Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Trade deadline day: 1 hour to go

US Presswire file photo
Mike Rizzo may not be on his phone that much today.
Updated at 3:00 p.m.

There are, depending on which direction the wind is blowing at any given moment, 18 teams with a halfway legitimate shot at reaching baseball's postseason right now. And nearly every one of those 18 teams is looking to make -- or already has made -- a move to bolster its chances down the stretch before today's 4 p.m. trade deadline passes.

Just look at some of the National League's top contenders. The Braves tried to get Ryan Dempster and Zack Greinke, failed on both counts and then last night scooped up Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson from the Cubs.

The Dodgers pulled off a major trade last week in snagging Hanley Ramirez from the fire-selling Marlins, then late last night added reliever Brandon League from Seattle. Their NL West rivals, the Giants, got Marco Scutaro from the Rockies and now have been linked in talks to acquire either Hunter Pence or Alfonso Soriano.

The red-hot Reds are rumored to be interested in Matt Garza. While the surprising Pirates, who already traded for Wandy Rodriguez last week, burned the midnight oil last night and came away with outfielder Travis Snider.

And then there are the Nationals. They woke up this morning with baseball's best record at 61-40 and apparently no motivation to make a deal before 4 p.m. unless some too-good-to-refuse offer is handed to general manager Mike Rizzo before the deadline arrives.

How rare is it for a contending club to sit idle and watch the trade deadline pass without making a serious attempt to add a player? Pretty rare, even more so when that club hasn't been in contention during any of the previous six seasons.

The Nationals, though, like what they have right now, both from a talent and chemistry standpoint, and they also know they'll be getting a couple of key veterans back from the DL in the next few days (which could represent the equivalent of two significant trades).

So most expect the Nationals to remain quiet as this often hectic day plays out. That's not to say Rizzo might not have a change of heart and accept some last-minute offer that comes through. But the odds for such a deal seem slim at best.

If there's anything to report, though, rest assured we'll have it covered right here. Check back on this posting for updates throughout the day, right up until the 4 p.m. deadline.

9:45 a.m. -- All appears quiet so far. A lot of people have wondered all along whether the Nationals really are satisfied with their current catching situation. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote this morning the Nats and Brewers have interest in the Red Sox's Kelly Shoppach. I brought up Shoppach's name last week to a team exec, who didn't sound particularly enamored with the veteran. If Mike Rizzo was going to pull off a deal for a catcher, I think he'd be more inclined to make a bigger splash and get someone with a more potent bat. That said, I still believe he'll sit pat on this one.

10:50 a.m. -- Even if the Nats don't make a deal today, they certainly will be affected by what else happens around baseball. Especially when it involves the team that is in town to open a three-game series: The fast-fading Phillies, who by multiple accounts are trading Shane Victorino to the Dodgers, continue to talk to the Orioles about Joe Blanton and by this afternoon could conceivably part ways with Cliff Lee (who is scheduled to start tonight's game). The Victorino move could be looked at two different ways from the Nats' perspective: Obviously, it would weaken an already weakened Philly lineup for this series. On the other hand, he could be a real burr in their saddle come October should they wind up having to play the Dodgers. I know we're looking way down the road there, but hey, this is the situation the Nats are in now.

12:30 p.m. -- And the big deals keep on coming ... not for the Nats but for the team they're playing the next three nights. Yes, reports now have the Phillies sending Hunter Pence to the Giants. Which means Charlie Manuel won't have two of his three regular outfielders in the lineup tonight. And yes, Stephen Strasburg is starting for the Nationals. You may want to show up or tune in to this one, folks.

1:42 p.m. -- I'm about to head out for the ballpark, so even if anything happens, you probably won't hear from me for a little bit.

3:00 p.m. -- Hello from Nationals Park, where a team wearing Phillies uniforms is taking early BP right now. Not sure how many of those players could honestly be described as "Phillies," though. Lot of new faces here today. Meanwhile, the Nats have added a veteran bench player just before the 4 p.m. deadline ... Chad Tracy, who has been activated off the DL. Corey Brown was optioned to Syracuse to make room for Tracy, who (though he wasn't picked up in a trade) still is an important piece to add to the roster right now.

278 comments:

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BigCat said...

I see we signed Mike MacDougal. Wonder if that has anything to do with Mattheus getting toasted or just a coincidence.

Positively Half St. said...

I have seen the suggestion that the Nats could be a backup plan for obtaining Dempster, but it really seems that he only wants to go to the Giants. I am impressed that the Cubs got Aroldys Vizcaino from the Braves in that trade. He was their number 2 or number 3 prospect. Yes, he is recovering from Tommy John, the way Ryan Mattheus was when we acquired him. The Cubs aren't winning this year or next, so if Vizcaino arrives in 2013 for limited innings, he should be ready in 2014.

+1/2St.

Positively Half St. said...

I meant that Dempster only wants to go to the Dodgers.

MicheleS said...

I like the new world order where the Nats are quiet at the trade deadline. It will take some getting used to.

Positively Half St. said...

BigCat-

I think it is a coincidence. MacDougal is a reclamation project. Of course, he was the last time the Nats got him, too, and that worked out pretty well. I wouldn't expect to see MacDougal with the big-league club any time this year.

+1/2St.

BigCat said...

Yep.....Mike MacDougal.....the American HRod. 97 mph and the ball runs 4-5 inches. He's hell when he's on. Think he's been released by the Dodgers and the Sox this year.

LoveDaNats said...

To go from worst team in baseball to best record in baseball (today) in a span of three years is mind boggling. We basically have the same players with the addition of some once in a lifetime draft picks (twice!). What's the difference? Davey. I hope someone sits that man down and picks his brain for a how-to book before he retires. He obviously knows how to motivate teams to win. It's happened to him too many times for it to be a fluke. Lucky for us he was in the right place at the right time.

sjm308 said...

Lots more movement to come in the next few hours. Wondering what it is like in the Phillie clubhouse the last few days as those rumors fly? I also wonder if they go to someone like Corey Brown early and let him know that he is going down when Tracy returns? To me, the more communication on stuff like this the better.

We have won or split every series since the break and if we can keep that up this amazing season will continue past Oct. 3rd.

Go Nats!!

original Nats Fan said...

I remember last year when the Storen trade rumors were bouncing around and the ovation Drew got when he entered the game. It is so nice not to be desperate.

Positively Half St. said...

I still believe that Rizzo will make some move today, but I won't be disappointed if he stays pat. Whatever he does, I don't expect it to be earth-shaking. Just keep in mind, though, that the Nats won't show up much in the trade rumors, because Rizzo very successfully keeps things close to the vest.

+1/2St.

sjm308 said...

