Federal Baseball: FanPosts

Anyone else less interested in MLB overall because of the Yankees' win?

2009-11-07T07:34:37Z

I didn't watch much of the World Series at all, mostly because it was the final steps in the completion of a money-fueled almost predetermined plan. Though money doesn't guarantee championships, it sure does make it easier to make mistakes. Most teams could not survive the disasters of Carl Pavano and other failed free-agent signings a few years ago, but the Yankees can turn right around and sign CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira in one offseason and basically buy a championship. If the Nationals had signed Sabathia, Burnett and Texeira last winter, they would probably have been one of the top teams in the league.

I suppose if you have the money and you're willing to spend it, then you should go ahead. But I don't think it will be good for baseball in general if the Yankees begin to dominate the league again the way they did at the end of the last decade. There was so much hope for opening up the playoff club to smaller-market teams when Tampa made it to the World Series last year but maybe that was just a fluke. It's not impossible for small-market teams to win but it takes a lot of luck. Most of the playoff perennials are the big spenders/large-market teams while the bottom tier of the league (Kansas City, Pittsburgh, et al.) is made up of small-market teams.

I'll still follow the Nats and watch the games next year but I'll probably watch even fewer national broadcasts than I did this year. I only watched a couple national games all year as it was (those not involving the Nats). I barely watched any of the playoffs. I hope baseball changes its economics in 2011 (?) when the next round of collective bargaining is supposed to begin.

Ryan Zimmerman Fielding Bible Awardee 2009

2009-11-04T00:14:00Z

Did you guys see the latest accolade given to Ryan Zimmerman on account of his 2009 season in the field? Bill James 2009 Fielding Bible award for all of MLB--makes me think his chances are even greater of winning the NL Gold Glove. The other winners--Pujols, Aaron Hill, Jack Wilson, Carl Crawford, Franklin Guitierez, Ichiro, Yadier Molina and Mark Buerhle. Congratulations to Ryan.

I will be shocked now if he doesn't get the NL Gold Glove!

(ed. note - "In case you didn't see this in the comments section, VA Slim also points out that Ryan Zimmerman is up for the This Year in Baseball Fielding Awards writing:

"...perhaps a fielding bible and being the best ‘this year in baseball’ in fielding(or up in the top 3) would make him a lock? It’s an accomplishment just to be in the final 10 or so that mlb nominated."

The 2009 Web Gem Award, the 2009 Fielding Bible Award, the TYIB Fielding Award...Next Stop Gold Glove, c'mon DC Faithful, let's get another VOTE FOR ZIM rally going!!! We all know how skilled he is in the gloved arts, let's make sure all of baseball recognizes...Thanks, for the heads up, VA.")

• This Year In Baseball Fielding Award -- VOTE FOR ZIM HERE!!!

JT20 Dynasty League

2009-11-05T00:33:13Z

I have started started a free fun dynasty league in which each person takes control of a MLB roster & minor league system, drafts, signing free agents....

If this sounds interesting to you, go check out the league message board & league rules and sign up. There is no prize for the winner for each season, it is all just for fun, so join!

http://jt20.proboards.com/

thought people here would be interested sign up soon!

And still need a GM for the NATIONALS

Get Ready to Shred. Blueline's Offseason Suggestions

2009-10-27T05:19:55Z

As my beloved Nats plummeted to their second consecutive 59 win season (just think if they hadn't won the last seven!), it's clear to me that the old "lipstick on a pig" band-aid isn't going to work this offseason. Mike Rizzo and Co. have a lot of work to do, and though I'll have absolutely nothing to do with it, I'm going to brainstorm some ideas. I'm not the first member of this support group to do so, and I doubt I'll be the last. While I'll certainly comment on others' thoughts when they post them, I'm not necessarily saying my ideas are better or worse than anyone else's... sometimes they're just different (I remember feeling like I was coming off a bit antagonistic around the trade deadline in here, so.........). At any rate, my detailed ideas on what the Nats should do this offseason. I guess I'll begin by naming most of the current core:

C - Flores, ?????

1b - Dunn

2b - Desmond/Guzman

SS - Desmond/Guzman

3b - Zimmerman

LF - Willingham

CF - Morgan

RF - Dukes

Bench: Justin Maxwell, Willie Harris, Alberto Gonzalez, Pete Orr, Mike Morse

SP - Lannan, Detwiler, Olsen, and then the glut of Stammen/Mock/Balester/Martis/Martin and hopefully not Livan

RP - Clippard, Burnett, MacDougal, and no... I don't trust any of the rest (come to think of it, I don't trust MacDougal)

Primary Needs: A dependable starting middle infielder, two or three starters (at least one near the top of the rotation), and about 25 bullpen arms! I'd say closer, but paying top dollar for a closer is a waste when you can't get the game to him.

Analyzing what's available: Let's go with a top ten, including the likelihood that the Nats would have a chance at the player and that he'd be a good fit, in the starting pitching department: I'd set my budget around $25 to $30 million if I wanted to make the team competitive (challenging ..500).

