Wire Taps: Washington Nationals Head To Winter Meetings With BIG Plans.
by Patrick Reddington on Dec 1, 2011 11:58 AM EST
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• So...Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell wrote yesterday that Davey Johnson thinks Bryce Harper is like the new Doc Gooden, the Nats don't necessarily need a big power-hitting first baseman and the bench is a big concern for the Nats this winter. We learned yesterday the D.C. GM Mike "Run Silent" Rizzo was in the DR to watch a private workout by soon-to-be-free-agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. The answer to the Nats' outfield needs could already be on the 40-Man roster if Bryce Harper can force his way onto the Opening Day roster. (Our prediction? As it has been for a while now: We still say Harper starts in Double-A and works his way up right quick, but we won't bet against Bryce Harper, and that's not just because we don't like gambling.) Here are some links about the Nats, NatsTown and the NL East...
• THE BIG STORY:
• "'You can’t hide talent,' Johnson said. 'Bryce is like Dwight Gooden [in the Mets’ rotation at age 19]. If he’s ready, he’s ready.'" - Davey Johnson - "At baseball winter meetings, Nationals’ Mike Rizzo is usually predictably unpredictable" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post
• NATS BEAT:
• "Outfielder Laynce Nix is drawing interest from a number of teams and the former National could make a decision as early as next week's winter meetings, a source said." - "Nationals among 'several' teams interested in OF Laynce Nix" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "It's not surprising the Nationals are not eligible, considering they play in one of the biggest, most affluent metro areas in the country and are in a four-year-old stadium..." - "Nationals not eligible for first competitive balance lottery" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "It may not seem as important as a deep rotation or a bolstered lineup, but there's no portion of the Nationals' roster that needs more improvement than its bench." - "Improved bench a must" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "Will Tim Raines join former Expos teammates Gary Carter and Andre Dawson in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his fifth year of eligibility?" - "Tim Raines makes case in fifth year of candidacy for Hall of Fame" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News
• "To me, Raines is a shoo-in, and Walker's career numbers compare favorably with several other Hall of Famers..." - "Hall of Fame ballot light on Nats" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• "The Nationals staged a private workout for Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes at their Dominican academy in Boca Chica..." - "Nationals officials watch Yoenis Cespedes in private workout" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "[Vinny] Castilla, signed as a free agent in November 2004, played third base for the Nationals in their inaugural season in D.C., hitting .253 with 12 homers and 66 RBIs in 142 games..." - "Original Nat Castilla debuts on Hall of Fame ballot" - Pete Kerzel, MASNSports.com
• "This week, Rizzo is in the Dominican Republic, a source said, scouting Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes who is expected to establish residency in the DR and hit the free agent market shortly." - "Nationals notes on Cespedes and Espinosa" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "[Danny] Espinosa is the fourth Nationals player to be honored by Topps, which began naming its Rookie All-Star Team in 1959." - "Espinosa makes Topps Rookie All-Star Team" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "One Nationals source said Phillies players later told him they were almost resigned to defeat that day..." - "What if ... Stephen Strasburg hadn't gotten hurt?" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "Not many Major Leaguers can claim status as a national baseball icon, a cornerstone for two franchises and a key veteran presence for a third, but Larry Walker has all that on his resume and more." - "Standout outfielder Larry Walker up for enshrinement in Cooperstown for second time" - John Schlegel, nationals.com: News
• "I'm not the first to bring up this subject, and hopefully won't be the last. Moving the Griffith Memorial would provide a nice tribute to another local baseball legend." - "Let's bring the 'Old Fox' to Southeast" - Phil Wood, MASNSports.com
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "A revolution is called for, but not a political, economic or even technical revolution. What I propose is a spiritual revolution." -
• NATS MINOR/WINTER LEAGUES:
• "'[Bryce] Harper again showed he has top-line power, arm strength and is an improved baserunner,' [Aaron] Fitt said. 'He was amazing this season. There is not much he can't do.'" - "Baseball America's top Nats prospects - No. 1: Bryce Harper" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• Liga Mexicana del Pacifico: Mazatlan 3, Culiacan 2 - Rafael Martin (MAZ) - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K's - Box Score.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Margarita 12, Zulia 5 - Carlos Maldonado (ZUL) - 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K - Box Score.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Aragua 6, Caracas 4 - Wilson Ramos (ARA) 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K; Josh Wilkie (CAR) 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB - Box Score.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Caribes 4, Magallanes 1 - Jesus Flores (MAG) - 0 for 4, 1 K - Box Score.