Loveda: While I enjoy and agree with your sentiments about Davey and our worst to first in just a few years, I think Jason Werth and a fairly healthy Adam LaRoche played a big part as well. Even as he struggled last year (and he did not play well), Jason gave this team a look at how a winner handles things. Adding Davey was key but Jason is another piece. I realize they have done it this year without him but he was playing when they got off to the hot start in April and hopefully he will be a big part in August & Sept. (and my dreams of Oct.)

I am in a moratorium with at least a few others here and realize he gets hammered pretty much on a daily basis by a wonderful, kind, young man but I am hoping those that do read that stuff understand its more then stats (and AAA players) that make a team a champion.

When I was coaching, I had many phrases I used and one was "garbage in - garbage out" meaning if you thought negatively, that was pretty much what you would get. I think this moratorium might help me more than I realized. No negative thoughts from "you know who" - no negative reactions from me. Voila!!

Go Nats!!

MicheleS said...

SJM308.. Garbage in/Garbage out.. Sage words from a coach..

Original Nats Fan.. and the year before when Dunn got the ovation after the trade deadline had passed.

+1/2ST. I think one of the great things about this year, is most of us would be okay if they stand pat. If they add role player, okay, but it's not like we are making the desparate block buster trade (see Phillies the last few years). Do like the fact that we are flying under the radar. It's great!

BigCat said...

I think Rizzo goes by the old formula of "pitching and defense." The maturation of Desi and Espi in the middle infield has been critical for this team, as well as Lombo.

I think a lot of people on here think we gave up too much for Gio, but I think Rizzo stole him from the A's. We get a number 1 starter in his prime for a soft tossing lefty and a couple prospects. I loved Peacock, but he's getting beaten like a drum this year. Milone is doing well....but any time you can plug in another number 1 to go with Stra and Zim, you make the deal. Then Riz brings in Jackson. Great move. A solid major league innings eater. He's been solid all year. And when Sad Man pulled his "pay me or I ain't gettin on the bus" Riz said thank you very much and brought in Professor Davey. So now we are flying along in first place and Sad Man is riding buses in the Southern League (Iknow I know...Riggs is a good guy but I had to get one last dig in) Anyway...I'm off to the golf course

m20832 said...

Does anybody speculate that Geovany Soto (even though he is hitting only .199) would be coming to the Nats to be a back up catcher since he was pulled last night?

And let's sweep the philthies!

GYFNG!!!

Davide said...

Hi,last year I've read something about the possibility to increase the number of teams doing the postseason..does it become reality soon?

thanks..
Davide

m20832 said...

Oooooppss....didn't see the twitter up to the right. Oh well.

UnkyD said...

KookAid now being administered intravenously...

Theophilus T. S. said...

Yesterday's trades: lotta space junk flying around. Nothing I'm sorry the Nats missed out on.

UnkyD said...

Davide: yes. One more wildcard, the two WC from each league have a one game play-in, before the first round (and I refuse to refer to the play-in game as "round 1"...because that would be ridiculous....)

BigCat said...

One thing I will enjoy, it will be seeing that old goat Charlie Manuel, chewing his cud on the top step.....in last place! How does it feel Phillie fans?

TimDz said...

A new day and a new post....

I am hoping that our friend Peric can keep the vitriol to a minimum.....

MichelleS: you wooooooohoooooo all you want...

baseballswami said...

I am assuming that Tracy joins us today and Brown goes back? I really do have mixed feelings about it. Tracy is a really good pinch hitter - the best we have had, but Brown is a true centerfielder, brings some speed to the table and can obviously hit.Glad we got to see what he can do. September we get them both! By the way, isn't it about time for Wang to get another mysterious ailment? I do NOT want to see him with the team, or see any other person moved for him. Albatross.

MicheleS said...

Swami, this is where it starts to get tough. Over the next few weeks, people coming off the DL is going to cause some serious angst here.

9/1 can't come fast enough for the expanded rosters. 8/31 won't be fun either for setting the "P" roster.

MicheleS said...

TimDz.. how is your Phillie neighbor holding up?

Gonat said...

Finally, Billy Ripken admitted he is drinking the Nationals Kool-Aid. It wasn't an overwhelming gulp. The entire crew except BRip has been drinking Nats Kool-Aid for a while.

Gonat said...

baseballswami said...
I am assuming that Tracy joins us today and Brown goes back? I really do have mixed feelings about it. Tracy is a really good pinch hitter - the best we have had, but Brown is a true centerfielder, brings some speed to the table and can obviously hit.Glad we got to see what he can do. September we get them both! By the way, isn't it about time for Wang to get another mysterious ailment? I do NOT want to see him with the team, or see any other person moved for him. Albatross
________________________________

Don't forget the 1st time CBrown came up this season he perfectly laid down a suicide squeeze in his 1st AB.

He is certainly part of the future and will be part of the September bench.

The other choice is clearly moving Henry to the 15 Day DL if he isn't traded.

MicheleS said...

GONAT? Really when did Billy do that? Was in on Quick Pitch? I need to set that DVR and keep it

Tcostant said...

WE have to many guys in the pen, wouldn't mind trading one of them for a prospect.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

John Jaso is the catcher Rizzo us interested in.

TimDz said...

MicheleS: The phillies fan neighbor has resigned himself to saying "wait until next year..."

He's conceeded this years effort to the crapper...

He actually has a good sense of humor...Last week, he tacked a sign to the sliding glass door of my deck (the decks are connected, so he just jumped over) so it was facing in the house...I live in a town house and I see the deck as I walk through the front door...

I walked in and saw, in HUGE RED letters:

"HELL YA!!!!"

underneath it is small print: "you suck"

Loving this season...
Love. This. Team

Gonat said...

MicheleS said...
GONAT? Really when did Billy do that? Was in on Quick Pitch? I need to set that DVR and keep it

July 31, 2012 8:50 AM
____________________________

It was during the Paul Severino and Billy Ripken segment of Quick Pitch and 15 minutes into the show when they flash up the NL East standings.

Severino says to Ripken "Nationals on top. Are you buying in Bill?"

Ripken says "I'm having a little Kool-Aid right now. I haven't guzzled it. I stirred it a while. I sipped it. I'm drinking it. Casually right now."

Severino "So we're there"

Ripken "Yah"

Severino "Good to know"

sm13 said...

MichelleS - what yeaterdays issue came down to is the art vs the science of baseball. If stats were a perfect science,then every trade would be perfect and every draft pick would live up to his potential. The variable is the human factor. Rizzo and Davey seem to get that more than most baseball execs.

Passion is the result of the art of baseball, not the science.

I'm planning on enjoying many more woooo hooos this year!

Go Nats!

natsfan1a said...