1) Rich Harden (Type B), CHC - An injury waiting to happen? Most likely, though Harden has enjoyed consecutive pretty healthy (particularly for him) seasons the past two years after making just 16 appearances in 2006 and 2007 combined. Harden would be beneficial for the Nats in a handful of ways. For starters, if he's healthy, he'd absolutely be the ace of the staff. Secondly, he'd bring an excellent mentor for the few young power pitchers in the Nats' system (notably, Strasburg and the injured Jordan Zimmermann, though you could throw Detwiler in that mix a bit as well). What's more, Harden isn't coming off of his best season (4.09 ERA [4.35 FIP], 1.34 WHIP, though he's proven he can stay relatively healthy) and may be a bit devalued because of that.... despite the fact that he's just hitting his prime (27 years old). The assumption is that a great season could have pushed Harden towards a deal similar to that signed by A.J. Burnett with the Yankees last year. The more likely scenario is that he'll want to sign a relatively short-term (1 or 2 year) deal in the $4 to $6 million range. I say you take a shot at getting a potential ace cheap and spend up to $8 million per if you can get a third year tacked on with incentives that could push it a little over $10 million if he hits them. I feel Harden should be their top priority of all players available.

2) John Lackey (Type A), LAA - Chances are that he's priced out of what would be an acceptable gamble for the Nats to sign him. My plan centers around finding 5 or 6 players (2 starters, a starting middle infielder, and some bullpen arms, one of whom will be in the $3-5 million range) through free agency, and blowing half of that budget on one starter would fit into the "lipstick on a pig" that I started with. Barring the Diamondbacks declining Brandon Webb's option (not gonna happen), Lackey will be the top free agent pitcher on the market this offseason, and he's going to sign for $12 million+. I love the big game experience and the bulldog mentality. I do think that the Nats should throw their name into the proverbial hat and make a little run at him, but don't think he's a player worthy of breaking the bank for. He's also four years older than Harden.

3) Tim Hudson, ATL - I think he re-signs with the Braves (rumors are already flying that they pretty much have a done deal), so I'm not going to elaborate much. If not for the availability issues, I think Hudson would be a great fit if they could get the deal done at around $10 million per (about what the expectation is with Atlanta). I also think that if Hudson is going to sign a three year deal for between $27 and $30 million (the rumor), that means Lackey is certainly going to sign for at least $12 million.

4) Brett Myers, PHI - He's certainly been disappointing the past couple of years with the Phillies, but Myers has proven that he's capable of handling a top three spot on a contender throughout most of his career. At 29, there's still plenty left in the tank, and his disappointing (injury-marred) 2009 campaign probably bumps him down from the $8-10 million we would have expected him to sign for when he hit free agency in, say, 2007, to less than half of that. Myers is another good, proven (but still fairly young, at 29) option who likely signs a relatively short-term deal below market value so he can try and cash in next time around. Look for him to sign a 1 or 2 year deal for around $4 million per. That could be worth gambling on. Unlike Harden, I don't try and attach a couple of million onto a deal to try and add a third year.

5) Erik Bedard (Type B) , SEA - I'll be the first to say that signing both Bedard and Harden would probably end in disaster. That said, the small chance that they could both stay healthy could transform the Nats' rotation from one of the worst in the league to one of the top five. Bedard would be another guy looking to sign a short-term deal and have a big year wherever he goes to capitalize later. I think he signs for less than Harden (injury troubles are more recent), but I also don't feel quite as good about Bedard as I would about Harden. Expect him to sign an incentive laden deal for somewhere in the $3-4 million range.

6) Carl Pavano (Type B), MIN - A return to the National League should suit him, and while the traditional numbers don't completely bear it (5.10 ERA, 1.37 WHIP), he did have a pretty good season between the Tribe and the Twins (4.00 FIP). He's also a pretty solid indicator of what can happen when you sign a player below market value coming off of a bad year (or, in Pavano's case, contract). Pavano was signed for just $1.5 million with incentives by the Tribe last offseason.

7) Joel Pineiro (Type B), STL - I don't advocate signing 31-year-old pitchers with poor strikeout rates coming off of career years, but Pineiro could give the Nats a decent legitimate #3 starter. Now, if only they really had a legitimate #1 and #2 starter.

8) Vicente Padilla (Type B), LAD - Really was a pretty solid pitcher in Texas. He was outstanding in Los Angeles after returning to the National League. By no means is he a front-line type (the only real potential front-line starters that are on the market this season will be Lackey and Harden... maybe Bedard... maybe Sheets), but he's a nice middle of the rotation type. He's a league-average type who will sign in the $5-$6 million range.

9) Ben Sheets, FA - Didn't pitch at all this year. When he's healthy, he's one of the top 15-20 pitchers in the game. He's never healthy, though.

10) Jason Marquis (Type B), COL - I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Honestly, Randy Wolf would be a much better fit, but there's no way the Dodgers fail to retain him. I'd even prefer to go after an ageless wonder like Smoltz, Randy Johnson (who I assume retires), Tim Wakefield, or even Jose Contreras. Andy Pettitte is mysteriously absent from this list because I believe he retires if he doesn't re-sign with the Yankees.

