A wild, walk-off win on a wild pitch in the 10th inning. A newly signed first-round draft pick who hangs with Samuel L. Jackson. A feud between the most bombastic manager in the game and the most talented 19-year-old to come around in a long time.
Oh yeah, and a team that has been in first place 94 out of 104 days this season.
It's a good time to be a Nationals fan, and it's a good time to talk about the Nationals. Which is what CSNwashington.com's Chase Hughes, the Washington Times' Amanda Comak and I will be doing this afternoon as we tape the latest episode of Beltway Baseball.
We'll be answering your questions, too, so submit your best queries here and then check back tomorrow morning when the full episode is posted.
85 comments:
Any trade talk about Dempster and what would the Nats have to give up?
You think Strasburg will be shut down after 160 innings? just kidding.
Is HRod best used when team is losing a game? Wish someone could shed some light on this.
How likely are the following:
1. A trade at the deadline for a starting pitche or backup catcher?
2. H-Rod or C.Wang being released or traded?
3. Nady getting another AB for the Nats this year?
Who departs when Tracy is ready to return?
What are best and worst case scenarios for the rest of Chien-Ming Wang's year? Is there a price at which they would bring him back for another year?
Is Rizzo actively looking for another catcher?
When (not if) Strasburg is shut down, can he still pinch hit? :)
Do you Moore deserves more opportunities against righties as well until Werth comes back and Bernie as a full time bench/ defensive replacement guy?
Did anybody notice Strasburg's interview after his win the other night? He said "ya know" about 100 times. THEN Bryce Harper last night (usually spoken very well) dropped "ya know" just as much! Am I the only one who picked up on this/found it comical?
Does this club have the mental wherewithal to handle the stresses and strains of a playoff race?
FWIW: The veteran leadership on the squad, e.g., LaRoche, Werth, Zimmerman, is what will mentally carry this club through. Davey's been there, done that, but the guys on the 25 will need to lead the way.
I heard an Atlanta sports station suggest that the Braves may try to trade Uggla and/or McCann prior to the trade deadline.
Do you see Atlanta as our biggest division rival? If so, what needs are they attempting to fill?
John Lannan has been pretty inconsistent at AAA this season and Davey basically said that he would be starting a game on Saturday because he simply had no other options.
If Lannan rises to the occasion and impresses on Saturday, and builds on that back in AAA, is there a chance he joins the club as a 5th/spot starter in September when Strasburg is shut down?
Are there Defibrulators in Nats Park? I need to know where they are after last night ;-)
But seriously, on the trade/deadline deals: Do you see us getting a MLB Level Catcher at the deadline? Would it be a backup or someone to get more consistent playing time than what the onion is getting?
nats nut - ditto
I am thrilled we have Adam LaRoache, so let's start there. I don't understand why he doesn't ever hit the ball up the third base line, when they put the shift on him which they ALWAYS do. Why does he always pull the ball? He is so talented, you'd think (or I would think) that he could dump the ball more regularly where the defenders aren't. Why does he always pull the ball? I guess my question is, why does he ALWAYS pull the ball? Thank you.
Also rooting for no Strasburg Shutdown this segment.
Wow - great questions so far!
Who goes down when Storen comes up?
Who goes down when Werth comes up?
Do they wait on Tracey or bring him up when he is headed and if so, again, who goes down?
Thanks as always
Go Nats!!
A follow-up, if you would, what is the over/under on the number of mainstream media stories down the stretch regarding the Strasburg Shut Down? Wait, what? :-)
NatsNut said...
Is it possible to pretty please NOT talk about the Strasburg Shut Down in this segment?
Thank you for your consideration.
July 18, 2012 11:18 AM
PS: enter another vote for no mention of Strasburg getting shut down
OK, last time I of course meant healed not headed for the Tracy comment
I'll answer the low-hanging fruit on some of these:
1) DeRosa goes when Werth is activated.
2) Storen gets delayed until Sept. 1, when rosters expand.
3) No big trade deadline pickups. Dempster's price will be too high, and everybody else is dumpster-diving.
4) Tracy is same as Storen: Sept. 1.
Just my two cents, as I check the rental prices for defribulators.
DITTO ON THE NO STRAS SHUTDOWN
What is the current status re: Purke's continuing shoulder issue and how does that impact management's plans for him?
What's up with Rendon's ankle etc, and do you believe his injuries over the last few years are random, or indicative of a body that will continue to have trouble handling physical stress?
What's your take on Desi's oblique--would 15 days on the DL fix it or does he need an entire off season?
How many times did Chase have to blow up his game story last night?