I'd like to see the video as well, MicheleS.

Speaking of the Phoolies, here's a nice piece on their downward trend.

And I see what you did there, Mark. This is the business you have chosen. ;-)

"unless some too-good-to-refuse offer is handed to general manager Mike Rizzo before the deadline arrives."

Anonymous said...

This year is a free pass. Whatever happens with the Nationals, they've succeeded. Next year the only result will be a WS win. That's it. KISS.

natsfan1a said...

Thanks for the Ripken info, Gonat. Going to set the DVR now. :-)

Theophilus T. S. said...

Jaso seems like mostly an offense guy, not so much defense. I wouldn't object.

Gonat said...

natsfan1a said...
Thanks for the Ripken info, Gonat. Going to set the DVR now. :-)

July 31, 2012 9:09 AM
__________________________

It is the segment right after the Giants/Mets hilights and the bring up the NL East standings.

A shame they don't show Billy's face squirming in his seat as he says it. I'm surprised he didn't wait till the Nats are 95 and 65 to buy in.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

NatsJack, Rizzo isn't taking advice from Peric.

Tcostant said...

I got to say this is a nice change compared to wondering if Dunn or the like, will be traded today. Much better.

I think trade deadline and draft day will mean less and less to us, because we have a winning product on the field.

fast eddie said...

Natsjack:
How much blame goes to the pitchers vs. the catchers for our inability to throw out baserunners?
I think we have the lowest caught-stealing % in MLB (16%).
The word is out around the league--everybody runs on us. We need to improve on that somehow before play-off time.

Anonymous said...

LoveDaNats said...

"To go from worst team in baseball to best record in baseball (today) in a span of three years is mind boggling. We basically have the same players with the addition of some once in a lifetime draft picks (twice!). What's the difference? Davey."

I like Davey, but come on now. The entire roster has turned over. There's only four Nats on the current 25 man that I'd consider regulars on the 2009 team (Zimmerman, Zimmermann, Stammen, Clippard). Davey had almost nothing to do what the personnel change.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to give Davey all the credit for a team with lots of talent playing better than a team with much less talent. A monkey could manage the 2012 Nats to 20 more wins than the 2009 Nats.

David Lint said...

If we're going for a bat at the catcher position... might as well try and pry John Jaso away from Seattle.

Alex Howard said...

i dont mind who we traade for as long as it helps the club, as long as rendon, meyer, goodwin, robbie ray and perez remain untouched

JD said...

I just want a catcher who can catch the ball and who can make a good throw to 2nd base; I don't care about the offense at that position.

Theophilus T. S. said...

I think all of the Nats' catchers have decent arms. Agree that much of the responsibility is on the pitchers. The problem w/ using someone like Jaso is that I don't want to unilaterally disarm. Against a good base-stealing team, e.g., Dodgers, Atlanta, bad moves and a bad arm could run the Nats out of a game or a short series.

Jaso, I see, bats left, which makes him a rare and very valuable commodity and a good pickup for next year, where the makeup of the catching corps depends a lot on Ramos's recovery. A R/L catching platoon would be a real luxury.

MicheleS said...

I agree with the previous sentiment expressed - we are 6 hours away from the Trading Deadline and I am not worried that we are trading off our best players as part of the plan. We already have them. It's just so bizarre, I check twitter, all the various new sites and nothing.

TimDZ.. your neighbor sounds like a fun guy!

JD said...

I spoke with my son last night and he has an interesting idea; trade Bernadina for a prospect or 2 while his value is at it's highest, keep Brown who is better defensively and more than likely better defensively.

MicheleS said...

And then there is this (minor stuff)

Adam Kilgore‏@AdamKilgoreWP

Rangers, Nats expected to discuss Yorvit Torrealba today. Texas DFA'd him after trading for Soto last night. 12-year vet, 24 playoff games.

JD said...

Jayson Stark is convinced that the Nats will add a veteran pitcher like Kevin Millwood today; I am not so sure what that adds.

sm13 said...

How about Henry as part of the deal for Jaso or Yorvit? That could solve multiple issues at once.

Alex Howard said...

JD

i agree, like how is he better than a detwiler right now? and it means we would have to get rid of a reliever to make space for him if we do

MicheleS said...

JD/CheerleadingX..

I heard that from Stark and Thought Really?? That's why we have Lannan.. same thing.

Alex Howard said...

the good news today is that victorino and possibly pierre and pence wont be playying tonight

The Real Feel Wood. Accept no substitutes. said...

NatsJack in Florida said...
Theophilus T.S. ... when you consider how poorly Nats pitchers hold runners, defense is almost moot.


There's more to catcher defense than throwing out runners. A lot more. Blocking/catching pitches is a big aspect of catcher defense, and Leon is demonstrably weak in that area. With Flores being the human bruise, it's likely that he'll go down at some point. You don't want to be depending heavily on the likes of Leon in a pennant race, which is why I hope Rizzo will be shoring up the catching ranks with an MLB-worthy addition. Offense is irrelevant. He needs a good catch and throw guy.

mick said...

I would stand pat, the boys we have and that are coming back shortly is all we need. Let the other teams spend money for a quick fix

Alex Howard said...

JD/MicheleS

apparently for veteran leadership in playoffs, i dont think its worth it

Alex Howard said...

even when ramos was healthy his defense was poor this season, kept dropping balls from outfield, thats why pudge was there, to help the guy

Theophilus T. S. said...

Torrealba would be OK but don't see him as much of an upgrade, or as a piece for next year.

Millwood could be dumped in reserve at Syracuse but for what purpose? He's the picture dictionary definition of mediocrity.

Theophilus T. S. said...

Thinking about it, Millwood can't be dumped at Syracuse unless he clears waivers. So, unless they trade Henry Rodriguez for him -- now there's an idea -- he just becomes another roster problem.

Alex Howard said...

who does everyone think will go down/dfa when werth and tracy are back, my guess is h rod and tyler moore

NCNatsie said...

Back from almost a week OTR. How'd we do against Milwaukee?

Seriously, I was in St. Louis and got to talk to some knowledgeable folks there, and the first thing they said when I brought up the Nats was how smart we were to get Jackson.

They credit him with being the #1 reason they won the ring last year. Since we so seldom give him top-of-mind credit for our success so far this year, I thought it was worth a mention.

Alex Howard said...

NCNATsie, i agree, i hope we resign him next year, possibly 4 years 52 million, something like that

Theophilus T. S. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Theophilus T. S. said...

I'm not sure we should be so quick to trash Leon's defense. He had a month at AA, spent 2+ mos. on the DL, little rehab. I don't think he's had enough reps, as the football people say, this year to be on top of all aspects of his game. He's been sold by the Nats brass as a defensive whiz for the past three years so for the time being we have to take that at face value.