My goal, above all else, would be to sign Rich Harden and then complement him with one of the other options listed (preferably a Myers or Bedard, who will both certainly be available, but I could live with a Pineiro or Padilla), setting up the Opening Day rotation as follows:

Rich Harden

John Lannan

Myers/Bedard/Pineiro/Padilla

A hopefully healthy Scott Olsen, who I think the club should offer arbitration to depending upon his rehab progress

Detwiler

Strasburg should begin the year at High A ball. Assuming he's progressing nicely, he should make a few starts at A+, a few at AA, and possibly some time in AAA before reaching the bigs. Be prudent and patient with him, and this isn't just to delay his arbitration clock. Let him develop.

Closers

Pretty much every decent, experienced closer available (with one exception, though I have a non-closer who could close I'd prefer over a few who is a Type A) is a Type A Free Agent, so if the Nats go after a closer, the top pick in the second round is history. So be it.

1) Rafael Soriano (Type A) - Screw the injury history when he was in Seattle. Soriano is hands down the best reliever on the market this season (he's also the youngest, at 30), and the fact that he has less career saves than most of the other closers on the market may keep his price somewhat reasonable. The safe money says that Atlanta re-signs either Soriano or Mike Gonzalez (not both), and whoever they don't sign ends up hitting the market. While the fact that Soriano served as their primary ninth inning guy this season would indicate that they'll probably try and retain Soriano, my belief is that they might feel they have a cheaper alternative in Gonzalez and let him walk. He should be worth $7 million+ even in this market, but I doubt he goes that high.

2) Jose Valverde (Type A) - Down year in the save department (25) because he missed May and the Astros weren't that great. He still displayed strong peripherals and big strikeout numbers. At 32, he's younger than any closer who could hit the market other than Rafael Soriano. Valverde has electric stuff, and he's crazy enough of a guy to continue succeeding in the ninth. The concern is that he has enough experience as a closer and strong enough numbers so that he'll be the highest-priced closer on the market, and it doesn't make much sense for a team that's won 118 games the past two years to put that much of a premium on the ninth inning.

3) Mike Gonzalez (Type A) - Depending upon who (if either of them, depending upon whether they accept arbitration) the Braves retain, Gonzalez would make for a fine addition at the back of the bullpen himself. He has plenty of experience in the closer's role, keeps the ball in the yard, and brings big strikeout production to the table. The problem is that he struggles with the walk at times, which means he'd fit right in (I guess).

4) Billy Wagner (Type A) - Unfortunately, his outstanding effort down the stretch for the Red Sox probably means he still sees a big contract. Wagner wants to close, which means he won't be staying in Boston, and he's still going to be fairly affordable after throwing just 62 innings the past two years. He's 38, but if that arm's healthy, it's got three more years in it.

5) Rafael Betancourt (Type A) - Neither Fernando Rodney nor Kevin Gregg excite me at all. Betancourt's option ($5.4 million) certainly won't be exercised by the Rockies, and he's probably going to sign in the $3 million range. A poor 2008 dropped his star quite a bit, but he served as arguably the top setup man in the game in Cleveland in 2007. After a decent rebound in Cleveland, he was an absolute monster for Colorado upon being acquired there. He's 35, has no real closing experience (18 years scattered throughout his 7 year career), but his stuff screams closer. He wouldn't be "draft & develop" cheap at the back of the bullpen, but he'd also be someone who could hold the fort until a guy like Storen may be ready to take over the role in a few years.

Other Bullpen Options

Kelvim Escobar - Talk about a rehab project, but the talent's certainly there if he's ever healthy again. Could be a steal as either a starter or a reliever.

J.J. Putz - All I can come up with from this list are rehab projects. Convert starters. There's not a chance in hell the Mets pick up his $9.15 million option.

Middle Infield

The ideal situation for me is trading Cristian Guzman for a solid prospect (anywhere on the field but 3b), finding a 2b, letting Desmond start, and rolling with either Pete Orr or Alberto Gonzalez as the utility infielder. The more likely scenario is that they can't find a taker for Guzman, in which case they should sign a 2b, start Guzman 4-5 times a week at SS, and allow Desmond to serve as a backup getting 4 starts a week between 2b and SS.

1) Chone Figgins (Type B), ANA - The good: Figgins had a terrific UZR/150 this year, actually ranking third at his position. The bad: Figgins has seen the bulk of his work at third base since 2007, and never really proved to be a very good defensive 2b earlier in his career. The ugly: Particularly since he's being projected as a Type B Free Agent and because he's coming off of his best season, Figgins is going to be highly sought after this offseason. I expect him to be priced out of the Nats' range, but I do believe that whoever signs him will sign him with the intent of moving him back to the middle infield. Nyjer Morgan's presence would drop his value a bit to the Nats, as they wouldn't need to have him take over the leadoff spot.

2) Orlando Hudson (Type A), LAD - I kind of flip-flop between whether they'd be better off going after a guy like Hudson or Placido Polanco, but I think that the fact that Polanco's hitting style mirrors that of Cristian Guzman so much means I'd rather have Hudson. Improved defensive metrics tell us that Hudson is certainly not the annual gold glove candidate he was earlier in his career... in fact, he's been below replacement level with his fielding at 2b the past two years (that's the plus for Polanco that makes me go back and forth). I think that what cinches my decision to go with Hudson over Polanco is the fact that he's two years younger, and probably is less likely to decline than Polanco.