Follow up question on Rendon:
If you feel or think Rizzo feels there is a great likelihood Rendon will always be injured do you foresee Rizzo surprising us and pulling the trigger on a deal involving him as part of a package for a starting pitcher (with an extension in place) or a super solid catcher while the rest of the league's GMs might still be willing to bite?
Do the Nats have any other noteworthy signed draft picks in this years draft class besides Giolito?
Final question (promise):
What's Rizzo's best case scenario for solving the logjam at 1B and LF in 2013?
Or is this a surfeit of riches to be kept for insurance purposes?
The Nats aren't in the Competitive Balance draft lottery, but can you explain briefly how it works, and how it might impact the work of a draft-heavy organization like this one?
Good one, sec3.
Has this item already been done, because I can't remember? Who is your first-half team MVP? Delivery man and/or Cy Young? Manager? Wait, that last one doesn't work. :-)
How much more fun is it to cover a winning team than a losing team? :-)
I meant the Chase item but I blew up my comment too many times and you got another one in there. :-)
Good one, sec3.
If Dempster and Grienke can't be brought in (and I'm not saying they should be), what other pitchers might the Nats pursue? (A pretty baseball savvy guy at the park last night was talking about the Rays' Shields.) What other pitchers or position players would they look for?
Will Harper be sent down when Werth comes back up? (ROFL)
NatsLady/1a.. i probably owe you both cokes...
Second 1A question for Mark, How much fun is it to cover this team in the good times vs the all the pooper years prior to this?
I think Chase probably blew up as soon as Clipp gave up the homer, we didn't hear from him on the game thread after that.
What is the club's current view on re-upping LaRoche for 2013?
Are they inclined to keep him, or let him go, freeing spots at 1b for Morse and in the OF for either Moore or Bourn -- aka Speedy McLeadoff?
Harper vs. Trout. Can Harper be as good as Trout in 2013?
Is it me, or does Harper-Trout kind of remind you of Ovechkin-Crosby?
What is the club's current view on re-upping LaRoche for 2013?
It's a mutual option, so LaRoche's view is the one that matters. If he thinks he can get a multi-year deal elsewhere (and he probably will think that, whether he actually can get one is another matter) he will decline the option. Rizzo would almost certainly not decline the option, but there's no way with the current 1B surplus he'll be offering LaRoche anything more than that one year. So basically, it will be the Adam Dunn situation all over again. Can LaRoche make it pay for himself like Dunn did?
Sec.3, My Sofa said...
Is it me, or does Harper-Trout kind of remind you of Ovechkin-Crosby?
No, because unlike Ovechkin-Crosby, Harper and Trout's teams never play each other.
Feel Wood-You have to remember that LaRoche is a LH hitter. The Nats have nobody else to fill that void in their system that is close to MLB ready. I wouldn't be surprised to see him sign a 3-4 year extension.
F & I
Signing LaRoche to a long term deal at his age and with good in house options makes no sense to me. I get the LH bat although you can make a case that Corey Brown can replace that and improve the defense at the same time.
I think that picking up the option is verry iffy; long term is a complete non starter.
Forget the shutting down Stras issue. Jordan went 161 last year, don't know how many Det has gone -- how far can the two of THEM go into the post-season? I know Det has less on the books because of the bullpen time, but seems to have less stamina than Jordan. Seems kind of scary to me that 3 of our 5 pitchers have never gone a full season as a starter, let alone going past the regular season. Isn't that what screwed Atlanta last year? Young pitchers without enough gas in the tank?
swami,
Very astute points and another good reason to add an arm before the deadline.
3-4 years for LaRoche at this point would be pretty foolish. They weren't willing to offer him that before, and he'll be 2 years older this time.
The other thing about LaRoche--he had a hot start but has been sub-par for the last 4-6 weeks--his OPS has fallen every month, and his wRC+ for June and July is about 82--horrible for a first baseman.
I like LaRoche--he seems like a good guy, plays good defense, and could be a good insurance policy while the Nats sort out their young 1B talent. But talking about extending him how, esp. to any kind of major deal, is silly.
I wouldn't be surprised to see him sign a 3-4 year extension.
I wouldn't be surprised to see him sign one, either. But I'd be very surprised to see them offer it. The fact that he's a LH hitter doesn't matter. There are many other ways to get LH bats in the lineup over the next four years. Dunn is a LH hitter too, remember? That didn't factor at all into their decision on how many years to offer him.
When Tracy, Werth, and Storen get back who is getting sent down?