Positively Half St. said...

pRAA-

For what it is worth, Shoppach is providing some WAR on the defensive side the last 2 years, while Torrealba has been in negative WAR territory defensively. I defer to you if you actually know more about them than this simple measure. Shoppach certainly is providing more offense, and we aren't getting that from the catchers.

Torrealba, on the other hand, will certainly be cheaper, as he has been DFA'd.

+1/2St.

JD said...

Mick,

We are definitely not OK at catcher. It's easy to be blinded by success but the trick is to recognize where your weak spots are even when you are winning. There are dropped balls and passed balls happening at an alarming rate and this will bite us if we don't fix it.

I think Torrealba is just the right kind of catcher for this year. We can re-evaluate in the off season based on how well Ramos recovers.

Ron In Reston said...

ILove--

More likely Mattheus (he has options) and either Moore or Brown. My thought is it will be Brown since Moore is also a first baseman and we don't really know the extent of ALR's back issue right now. If he needs some extra rest down the stretch, e.g. against lefties, that's the perfect time to play Moore, either at first or in left and bring Mikey in to play first like Sunday. Speaking of which, didja notice how it was after he moved to first that he hit the homer and the double....0-fer prior to that? Could we be looking at next year's 1B? I realize it will be a decrease in defense, but with the outfield logjam - Brown, Harper, Werth, Moore, Bernie, possibly Goodwin later in the year, maybe it makes sense. Glad I don't have to make the actual decision.

JD said...

Shopach is better than Torrealba if he's available.

Tcostant said...

Victorino to the Dodgers

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/8217491/sources-los-angeles-dodgers-verge-acquiring-shane-victorino

Alex Howard said...

i dont think laroche will be with us next season, morse at 1B next season, and rizzo will either aaquire or sign a CF in free agency, or wait for goodwin/perez

JD said...

Ron,

Re the logjam I think Goodwin is a ways away yet; may 2014 if there are no hickups. I think Bernie's future is elsewhere on the other hand don't forger about Eury Perez who has been successful at every level.

baseballswami said...

Random thoughts this morning - My filly relatives are still in denial - it's going to turn around any minute. I told them it's not the Nats that are the problem, it's climbing over the mets, marlins and braves to get to us that is the problem. Regarding basestealers? Most of our pitchers are still young - the big K pitchers don't get much practice at it. The catcher carousel this year can't be helping. Did you see that the Brewers melted down against last night? They almost blew a big lead vs the Astros, but held on to win by one - Axford is clean shaven.It didn't help. I will be glad again this year when the trade deadline is past and also glad when the roster settles out for August. Get it over with so everyone can adjust and move on. I want to keep everyone. Don't see them moving a reliever right now with a double header this weekend. Maybe Werth will wait until that is over and then a reliever can go?

Alex Howard said...

my instinct is rizzo will trade for span in offseason or sign michael bourn

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD said...
I just want a catcher who can catch the ball and who can make a good throw to 2nd base; I don't care about the offense at that position.

July 31, 2012 9:58 AM


I want everything but in life we can't have everything. With Wilson Ramos coming back next year, Rizzo is testing the waters.

Jaso makes sense if the Nats don't have to give up much. Still a small chance any trade happens.

Also, don't count out Dempster whose stock has dropped his last 2 starts and the Dodgers may not get it done. I'm not as high on him now as I was. Maholm may have been the better pickup given this hot streak he is having.

There is still a logjam with Wang in the wings and Lannan. Most likely scenario is nothing unless Rizzo goes large and gets King Felix in which Detwiler and other parts would probably be part of the trade, but if the brass thinks that an "Ace of Aces" is the answer for the World Series this year, it could happen.

The Jaso conversation could be part of something larger or again nothing. Felix Hernandez is under team control for 2 more seasons and fits better than anyone what is needed.

Tcostant said...

Cheer -

I agree that ALR is gone. Bottom line, the option is "mutual" and there is no way his agent will let him stay coming of a 25-30HR year with 100 RBI's (that is where his stats are headed). Once he is a FA and gets 3 year offers (or more) the Nationals will pass.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Stark thinks Victorino is going to the Dodgers. Blanton to the Os.

Maybe Swami's relatives will believe the end is near. Is Cliff Lee to Texas next?

baseballswami said...

One more thing about the catchers. We have had five of them so far this year and they are catching power pitches every single day. Strassie and Gio are talented, but there are days when they are all over the place. They are not catching Livo, they are catching 98 with movement, devastating change ups, left handed looping curves. Just look at the stuff all five of our starters throw, from the right and the left - then look at what our relievers throw ( Henry!!) and tell me that catching for the Nats is easy. Jordan has to be the easiest - here's the mitt - here's the ball right in the mitt. But he still reaches 96 and has that tight slider. How can they do it every day should be the real question.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Tcostant said...
Cheer -

I agree that ALR is gone. Bottom line, the option is "mutual" and there is no way his agent will let him stay coming of a 25-30HR year with 100 RBI's (that is where his stats are headed). Once he is a FA and gets 3 year offers (or more) the Nationals will pass.

July 31, 2012 10:33 AM


That is incorrect. The Nats have a team option they can execute unilaterally.

baseballswami said...

Ghost - Cliff Lee is my sister's absolute favorite player.

mick said...

JD

have teams really been stealing bases on us? I would agree if Flores was out to go for a veteran catcher. However, if he can go say 3 out of 4 games defensively we are in good shape. If however, he has a chronic injury that only the off season will heal, then yes, maybe help at catcher. Leon and Solano can hit, but their defense could be a liability in a playoff series as well as down the stretch.

JD said...

Ghost,

Why exactly would Seattle trade Felix? I don't think a package headlined by Detwiler gets it done; not even JZim.

Alex Howard said...

ghost, pretty sure its a mutual option, 10 million , look it up

MicheleS said...

Stunning Development: 106.7 is actually talking Nats

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Did Fear & Ignorance ever post why he wrote and then deleted his Breaking News on Werth moving to catcher?

JD said...

Ghost,

I hear Lee to Arizona for either Upton or a package headlined by Bauer.

mick said...

have a question... why are Marlins dumping so many... they just put this team together... just curious?

mick said...

Michele... Synder must be out of town, lol

baseballswami said...

Five or so hours to go, right? Deadline is at four? I know sometimes thing break after that time, though. What a crazy day. Michele - 106.7 does talk nats sometimes, but usually they have part of it right and part of it kind of screwed up.

MicheleS said...

They are harping on about Stras' shutdown.

JD said...

Swami,

I hear what you are saying but I've watched the games. Passed balls where the catchers don't shift their bodies but try to backhand it, pitches glancing of the gloves etc. I think that both Leon and Solano have potential but they need much more polish before you can reasonably put them in a pennant race.