3) Placido Polanco (Type A), DET - Apart from his absolute lack of patience (averaged 36 walks the past three years... which is actually higher than his numbers throughout his career), Polanco brings plenty to the table. He's a fantastic average-hitter who always puts the ball in play. He's consistently displayed double digit home run power since 2002. The former utility man has also turned himself into quite the defensive second baseman, having finished with a positive UZR/150 in each of the past seven seasons, including a +8.5 in 2009, leading all second basemen. He's good defensively, he's a great contact guy (read: hit & run behind Nyjer Morgan), and he probably won't be insanely expensive.

4) Felipe Lopez (Type B), ARI - Been there, done that. He's solid across the board, but Bowden shipped him away after struggling a bit for a year and a half.

5) Ronnie Belliard (Type B), LAD - Shrug. This is turning into a list of guys the Nats dealt away/let go. He tries to conceal his lack of range by playing in short right field, and usually does OK with it. He should certainly have been the starting 2b from the start of the year (though he wasn't 100%), but Acta botched that.

I could live with the Nats looking for a backup/co-starting catcher, given the fragility we've seen out of Flores the past couple of years. The available 1b don't excite me much, though I could live with the Nats trying to sign Hank Blalock if they can do so cheaply (won't happen) to free up Dunn or Willingham on the trade market a bit more. I don't see an outfielder I'd break the bank on, and think they're better off rolling with Hammer, Morgan, and Dukes (with Maxwell as a roving fourth outfielder and [hopefully] a healthy Bernadina as the number five).

So, with all the options out there, here's what I'm thinking. Again, limit the budget to $25-$30 million. I'm not going to go overly aggressive with any of the figures, but I'll try and be realistic:

1) Sign Rich Harden (3 years, $7 million per with incentives that could push it up to $10 million per if he reaches them)

2) Sign Brett Myers (2 years, $4 million per)

3) Offer Scott Olsen arbitration

4) Commit to Ross Detwiler remaining in the rotation full-time

5) Sign Rafael Soriano (3 years, $7 million per) or Mike Gonzalez (2 years, $4 million per) or Rafael Betancourt (2 years, $3.5 million per)

6) Sign Joaquin Benoit (1 year, $2 million)

7) Sign Placido Polanco (3 years, $7 million per)

Going with the highest end options on that list, (Harden, reaching the incentives for $10, Myers for $4, Soriano for $7, Benoit for $2, and Polanco for $7), we're looking at $30 million. While I feel that the $7 or $8 million may be high for a proven injury risk like Harden, teams like the Nats are going to have to overpay a bit because they're not going to get players to pick them as a "winning destination." It's a pretty similar situation with Polanco (it would appear the Tigers are going to decline his $6 million option for this season because of Magglio Ordonez's $18 million vesting option kicking in). In this scenario, here's what the club would look like next season:

C - Flores/???? (Nieves, most likely... yuck)

1b - Dunn

2b - Polanco/Desmond

SS - Guzman/Desmond

3b - Zimmerman

LF - Willingham

CF - Morgan

RF - Dukes

Bench: Justin Maxwell, Roger Bernadina, Ian Desmond, Mike Morse, Wil Nieves

SP - Harden

SP - Lannan

SP - Myers

SP - Olsen

SP - Detwiler

CP - Soriano/Gonzalez/Betancourt

Setup - Clippard

LH Setup - Burnett

RP - Benoit

RP - MacDougal

And then piece the rest of the bullpen together with converted starters, though Storen looks like he may play a role by the end of 2010.

Nats TV Options?

2009-10-30T16:23:25Z

I am looking to ditch Comcast and receive only over-the-air channels. Do I have any options that will let me continue to watch the Nats? MLB.tv won't work because I am in market. So what is a non-cable/satellite subscribing Nats fan to do? Are any games carried over the air, or is there any (legal) way to watch online? If anyone has any ideas, I'd greatly appreciate it - thanks!

Addressing the Nationals Offseason Transactions

2009-10-26T16:34:48Z

Top Two Starting Pitchers to Target:

John Lackey (Type A Free Agent) - Lackey is a big game pitcher, and had yet another effective postseason with the Angels (2.29 ERA, 1-1 W/L). Lackey is a Type A Free Agent, meaning the Angels will be compensated with 2 draft selections should he sign with another club (the Nats second rounder and compensatory selection). The big righty has 102 career wins, with a 3.81 career ERA; most importantly he's only allowed 20+ HRs in a season once in the previous 5 seasons. Lackey doesn't walk a lot of hitters, but his career SO/BB ratio is a shade under 3:1 for his career (2.7:1). Putting Lackey in a rotation with Lannan, Zimmermann, Strasburg and J.D. Martin certainly wouldn't be a bad addition. He'd certainly have the veteran experience and big game ability to be the team's ace.

Jason Marquis (Type B Free Agent) - Marquis isn't quite the pitcher Lackey is; The former Brave walks a lot of batters and struggles with his SO:BB ratio (1.5:1 for his career). Marquis also gives up a lot of home runs historically; however, last season he allowed just 15 while playing with the Rockies (and with the Cubs in 2008 he allowed just 15 as well). He's started in 30+ games the past 5 of 6 seasons and has topped 200+ innings 3 times in his career. With his improved ability to keep the ball in the yard, Marquis would make a fairly solid middle of the rotation addition to the Nats staff. The Rockies will be compensated with a draft selection should Marquis sign with another club, due to his Type B Free Agent tag.