LaRoche is only 32, so signing him from 2013-2015/2016 is hardly a major deal. I keep hearing about all of this talent at 1B, but are any of those options better than LaRoche? I don't think he is a great player either, but he is a good player and seems to fit well with this team...and he is a left-handed power bat. Are the Nats supposed to go into the 2013 season (one with grand aspirations) with Tyler Moore as a full-time 1B...or Morse...or Skole? I really don't think they are in a position to take that gamble. If you can get him for 3-4 years at $8 million a year, I think that is no-brainer.
On Harps, I get the impression people are more impressed with "the way he plays the game" than they are with his raw stats.
When the dust settles and our grand-kids are talking about baseball, do you think Harps is going to be remembered for his numbers or for his hustle?
F&I
If it's a no-brainer when LaRoche is 32, why weren't the Nats--or someone else--willing to do it when he was 30?
Even if a GM foolishly ignored ALR's "lost" 2011 and just looked at this year, and his slashline #s in 2012 are at pretty much his career averages.
The crux and the difficulty of the LaRoche decision is its implications for the OF.
If you re-sign him, the OF is booked as Morse, Harper, Werth.
There is no room for Bourn, Upton, Victorino. Are we comfortable with Harper as the cf bridge to Goodwin?
I'd sure like to settle the cf/lead off question till Goodwin is ready.
I'm not discounting LaRoche's value. Quality player, good guy, run producer, excellent defender. It's a difficult and crucial decision.
It's hard to imagine they'd deal him now, with the Nats in first. But if they choose not to re-sign LaRoche, I'd hate to see him walk away with no return.
They have a team option on LaRoche for next year, so it's really 2014 and out we're looking at. Plenty of time to worry about that after this season.
Mark.. heard you on espn980.. goes back to my earlier question, if a catcher.. then who? Any names being floated?
Next season is a long ways away. At this time last season, the Phillies did not expect to be 10 games under .500, buried in last place, 13 games behind the Nats. Sufficient unto the day...
Drew,
They wouldn't be walking away with nothing; they would get $10 mil in payroll flexibility which can be deployed on different needs.
I can't imagine the Braves not retaining Bourne; I think that Victorino is expensive and declining and Upton is right handed, expensive and enigmatic.
What's wrong with giving Corey Brown a full shot in spring training?
Goodwin is at much too low a level to be considered a sure thing; coming out of college he really should have started at high A. Let's see how he progresses before we anoint him as the next thing.
Drew,
On the other hand Alex Meyer was promoted to high A. If he has similar success at this level he can graduate to AA next spring and then we can start getting excited about him
Fear and Ignorance said...
If you can get him for 3-4 years at $8 million a year, I think that is no-brainer.
LaRoche is making $8M this year, and the option for 2013 is $10M. So he would have to be as ignorant as you are to agree to a 3-4 year deal at only $8M per.
BTW, you still haven't told us what you're afraid of.
Sec.3, My Sofa said...
They have a team option on LaRoche for next year, so it's really 2014 and out we're looking at. Plenty of time to worry about that after this season.
As noted earlier, it's not a team option. It's a mutual option. Which means that realistically speaking they couldn't pencil anything in now for LaRoche next year even if they wanted to. However it's going to shake out, it's not going to shake out until this season is over.
I like Ramon Hernandez. 36 years old signed for this year and next at 3.2 mil per. very good lifetime hitter.
Feel Wood.
If someone offers LaRoche 3 - 4 years at 8 mil per at his age he very well may take it. All he has to do is look at Derek Lee to see that the market for aging 1st baseman ain't that great.
Why exactly is it a gamble to go into 2013 with Morse at 1B?
A LaRoche decision for 2013 pretty much comes down to which of these two you prefer ...
1. Werth in left, Bourn or another free agent in center, Harper in right, Morse at 1B; or
2. Morse in left, Harper in center, Werth in right, LaRoche at 1B.
To me, the first option is better offensively and defensively, with the defensive letdown of Morse instead of LaRoche at 1B being more than made up for by the defensive upgrades at all three OF positions.
I don't know about y'all but I want a very good defensive 1B going forward. I think LaRoche is the guy.
Mark, Chase, Amanda -- Isn't it easier for you to read our questions and decide which ones to answer if this post is reserved for questions, not answers or discussion? The previous post is still open for comments, right?
Bowdenball, my one comment about the 1b position. ALR is gold glove level defense. The left side of our infield gets the yips way too much for me to give it to Morse just yet. Can Morse prove to be serviceable, sure, he is way better than Dunn.