Alex Howard said...

i dont know about all you guys but i am fed up with all reporters talking about strasburg's shut down, namely all of the espn guys, they dont write about how the nats are doing, they just write aabout how many innings strasburg is at.

Fed up with it, he is one of 24 guys on roster

MicheleS said...

And now they are back to football... But 11:30 we will be back to Nats. So I have to flip around the dial.

Sunshine_Bobby_Carpenter_Is_Too_Pessimistic_For_Me said...

Nats are most complete team in baseball, with the best record currently. (As Casey used to say, "You can look it up.") With pleasure.

Unless something falls into Rizzo's lap, I don't see him messing with the chemistry right now. He's got Tracy and Werth ready to rejoin the hunt, and has LannEn waiting in the wings to take over for Jesus.

What's out there seems to me to be just glorified dumpster diving (Yes, Kevin Millwood, I'm talking about you).

Just. Stand. Pat.

JD said...

Mick,

The Marlins owners are a couple of swindling carpet beggars. They pretended to spend a lot of money after the county and the state built them a new stadium but they rushed to line their pockets at the 1st opportunity by dumping Ramirez, Sanchez etc.

Loria and Samson couldn't give a damn about the
Miami fans just as they could care less about the Montreal fans.

mick said...

natsjack... that explains it... I hear you about Ozzie, lol

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD said...
Ghost,

Why exactly would Seattle trade Felix? I don't think a package headlined by Detwiler gets it done; not even JZim.

July 31, 2012 10:38 AM


He makes $19.5 million next year and $20 million after that. 2 years of control left. Today is the day that Seattle decides if they blow themselves up like Chicago. Nobody ever thought they would trade Ichiro.

Think of great pitchers on losing teams that could replace Stras and lead this team as the ultimate favorite to go all the way.

Does Mr. Lerner say to Rizzo, go for it now?

Doc said...

I think that the Ripkin guy secretly drinks O's Kool Aide when nobody is looking.

Let's hope that he gets a tummy ache!

SCNatsFan said...

I'm calling it now... I see Marrero moving for a catcher.

JD said...

Atlanta overpaid severly for Maholm and Johnson. Maholm is John Lannan and Johnson is a nice veteran bat but they gave away Arodys Zizcaino who is a tremendous front line pitching prospect.

Are we really scared of their rotation?

Hudso, Hanson, Sheets, Minor and Maholm?

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

IloveCheerleadingX said...
ghost, pretty sure its a mutual option, 10 million , look it up

July 31, 2012 10:39 AM


I had texted my guy tied with SFX. Its a team option and Nats hold the keys on that one. With that said, its a wait and see as the Nats have Morse and TyMo under contract for next season. Morse is also a Free Agent after next year.

Faraz Shaikh said...

no way, Felix will cost a ton for nats to get him. perfectly okay if he lands on another AL team, someone like texas that has a deep farm.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD, Maholm has been brilliant for over a month. Sheets for 3 starts. They will both hit the wall at some point. Have to hope sooner than later.

Tcostant said...

Maholm is way better than Lannan, JD.

Alex Howard said...

king felix would cost 4 of our top 5 prospects

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Faraz Shaikh said...
no way, Felix will cost a ton for nats to get him. perfectly okay if he lands on another AL team, someone like texas that has a deep farm.

July 31, 2012 10:52 AM


I would give up Detwiler, Rendon, and another top 10 prospect and Tyler Moore if it got him here.

2 years and 2 months of King Felix. Absolutely.

I only see Detwiler as the only current pitcher I would trade though.

Alex Howard said...

the nats dont have ggood enough prospects and enough of good prospects to make a trade to get felix, the only good A prospect in our system is rendon who an be traded. Theyy'd want 3 A prospects for him

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

NatsJack, after the egg on the Braves face with Dempster, I give them credit for getting off the mat.

Maholm his whole career has been a #3 or #4. For over a month he has been lights out. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Faraz Shaikh said...

I don't want Nats to make same mistakes as Philly did, that is trade prospects to beef up their already good rotation. Having Felix now and for next two years makes our rotation one of the best in history probably but not exactly the best idea with taking on much more salary and giving up such good cost controlled players. remember that sooner or later we have to extend our own players to reasonable deals.

Alex Howard said...

the mariners arent trading king felix anyway, so theres no discussion needed

baseballswami said...

I agree on the constant Stras commentary. Apparently he has won all 61 of those games single-handedly. I am pretty sure he has not even been on the field for most of them. What an insult to the rest of the team. I have friends and relatives all over the country who are smart baseball fans. My Braves- fan friends are terrified of JZim - as well they should be. I get so tired of the shallow knowledge of the Nats. Once someone is in first place in the second half of the season maybe you should do a little more homework.

#4 said...

I don't see how Torrealba is an upgrade. That's needlessly upsetting the applecart. The guy is not a good receiver and isn't hitting.

It seems like every time I watched a Cubs/Nats game, Reed Johnson killed the Nats. He also kills LHP - i.e. Gio, Det, and Lannan down the stretch. That was a good pick-up for a LH heavy Braves line-up.

natsfan1a said...

#4, I have similar memories of Johnson vs. the Nats.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

IloveCheerleadingX said...
the nats dont have ggood enough prospects and enough of good prospects to make a trade to get felix, the only good A prospect in our system is rendon who an be traded. Theyy'd want 3 A prospects for him

July 31, 2012 10:59 AM


This comes down to something that I think has to be the owner's desire. Do we go "all in" for today because I don't know if I will be alive in another year or do we stay the course where we have a healthy Strasburg, JZim, Gio, and Detwiler and will consider a CF.

The Capitals had a similar situation 3 years in a row and sat on their hands at each trade deadline. Where did it get them? Losing and underachieving and besides the fancy "Division Champs" banner, nothing else.

King Felix can deliver the ring and is a great pitcher on a lousy team and gives Seattle a salary dump while getting prospects. The Nats would shock the baseball world.

Think about this also. If you got King Felix today, maybe you do something crazy like shut down Strasburg now and bring him back in October.

So many possibilities.

#4 said...

Thanks for the corroboration, 1a.

One aside - can we lay off 106.7 the Fan on their baseball coverage between 10-12. Danny Rouhier knows baseball - better than football. He was a better player than just about anybody in the media who talks about the game (other than the former MLB players). If you don't believe me look at page 24 of this:

http://issuu.com/jhooker/docs/2010_gw_baseball_media_guide

I've also heard him say that he will talk baseball anytime someone calls his show - no matter what the segment subject is. He's a die hard.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Last year I had a very lively discussion with a poster here over Derek Norris. I felt his declining batting average at each level he moved up in A to AA to AAA to the MLB would be his downfall as MLB pitchers wouldn't pitch around him and his OBP wouldn't save him.

