Wire Taps: Washington Nationals Weekend In Review.
by Patrick Reddington on Nov 21, 2011 12:29 PM EST
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• Over the weekend we looked at the Nationals' search for a center fielder, examined the Nats' history of going after pitching on the international market and wondered what the future holds for left-hander John Lannan. It was a slow weekend in NatsTown following Friday's announcements of the four players added to the Nationals' 40-Man Roster. The Nats also reclaimed Cole Kimball, bringing the right-hander back into the fold a day after the Blue Jays tried to swipe the injured pitcher. So...when do pitchers and catchers report again? Who will the Nats sign this winter to make the pre-Winter Meetings splash? When will Yu Darvish announce his intentions? What's Jim Bowden hearing about the Nats' search for a center fielder? What? Bowden? BIG STORY!
• THE BIG STORY:
• Your Daily Message From Jim Bowden On Twitter(@JimBowdenESPNxm): "Nats getting shutout in pursuit of Upton, Revere and Span...focusing on Cespedes now."
• THE OTHER (REAL) BIG STORY?:
• "The Nationals have identified Mark Buerhle as their No. 1 free agent target, and they are visiting him today in St. Louis." - "Nationals visiting Mark Buerhle, their top free agent target, at his home" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• NATS BEAT:
• "Man sets world record for wearing the most t-shirts at one time, two of which have Nats connotations." - "Guinness world record features Curly W logo" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post
• "So the question then becomes: If the center fielder doesn't bat atop the Nationals' lineup, who else might?" - "If CF doesn't lead off, who does?" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "Baseball America has also taken notice of the Miami Dade College and former University of North Carolina center fielder, rating [Brian] Goodwin as the No. 5 prospect in the Nationals system." - "Baseball America's top Nats prospects - No. 5: Brian Goodwin" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "The Nationals added four minor leaguers to their 40-man roster today, protecting a quartet of players who would have otherwise been eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December." - "Nationals add four to 40-man roster, get Kimball back from Toronto" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "When it was over, I chatted briefly with Chuck Hinton, who was the last expansion Senator to bat .300 (.310 in 1962), and had the longest home hitting streak in stadium history..." - "Maybe Chuck Hinton was born too late for immortality" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "It is vital that our younger generations, the guardians of our future, develop strong awareness concerning the futility of war."
• AFL/WINTER LEAGUES:
• "Derek Norris, Scottsdale Scorpions (Washington Nationals) - Owned a 17-game on-base streak, Oct. 7-Nov. 9, during which he hit .339 (21-for-62) and had a .434 on-base percentage..." - "AFL unveils 2011 Top Prospects Team" - MLB.com: News
• "Scottsdale Scorpions Derek Norris and Bryce Harper were named to the Arizona Fall League 2011 Top Prospects Team, which was announced over the weekend." - "Harper, Norris selected to 2011 AFL Top Prospects Team" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• Liga Mexicana del Pacifico: Naranjeros 3, Tomateros 2 - Zech Zinicola (HER) W, 1-1, 1.0 IP, 1 K - Box Score.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Cardenales 5, Tiburones 4 - Shairon Martis (GUA) - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K's - Box Score.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Navegantes 3, Bravos 2 - Jesus Flores - 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI's - Box Score.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Leones 6, Aguilas 1 - Sandy Leon (ZUL) 0 for 4, Josh Wilkie (CAR) 1.0 IP, 1 K - Box Score.
• Liga de Beisbol Dominicano: Aguilas 6, Tigres 5 - Jhonatan Solano 2 for 3, 2 RBI's, 1 BB; Atahualpa Severino - 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R - Box Score.
• Liga de Beisbol Dominicano: Toros 3, Leones 2 - Eury Perez (ESC) - 0 for 4, 1 BB, 1 K - Box Score.
• "Winter League Roundup" - NationalsProspects.com
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Phillies: "The Phillies have acquired Ty Wigginton from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later or cash..." - "Phillies Trade for Ty Wigginton" - Corey Seidman, Phillies Nation
• Mets: "As the New York Mets have struggled on the field, their attendance has fallen 23 percent over the past two years." - "Mets Lowering Prices To Fill The Stands At Citi Field" - CBS New York
• Braves: "Colorado has offered [Seth] Smith to the Braves for [Martin] Prado and will be creative in trying to get a deal done, though it is reluctant to include a center fielder." - "Renck: Rockies like extra National League wild card" - Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
• Marlins: "The Marlins are on the verge of upgrading their starting rotation. A source close to Gio Gonzalez reports the Miami native could be joining his hometown team soon." - "Potential trade could bolster Marlins rotation" - Inside Sports with David Villavicencio
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The 1B for Licey last night was Christian Marrero, a lefty in the White Sox organization..
http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=1B&sid=l131&t=p_pbp&pid=461842
He played RF (and batted lower than cleanup) in his 1st start, which really drew my attention.
"Even when I retire and live here in Houston, I don't want to go watch American League baseball." Lance Berkman......LBIMH...
What? You don't want to know how Christian's doing?
I always click on the name to make sure too, the one time I see Marrero/1B and assume…Boo me.
Thanks.
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Nov 21, 2011 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
what are the odds of two C. Marreros playing on the same team and the same position?
they could platoon!!!
"Even when I retire and live here in Houston, I don't want to go watch American League baseball." Lance Berkman......LBIMH...
by cat daddy3000 on Nov 21, 2011 12:52 PM EST up reply actions
Terrible story out of the Netherlands
As Seattle Mariners OF Greg Halman was apparently murdered; his younger brother (who also plays for the Netherlands’ national team) is in custody as a suspect. An awful, terrible story, and unlike Ramos’s kidnapping there is no happy ending to even hope for here. My heart goes out to the family and his teammates. RIP, Greg Halman.