• Liga de Beisbol Dominicano: Estrellas 6, Licey 5 - Jhonatan Solano (LIC) - 0 for 3, 1 R, 1 BB - Box Score.
• NATSTOWN:
• "Strangely, though fellow rookie Wilson Ramos garnered more votes for ROY than Espinosa did, he did not make the Topps team, losing out to J.P. Arencibia of Toronto." - "Espinosa named to Topps Rookie All-Star Team" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page
• "Espinosa finished his rookie season with 21 home runs, hitting 16 in the first half of the season which was the most-ever by a rookie second baseman." - "Espinosa named to All-Rookie team; Marrero tears hamstring" - Kristen, Win For Teddy
• "But did Yeonis Cespedes do 1300 lb. leg presses with Mike Rizzo sitting on top?" - Nats Enquirer
• "Ladson’s inbox: 11/29/11 edition" - Todd Boss, Nationals Arm Race
• "Nats Talk On The Go: Episode 2 of Podcast Available Now" - Capitol Baseball/The Nats Blog
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Phillies: "The Phillies announced Wednesday that they have signed eight minor-league free agents who will be invited to spring training in February." - "Phillies sign 8 minor-league free agents" - Bob Brookover, Philadelphia Inquirer
• Mets: "We continue our look at the new collective bargaining agreement with the changes baseball is making to the format of its leagues and playoffs." - "The Impact of Baseball's New CBA on the Mets: Scheduling, Realignment, and Postseason Play" - Chris McShane, Amazin' Avenue
• Marlins: "Got word late last night that the Marlins were going strong after reliever Heath Bell." - "Will Heath Bell be the next Marlins closer?" - Joe Capozzi, The Palm Beach Post
• Braves: "Overall, [Jason] Heyward slugged just .508--roughly equal to the MLB average--on balls in play, including homers." - "How The Braves' Jason Heyward Works The Count, Revisited" - Jacob Peterson, Talking Chop
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Harper
I honestly don’t see what’s to be gained by sending him back to AA. He’s clearly demonstrated he’s beyond that level of competition. There’s really only two non-financially-motivated reasons why they would keep him down: (1) they think they are a better team without him just yet, or (2) they think that starting him at the ML level will be detrimental to his overall development.
I don’t believe (1) can be true. Not with the current Nats anyway. Maybe if they make a trade for a CF and sign Fielder, that CF combined with Werth and Morse in the OF will be better than any combination they could come up with that includes Harper, and they surely don’t want Harper to be a bench player. I strongly doubt that will happen though.
As to (2), I not going to claim to be enough of an expert to know the likelihood that Harper comes up and fails and the episode ends up setting him back. He doesn’t seem to me to be the type of kid that would suffer that way (on the contrary, it seems like he only gets more strongly motivated to succeed). But I could be wrong; as far as I know he’s never had an extended period of failure so it’s hard to tell how he’d react in this situation. Since I don’t think he’ll fail anyway, I don’t see this as a major concern, but if the Nats do think he’ll need a bit more preparation (and they toss in the fiscal concerns) then the natural answer would be to send him to AAA.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
well, id say its pretty much a given that he'll have a slow start no matter where
and they may not want to do that to him in the first weeks of the season for his MLB premier, for better or worse. without the benefit of seeing how ST goes, i would think AAA sounds about right for him
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man
and the may want a little while to further evaluate werth at CF or their hypothetical acqusition during MLB games
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man
Really hope we don't see Werth in CF for most of the season.
I can’t help, but feel like that is just shaving years of his career.