Sure enough after a fast start, Norris swirled down the toilet. He was optioned back to AAA yesterday after dropping under Mendoza.

His MLB line is .195/.262/.325/.587

#4 said...

NJ - I'm all for a veteran presence if it's hard-nosed and well-respected. I've seen Torrealba dog it too many times to put him in that category. I agree that Rizzo is a great judge on chemistry and character though. It's why I find his interest in Torrealba puzzling. I guess if he goes in that direction, I'll have to trust it.

fast eddie said...

JD:
I agree with Ghost that the Braves rebounded nicely with Maholm after losing Dempster.
Vizcaino may have been a "tremendous front-line pitching prospect", but after TJ surgery, who knows? I don't know the success rate, but there are no guarantees.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

NatsJack @11:13, well said but Torrealba should be Rizzo's opportunity that if he wants him to wait for him to hit waivers. I wouldn't trade more than Cutter Dykstra for him.

I wouldn't be surprised if they are asking for Henry Rodriguez for him as I heard those whispers.

This will be interesting also. I defer to Mr. Rizzo to make the right call.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

fast eddie said...
I don't know the success rate, but there are no guarantees.


Say that 1,000 times. I brought up Derek Norris for that reason and said it dozens of times about him. I thought he had promise but that BA would sink him unless he got more aggressive in the Minors to change.

There is no guarantees which is why getting MLB "real" quality is the closest you can get.

I've admired Tampa's build from within and hated the Evil Empire for buying championships but I said before the Nats got Gio that you keep your farm system "phat" for the time on July 31st that you need to be a buyer.

The Nats are still "phat" just not as much as before. If you can trade prospects for an elite pitcher like King Felix, do it. There is no guarantee Rendon or some of the others will be elite.

Again, I wouldn't be overly upset if the Nats did nothing today, I just don't want to look back 2 years from now to this post and lament what could have been.

jeffwx said...

Yes...The Braves look formidable with their improved pitching and strengthened bench.

Nats bench will improve with Werth and Tracey coming back sending a reliever packing. Hopefully Solano is healing as a backup to the backups.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

http://www.csnwashington.com/baseball-washington-nationals/nationals-talk/Report-Nats-interested-in-Shoppach?blockID=748945&feedID=6358

Then there is always Shoppach's name popping back up. Again, if you don't give up much.

JD said...

eddie,

The success rate for TJ is extremely high; almost universally. IMO Maholm who is a career 4.30 era (not way better than Lannan) and who is at 3.76 in a 'great' year and Johnson who is a nice bat off the bench but is 35 years old are not great pick ups for a grade A prospect.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

NatsJack in Florida said...
It was a joke and he realized how it would be taken, Ghost.

But, of courese our favorite poster waxed poetic about how Werth could finish his career in the sqaut.

July 31, 2012 10:42 AM


That is funny. Thanks for the update. I missed it as a joke the first time but laughing now.

jeffwx said...

Of course, the Dodgers could be the team to beat in the NL with
Kemp, Ethier, Ramirez and Victorino.

Dodgers vs Rangers world series.
with Nats winning the NL East.

MicheleS said...

#4.. Totally agree on 106.7. I just choose to listen when they talk about baseball. It's getting better and I am happy for it since the ESPN station is covering how the grass is growing with the Redskins.

JD said...

Ghost,

I think Shopach is a great upgrade for this year on both sides of the ball. Would you trade Rosenbaum,Karns, for him? how about Bernadina?

natsfan1a said...

Fun comparison while waiting for actual trade news (as opposed to speculation and/or scanning of real and/or fake Tweeter accounts):

MLB opening day payrolls

MLB overall standings at the trade deadline

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD, give Maholm some credit for those last 7 starts. He faced some tough hitters but Maholm has teased before so none of us know when he will hit the wall. He was a top pick out of Miss State and just never really was more than a 3 or 4.

JaneB said...

Gosh, I'm remembering how sick my stomach was, last year, that we might lose Drew. And the year before, that we might lose Adam Dunn. And the Alfonso Soriano year. All those NO TRADEs were right for the team in the long run, too. It's much better to have a team so good we aren't selling the way the Fish did.

I want to leave for the stadium tonight already. But there's work between me and then.

JD said...

jeffwx,

The Dodgers no. 3 and 4 pitchers are Capuano and Harang and the rest of their lineup is still weak. I think the Nats, Atlanta and Cincinnati are all still better than the Dodgers and the Giants.

jeffwx said...

Yes....Nationals and O's may both make playoffs but the big story here in October will be the Skins QB controversy on the airwaves

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD, I think Rosenbaum, Karns and certainly Bernadina are too rich for 2 months of Shoppach.

Bernadina has raised his stock tremendously the last few weeks.

I think for Jaso I would do that deal but not for Shoppach.

JD said...

Ghost,

When you are 30 years old and have a long track record I give that more credence than the last 7 starts. Lots of pitchers have streaks like that that are not really sustainable.

I could be wrong but I still think that Atlanta doesn't have even one big time go to starter and that includes Tim Hudson.

MicheleS said...

1A.. the funny thing about the Fake Twitter accounts - Last night all the National Writers had 1 or 2 pop up and started a twitter war with fake trades. It was very entertaining.

The Real Feel Wood. Accept no substitutes. said...

Ghost Of Steve M. said...
Tcostant said...
Cheer -

I agree that ALR is gone. Bottom line, the option is "mutual" and there is no way his agent will let him stay coming of a 25-30HR year with 100 RBI's (that is where his stats are headed). Once he is a FA and gets 3 year offers (or more) the Nationals will pass.

July 31, 2012 10:33 AM

That is incorrect. The Nats have a team option they can execute unilaterally.


If this is incorrect, then it is being reported incorrectly everywhere, including Cot's Baseball Contracts, typically regarded as the authoritative source. Do you have a source for your claim that the info is incorrect, or are you just blowing smoke trying to appear "in the know", as you so often do?

JD said...

Ghost,

I wander what Bernie is worth on the open market. For us I think that he and Brown are at least interchangeable (I think Brown has more upside). I wander if other GM's are fooled by 1 hot month. I think the ability to plug a need position justifies trading pieces which are not really 'A' pieces.

I haven't seen Jaso at all but Shopach would sure as heck stabilize the catching situation.

I wasn't suggesting all 3 for Shopach. Only one of.

jeffwx said...

