Federal Baseball: FanPosts

Adrian Gonzalez - Questions from a Padre Fan

2009-11-19T21:44:46Z

Congratulations on landing Strasburg. Was a pleasure to watch him excel this year at SDSU. I am not going to lie, I was hoping you could not get a deal done. Sorry about that :) We(The Padres) are currently in a pickle in that we don't want to spend money, seems like we never do. After hiring the young Jed Hoyer away from Boston, talk around town is that Adrian Gonzalez may be traded. Consecutive gold glove wins over Albert Pujols, went for 40HR & his BB numbers were astounding. What value does he have to the Nationals? Because I really would hate to see him moved to a team like the Red Sox or ugh Mets.

What do you think the chances are the Padres could put a package together to send A-Gonz to DC & send Strasburg back home. If you noticed last year, the Padres have them self quite a young pitching talent in Mat Latos - Not Strasburg type of course but a talented young player none the less. Padres are also trying to rid themselfs of the towering Chris Young, who has proven when healthy to be a hell of a pitcher. So let me ask you, do you think the Padres got the stuff to put a package together to bring Strasburg back home?

Thanks for your time & take it easy on me.

Poll

Could the Padres acquire Strasburg with a package of players, starting with A-Gonz? If so, who would you want in addition to Adrian?

Dick Bosman

2009-11-18T17:13:35Z

This is a link to a Facebook fan page for Senator great Dick Bosman, who is still popular in Washington and fond of his days there. Bosman is currently the minor league pitching coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays. The link also contains many articles on Bosman and Washington/Baltimore baseball history. In addition to his time with the Senators, Bosman also worked for many years in the Baltimore chain. Enjoy and thanks!

Bosman link

Running the bases between the quotes

2009-11-17T23:01:24Z

This is copy and posted from FanGraphs (Erik Manning). It shows which players were the best at running the bases without counting steals. In other words, who were the best at taking extra bases and avoiding outs on the base paths in baseball last year. Note Two Nats Regulars on the tops in baseball list. These are significant numbers because by Guzman being worth 6 runs you can add .6 to his WAR which makes him worth 1.5 WAR last season (Dunn was worth 1.2 WAR not factoring in baserunning). War does not count this type of baserunning just steals and caught steals. I tried to figure out how Erik Manning got these numbers, so I could list all the NATS, but I am unsure. I know that among the worst last season were Dukes and Gonzales (worst in the game not just NATS) and I am sure they were in the minus 4 or worse catagory, but I am unsure by how much. If I figure it out I will post it.

"Feel free to add these numbers in to a player’s total WAR to get a better picture of what these individuals were worth on the diamond.

	         Runs
Michael Bourn	   8
Chone Figgins	   7
Emilio Bonifacio   6
Cristian Guzman	   6
Dexter Fowler	   6
Chase Utley	   5
Ryan Zimmerman	   5
Rajai Davis	   5
Colby Rasmus	   5
Ichiro Suzuki	   5
Brandon Phillips   5

Baserunning matters, but it doesn’t matter a whole lot — at least not for the vast majority of players. Only 18 players contributed 4 or more runs, and only 13 players hurt their teams by 4 or more runs"

Washington Nationals Hire Two More For Front Office

2009-11-16T20:38:48Z

From the team's press release:

The Washington Nationals today named Bryan Minniti Assistant General Manager and Jay Sartori Director of Baseball Operations. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Minniti joins the Nationals after spending the previous nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the last two as their Director of Baseball Operations. With the Pirates, Minniti’s focuses included rules compliance, transactions, budgeting and contract negotiations. Minniti graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in Mathematics and Statistics.

Sartori worked for the Commissioner’s Office as Salary and Contract Administration Manager in Major League Baseball’s Labor Relations Department before accepting his position with the Nationals. His expertise included knowledge and interpretation of the Basic Agreement, contract language, salary arbitration and Rule 4 Draft bonus recommendations and analysis. Sartori graduated with a Finance and MIS degree from Boston College and is currently working on an MBA from the same institution.

Two smart guys, huh? Bringing on a couple of young numbers guys with good pedigrees in the department will allow Mike Rizzo to concentrate on what he knows best: finding good baseball players.

The Deadly Defense of Dunn

2009-11-16T04:31:43Z

From Fangraphs:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/highs-and-lows-of-uzr-2007-9-dunn

Dunn was by far the worst defensive player in the game last season (by more than 20 runs given up over Hawpe). He has been the worst player in the game over the last 5 seasons combined. His defense singlehandedly costs his team an average of 4.6 games a season over the last 5 years That is approximately the difference between the talents of Daniel Cabrera and AJ Burnett in 2008.

Nationals Drawing Interest In Willingham

2009-11-14T22:34:02Z

By Zach Links [November 14

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/11/rosenthal-and-morosi-on-willingham-hardy-wedge.html

Washington is drawing strong trade interest in left fielder Josh Willingham, but may not be willing to part with him, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Willingham turned in a slash line of .260/.367/.496 with 24 HRs in 502 plate appearances in 2009.

The post identifies the Braves as a team that likes the 30-year-old, but says that they have concerns about his back and are less than enamored with his defensive play. Willingham, they suggest, might be a better fit in the American League where he can be a DH. Earlier this month, Tim took a look at Willingham and other left fielders that could be dealt.

Elijah Dukes and was presented with the team

2009-11-12T06:03:38Z

SANTO DOMINGO (Licey.com) .- Los Tigres del Licey forces continue to build an already strong team and for the weekend is expected to include on the roster for a player already in the country: Elijah Dukes.

Dukes back with the Licey, with whom he played in the 2007-08 season, and it is expected that the prospect now the Washington Nationals to contribute to the national champions.

The enigmatic outfielder arrived on Tuesday and took batting practice Wednesday. He is scheduled to debut this weekend, reported blue Licey.com management.

Dukes saw action in 107 games with the Nationals in 2009 and had a .250 batting average with eight homers and 58 RBIs.

According to projections, Dukes accompany the Licey to the end of the 2009-10 season.

via www.licey.com

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!.