Washington Nationals: Twenty-Ten Pitching Search [Updated]

by Patrick Reddington on Jan 26, 2010 8:02 PM EST Comment 12 comments

• I blame this one on the outgoing Washington Post Nationals beat writer Chico Harlan for not asking DC GM Mike Rizzo the hard follow-up question when the Nationals' general manager told the Post's reporter, "We're going to get one of them," in an interview for an article entitled, "Reading Material, Shopping Lists", after the two had discussed a list of potential free agent pitchers being targeted by Washington this winter. "Do you mean only 'one', Mr. Rizzo?" If Mr. Harlan had just asked that simple question we could've been spared more than a month of speculation after Jason Marquis inked a two-year/$15 million dollar deal with DC in December, because we would have known that the "one" pitcher Rizzo was looking for had been locked up...

Because from that original list...:

"Rizzo is looking at a list that includes Jason Marquis, Randy Wolf, John Lackey, Cliff Lee, Jon Garland, Kevin Millwood, Tim Hudson, Brad Penny, Joel Pineiro, Braden Looper, Jarrod Washburn, Brandon Webb, Brett Myers, John Smoltz and more."

...only Looper, Washburn, Smoltz and "more" remain available...

...and FOXSports.com's Jon (Paul) Morosi just Twittered that the Twins, Mets and Cubs were interested in Washburn, no mention of the Nationals, and after Ben Sheets chose Oakland over New York this afternoon, the Mets have apparently turned their attention toward Smoltz. (ed. note - "Mr. Rizzo? If you can convince the Lerners to spend a million or two more to get Smoltz just so the Mets get jilted again, I'd certainly appreciate it.") (ed. note - "And we're just going to ignore Looper and move on...")

In a post on Twitter last week, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick wrote that he'd heard Washington was, "...looking for an affordable, 'Livan Hernandez type' for rotation insurance," before Mr. Crasnick joked, "Hey, Livan Hernandez is still available." (ed. note - "For the record, Washington Post writer Dave Sheinin reported in an early December article entitled, "Nationals notes: Dukes, L. Hernandez", that the Nationals, "...met with the agent for free agent starting pitcher Livan Hernandez, with interest on both sides in a new deal for the 34-year-old right-hander," whose agent Barry Praves was quoted assuring everyone, "The Nationals are aware that Livan would like to return to Washington next season...")

DC GM Mike Rizzo told Washington Post writer Chico Harlan in an article entitled, "Free agent targets, plaudits, poetry", "...that the Nats still want to sign a final arm for their rotation and are targeting a list of "four or five" potential players." Four or five? Smoltz? Livan? Not sure who else? Oh, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick just Twittered that the Nationals were one of ten teams who'll take a look at former Giants' right-hander Noah Lowry...

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ugh...

on the upside – I think we’ll get Hudson. I just hope we got someone better than Livo. That said – he is a keen bean.

"I love, love, love John Lackey." -- Graysnail.

by Mezza on Jan 26, 2010 8:25 PM EST reply actions

doubful its Washburn

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/01/twins-mariners-are-atop-washburns-wish-list.html

Washburn looks like an M.

"I love, love, love John Lackey." -- Graysnail.

by Mezza on Jan 26, 2010 8:34 PM EST up reply actions

Livo it is.

I wouldn’t have given Sheets 10 mil. Let Smoltz sign with the Mets. Please don’t bring Looper in. Rich Hill signed with the Cards, kind of hoping we would have handed him a minors deal. Not sure I like Chuck James injury problems or Chuck Norris comparisons.

I think the buzz is right, a big deal might be on the horizon. A trade in fact.

Why not us? Why not now?

by Expos4 on Jan 26, 2010 8:28 PM EST reply actions

trade could be on the cards...

I agree completely about Sheets – $10m for a bullpen session is insanity (even with upside). A trade for a decent arm could be on the cards – as the Nats havent been linked too heavily with free agents lately and the fact that we could probably get better value from a trade now that the pool has all but dried up (for pitchers anyway).

"I love, love, love John Lackey." -- Graysnail.

by Mezza on Jan 26, 2010 8:38 PM EST up reply actions

i wouldve liked to see sheets here

10 mil is a little high.. but thats more just the inflated market for pitchers than anything else.

But I mean, 95 pct of these free agents we “missed out” on are guys I wouldnt want on the team in the first place.

by martins on Jan 27, 2010 12:01 AM EST reply actions

Should this be a surprise ??????.

that any PURSUED free agent starting pitchers won’t/ don’t sign with the reigning WORST team in baseball….getting even 1 was a fluke. I got to think there must be some reason Marquis was not pursued that hard by the contenders….

Rest easy ye Blind Faith, the Gnats NEVER had a snow balls chance with Sheets…
I’ve said from day 1……“Think Livan”…….he da kinda F/A willing to sign here….

by The Mamba on Jan 27, 2010 12:33 AM EST reply actions

So you'd blow $10M on a pitcher who didnt play last year...

Mamba = genius.

"I love, love, love John Lackey." -- Graysnail.

by Mezza on Jan 27, 2010 12:34 AM EST up reply actions

Now I'm getting worried...Garland just signed with the Padres....

so there aren’t many arms left. Oh well, I still love Livo despite all his free lance moves.

Maybe (PLEASE, please be true), Rizzo is working on the O-dog move to shore up the defense. So it’ll be ok with the kidz. Right? Right?
Hope on tenterhooks is not amusing anymore.

by MissB on Jan 27, 2010 1:57 AM EST reply actions

no - not for the faint of heart...i still hold out for the blockbuster move thou...

Hammer to the Yankees for an ace pitching prospect… and then we pick up Damon for cheap to play LF.

"I love, love, love John Lackey." -- Graysnail.

by Mezza on Jan 27, 2010 4:07 AM EST up reply actions

There's no point

Stammen, Detwiler, Martis, Martin, Balester, Bergmann, and Mock are all capable of pitching as well as or better than Livan. Two from this group (plus any as-yet-unknown FA signee) will compete for two spots after Marquis/Lannan/Olsen. If the choice is “sign Livan” or “sign nobody”, I take option B in a heartbeat.

by RobBobS on Jan 27, 2010 9:41 AM EST reply actions

For me it’s a no brainer. Sign Livan! \
(Hey, they don’t call me The Scarecrow for nothing.)

by PerryMason on Jan 27, 2010 10:08 AM EST up reply actions

Looks like Rizzo will need to trade for a good pitcher.

Quite frankly, after Lackey and Lee the FA pitchers available this offseason weren’t that wonderful. I wouldn’t cry about losing Garland. He’s okay … but the Nats already signed Marquis and IMHO he and Garland are inter-changable. They’re not Aces. If you look at the list above, the true “ACES” were Lee and Lackey. The other guys were middle rotation starters and in Smoltzie’s case, past his prime.

Rizzo et. al are moving in the right direction, but I wouldn’t flame the guy for not getting two guys out of the above list. I believe Rizzo and the Nats need someone better than what was available. It’s going to hurt, but he needs to trade the Hammer.

FWIW, God No to Bedard. He is a clubhouse cancer with a bad bad attitude. The guy hates being a baseball player so much it truly makes you wonder whether he would be happier doing something else. Riggs knows this, btw since he had to put up with Bedard’s sorry ass in Seattle. Bedard is not the kind of guy that Rizzo and Riggs want on their team. Don’t lament about not getting him.

Patiently waiting for "next year" since 1971.

by Princess Jazzy on Jan 27, 2010 1:10 PM EST reply actions