Wire Taps: Washington Nationals Now Linked To C.J. Wilson With Winter Meetings About To Start.
by Patrick Reddington on Dec 2, 2011 11:52 AM EST
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• 12/1/11 - 10:16 pm EST: Federal Baseball.com writes: "The Washington Nationals have talked to one-time Chicago White Sox' lefty Mark Buehrle. They've been tied to free agent right-hander Roy Oswalt. Does the fact the C.J. Wilson hasn't been talked about as much as the other two mean that he's the likely target for the D.C. GM Mike Rizzo's leakproof front office?" • 12/2/11 - 10:30 am EST: SI.com's Jon Heyman on the Twitter (@SI_JonHeyman) writes, "hearing the #nationals are going to push for cj wilson. they want a lefty, and apparently thats their top target." - Hi, We're done predicting the future for the day. The rumors are about to start flying. The Winter Meetings start on Monday in Dallas, TX. Prepare yourself this weekend. It's going to be a long week of rumor-mongering. Here's some Friday lunchtime links...The big news last night was that the Nats named the new manager of their top minor league affiliate. Here's the big story...
• THE BIG STORY!:
• (ed. note - "I've always enjoyed Ben Goessling's work, first with the Washington Times and then with MASN, and I was looking forward to him getting more TV time this year since I enjoyed his on-air analysis as much as his writing. Ben was nice enough to conduct a few interviews with us over the years, and his insight on the Nats and all-things baseball will be missed in the nation's capital. Thanks for the work you did, Ben. Glad you're getting to go back home. - Federal Baseball.)
• LINK: "As a reporter, I've always felt a little odd about the concept of a big, protracted goodbye on a blog - we're supposed to relay stories about the people we cover to our readers, not be the center of the story ourselves." - "Farewell and thanks, NatsTown" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "[Tony] Beasley will replace Randy Knorr, whom the Nationals tabbed as Davey Johnson’s bench coach and potential successor." - "Tony Beasley named Class AAA Syracuse manager" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• NATS BEAT:
• "The promotion of [Tony] Beasley is a logical one after he produced strong results at Double-A with some of the Nationals' best prospects..." - "Nationals promote Double-A manager Tony Beasley to Triple-A Syracuse (UPDATED: Name Matt LeCroy Double-A manager)" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "[Tony] Beasley spent this season managing at Harrisburg, where he led the Senators to an 80-62 record and first-place finish in the Eastern League's Western division." - "Beasley to Syracuse, LeCroy to Harrisburg" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "The Nationals have been grooming a number of managers whom they think can work in the major leagues someday, and Knorr is a product of that system." - "Nationals shuffle minor league managers" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "Center fielder Yoenis Cespedes wasn't the only player the Nationals were scouting in the Dominican Republic this week." - "Nationals scout Cuban prospects Jorge Soler, Armando Rivero in Dominican" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News
• "Rizzo also watched and evaluated multiple other Cuban prospects who defected this year and are expected to become free agents by the end of December, a person with knowledge of the situation said." - "Yeonis Cespedes not the only Cuban player Mike Rizzo scouted in the Dominican Republic" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "[Garrett] Mock has signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays, offering a new opportunity to resurrect his career." - "Mock signs with Blue Jays" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "One of the great unknowns on the free-agent market is Yoenis Cespedes, a five-tool talent that has scouts drooling, and who could be the next Matt Kemp or Wily Mo Pena." - "MLB Free Agent Contract Prediction: Yoenis Cespedes" - Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation
• "Could the Nationals surprise everyone and jump to the front of the line for one of the big-ticket free agents? Sure." - "Nationals making a list, checking it twice for winter meetings" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "Free agency could be one way Washington makes the leap to become playoff contenders for the first time in its history." - "Nationals seek final pieces at Winter Meetings" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News
• "The Marlins appear to be serious about making a big-time splash this winter." - "Aggressive Marlins mean business" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "Moving into their new stadium, the Marlins have one of the best closers in baseball, albeit one who will have to adapt to not pitching in San Diego’s Petco Park." - "In division with Heath Bell, Jonathan Papelbon, Nationals still have bullpen advantage" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "The real source of happiness involves one’s state of mind, outlook, and motivation, and one’s level of warmheartedness towards others."