JD, you may be right but in October, our number 3/4 are Jackson/Detwiler who may be comparable to LA.
Also a lineup with Kemp, Victorino is explosive but agree that our lineup 1-8 is more balanced. Hope the Nats find more time for TYMO.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Yorvit Torrealba has been officially DFA'd. Now they still have the possibility of trading him or if no trade materializes, Torrealba would be available on waivers.

Remember also, after today, players can be put on the waiver wire. Nats still don't have to jump today for a catcher.

phil dunton said...

I suspect today is much to do about nothing for the Nats just like in years past. Rizzo always wants too much for the player he is willing to give up and he most likley does want to bring in a player making more than the minimum salary.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

JD, I knew you were suggesting just one. I would say Rosenbaum would be the only one I'd consider for Shoppach on your list and its an overpay. Its a 2 month rental.

Jaso would be a longer term opportunity and give the Nats 3+ catchers where they could get back value in a Spring Training trade next year so I would say Jaso would be my pick.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Phil, in the past, Rizzo was a seller. He doesn't necessarily have to be a buyer but if you do it, do it for a real upgrade. Some of the names mentioned to be tied to the Nats don't look like upgrades.

MicheleS said...

For those asking about Playoff Tickets yesterday: from the Bog

Playoff Options

A DC Wonk said...

I read somewhere that the Nats' stolen bases problem,much that it is, was against the Nats relievers

NatsLady said...

I checked baseballreference.com It says ALR has a TEAM option for $10M with a $1M buyout. So, it isn't being reported incorrectly everywhere. If Ghost texted his agent and BR has the same info, I'm going with that.

baseballswami said...

Michele- your tweet was on 106.7. According to them if we don ' have 70% nats fans tonight it will be a disgrace and the franchise is doomed.

Faraz Shaikh said...

I remember ALR's option being mutual, not just team option. I am only going by memory though, so I could be wrong.

MicheleS said...

Swami, I heard. I love Twitter. I just looked at stub hub and the other secondary sites, not many tickets left for the games on those, but not sure about the Nats Ticket office. I am glad they are discussing this.

Ladies and gentlemen.. the bandwagon is open for business, better hurry and get on, the seats are being snapped up fast.

Faraz Shaikh said...

1. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/01/nationals-agree-to-sign-adam-laroche.html

2. https://twitter.com/MarkZuckerman/status/22498854679089152

3. https://twitter.com/AdamKilgoreWP/status/22473522483826688

has it changed since then?

natsfan1a said...

Say buh-bye to the Flyin' Hawaiian.

MicheleS said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MicheleS said...

Not sure who has youngsters out there. But Bryce is having a free baseball clinic. If you go to 106.7 the Fan's website they have more info.

NatsLady said...

Victorino to the Dodgers. Wonder if he is on the plane already...

Victorino is a 31-year-old impending free agent whose production has fallen off substantially this season -- Hardball Talk

Not worth it for a two-month rental. If nothing works out and we want (another) aging outfielder, there is always November.

The Real Feel Wood. Accept no substitutes. said...

Ghost Of Steve M. said...
IloveCheerleadingX said...
ghost, pretty sure its a mutual option, 10 million , look it up

July 31, 2012 10:39 AM

I had texted my guy tied with SFX. Its a team option and Nats hold the keys on that one.


Of course, "my guy tied with SFX" translates to "janitor." But I guess SteveM's skill at texting en Espanol is pretty frickin' bueno, so maybe that compensates. YMMV.

Theophilus T. S. said...

Only trade news I really want to hear: (A) Lee traded to AL; (B) Henry traded for almost anybody, anything.

MicheleS said...

And according the Heyman.. Pence is now in SF

Faraz Shaikh said...

so philly's lineup tonight is?

Faraz Shaikh said...

apparently it is not done yet.

natsfan1a said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NatsLady said...

oooooops.

Craig Calcaterra ‏@craigcalcaterra
August 21 is Hunter Pence bobblehead day at CBP. Quick! Get a Sharpie and draw a mustache on them!

natsfan1a said...

Lineup is TBD, Faraz. Some (Giants beat writer*, JimBo) say that the Pence deal is pending a physical.

*OT alert: didn't realize that Baggarly had moved from Mercury News to CSN.

natsfan1a said...

Of course, they get all the good beat guys. :-)

*OT alert: didn't realize that Baggarly had moved from Mercury News to CSN.

NatsLady said...

LOL Marlins:

NL Beast Nats ‏@NLBeastNats
HAHA RT @BNightengale: The #Marlins say they plan to put Carlos Lee on waivers if they can't trade him by today's non-waiver deadline.

NatsLady said...

NJ, I hunted around, and all the sites that say mutual option reference Kilgore's article. Not saying Kilgore made a mistake, but that's a single source.

peric said...

The other choice is clearly moving Henry to the 15 Day DL if he isn't traded.

Its also possible although kind of remote that they put LaRoche on the 15-day and use Chad Tracy. But Tracy is recovering from yet another hernia surgery so you can't entirely rely on him. But, they do have Moore and Morse in the wings.

NatsLady said...

Joe Sheehan ‏@joe_sheehan
Teams I've seen least mentioned in rumors: #Rays, #Cardinals, #Nationals. That's three pretty strong GMs.

peric said...

pRAA said...

Still being cowardly and using your handle to denigrate someone else I see contrary to Mark's new rules. Talk about mean spirited rudeness, insensitivity on this blog. Prime example.

peric said...

Jaso would be a longer term opportunity and give the Nats 3+ catchers where they could get back value in a Spring Training trade next year so I would say Jaso would be my pick.

Makes sense. The problem is what do you do with Solano, Leon, Freitas, Ramos (long recovery), and Flores? All of these guys deserve more than just a few games tryout don't you think? They may be better off going with Koyie Hill who is a rental and truly has been huge for the Chief's pitching staff. Hill has worked a few miracles ala Pudge with the staff there.

The only deal for a catcher I foresee is a prospect to ostensibly compete with Ramos/Flores as a starter. That would be expensive but do-able. And that choice would be predicated on the fact that Ramos could now have a pretty bad knee and Flores long history of injuries at so young an age.

peric said...

Eury Perez walked (again) stole a base and got doubled in by Jesus Valdez.

peric said...

Speaking of which Philly looks about to pick up a top catching prospect named Tommy Joseph for Hunter Pence. They're stealing Rizzo's thunder.

Section 222 said...

Like most folks here, I'm ok with standing pat, but I think Ghost makes a very good case for improving the team if we can. First of all, it's easy to be complacent when you're playing well, but we shouldn't be swayed by a stretch where we've played way over our heads. The run in July can't be sustained, which brings me to my second point. Two of our primary opponents (the Braves in the division and the Dodgers in the playoffs) are going shopping to improve their chances. I know the deals they made aren't guaranteed to pay off, but they certainly could. We can't ignore that possibility.