So sad.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
by souldrummer on Nov 21, 2011 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
I could certainly live with Buerhle
Got to believe his 3.59 ERA would go down a tick in a move to the NL.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Maybe.
But he’d actually face some pretty good lineups in the NL East, comparable to AL Central even with the DH. The thing that worries me about MB is that he gives up too many dang hits. You know he’s led the AL in hits surrendered four of the last seven years? We already have to endure one nail-biting, eyeball-bleeding lefty in the rotation (Lannan), why bring in another?
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Because he has shown the same durability you praise in Fielder?
Unlike Lannan, he’s always thrown 200 innings since becoming a rotation regular a decade ago. He gave up about half as many walks as Lannan (1.99 vs. 3.7 BB/9).
or perhaps because
Buerhle has averaged 4.4 WAR over the past 10 seasons? His WAR numbers are as good as Cole Hamels. Now obviously Buerhle will be 33 and could be due for some regression so I wouldn’t sign him to some long-term deal. I could see a two year deal or perhaps a 3 year deal if the cost was not significantly more.
The durability is important, sure
And, in fact, his WAR values are pretty good (better than I would have thought).
OK, let me just say that I can’t get excited about Buerhle. There are certainly worse options out there.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
One thing of note
Durability is a false concept. All pitchers are “durable” until they get injured. So you are in a sense paying someone for past durability.
You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!
This is not untrue, every player carries a certain risk of injury
The durability issue here is that Buehrle doesn’t have lingering issues from a dozen surgeries and an arm held together with duct tape and hope. Everybody can have a freak accident, but you honestly want to say that Grady Sizemore has an equal chance of making all his starts as Mark Buehrle? Of course you don’t, because at least part of determining someone’s injury risk is the chance of aggravating an old injury.
I could too, but I doubt the ERA will go down (not that ERA actually matters)
I like Buerhle because he’s the closest to a sure thing, even if he has the least upside of the Oswalt / Wilson / Buerhle trio. However, he’s been pitching in perhaps the worst division in baseball for the last few years. The AL Central is absolutely atrocious and has some pretty pedestrian lineups (Kansas City, Minnesota, Cleveland, Detroit etc., oh wait that’s all of them.) Still Buerhle’s had a FIP in 3.9’s the last 3 out of 4 years and is very durable pitching over 200 innings for 11 years straight. With Zimm’n and Strasburg at the top of the rotation, the Nats don’t need a #1 they need a #3, especially because Detwiler is going to have a breakout season—Believe it!
One note
ERA, or, more to the point RA/9IP, DOES matter. I would say there’s very little that matters more. What it doesn’t do is predict well what will happen next.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
You make an important distinction
You’re right, I’ll get off my high-horse about ERA in that regard.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
At least where starting pitchers are concerned
For relievers, in WHIP I trust.
"Things are going great, and they're only gettin' better..." Timbuk3
Again, the bottom line is how many runs did he allow.
You can have a whip of 5 and never give up a run. If it was possible to master that, then you would make a very valuable reliever, no matter how much dc_guy’s eyes bled.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
... my eyes ...
Let’s see, bases loaded no outs. A 1-6-3 opens a base to allow the 4th baserunner on, presumably via a walk so that no one scores.
I’m not sure how you get five on via walks and hits. You can have five different baserunners, but the final two are going to reach via a fielder’s choice (etc) and thus wouldn’t count for WHIP purposes.
You start with the wrong presumption
For example:
First batter – single
Second batter – single, but first runner thrown out trying to take third
Third batter – ditto second batter
Fourth batter – single
Fifth batter – walk
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
by ricksnats on Nov 22, 2011 10:31 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Thanks!
Clearly I need more caffeine this morning …
Likely to be the ONLY time I ever find myself in a position
to enlighten YOU (rather than the reverse).
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
I was going for a more "pedestrian"
Walk. Pickoff. Walk. Pickoff. Walk. Walk. Walk.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
But regarding possible acquisitions
Isn’t the point to try and find out future results? In that respect, ERA is pretty flawed don’t you think?
Whats the frequency, Kenneth?
Detwiller...........
I too beleive in Detwiller. I’m leaning towards Oswalt on a shorter deal…..
This team has real offensive problems that are not going to be fixed just by adding Harper to the lineup……
The idea of Jason in CF and LaFraud at 1st is making me physically ill…………..
I’ll go back to last season: How did Atlanta give up that slop for Borne?
On a happier note
Patrick, do you think you could put a countdown clock on the masthead running to the date/time when pitchers and catchers report? Every little bit helps during the dark, cold months.
It's never too early
Especially when you consider that it’s only 91 days until pitchers and catchers report, that’s right around the corner.
We made it through the winter of 2010-11, losing Dunn and thinking no Strasburg in 2011
If we go through that, we can get through the winter of 2011-12!
by d_c_guy on Nov 21, 2011 5:55 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Never give up starin' out that window!!1!
"Even when I retire and live here in Houston, I don't want to go watch American League baseball." Lance Berkman......LBIMH...
by cat daddy3000 on Nov 21, 2011 7:52 PM EST up reply actions
only 90 days now!
If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
Also, also
Does anyone else cringe just reading Jim Bowden’s name? I was a little disappointed that he didn’t get the Baltimore GM job, not that I heard his name mentioned, but I did hear they were desperate.
Just aboot everyone cringes at it, I'd think.
Vivian Jaffe: "Have you ever transcended space and time?"
Albert Markovski: "Yes. No. Uh, time, not space... No, I don't know what you're talking about."
by Patrick Reddington on Nov 21, 2011 3:19 PM EST up reply actions
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