Feel Wood-Thank you for illustrating your ignorance about the game of baseball. Getting $32 million guaranteed, with the chance to play for a World Series contender doesn't sound that ignorant to me. What moron would want that opportunity at age 33??? He must be on drugs!!!Thanks for clarifying your lack of knowledge for me. I guess Jeter must be ignorant, too, because he took an $8 million pay cut at age 36.
What the drop dead on the MASN rights fees?
MicheleS said...
Bowdenball, my one comment about the 1b position. ALR is gold glove level defense. The left side of our infield gets the yips way too much for me to give it to Morse just yet. Can Morse prove to be serviceable, sure, he is way better than Dunn.
No doubt it's a defensive downgrade at 1B and that's a concern, but like I said the defense in the outfield would improve significantly and I think the offense would improve too, especially if the hole left by LaRoche is filled by Bourn. And with an extra $10 million a year to spend by dropping LaRoche plus the new TV deal and the increased revenue from attendance, there's no reason we can't sign Bourn.
Does Rendon enter into the decision on LaRoche assuming he ever gets and stays healthy? Or is he a non-issue for 2013 since this year was basically wasted with his injury. Are the Nats now assuming Rendon won't be in the majors until 2014? Couldn't they put Rendon at 3rd and move Zimm to first and save themselves money and wear and tear on Zimm.
Tcostant said...
What the drop dead on the MASN rights fees?
When Angelos drops dead or Selig drops dead, whichever comes first. Tie goes to the runner.
Bowdenball-Bourn is looking for $60+ million over 5 years at the age of 30. No thanks, but even if they were to do that, there is still enough room for Harper, Werth, Morse and Bourn/Upton. 20 interleague games, injuries, trade chips, days off here or there...you can never have too much talent. Their payroll is still fairly low, so they can keep them all next year and figure out what to do after the 2013 season.
Mark, if you're still reading this and haven't started taping -- any word on Cole Kimball? Any chance he will throw a baseball before the end of the season?
Bowdenball--or Morse traded to the AL, which is my preference.
F&I-
Why is Bourn not worth $60 million + over 5 years? He's worth that much, the Nats have it to spend, and there's no other obvious FA need for the Nats in the next few seasons. He's a perfect fit in the field and in the lineup. There's no player like him coming on the market after the 2013 season, because the Sox will extend Ellsbury, so they can't wait until then to fill the CF/leadoff gap. Now is the time.
As far as keeping LaRoche and signing Bourn, it sounds great of course but I don't see it happening. It's a mutual option; LaRoche won't agree to a bench role over free agency. Could cost himself tens of millions of dollars.
There's a developing logjam at 1B and/or the OF.
It might depend on how Rizzo goes about replacing Edward Jackson. I foresee a possible trade involving Morse and a couple of minor league players for a pitcher Rizzo thinks will be another (relatively) low cost Gio Gonzalez. Because there are so few top-level minor league prospects, the Nats might have to throw in another player off the major league roster, maybe Flores.
Don't see the point in trading for Hernandez; he becomes a free agent the same time as Flores and, unless one of them is traded, become just another roster headache next spring. He hasn't been an every-day player for several years.
Why is Bourn not worth $60 million + over 5 years? He's worth that much, the Nats have it to spend, and there's no other obvious FA need for the Nats in the next few seasons.
They don't need Bourn. They won't sign Bourn. Not as long as Davey Johnson is manager. He is going to look within and there are now PLENTY of possibilities. Especially left-handed bats.
Its NOT going to happen bowdenball unless its in your fantasy baseball league. Goodwin and Brown look a bit too good. Harper has proven he can play CF. Who do you move for a slap hitter? Lombardozzi another slap hitter? And Bourn is not that great a fielder in CF. Watching that last series in Atlanta the guy looked lackadaisical out there. I'd rather have Harper learning and hustling than that guy.
LaRoche is only 32, so signing him from 2013-2015/2016 is hardly a major deal. I keep hearing about all of this talent at 1B, but are any of those options better than LaRoche?
Right now Tyler Moore looks a lot better. And a potential All Star. The problem is he is not a left-handed bat. However, as Davey said, (Were you listening bowdenball or playing fantasy baseball?),
"the young players (read prospects/rookies) have been doing it for us all year. And there's more where they came from"
Younger Corey Brown and Brian Goodwin both bat left-handed and have more power and speed than 30+ Bourn.
If you can get him for 3-4 years at $8 million a year, I think that is no-brainer.
That's the Orioles way. Not the Nats way. F&I spends far too much time watching the hapless O's.
I think whoever ends up w/ Bourne will pay too much. That seems to be the case w/ all FAs but (A) I don't know why you would do that if there are options -- and sticking w/ Harper a couple more years is an option; (B) you need to pay attention to the signals the other team is sending. Most recent rumors signal that the Braves aren't that keen on giving Bourne a big extension -- Why? They see him every day . . ..