And finally, I really think the "stand pat because we'll be really good next year" attitude is wrong. Sure we'll have Strasburg for the whole year, but we've been very lucky with our starters' health this year. ALR has come back, Desi was having a career year, Zim regained his batting stroke. There are way too many variables for next year to waste the incredible position we're in right now. We have the best record in baseball as of July 31. We have a legitimate shot at playing in or even winning the World Series. The future is now.

That doesn't mean I would risk the future by forcing the issue with Stras. But would I make a deal for a catcher/reserve infielder/extra starter to try to increase our chances in this off season? Absolutely. For the right return, I would part with Bernadina, Marrero, Det, a top prospect like Ray, Meyer, or Purke, any of our relievers except for Clip, or even Lombo. I don't think Rizzo will empty out the store for a rental or a questionable aging vet, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't consider offers even if they involve players we really like and will miss.

JD said...

Eury Perez has charged up the prospect ladder this year. I don't see a place in DC for him but he may be quite a trading chip; he's only 22 and seems to be getting better and better.

NatsLady said...

Is Marrero still on the DL? Can a player-to-be-named-later be someone on the DL?

Not clear right now if Rizzo is "standing pat" or "tight-lipped." Just glad there's not a lot of leaks from his ship.

peric said...

Joe_Seamhead said: I worked a long day yesterday, finally had time to try to catch up on my favorite baseball blog. I read through 211 posts, almost a third of them from one poster, and a large portion of them were mean spirited, snotty personal attacks against other posters, especially the ladies on this blog. It's quite obvious that this guy doesn't like women. I always cast a wary eye at a man that doesn't like women.

First, I don't post even 1/2 as much as others here, second if I am denigrated by said woman why should I treat her like a lady? Third? Stick it where the sun don't shine Joe_Seamhead.

Section 222 said...

What's the definition of "mutual option"? Either side can opt out, or either side can opt in?

peric said...

Is Marrero still on the DL? Can a player-to-be-named-later be someone on the DL?

No, he is not. He is officially optioned to AAA as far as the major league roster. He is however on the minor league 7-day DL which is different.

Faraz Shaikh said...

222, both sides have to agree. If either opts out, player is a FA.

MicheleS said...

NatsLady. Saw that tweet from Sheehan.. Thought it was great! under the radar!

JD said...

Sec 222,

Of the names you mentioned I only object to Meyer. He may be the next JZimm and these don't grow on trees.

I completely agree with you re complacency and I don't think Rizzo is in that mold. I think that upgrading the catching situation is critical and not because Leon and Solano are bad but because I don't trust Flores to be healthy and productive. Peric may be right about Hill but if so why is he not up yet?

The Real Feel Wood. Accept no substitutes. said...

First, I don't post even 1/2 as much as others here, second if I am denigrated by said woman why should I treat her like a lady? Third? Stick it where the sun don't shine Joe_Seamhead.

As they said about Pearl Harbor, as they said about 9/11....Never forget (what peric really is).

peric said...

pRAA said...

As they said about Pearl Harbor, as they said about 9/11....Never forget (what peric really is).


Just keep proving my point about the many cowardly posters here who like to pile on. If it were in person I doubt they would be so forthcoming ~smiles~

Cowardly individuals like the one above have absolutely idea about Pearl Harbor or 9/11 or what it means.

MicheleS said...

So it looks like Pence deal netted the Phillies the chooch replacement at catcher.

peric said...

Jimmy Shields could be going to the Rangers ... the rich get richer.

The Real Feel Wood. Accept no substitutes. said...

It may be MLB Trade Rumors, but when I talk about peric, it's a fact. Am I right people?!?

Ron In Reston said...

My kingdom for an "ignore" feature :/

Tcostant said...

PrAA you are incorrect. I've heard Phil Wood offen mention a mutual option and it is also noted here on the Nationals own website:

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120103&content_id=26259330&vkey=news_was&c_id=was

MicheleS said...

Twitter is getting really snarky about the Fire Sale the phillies are having. Just some hilarious photo shop pictures and fake trades.

Ron In Reston said...

Hey Michelle, where on the 106.7 site did you see the thing about the Harper kids' baseball clinic?

peric said...

PrAA you are incorrect. And then some. He's also an Orioles troll like Poopy_McPoop.

MicheleS said...

Ron,

They had a commercial for it on the radio, but I don't see anything on the website yet. Will fish around and see if I can find anything

peric said...

Reds and Twins discussing Span. Looks like Corey Brown has sold the FO enough to hold off on that deal.

Tcostant said...

Secition 222 -

A mutual option usually works something like this (I'm making up the numbers).

1 - Player wants to stay, team say go [usually a buyout is included, lets say $1M]

2 - Team say stay, player wants out [No buyout due]

3 Team and Player want to stay [Option picked up, lets say $12M]

4 - Both the player and team agree to move on [Become a free agent, a buy-out, may or may not be due depending on contract]

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Ron, I think you are talking about this camp in August for Bryce. Its already sold-out. http://www.procamps.com/bryceharper

kjt807 said...

"Adam LaRoche 1b
2 years/$16M (2011-12), plus 2013 mutual option

2 years/$16M (2011-12), plus 2013 mutual option
signed by Washington as a free agent 1/4/11
11:$7M, 12:$8M, 13:$10M mutual option ($1M buyout)"

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=150

Baseball Prospectus says Laroche has a 2013 mutual option. They tend to be a pretty reliable source.

Section 222 said...

My kingdom for an "ignore" feature :/

Oh who will rid me of these meddlesome posters?

natsfan1a said...

Looks like the Pence deal is official.

(And the scroll bar is our friend.)

Section 222 said...

Thanks for the mutual option explanations. I tend to agree that ALR will want to build on this season with a long term contract that the Nats probably won't offer him. On the other hand, if the Nats make the playoffs, he may want to stick around and take his chances on having another good contract year. Or maybe he'll be willing to do another two year contract with the Nats. Money isn't everything and World Series rings don't grow on trees.

sm13 said...

Rangers are now desperate for pitching with Colby Lewis down and Oswalt looking awful last night.

Ghost Of Steve M. said...

Bill Ladson says there's a mutual option on LaRoche so I would take that as 100%.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20120517&content_id=31553538&notebook_id=31553100&c_id=was


http://www.csnwashington.com/baseball-washington-nationals/nationals-talk/Beltway-Baseball-Pick-up-LaRoches-option?blockID=728580

natsfan1a said...

Phan blog reaction to the Phire sale here (although it's actually just kinda sad).

JD said...

Amaro is actually doing pretty well today. Shedding big contracts and adding prospects. Unfortunately for him he's got about 8 more crazy contracts to deal with.

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