Top Two Relief Pitchers to Target:

Mike Gonzalez (Type A Free Agent) - Gonzalez was the best part of the Braves bullpen, being reliable and durable pitching in 80 contests in 2009. Being a Type A Free Agent (along with Braves closer Rafael Soriano) make it a possibility that Gonzalez could be wearing new colours in 2010. The Nationals need a solid, reliable arm in the bullpen (as we all know), and making Gonzalez the set up man would make the 7th or 8th inning a little more relaxing for fans. Gonzalez also makes a good closer if pressed into duties, but thrives as the set up man. Allowing just 22 HRs in his career is impressive, and Gonzalez can mow down hitters, striking out 90 in 74.1 innings last season. Did I mention he's a lefty?

Bob Howry (Type B Free Agent) - Howry is a grizzled veteran that would add a great presence to our bullpen. He's pitched in 60+ games the previous 5 seasons (4 were 70+ game seasons). Howry allows the long ball on occasion, despite holding opponents to 5 in 2009. His 23 walks in 2009 were the most he's had in a year since 2002, and our bullpen definitely needs someone to keep runners off the base paths. Howry doesn't strike out a lot of batters, but with his low walk totals he's an effective "ball-in-play" pitcher recording outs.

The problem with my list:

I've listed Type A and B free agents, meaning these options may not exist should these players accept arbitration from their current clubs. Further complicating matters is the fact that these players may have absolutely no interest in joining a 103-loss ball club. However, since the Nationals own a top 15 draft selection, they will only have to yeild a second round choice to the team they sign a Type A free agent from. In this case, I think signing Mike Gonzalez over John Lackey would be the better choice and targeting Marquis to anchor the middle of rotation instead. It's fairly unlikely that the Nationals will sign any of these players on the list, but I can dream, can't I?

Last but not least, Where to trade the Big-Walkie:

Baltimore - How about Brad Bergeson and Ty Wigginton for Adam Dunn? If the Orioles would part with Michael Aubrey (instead of Wiggy), I say find a way to get the deal done. It's not likely that the Orioles would part with Bergeson, but what if we packaged Smartie in the deal with Dunn? The Orioles would have a solidl lineup with Roberts, Markakis, Mora and Dunn in the middle of the order and would receive a fairly promising Martis to help Guthrie out in an otherwise terrible rotation. So what do you say Baltimore Adam Dunn and Shairon Martis for Michael Aubrey and Brad Bergeson?

Oakland - Remember the splash Oakland made acquring Holliday last offseason? Why not make another by trading for Adam Dunn? The Athletics would certainly be able to land some prospects at the deadline for Dunn (like they did Holliday). I propose Adam Dunn and Shairon Martis for Brett Anderson, Craig Beslow and Daric Barton. The Nationals would get a solid young arm in Anderson, a pretty good relief man in Beslow and a project at 1B with Barton. Further more, the move would hardly deplete the Athletics rotation of young arms (Braden, Cahill, Gonzalez). While the trade is not likely, it's less of a rip-off than the Baltimore trade I've proposed.

Do I get the job as Nationals GM? Discuss what you think the Nationals should do this offseason.

What do players wear in the AFL?

2009-10-23T16:59:18Z

What do players wear in the AFL? Is there a "Desert Dog" uniform, or do players players wear the jersey of their parent club? I've seen the PDD cap, but any time I've been photos of Strasburg, he is wearing something that says "Washington" or "Nationals."

I know Strasburg and Storen are only there for a short time, but I'd love to get my hands on some PDD caps or t-shirts.

Signing overseas players

2009-10-19T05:16:55Z

Why is the baseball draft limited to residents of the U.S. or Canada? Other pro sports include prospects from other countries in their drafts. Limiting the baseball draft in this manner negates the attempts of the league to create more parity among the teams. After all, only the very wealthy teams can afford to shell out tens of millions of dollars just to negotiate for the rights of someone like Daisuke Matsuzaka. I don't think you'll be seeing the Pirates, Twins or Royals doing that anytime soon.

Why don't they make the draft a worldwide one? I can't see why the players' union would be opposed to this. As Boras said during the Strasburg negotiations, overseas players benefit from this system far more than U.S. prospects do. Not that I'm agreeing with everything Boras says, but I think the loophole should be closed. The current system limits the process of signing top foreign players to just a handful of teams, the usual suspects of the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Cubs, and a few others.

Will the Nats draft Bryce Harper? If so, what position does he play?

2009-10-19T05:15:02Z

I admit to not following the amateur prospect scene too closely but I've started hearing more and more about Bryce Harper as a potential no. 1 overall pick in 2010. He plays a few different positions but his primary position is catcher. Jesus Flores has not proved to be durable for the Nats so maybe it would be a good idea to get someone who could compete with Flores for the starting job in 2011.

There aren't any "once-in-a-lifetime" pitchers (a la Strasburg) in next year's draft, are there? Who else might the Nats pick next year?

