Last night was very boring without Nats baseball, and was only somewhat a glimpse of the long winter ahead. Have you met any new and exciting people this season? Is it too early now to start reflecting on what has been, to pick a favorite moment? Whatever the case may be this is Natstown and to some it is like one big happy family (I would be the grumpy one in the corner). --MissChatter at csnwashington.com
The W-Nats might not have been playing, but the P-Nats were and they are now one win away from their second start Mills cup. It is kind of interesting to me that a team called the Potomac Nationals is battling for the Mills cup near a mall called Potomac Mills. --Sue Dinem from nationalsprospects.com
Nyjer was finally suspended for eights games with the entire suspension for the Philly incident being dropped. --Ben Goessling from masnsports.com
I want to say this. Nyjer Morgan has had a terrible year, and if he is brought back next year I will not like it. That is of course until he proves me wrong. If that happens I will like Nyjer again, and if he has truly learned from his mistakes this year then good for him. --Kristen Hudak at masnsports.com
This right here is the most important thing Nyjer has said all year. --Nyjer Morgan via Bill Ladson via Twitter
First base is the least important defensive position and the Nationals could be making a big mistake* if they are overvaluing its defensive importance. --Adam Kilgore from washingtonpost.com
*I think by now every one knows where I stand on the signing or not signing of Adam Dunn, but I was thinking about this one my drive this morning. I would rather the team have an organizational philosophy and stick too it. The philosophy of run prevention has been used to some success by the Rays, Giants, and Padres, but it has been a big failure for the Mariners. The GM's job is to build a team and to get players that fit into a philosophy of what type of team he wants. I don't think Adam Dunn hurts that goal, but I am not sure that losing him would be as bad as some people think if their is a sound reason to it. An organizational philosophy was something that was lacking under Jim Bowden and even if it means the loss of Adam Dunn.
More on Dunn and the Nats after the jump
What options are out there if Adam Dunn isn't back with the team next season? I wonder if Rizzo's idea is to trade for someone as this great fielding and great hitting first baseman doesn't seem to exist in free agency unless he thinks Derrek Lee or Carlos Pena will have bounce back years. --Bill Ladson at nationals.com
Adam Dunn is on a list with some very impressive names, but does it make him one of the best homerun hitters of all time? Let's see what happens in the next five years. --William Yoder at thenatsblog.com
An overwhelming majority of Nats fans want Dunn to stay in D.C. --Bill Ladson twitter poll results at nationals.com
From the current staff of starters there are four options for openning day next year. Out of Livan, Lannan, Marquis, and Zimmermann who would you like to see openning against the Braves on the 31st of March? --Mark Zuckerman from natsinsider.com
I think most people have been fine with the Nationals sticking it out with Ian Desmond, and he has adjusted quite well as the year has gone along. He does have a high BABIP* right now during his current hot streak, but it could be the result of more ground balls and not just luck. --Harper at natsbaseball.com
*My personal opinion is that a players BABIP will be higher during a hot streak than a cold streak. Also more personal opinion. I think a perfect .250 hitter would be extremely valuable. What I mean by that is a player that goes 1-4 every single day. Every year is a 162 game hit streak. Of course this isn't how averages are formed and baseball is a game of peaks and valleys in all aspects.
The location of the high A club is a match made in heaven and it will continue to be that way for four more seasons. --Ben Goessling at masnsports.com
Around the NL East
Omar Minaya won't be back next year, and the Mets want someone with experience to follow in his footsteps. A few interesting names have been thrown out there already and here are some more. --Jon Heyman from si.com
Mets top pitching prospect shut down for the rest of the season with shoulder injury. He plans to play winter ball so it doesn't look to be too serious. --Aaron Gleeman from nbcsports.com
Is it time for the Braves fans to freak out? Probably not as they still have the Nationals and Mets left on their schedule and hold the lead for the wild card. --Jon Bois at sbnation.com
General Baseball
The secret to a magic voice? Jolly Ranchers. A great interview with one of the best announcers of all time, Vin Scully. --David Brown interviewing Vin Scully at yahoosports.com
Is our perception of what Jeter did due to the fact that he is no longer the player he was and has to use cunning and guile to gain every advantage possible? --Joe Posnanski from si.com
Kenny Williams does not forget his enemies. He would also rather be the GM for the Raiders, but loves being the GM for the White Sox. He is a football man in a baseball world, and he is doing just fine. --Joe Posnanski at si.com
We get to face the bottom of the Phillies rotation. I don't know if it will matter much as they also get to face our rotation with their colection of hitters. Hopefully we can beat them and keep the NL East race interesting. I always figure any game against the Phillies is 4-0 Phillies before it even begins. Their line-up is just that good.