Same goes for the Uptons. Both are performing below their alleged potential. Why are D-Backs suddenly interested in moving Justin? Why do the Phillies want to move Victorino? If these players were stocks, you'd sell not buy.
They don't NEED Bourn obviously, since they're winning without him, but he would definitely make the Nats a better team and they can definitely afford him, especially if they don't bring LaRoche back.
Sure Goodwin looks good, but you don't pass on elite major league talent because a 21 year old is tearing up the Sally League. That should go without saying. Brown is a fine backup plan and having a great year in Syracuse, but Bourn is a far better player, there is no question, and with Brown only 4 years younger than Bourn we're probably seeing both guys at or near peak right now.
As far as the defense goes, I don't judge players' defensive ability on three games. Almost everyone I've read or heard thinks Bourn is an excellent defensive center fielder.
Mark.. heard you on espn980.. goes back to my earlier question, if a catcher.. then who? Any names being floated?
If its just for defense it wouldn't make any sense. They have that covered with Koyie HIll and Sandy Leon. That would be a waste of resources.
However, Ramos 2 surgeries have likely shaken the organizational tree quite a bit. He may never play catcher again and if he does it may be 2 years before he manages. That means they might consider a permanent replacement.
A permanent replacement means looking at prospect catchers who stand heads and tails above above Flores, Leon, and Freitas. Because all of those three could be in DC after 2 years. It may mean they become trade bait as well.
Any trade talk about Dempster and what would the Nats have to give up?
Dempster is 35. Its never going to happen unless a bunch of starters fall to injuries and even then ...
peric said...
(Were you listening bowdenball or playing fantasy baseball?)
Why do you make comments like this? They're irrelevant and uncalled for. My opinions on this team are just as valid as yours.
Bowdenball-Not really against signing Bourn if I knew his speed would hold up as he gets older. I still say they can keep everyone in 2013 and add a CF if they so choose. Look around baseball at the injuries this year. Having 5 starting players for 4 spots (OF and 1B) seems like the safe thing to do. I figure Ankiel, Nady, DeRosa, Tracey, Flores(via trade), and Bernadina (hopefully not) are probably out of here. That leaves 4 bench spots...Lombo, Moore, Brown, Solano??? Stinks form Moore, but just don't know who he would play over, and I don't think you can go into an important season with him as your #1 1B. I have a feeling either Morse or Moore will be traded at some point. Who the hell knows...I certainly don't!!!
Peric-The only one playing fantasy baseball here is you...saying Tyler Moore is looking like an All-Star...and much better than LaRoche (who is leading NL 1B in HR's and RBI) is fantasy baseball. You compare prospects to proven major league players like they are equals. Now THAT is fantasy baseball. There is a reason that teams with veterans (often many) win the World Series. I could only imagine if you were a Cardinals fan 2 years ago when they signed Berkman and traded for Furcal what you would have said. The mental picture of that is quite amusing. "Berkman sucks...blah, blah, blah...they have this guy who is tearing it up in Single A and they signed Berkman...Berkman!!!" Too funny!!!
serious question time: Can Maglev technology be used to increase pitch velocity?
Seconded. (Ahem.) :-)
Section 222 said...
Mark, Chase, Amanda -- Isn't it easier for you to read our questions and decide which ones to answer if this post is reserved for questions, not answers or discussion? The previous post is still open for comments, right?
July 18, 2012 2:07 PM
The national's salaries goes up by roughly 30 million just based on scheduled raises and anticipated arbitration and other raises. From there you can remove CMW, Ankiel, Gorzo ($8.5 mil)
If you remove Jackson you have to spend that on him or his replacement.
The kicker here is that the Nats young players such as SS and Harper as well as JZimm and Desmond will become mega expensive in a couple of years jumping the payroll to $150 mil very quickly so you have to augment the team with young talent which is relatively cheap to maintain financial stability.
In that sense Peric is right even if his delivery is less than mature.
Feel Wood said ...
As noted earlier, it's not a team option. It's a mutual option.
Late coming back to this, but Baseball Reference.com lists it as a team option. That is what I was going by. Is that wrong, then?
Feel Wood said...
Tcostant said...
What the drop dead on the MASN rights fees?
---------------------------
When Angelos drops dead or Selig drops dead, whichever comes first. Tie goes to the runner.
Post of the day.
Cots lists LaRoche's option for 2013 as a mutual option, so apparently, yes, B-R.com has it wrong. OK.
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