• NATS/WINTER LEAGUES:
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Caracas 3, Caribes 2 - Henry Rodriguez (CAR) - W (1-0), 1.0 IP, 2 K's - Box Score.
• Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional: Aragua 11, Magallanes 6 - Wilson Ramos (MAG) 2 for 5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI; Jesus Flores (MAG) 1 for 4, 1 RBI - Box Score.
• NATSTOWN:
• "The Washington Nationals’ own racing presidents will make a special return guest appearance in The Washington Ballet production of Septime Webre’s "The Nutcracker" at the Warner Theatre on Wednesday, December 14." - "Racing presidents to appear in Washington Ballet’s 'The Nutcracker' December 14" - Presidents Race Fan, Let Teddy Win!
• "The NationalsProspects.com Top 10 Pitchers" - NationalsProspects.com
• "In the final installment of the five biggest surprises on the Washington Nationals roster, we take a look at the team's MVP: Michael Morse." - "Biggest Surprises of 2011 - #1: Michael Morse" - Joe Drugan, The Nats Blog
• "A man in a Nats cap robbed a convenience store in Ottawa, and Garrett Mock is Canada's problem now." - "A man in a Nats cap robs convenience store in Canada. Also, Garrett Mock signs with Blue Jays" - Nats Enquirer
• "Danny Espinosa - Age 24 - MLB Service Time 1.033 years. How he became a Nat: Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 First Year Player Draft" - "A Few Good Men: 35 - Espinosa" - Mac, Capitol Baseball
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Mets: "On Thursday evening, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson spent a good portion of his evening fielding questions from the blogs..." - "Transcript of Sandy Alderson's Conference Call with Bloggers" - Chris McShane, Amazin' Avenue
• Phillies: "In seasons past, this is where the Phils set in motion blockbuster deals to acquire Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee." - "Phils have history of big splashes at Meetings" - Todd Zolecki, phillies.com: News
• Marlins: "Had you told me before this offseason began the Marlins would give a closer three years and $27 million guaranteed, I would have laughed." - "Miami Marlins spend big, but some say not smart, on closer Heath Bell" – Juan C. Rodriguez, Florida Sun-Sentinel
• Braves: "There was a time when the Braves were the only perennial spenders in the National League East." - "NL East Getting Crowded, Expensive" - gondee, Talking Chop\
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"Could be the next Matt Kemp or Wily Mo Pena"
Yeah, that basically sums up what the deal is with Cespedes.
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
They keep using this term "top target"
I do not think it means what they think it does.
Either that, or Rizzo’s top target changes weekly, almost daily! So far (by my count) there have been four “top targets:” C.J. Wilson, Mark Buerhle, Roy Oswalt, and Prince Fielder. Oh, and possibly Cespedes. Inconceivable!
I think it means "Person we want people to think they're chasing"
“Because they won’t franking TELL us anything!”
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
by Jorgath on Dec 2, 2011 12:12 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
+1
The writers, being unable to crack the Rizzo ‘cone of silence’, consider themselves free to speculate wildly. If they throw enough darts at the board, one will likely hit the bulls’ eye.
"Things are going great, and they're only gettin' better..." Timbuk3
In fairness the Nationals are linked to every free agent.
I saw the Nationals listed as a suitor for Carlos Pena. Carlos Pena is a fine player, but makes no sense for the Nationals.
We are like the anti-Marlins, who say they are after everyone, but nobody believes they’ll get anyone good. We talk about very few players, yet we are targeting everyone.
Absolutely, Totally, and in all other ways INCONCEIVABLE!
Loved the Princess Bride!
"Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence In All We Do" - USAF Core Values
Fixed.
I still can’t believe the Marlins spend 27 million dollars on a closer.
"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you."
-Leslie Nielsen, Airplane
Priceless G-Bris
The only obstacle I see for the Marlins is that the Washington Nationals are interested in Cespedes, and they were the team that awarded the Jayson Werth WTF Contract of 2010/2011. They’re a little unpredictable — the guy in the back of the auction with a nervous tic and an eyepatch. They’re also pretty well set up at a few several positions, except for … wait for it … center field. Their options other than Cespedes are Coco Crisp, more Rick Ankiel, maybe Cody Ross, or putting a call in to Marquis Grissom to see what he’s up to. There aren’t a lot of free-agent options, and the Nationals seem eager to prove they’re willing to spend.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Honest question: Is Morse a better 1st baseman than outfielder? I just started following the Nats last season and watched most of the games from June onward. It seemed like he used his size to his advantage at 1st pretty well. When he moved to the outfield late in the season he seemed to misjudge balls hit in his direction alot. Not sure if that was just rust or a typical problem for him.
"Just the fact that I knew something was bad, I knew it was probably broken, I knew I'd have to miss some time--that makes me upset more than anything."
by QuintinLainged on Dec 2, 2011 2:47 PM EST up reply actions
I’d agree with this. He started out as a shortstop so he seemed more comfortable to me in the infield. Advanced defensive stats have him below average at both positions, though.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Ignore "advanced" fielding metrics for first basemen
they don’t work, IMO.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
This
Oh so much this, but that is also the reason I don’t think Fielder is much better than Morse because Morse’s WAR is killed by his poor UZR at 1B. Still I think a good glove in CF (which isn’t really available) would be best, but barring Upton at a fair price I’d take SP. Still I wouldn’t be disappointed with Fielder because he’s a hell of a ballplayer, albeit one with quite a few pounds that could affect his long-term success.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
By the way
I’ve not seen it mentioned, but can’t a team impose a weight restriction on a player as part of the contract (e.g. a bonus for maintaining a certain weight, or a penalty for exceeding a certain weight…?)
When I heard the (probably BS) rumor that talks between Fielder and the Nats “hit a snag”, I thought that this might have been an issue — this or a Boras demand for too many years.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
I believe those contract stipulations have been generally unsucessful
and serve only to create tension between the club and the player.
I think a team can do that (and it would be a good idea for Fielder)
But I have a theory: Given Boras’ tight relationship with the Nats and Rizzo’s reputation of making a splash with free agent signings, isn’t it possible that Rizzo is just allowing Boras to use the Nats to create a demand for Fielder? Much in the same way he got the Giants to bid against themselves for Barry Zito by creating a rumor that there was an unspecified team in the mix.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Very possible.
This is how Rizzo plays nice with Boras for the guys that he ultimately does want the most. I believe that they are going to give LaRoche a spin , put Morse out there in left field, and acquire a CF like they’ve been telling us all along.
The harder thing for me is getting to fully accept that my man Derek Norris may be part of the package.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
He also forgets that Jeff Sullivan writes all of his stuff
And you’ve swayed my thinking somewhat, the Nats need Fielder not a 1B. If they can’t get him, grab a great defensive CF and put Morse at 1B. Also, a 2B would help too because they could move Espi to SS where he’s much, much more valuable.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Wait is Grissom really available?
winks
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 2, 2011 1:15 PM EST up reply actions
#don'tsignfielder
Plate appearance for plate appearance, Prince Fielder is only 6.9% more valuable than the Morse we’ve seen on the field over past three years.