Nats Rain Outs

2009-10-08T23:19:44Z

Just curious, has anyone complied the amount of innings the Nats lost to rain outs this year? For awhile it seemed like every home stand at least one game was lost. The attendance would have been down anyway with their record, but all that rain surely had an impact as well. I used to feel sorry for Charlie and Dave on the radio having to fill all that time! They did it very well though

who were the best NATs this season statistically

2009-10-05T04:31:41Z

Here are the season ending stats for the current NATS. Almost none of these stats samples are large enough to be a true representation of a players abilities (fielding needs 3 seasons), but here they are anyway. I deleted, in most cases, NATS we traded because all of them got better away from us

Here are the WARs for the Nats at season end. I only include guys still with the team:

Name (notes)

WAR as NAT**

Ryan Zimmerman (#1 3b in game , 7th overall)

7.1

Nyjer Morgan (season overall 4.9)

Josh Willingham (started only 2/3 of season)

2.4

Adam Dunn (only 195th of all players)

1.2

Willie Harris (higher score with playing time?)

1.1

Jesus Flores (in 93 ABs!)

Justin Maxwell (in 85 ABs)!

Cristian Guzman (17th at SS QF)

0.9

Josh Bard

0.6

Ian Desmond (75 ABs)

0.3

Wil Nieves

0.2

Roger Bernadina (only 4 ABs)

0.1

Mike Morse

Pete Orr

Austin Kearns (helped by plus glove)

Jamie Burke

-0.1

Alberto Gonzalez (just bad all round year)

-0.5

Jorge Padilla (Mezza endorsement curse?)

-0.5

Elijah Dukes (Cf def killed him)

-0.5

Here is how some XNats finished

Name WAR Nat Season

N Johnson (19th 1B) 1.3 2.4

Ronnie Belliard 0.3 1.4 became starter

A Hernandez 0.1 0.3

L Millage -0.2 1.0 likes LF!

**WAR looks at both offense and defense (except catchers) and playing more can get you a better score (or worse).

Defense (UZR/150) still on team more than 5 innings

Name	Pos	UZR/150
Adam Dunn	1B	-19.8
Adam Dunn	LF	-28.3
Adam Dunn	RF	-34
Alberto Gonzalez	2B	-2.9
Alberto Gonzalez	SS	-14.3
Austin Kearns	CF	-28.5
Austin Kearns	RF	10.2
Cristian Guzman	SS	-2.1
Elijah Dukes	CF	-15.4
Elijah Dukes	LF	-37
Elijah Dukes	RF	-9.1
Ian Desmond	2B	-60.6
Ian Desmond	RF	-55.6
Ian Desmond	SS	-0.6
Jorge Padilla	LF	3.9
Jorge Padilla	RF	-10.9
Josh Willingham	LF	-6.1
Josh Willingham	RF	-4.9
Justin Maxwell	CF	26.4
Justin Maxwell	RF	23.4
Mike Morse	1B	-20.9
Mike Morse	RF	-55
Nyjer Morgan	CF	31.5
Pete Orr	2B	16.4
Pete Orr	3B	-108.5
Roger Bernadina	CF	94.1
Ryan Zimmerman	3B	16
Willie Harris	2B	-20.6
Willie Harris	3B	9.2
Willie Harris	CF	-14.4
Willie Harris	LF	17.5

Offense (wOBA of .330 is roughly average and includes everything offensively including steals)

Name	OPS	wOBA
Roger Bernadina	0.900	0.4400
Adam Dunn	0.926	0.3930
Nyjer Morgan	0.831	0.3790
Ian Desmond	0.894	0.3770
Ryan Zimmerman	0.885	0.3760
Jesus Flores	0.877	0.3750
Josh Willingham	0.866	0.3740
Justin Maxwell	0.807	0.3660
Mike Morse	0.824	0.3530
Willie Harris	0.757	0.3420
Elijah Dukes	0.731	0.3120
Cristian Guzman	0.697	0.3020
Austin Kearns	0.641	0.2980
Josh Bard	0.653	0.2870
Alberto Gonzalez	0.647	0.2820
Pete Orr	0.651	0.2800
Wil Nieves	0.606	0.2740
Jamie Burke	0.267	0.1330
Jorge Padilla	0.221	0.1080

For my mom, the Nats fan

2009-10-08T15:43:45Z

My mother, who turns 89 later this month, never misses a Nationals telecast. So in her honor, I recently did an entry at my classic Hollywood blog on female baseball fans, with a look at Alyssa Milano's fine new book about being a baseball fanatic. If you have a woman in your life who's a baseball fan -- or if you're a female fan yourself -- I think you'll appreciate it. Check it out at http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/244818.html

Why all Nats fans should root for the Angels

2009-10-08T15:29:39Z

There are many Nationals fans who may still recall that series at Anaheim in June 2005 where things got rather testy between Frank Robinson and Mike Scioscia. Put that aside for now, however, and root for the red horde from Orange County, at least for the Division Series. We have a common enemy. His name? Larry Lucchino.

Lucchino, who worked for the Baltimore Orioles in their pre-Cuban Pete days, is now a Boston Red Sox executive. He's been known to be rather full of it, propogating obnoxious phrases like "Red Sox Nation" and such, but now he's crossed the line, made it personal. He dissed the Nats.