As for Harper, I could see him being stuck in the minors if Rizzo can’t make all the negoiations go right. IE, if we can’t get Fielder at the right price or trade for BJ Upton. I don’t think the Nationals really want to just dump LaRoche for nothing, but I’m sure they would be willing to if they sign Fielder. However, if they can’t get a ton done this offseason. I could see standing pat, waiting for Strasburg to rehab, moving LaRoche, and extending Zimm while they have more leverage. They only need 10 more wins over last year to make the playoffs. Zimm, Werth, and Strasburg, could provide the bulk of the upgrade. Wang could be another decent portion. Additionally, Flores VWL numbers provide some more hope, however limited/conditional it maybe. It shouldn’t be hard to find bench upgrades either. That being said I hope that we do make some off-season acquistions, and are truly in contention next year.
Not if they play Werth in CF.
And if they sign Fielder, I’ll assume that Rizzo heats his office by burning $100 bills, and cares little about the length of Werth’s contract compared to the functionality of his knees.
by chubias on Dec 1, 2011 1:52 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Don't need 10 wins
With the extra wild card, 5 or 6 wins could get them into the playoffs. A full season of Zimmerman, 3/4’s a season of Strasburg and Werth not sucking should be worth 7 or 8 easy.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Yeah, but the division matters more now.
Let’s win the division with 10 extra wins rather than have a 50/50 shot!
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
The Braves finished with 89 wins. The Giants had 86. Both didn't make it.
How do you think we get in with only 85 wins?
Because
They’d win the game they didn’t play this year and 5 or 6 equals 85 or 86. The Braves had an historic collapse and I think they’ll have some competitive balance return, so I think 86 wins may do it.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
I don't think so.
In ’10 the fifth-best team had 90 wins. In ’09 it was 88. In preceding years it was 89, 89, 85, 88, 91, 87, 92, 90, and 86. That is, only once since 2000 would they have been able to sneak into the playoffs with 85 wins. They really need to shoot for 89-90 to hope for a playoff spot.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
I stand corrected.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Agree, sort of
I totally agree that he doesn’t belong in AA. He proved that he can hit there and I also agree the Nats are a better team with him, than without him. All of that being said, he should start in AAA. The way the minors works has changed over the years and for a lot of teams AAA isn’t full of their best prospects any longer, instead it’s full of their reserves and career minor leaguers especially from a pitching perspective. That being said, AAA is an important step for hitters because they get to see a lot of team’s 6th starters. These guys aren’t prospects, but they can pass for major leaguers and help young players develop immensely. If a player can hit there over a 2-3 month span who produced at the other levels, he’s essentially as ready as he’ll ever be in my book.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
I think that he should start in AA
Right now, he struggles with both outfield and baserunning. Let him learn those things under AA lights rather than in the big leagues. Also, he didn’t exactly torch AA.
He hit .256/.329/395 at Harrisburg in 147 plate apperances. Yes, he had a great fall league, but I think that AFL is a hitter’s league with the best pitchers on pitch counts and innings limits to get everybody work. If he mashes in AA, for a couple of months promote him straight to the bigs.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Although to be fair he started slowly in AA and had just started his surge when he got hurt
His MO of struggling and then lighting up a league are pretty well established … well, as well established as anything can be for a guy who just turned 19.
I think our org philosophy is light up each league and get promoted.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Doesn't make it right.
I think he’s ready. Minuscule issues with baserunning (if there really are any — I have my doubts) aside.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
I agree
However, I still think two months in AAA are a good way to make sure that he’s ready because if he fails there, it’ll be a whole lot less worse for his development given who he is, than failing at the big league level.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
True, but...
if they have any intention of bringing Harper up next year, then there’s little incentive to sign a Cespedes or to trade for an Upton. If they don’t sign a Cespedes or trade for an Upton, then they are committed to having LaRoche or Marrero play first (assuming that Fielder doesn’t exist). But LaRoche may not be able to play at all (ignoring the reality that he can’t play all that well even when healthy), and we already know Marrero won’t be able to start, so they are taking a gamble.
All of which means that (1) either they really do not intend to bring Harper up in 2012, or (2) Fielder signs, or (3) they don’t mind having four starter-level outfielders.
My head’s starting to hurt.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Yeah, that was tough to follow.