In baseball 6.9%
Is actually a lot.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Ummmm.....
fWAR takes into account both offense and defense and obviously you don’t make defensive contributions at the plate. Much of Fielder’s value over Morse is found in his glove (or rather Morse’s weak UZR in ‘11) so you’re kind of working against yourself here. Personally, I think Fielder might be okay as long as they also sign a pitcher, but I think the argument is really do you want Fielder and Werth in CF or a true CF. It’s not so much about Morse because he’ll be in the lineup either way, it really comes down to the increased offense from Fielder weighted against the downgrade in defense from playing Werth in CF.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
I used plate appearances because they scale roughly to playing time. I suppose it might be more accurate to use defensive innings played. Ok, reran the original calculation using fWAR/Inn and Fielder’s advantage drops to 5.4% over Morse using innings played.
Also, I think it is ludicrous to think that the Nats would ask Werth to play center past 2012. It could kind of make sense this year given the strange mix of players they have, but Rizzo is clearly making every effort to find a center fielder even this year if he can.
It may be ludicrous
But if they sign Fielder that’s pretty much their intention because they won’t get rid of Fielder, won’t be able to get rid of Werth and won’t want to get rid of Harper and Morse wouldn’t bring anything comparable to himself back in trade.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Harper has a long way to go in the corner outfield spots let alone in CF. Plus his arm is going to be one of his major strengths. Doesn’t he project as an RF?
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Not if he continues to bulk up
You’ve got to remember he’s still a teenager and will most likely add mass.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
More like Josh Hamilton
methinks.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
I'm a huge Hamilton fan
but he didn’t play CF particularly well.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Calculating BBR's offensive runs / plate appearance,
Fielder was 29% more valuable than Morse the last three years.
Which is fine and good, but the main point, which for some reason seems to get lost on some people, is that as far as I know, nobody here is arguing to replace Morse with Fielder. I myself am arguing to augment Morse with Fielder.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
then you are arguing in terms of 2012 only
Come 2013, Morse will not be in the outfield for the Nats in any reasonable scenario. If you want six years of Fielder, you are arguing for five years of not playing Morse in favor of Fielder. Hence my argument.
Make it the past four years of Fielder and he’s 16% more valuable than Morse. I used his career numbers because he’s actually had a career of playing every day, and though he is better than Morse on odd numbered years, he is overall not all that much more valuable. Given that Fielder would cost the Nats upward of $120 million, and Morse would not cost nearly that much over the same period to extend, I don’t believe Fielder is worth the premium.
So you are arguing to settle on Morse as a long-term solution at first?
I am dubious about that. I don’t necessarily believe that Morse is going to be very productive for very long.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Morse has been surprisingly consistent in his career
(the exception being his lack of power as a rookie in 2005).
I am dubious that Fielder can maintain the production of the past three years for much longer, given the lack of consistency his career displays up to this point.
?
Morse put up a modest .762 OPS in his years in Seattle, nearly 350 plate appearances. He’s gotten better, but he’s also gotten older. He might continue to produce at 2011 levels for a few more years, but my guess is that it won’t be for much longer than a few years.
As to Fielder’s inconsistency you keep talking about, I note that his worst years are compare quite favorably to Morse’s best years. E.g. 2010, an “off year” for Fielder
1HR/22.3 PA, 1BB/6.3 PA, .261/.401/.471, compared to
1HR/19.5 PA, 1BB/13.3 PA, .289/.352/.519.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Fielder > Morse, no argument
I’m arguing that the premium that Fielder would cost over going with the status quo (Morse) is not worth the increase in production we are likely to see. Fielder could cost up to twice what Morse is likely to, for what I argue is a relatively small bonus in actual production value.
by dc Roach on Dec 2, 2011 3:48 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Wow. #1 starters are pretty expensive
Expect $18M for that alone. Add … how many dollars for a CF?
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Innings eating #2-3
Adding Buerhle and Oswalt is the way to go as far as I’m concerned. That would give the Nats a pretty formidable staff in 2012, the type that only requires a league average offense to win with and is deadly come October.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
I’m banking on the idea that a C.J. Wilson replacing John Lannan makes a bigger difference than Fielder replacing Morse.
I would not bank on Oswalt replicating 2011. He’s a solid #3-4 starter on the current staff.
