs has five years of minor league experience behind him at 28 and is not likely to have much playing time between Andrew Knizner, Drew Millas, and Brady Lindsly in AAA. Stubbs hit 0.207 in 53 games for the Senators last season.

Matt Suggs hit 0.427 in two starts for Harrisburg last year. He, however, remains on the Wilmington Blue Rock roster.

Maxwell Romero Jr. and Caleb Lomavita were in the major league camp. Romero played 82 games at Wilmington (A+) last year. He only hit 0.188, but that experience may move the F-burg, Blue Rock vet up. Lomavita will probably stay in Fredericksburg after having a cup of coffee in Virginia last August.

Fredericksburg also has four active catchers on the Nationals roster. Nate Rombach advanced to the F-burg Nationals on July 1, 2024, and hit 0.261 in A ball. He is another who could open the season on the Harrisburg roster.

In other news, the Detroit Tigers signed shortstop Jack Dunn to a minor-league deal a day after he was released by the Washington Nationals. The 28-year-old spent all of 2024 at Triple-A, and while the 0.236 batting average doesn’t jump off the page, he posted a 14.4% walk rate in 443 plate appearances, leading to a 0.362 OBP. The 28-year-old former Senator was released from the Washington Nationals camp on March 5.

Dunn was the 603^rd pick in the 2019 draft out of Northwestern University. He played 112 games in 2022 and 113 games in 2023. Dunn’s time was split between AA and AAA.