However, signing a CF may be a greater indication that they don’t believe in LaRoche, more than they don’t believe in Harper. DJ has mentioned that the Nats really need to improve their bench and Adam LaRoche would make a great bench player. Not sure if his temperament would fit for that, but he’s a year older and coming off of injury so that may be where his career is headed.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
If there really are any?
I feel like I’ve read several reports about his foolish decisions on the basepaths… And about poor fielding decisions…
The AFL is a hitter's league
But even given that, Harper outperformed the other hitters in the league. That has to be taken into account as well.
I don’t know the track record, but I don’t know too many guys who jump straight from the AFL to MLB.
Jason Heyward is a comp for me in terms of making a quick trip to the majors as an outfielder. Heyward is better defensively and absolutely destroyed AA during his 200 or so plate appearances at AA during his age 20 season. At 19, I have no problem with Harper earning his stripes by mashing at AA.
If he destroys spring training and shows better defense all bets are off for me. I hope that he gets a pile of at bats in Spring Training this year and is one of the final cuts this go ’round.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
I agree the AFL is a hitters league
But the Eastern League is the most pitcher friendly league in all of baseball. Given the struggles Harper had to start with in the EL, I think his overall numbers warrant moving him up.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
He swung a mighty big stick in AA after his "traditional" slow start
I did say I didn’t think that Harper is of such a fragile emotional state that a small amount of failure could severely impact him for long periods of time. On the other hand, I believe that he is enormously ambitious, and for him to be sent back to AA will have negative effects on his ego/psyche, and more importantly in his devotion to the Nationals. Some will call it immaturity, and others will say that that sort of tendency needs to be beaten out of him, so to speak. I think that as long as he is able to properly deliver on his ambitions, he will be fine.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Baltimore gets a competitive balance pick.....
But DC doesn’t? I thought one of the MLB arguments to keep a team out of DC, was that Baltimore and DC were considered the same market? This type of news reminds me of that State Farm commercial where the huge robot destroys the neighborhood, and the two guys say, “Man that thing sure doesn’t like Dwayne”. When I read these articles, I can only think, “man, Bud Selig really doesn’t like the Nats!”
"Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence In All We Do" - USAF Core Values
Well, actually it is because we get all that TV revenue from MASN.... oh wait a second
by chubias on Dec 1, 2011 1:23 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That commercial
I always end up secretly hoping the giant death robot goes after those two guys next.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
by RobBobS on Dec 1, 2011 1:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
This
I thought I was the only one.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
I actually kind of like that commercial
I’m a fan of deadpan humor.
I don't think those guys like Dwayne very much, themselves.
"If you ain't got the pants, you ain't got a chance." --PerryMason (on the sartorial component of being a Real Ballplayer)
by Doghouse on Dec 1, 2011 3:48 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
MASN really stands for
Mr. Angelos Screws Nationals.
My wife came up with that. I don’t like the respectful “Mr.” when speaking of that Angelos bastard, but its still pretty funny.
Also, I am not sure what advantage there is to gain by keeeping Harper in the minors if he is one of your best 25 players.
Keeping Harper under Nats control for 1 more full year by keeping him down in the minors for 2 or 3 weeks seems like an option to explore, but if he is good enough to be on the Nats, and plays well enough to stay, then screw it let him stay.
Sharon Marsh "Stan, what did I tell you about being a smart ass?" Stan Marsh "Don't be a smart ass"
John S West Jr
by Adam double bubble on Dec 1, 2011 1:40 PM EST reply actions
To bring Harper up, you either have to have Werth play center, or trade Morse or LaRoche
or have one of the above get seriously injured. If Harper is beating up the minors again, and there is a trade market for LaRoche, we could have Harper by mid-year, but sooner seems extremely unlikely.
Yeah, I can't imagine there is much of a market for LaRoche at the moment.
Though I suppose he might go to the Rays as part of a package for Upton, if the Nationals ate most of his salary.
I don't have any problem with Werth playing CF this year,
while sharing some time with Harper for his eventual permanent move to that position (if he demonstrates he can handle the position). Otherwise, the CF issue can be taken care of next year.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
As good a time as any
I know the MASN contract sucks, but can anyone elaborate on why it sucks? I wasn’t on the Nats bandwagon when that happened.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
From WaPost Kilgore article...