Really, I think more it is can we get Fielder's gain over a couple positions
As Rob has often stated, he’s not advocating Fielder replacing Morse, instead he’s advocating something like this:
Desmond-SS
Werth-CF
Zimmerman-3b
Fielder-1b
Morse-LF
Espinosa-2b
Harper-RF
Ramos-C
Strasburg-SP
So the real cost of Fielder in terms of position player’s isn’t Morse, it is the new CF. The question becomes then, can the money not spent on Fielder acquire the more value if it is divided over more positions?
I wish I could believe that Werth in CF was a realistic longterm option
given the talk and signals we’ve gotten from Rizzo and DJ over the past few months. Do I want that lineup? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not very.
Morse is a free agent in 2014. He’ll be in the outfield in 2012. In 2013 he will be either at 1st base (no Fielder) or in the outfield or if Harper is ready to play he will be traded.
I have no problem with Morse at first base in 2013 either. We may be looking at Harper and Rendon adding the necessary punch by that point. I think the goal of the team is to find transitional quality third starters until the Peacock/Solis/Meyer/Purke/Cole/Ray vanguard is ready to step in.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
I don't want to see Werth in CF either
I am actually a Werth supporter. I think that he will have a better year in 2012, and I don’t blame him for being overpaid in the future. But I think it is a bad idea to put him in center.
I’d would be curious how far apart the trade discussions on Upton are/have been. Because for the same salary that you would give Fielder, you could probably get both Upton and Buerhle without the long-term exposure.
Yep. I like this.
This is the kind of thinking where I’m at right now. I don’t want any albatrosses on the payroll and I’m reluctant to risk another mega contract before we re-sign Zimmerman. After all is said and done, we’re going to have to re-sign Zimmerman after 2013 as well. I know it’s not my money, but I like our farm system as it’s growing at present and I’m willing to trust it to strengthen the pitching staff and the position players once we get through this stretch where we want to show Zim we’re in it to win it for the next two years.
Would you guys be willing to trade Norris as part of a package for Upton? My recollection is that Tampa is hurting at catcher right now. They just signed Jose Molina to be their starter.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Norris is a tough case
I am not sure that a single year of Upton is worth Norris, who if he hits like he did in the AFL, will be worth tons.
I thought that Tyler Moore was a good starting point. Obviously, he’s not enough, but I kind of wanted to hold Norris to package for a top-flight pitcher.
I would want to explore some other CF prospect options thoroughly before going-all in with Upton. The Cubs Brett Jackson, the Pirates Starling Marte, and Rockies Tim Wheeler, would be top choices. Che-Hsuan Lin and Gorkys Hernandez of the Prirates also seem like good targets.
I'm assuming if we go after Upton it would be for more than a rental.
Norris’ final AFL line settled down a bit. Norris ended up .276/.367/.382. He still had some defensive issues as well. Norris may have some more value in the American League where he can DH some on days he’s not catching.
I don’t really want to move Norris either, but to me he’s the best chip we’ve got if we’re serious about getting deals done at this point and it’s not like he’s going to be the centerpiece for a top line starter.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
I think that outfield would be atrocious defensively. Werth is barely average in CF. Morse is a butcher in the field. And Harper is still learning the position. Brad Peacock would be afraid to throw a strike as a flyball pitcher with an outfield like that behind him.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
It won't be the worst defensive OF in the league
but it might be the best offensive outfield in the league.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
This lineup would be a huge headache for National League pitchers
and the Philly Phans would not approve.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Fielder is tier 1 elite
Morse is tier3 but right now the best they have offensively. But a very wide margin according to the stats.
You wouldn’t replace Morse with Fielder you’d want them in tandem along with Zim and Harper. Could be a better lineup than St. Louis with two of the top 5 elite hitter in Pujols and Berkman.
That’s kind of what you shoot for … two lefties, two righties with decent power across the board? Should be a pretty balanced offense?