Here's what happened: A Harvard Law School class on sports law had an outing at Fenway Park recently, and a Harvard Crimson reporter tagged along, resulting in the following exchange:

When the reporter said he had only ever been to a Nationals game, Lucchino had a ready retort, flashing his team allegiance. “You can’t go see the Nationals,” he said. “That doesn’t count.”

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=529313

Larry, you just exponentially increased the number of Angels fans in the Washington area. May your comment (and its hubris) become the 2009 equivalent of "Is Brooklyn still in the league?" as the New England Evil Empire takes a tumble.

And to the Lerners and Stan Kasten: If this insult doesn't result in the permanent banning of the hated Bosox anthem "Sweet Caroline" from the Nationals Park experience -- no matter how loudly the pink-hatted Ivy Leaguers protest -- then I don't know what will.

Go Angels!.

Where does Maxwell fit in next season?

2009-10-04T18:03:37Z

Until this September, Justin Maxwell hadn't shown that he could hit major league pitching. In his first stint of 2009, he batted just .125 in limited action. Many thought, justifiably, that Maxwell wasn't cut out to be a major-league ballplayer. Then something happened. He figured "it" out. He was recalled on Sept. 1 Over the one month-plus since that date, he has hit .311 over 26 games. He has also hit 4 HR and provided a spark to the offense in their current winning streak, along with Ian Desmond. Has Maxwell earned a roster spot for next season? He'll be 26 years old by next spring. If he can help to solidify the OF and provided good numbers on offense, he could help the Nats have more winning streaks in 2010.

Maxwell could split time in RF with Dukes. He could also give Nyjer Morgan and Josh Willingham a few days off over the course of the long season, giving him up to 10 starts in CF and 10 in LF to go with a possible platoon situation in RF. When Morgan went down with the hand injury, the Nats' offense went in the tank. But in recent weeks, Justin Maxwell and Ian Desmond have taken over Morgan's role of charging up the offense. If these two guys can play like this, and Morgan makes a full recovery, the offense could be much better next year. Not that it was that bad this season but the team was inconsistent until Morgan came along. Dunn, Zimmerman and Willingham will provide plenty of power but the Nats also need hitters like Morgan, Desmond and Maxwell to keep things flowing.

Poll

Will Justin Maxwell be a key contributor for the Nats in 2010?

Yes

42 votes

No

15 votes

Too early to say

41 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

Zimmerman v. Kouzmanoff????

2009-10-06T02:48:14Z

Ryan Zimmerman is the best 3B in the NL by far when range is taken into consideration. But with all the throwing errors making some voters hesitate, would it be possible that a mediocre 3B like Kouz could steal the award based solely on the fact he doesn't get to the ball that often?? A Friars-fan's perspective after the jump...

Here is a post I found from a SD Padres fan blog. It's pretty interesting that one of their fans is actually backing our guy. I am more worried about feliz taking it based on the phillies success, but if a voter uses errors to help guide his decision, Kouzmanoff will definitely have a chance.

http://friarforecast.com/?p=1253

Is there a way to contact a baseball writer or my congressman to show support for Ryan Zimmerman??

Rizzo is a Friend of Dukes!!!

2009-10-04T15:53:44Z

Rizzo talks about offseason, Harper, Dukes

http://therocket.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/10/rizzo_talks_about_offseason_ha.html

"Rizzo believes Dukes has found a home in right field with the Nationals. Rizzo said Dukes is a guy who can drive in runs, but needs make adjustments at the plate. Dukes has only eight home runs entering Saturday's action against Braves. Rizzo has a theory as to why Dukes has struggled to hit home runs.

"A number of advance scouts are scouting him well. Opposing pitchers pitch him very tough. He needs to learn to make adjustments," Rizzo said."

Some very good Cuban talent available

2009-10-01T02:31:16Z

Greetings from Chevy Chase, MD.

I have a blog that follow Cuban ball players inside Cuba and in exile. I am a Nats fan too. The Nats should take a look at this kids because many are very young and have good talent. The Senators signed many Cubans before 1959. If the Nats could use Livan to lure some of them here. If you are interested, visit my blog:

http://cubanballplayers.blogspot.com/

I hope to see you around and if you know GM Mike Rizzo, tell him to contact him. I can tell him which one are good and free of injuries and which one are not. Let's go Nats!

2009 Season

2009-10-01T00:05:14Z

I haven't been on here in a long time as I have been very busy since mid-August. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted on the gamethreads for making losses intersting and fun. This year was not a complete loss as the Chiefs had a very good season. They were the 5th place team and the top 4 go. There was excitement back in Syracuse. Also, it is very nice to see the Nats winning at the end of the season. Those Mets just cant beat the Nats in September. Hopefully, 2010 will bring a good season. So many times this year, we let opporitunities slip away. So, I just wanted to say the Nats will be back in 2010!!!! and the Chiefs tooo!!!!!!!!!

Winter roster moves and the 2010 season: Your thoughts?