LINK: “To convince Angelos to allow the franchise to infringe on what he deemed his territorial rights, MLB gave Angelos 90 percent of MASN. The Nationals held the other 10 percent, which grows at about one percent per year and now sits at 13 percent. Once the Nationals reach 33 percent ownership of MASN, their ownership stake stops growing.”
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 Dec 1, 2011 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
Do they have to continue to show games on MASN?
Can’t they maintain their ownership stake and sign with someone else? Also, this could potentially take the whole anti-trust thing to another level.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
i dont believe so
its the TV rights that are in the masn contract iimn
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man
by TJL on Dec 1, 2011 4:12 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks
She is very funny.
I have been so happy for the past 2 weeks just gettin up to speed about what the Nats are trying to do to get better.
I love it.
Sharon Marsh "Stan, what did I tell you about being a smart ass?" Stan Marsh "Don't be a smart ass"
John S West Jr
by Adam double bubble on Dec 2, 2011 8:06 AM EST up reply actions
Per the Boswell column
“As for gaudier acquisitions, Johnson is skeptical whether a Fielder, or a center fielder who comes at high cost, would be best for the Nats, despite the immediate impact.”
and
“So, don’t clog up a position for a decade and deny yourself flexibility.”
Per Me
I’ve been torn about the whole “Sign Prince Fielder” thing, but the above position/rational is how I’ve always been leaning. It wouldn’t kill me if they signed Prince Fielder, far from it, but I’d prefer they went in a different direction.
by PerryMason on Dec 1, 2011 1:59 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Flexibility IS important,
but is it as important as having top-quality players on the roster? I don’t think so.
I suspect though that the Nats have a unique opportunity this year to swallow up some precious DC market share. With the Redskins flailing, the Caps staggering, and the Wizards, …uh, … being the Wizards, if the Nats sign a big star and put up a winning team, they can and probably will set themselves up for some big increases in attendance and in interest in the team in general for the next several years.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
This
Also, there’s talk that the Giants double AA team may leave Richmond. If that happens the Nats should absolutely move their AA team to Richmond, regardless of whether or not Harrisburg runs a great organization. Increasing interest in markets like Richmond, Norfolk and even Charlotte and Raleigh will pay huge dividends the next time they negotiate a TV contract.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
If Richmond opens up, I think the Nationals would be smart to move their AAA team from Syracuse
It would focus the minor league teams (always useful for rehab assignments or sudden emergency callups) and put a pretty firm marker into VA.
I’d love to see them swap AAA spots with the Mets (Syracuse NY for Tidewater) but I doubt that happens.
There you go.
I don’t know how that works, though contractually. I think Harrisburg is a great fit overall and I’d like to see them stay there. Getting a AAA team somewhere in the south seems to be the move, though.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Either would work for me
I know the MASN contract is awful, but for some clubs like the Giants their TV revenue is just as much about San Jose and Fresno (where their A and AAA teams play) as it is about San Francisco. They have a similar situation in that Oakland is just across the Bay , but they’re the big market club because they control the TV sets in the other nearby big markets.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
i would absolutely love that (live in RVA suburb working a block from the diamond)
but i dont see it happening. despite the flooding in harrisburg, their stadium might still be in better shape than ours and i would be shocked to see that change in the forseeable future. the squirrels and giants just renewed their PDA so the nationals can’t make a move on the squirrels. the only chance is that the squirrels have voiced their displeasure in the diamond agreement and my look elsewhere just like the braves did in the not to recent history
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man
by TJL on Dec 1, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
True
The Giants did just sign a deal with the club, but that deal is with the Squirrels who are threatening to move because apparently Richmond’s Mayor promised to build a new stadium if they move here and is now renigging. Go figure corruption in Richmond’s city government, at least no one’s currently under indictment.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
i would caste the threats as halfhearted at best
as i read it the real issue is who pays for it. the squirrels are willing to pony up their share but the local development authority (cooperation btw the city and 3 counties) is trying to figure out how/if to cover the rest and whether or not they want to move it. theres a lot of chesspieces on the board. the best proposal that i see is building next to the current diamond but half of the city’s vehicle service operation is there. theyre looking to move that and/or outsource it but some want the stadium build downtown (horrible horrible idea) or in the burbs (lower hull st area is primo). despite everything allegedly wrong with local governance, i think its more a matter of funding and logistics than corruption. throw in there that richmond has never quite proven itself able to sustain professional sports in the first place…..