Fielder is only two years younger than Morse
…but at least two years OLDER in terms of his physiology.
I’m not sure how you make the guess that, given his age, Morse isn’t good for more than a “few more years”, without at least recognizing that Fielder is very most likely going to do a fantastic tail-off in production probably about the same time that Morse would.
I’d be very happy with Morse as our long-term solution at first.
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'm not sure that we need to lock down long-term solutions at every position
But I think that Morse could probably handle the job for a few more years.
Agreed. Don't need it, don't want it.
Ideally, a team has ‘lock-downs’ on 12-15 players a year for the 25-man roster. When / if that number starts creeping closer to 20, the team & orginization suffers from staisis (a lack of movement), particularly when aging players (32+) make up the bulk of that number [see Phillies / RedSox / Yankees].
"Things are going great, and they're only gettin' better..." Timbuk3
Phillies/RedSox/Yankees
Are also the three most likely teams to win the World Series.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Defensively, I believe Harper had 6 AFL errors in the field.
I do think that he needs to work on his defense some in AA.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Hello Small Sample Size!!!!
Glad you could join us.
Ross Detwiler will have a breakout year...Believe It!...and I'm serious this time!
Yes, it is a small sample size.
At some point, though, it’s a scouting decision that we just don’t have the information to decide. He had a .961 fielding percentage and 8 errors across the two levels that he played at this year.
That seems like a high error total to me, but minors official scorers and small sample size can have you dismiss or accept that as you like.
I attended one Bryce Harper game this year. It was the day he hit his first Eastern League Homer against the Bowie Baysox during a campers’ day game. The same game he threw a tantrum over a called strikeout.
There’s a sum of bat (can he hit big league breaking stuff or tolerate the typical two to three week slump at the big league level), glove (a work in progress), maturity, and baserunning (not that big a deal to me either). I don’t think that he needs to spend a day in AAA. I’d like to see him spend a couple of months at AA, both for us to maximize assets and for him to earn his way up here.
Ultimately, I feel I was fairly accurate on Espinosa. Wanted to see him up here, but felt that he would be .220/.300/.400 or so. I think Harper will figure out big league pitchers in two months, but he’d have some unsightly maturity moments and fielding moments along the way. I can be patient, and I think Rizzo is going to lean toward patience as well. But I can only be patient for but so long. If he mashes AA for 6 weeks, I’d call him up ASAP, especially if the big club needed a jolt.
We made Strasburg wait for Super Two and maturity considerations; seems solid organizational philosophy to make Harper make it absolutely clear as well.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Stras is not a good comparison, IMO
Super 2 was a real issue with him (it’s not as much with Harper, unless you consider what happens in 2017 a big issue today). Stras was also put in the minors to allow him to get up pitching strength, since he hadn’t pitched much over the previous 12 months. Besides. Harper has already spent a year in the minors. You can’t (read: shouldn’t) keep holding him down for financial reasons because you’re already ‘burning daylight’ with him. He will get paid less than a million bucks next year, and he could, possibly, be one of the most productive outfielders in the League. Such a player belongs in the Majors.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
by RobBobS on Dec 2, 2011 5:31 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't really care too much
The amount of offensive help he provides will FAR outweigh any defensive problems he has. It’s just the nature of the game.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
Which do you think would make a bigger impact on the Nationals next year: 2/3 or a season more of Harper or having Prince Fielder?