2009-09-29T02:46:32Z

It's a universally held notion that the Nats need to fix (replace?) the starting rotation before the 2010 season. The bullpen has some good pieces in MacDougal, Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett so GM Mike Rizzo probably only needs to fill out the depth of the bullpen. We don't need another overhaul like we had twice this year. CF was a huge problem until the Nyjer Morgan trade. Likewise, 2B and/or SS was seen as a problem area but Ian Desmond could be ready to step up full-time next year. Pete Orr and Mike Morse may be able to provide decent support as backups/utility players. So that leaves the starting rotation as the area most in need of attention.

(cont.)...

John Lannan is really the only effective starter of the current group. Scott Olsen struggled early this year and then pitched better after his first injury, before succumbing to a season-ending injury later on. Livan Hernandez has some good games but he also has some truly awful ones. All the rookies who have been in and out of the rotation have shown some flashes of greatness but more often than not, they have shown an unwillingness to pitch to contact. The result is walk after walk, or 2-0 counts that lead to fastballs down the middle of the plate or hanging curve balls that get hit hard. Jordan Zimmermann is said to have the best "stuff" among all of the starters but he will probably miss the entire 2010 season because of his elbow surgery.

Of course Stephen Strasburg will be working over the fall and winter in an attempt to make the big league roster out of spring training. Even if he does, will he really be a star right out of the gates? Maybe, maybe not. I don't think anyone can really say either way. We just have to wait and see.

So we have John Lannan, who is probably a no. 4 starter on a contending team (his walk-to-K ratio is not very good and his BAA is kind of high at .270), Scott Olsen who is a no. 5 on a contending team and Livan Hernandez who might be a no. 4 or 5 on a contending team, or not on such a team at all. You can't pencil in Strasburg as the team's ace until he proves himself in real games. He might not even be on the major league team until mid-summer.

Thus, we have a gaping hole at the no. 1 and no. 2 spots. Will Ted Lerner go out and get a veteran free agent pitcher or trade for one? The offense is certainly good enough to win now, as long as Nyjer Morgan stays healthy. (Sliding cleats-first could help ensure that he stays in the line-up.) Morgan's presence will also shore up the defense. Desmond, Orr and Morse should help too. It's probably too much to expect Lerner to remake the team by getting a tandem like Schilling and Randy Johnson a la Arizona earlier this decade. Would it be worthwhile to get at least one established veteran, preferably a true ace? And then "hope" that Strasburg is as good as advertised?

Consecutive 100-loss seasons is just flat-out embarrassing. If Lerner and Rizzo don't find a real ace, then we could see another 100-loss season in 2010. And that would truly be a joke. So what do you think? Any realistic chance for Rizzo to remake this rotation over the winter and put together a solid group for 2010? What are some of the possibilities? Any disgruntled Cy Young winners out there (hopefully under the age of 30) looking to get traded from their current teams? Arizona showed that an organization can turn around a franchise very quickly if you can get two great pitchers. Having one great pitcher and two very good pitchers would also work. I really don't want to see the Nats field another AAA team next year. (Though the offense had some quality veterans, the starting rotation consisted of four rookies and one 2nd-year player for the majority of the season.)

The Have's and the Have-Not's

2009-09-28T20:23:16Z

I pose a question here for all to comment on. Do you think that the balance in the quality of MLB will ever be fair?

Dear Mr. Selig, MLB sucks. Competition in MLB is non-existent, and is getting worse. Every year for he last ten, it has been the same old teams except for maybe the Rays. And the rich get richer from playoff and series money.The lower tier of baseball is forever domed to mediocrity because of the giant imbalance in income by some teams,mainly from their own small TV and radio networks. Unless you have a Steinbrener, or a Leonis, or a Snyder, who at least spend some money to really try to develop a team ( Snyder's choices don't count), most teams are domed, especially those in small TV markets. The Nats are domed a couple of ways. One, the stupid Peter Angelos owned TV MASN network contract, and the really stupid Nats radio network which I believe consists of 3 low powered radio stations including DC's 1500 am which you can barely get beyond the beltway. I can go anywhere in Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina and listen to the Orioles games loud and clear. Who the hell is running the TV radio contracts? Finally, the performance of the owners, so far, has only confirmed to me that they are not interested in developing the Nats, only in pay-as- you go financing, and the strong possibility they will be able to sell the ball club sometime in the next 5 years claiming lack of fan support. They will make a huge profit because the suckers in Las Vegas, or the Carolina's, will be willing to pay a huge sum for any MLB team, even the Nats. The performance of the Nats, the last two weeks has been appalling and embarrassing to MLB. I see no really outstanding candidates like a Zimmerman, in this last month when teams bring up their best new prospects. I salivate as I watch other young teams with fewer first round players than the Nats who will definitely be stars in the near future. Just look at the Braves in this past week's series. They will be real contenders over the next couple of years. It's the same old problem, poor owners, especially ones who meddle into the day to day club operations undercutting the club's president , GM's and even the manager. I still predict Stan the Man will leave the Nats soon. Here's a long time, knowlegable baseball guy who the Lerner's continue to hinder in his task of day to day club operations.

Wow, did I write all that? Now it's you turn. Do you feel like me, and do you have any solutions to the present chaos known as the Nats?

Is it that the Nats have caught the Redskins flu, or is it that the Redskins have caught the Nats flu?

wxguy