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man
by TJL on Dec 1, 2011 4:48 PM EST up reply actions
Personally, I hope they don't build it.
The Diamond is perfectly passable minor league stadium and I don’t want them to spend my tax dollars on building a new stadium for a AA baseball team. Especially if that stadium is going to be in the part of RVA that no one actually lives in. Build it in Henrico or Chesterfield if they must build it.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
imho parking is the issue more than location
the current site is very accessible (and i agree on the serviceability of the structure) but the fact remains that the squirrels relocated the area on the promise of a new facility
Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion man
by TJL on Dec 1, 2011 5:28 PM EST up reply actions
If the Nationals were thinking long term, they'd step in and pay for a significant share of the upgrade themselves
With the obvious condition that the Nationals AAA team plays there. That would broaden their appeal through Central/Southern VA and even Central and Eastern NC. It would give them a hook to get onto the radio in those area just as the team is maturing, which could cement them for a generation.
If the Nationals were thinking long term they would have bought Potomac by now.
Just to get it away from the current owners.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
Yes, Flexibility is overall more important
The whole point of having flexibity is to ensure that you have top-quality players on your roster each year. Obviously, it is a balancing act. As we discussed in the other thread, I am skeptical that we can afford Fielder, and the young core we are building. I think there is a decent chance that if they sign Fielder, then they will let Zimmerman walk or trade him, and let Rendon come up (assuming that Rendon is as good as we hope). From a baseball standpoint that is defensible (since you could save $14 MM a year), but I sure hope it doesn’t happen.
I think we could field a team
Without going and grabbing a big name CF. I don’t see why Werth can’t do it, and an outfield of Morse/Werth/Harper doesn’t scare me or give me shivers. Sign Fielder, bring up Harper and either start Desmond at leadoff or if Lombardozzi truly outperforms him, start him at leadoff and at 2nd with Espy at short. Fielder holds down first, provides power from the left side as does Harper, and spend some money on Buehrle and potentially trade Lannan and LaRoche for some depth. I’d like to see a rotation consisting of the following in the following order:
Stras – Zimm(n) – Buehrle – Wang – Detwiler
Name a number between three and five.
.............
.............
Threeve.
I can think of 6 reasons why you don't want Werth in CF; one for each year of his remaining contract
Torii Hunter was a great CF, but he moved to right because he was 33. For the same was true about Ken Griffrey Jr. He wasn’t an everyday CF after about 33 either.
I’m not saying that Werth couldn’t play CF, or that we have to get an All-star CF, but it should definately be something that we are looking for. If we can’t get Upton or Span (or we believe Span is still injured from his concussion) then we should pursue more outside the box options.
Sign Cuddyer Nats!
Not only would he be a great fit, his contract would be up just about when Werth will have to move back to the corner. Hopefuly by then Eury, Taylor, or Goodwin will be ready for the majors.
#signcuddyer
MOAR SEVERINO!
MOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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 Dec 1, 2011 3:01 PM EST reply actions
@Kevin_Goldstein:
“The Blue Jays signed once-a-prospect RHP Garrett Mock”
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 Dec 1, 2011 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
I wouldn't take that bet.
I would, normally, except for one fact.
We play the Blue Jays next year. So he’ll deliver in THAT ONE SERIES.
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
I will surely remember to bring up this comment when he does.
(but I’ll probably forget to mention it if he doesn’t)
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
According to Baseball Reference,
the projected payroll for 2012 is $77M.
That’s third-lowest in the National League.
#signFielder.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Fixed
#signFielder
#signDarvishandBuerhle
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Two pitchers, and nothing to upgrade the lousy offense?
Meh, I say! Meh!
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Oh, RobBob, I am aghast!
Joining in the “meh” chorus! Fie!
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