It’s not an either or decision, of course, for the Nats.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
There's a lot of uncertainty here
The question depends a lot on who else plays center, and who else plays first. Roughly speaking though, it’s more important to me to have a guy like Fielder on the team than it is to have Harper up immediately (mostly because I know Harper will be up eventually). Here are some scenarios, ordered more-or-less from worst to best, IMO:
- Baseline (no Harper, Fielder, or other CF acquisition), assuming LaRoche is healthy:
LaRoche/Morse/Bernadina/Werth - Baseline,assuming LaRoche is not healthy:
Morse/Bernadina/Werth/Major Question mark - Baseline + Unknown CF, LaRoche healthy:
LaRoche/Morse/UCF/Werth - Baseline + Unknown CF, LaRoche not healthy:
Morse/Bernadina/UCF/Werth - Baseline + Harper, LaRoche healthy:
LaRoche/Morse/Harper/Werth - Baseline + Harper, LaRoche not healthy
Morse/Harper/Bernadina/Werth - Baseline + UCF + Harper:
Morse/Harper/UCF/Werth - Baseline + Fielder:
Fielder/Morse/Bernadina/Werth - Baseline + Unknown CF + Fielder:
Fielder/Morse/UCF/Werth - Baseline + Fielder + Harper:
Fielder/Morse/Werth/Harper
The UCF factor is very important though, because while I don’t think a top-notch guy is obtainable, if Rizzo works his majik then anything’s possible. I assume here a guy like Upton, whom I’m only marginally supportive of.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
by RobBobS on Dec 2, 2011 5:51 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm not a big Cuddyer fan
He’d be OK, but he’s not a great outfielder, and not a great hitter. He’s also coming on his age-33 year, meaning breakdowns are possible (and the Nats don’t have a whole lot in the back-up department).
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
We do have Harper in the back-up department with this plan
and becuase Cuddyer is getting old, we could probably get him on a short term deal, so if something goes terribly wrong, we wouldnt be SOL. Also he can play some IF, so if he isnt good, we can use him as a decent bench player.
MOAR SEVERINO!
Bernadina in CF to start is something I cannot deal with
That’s why I want a solid affordable CF over an extremely expensive 1B.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
If Bernadina is a starting player next year
I would not be happy, we need to sign or trade for an OF
MOAR SEVERINO!
That's a fair option breakdown
Even with your known preference for obtaining Fielder. Well played.
The Nationals are in a difficult spot right now, since the most valuable FA hitters both play 1B (a position of current mid-term depth between LaRoche / Morse / Marrero / Moore). I’d personally rather see that $20M+ per year put toward a mid-level SP & CF, both under 2-3 year contracts.
"Things are going great, and they're only gettin' better..." Timbuk3
+1
Thanks for a more thought out reply than I was expecting. From 3 to 4: Interesting that you consider Bernadina to be better than LaRoche. Ouch!
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Have you heard much about how the Marlin's new park is supposed to play?
If it is a hitters park then that, along with the fences being moved in in NY should make power more of a priority in the OF and defense less of one.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
That's a good point, but ultimately it should be about our home park.
Isn’t the new CBA going to make for less of an unbalanced schedule against divisional opponents? In our fair home park, we could use the defense that would be gained by putting a legit CF out there every day.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
Yeah, well,
Rick Ankiel could probably be considered a “legit CF”, but if he plays every day the Nats will lose a lot.
Rob
-- In baseball we trust.
You know that I mean a two-way guy
I’m not opposed to Upton by the way.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
And much more expensive.
I’ve got one potential albatross on my roster in Werth’s contract. I don’t particularly want to have two going into needing to re-sign Zim. I’m not totally convinced that Fielder is The Guy who will be worth the long term value of the contract that Boras demands.
I like prospects, trades, and secondary free agents as the best way to acquire talent. Sadly, we’re only starting to get to the point where we can make trades for necessary pieces.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
I'd assume neutral until the prevelent wind direction is determined
Preliminary architectural studies can only guess at how much that effects batted balls inside the actual park.
"Things are going great, and they're only gettin' better..." Timbuk3
on Morse
I was always skeptical on him, but he has figured it out.
He didn’t get himself out even after pitchers adjusted to Beast Mode.
His body is pretty lean and mean. I can see him being good for a long time.
And I loved him at first base. He looked like a ss, over there.
He made accurate and quick throws from weird angles that lots of first sackers don’t make.
by HarmonK on Dec 2, 2011 6:17 PM EST via mobile reply actions
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