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2015 Washington Nationals Thread - Hot Stove News: Daniel Murphy signed, Phillips is an idiot.

Riggo#44

By Riggo#44
in The Tailgate

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StillUnknown

StillUnknown

Posted
Posted

I'm surprised, but am guessing there is another big move to come. I like Rizzos philosophy of always looking at the long game, so I'm gonna wait this one or.

 

If the Scherzer deal goes through, I'm kinda hoping we flip Zimm to the Cubs. They have some really good talent coming up. Although Lester signing with them probably means they're out on Zimm.

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Dan T.

Dan T.

Posted
Posted

Forget trading anyone. I say we go all in with a rotation of Stras/Scherzer/Zimm/Fister/Gio and try to win it all this year.

 

As Timmy Kurkijan said: when you have a shot at a World Series you take it; and you worry about next year, next year.

What do you do with Roark in that scenario? Long relief?

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skinfan2k

skinfan2k

Posted
Posted

I don't understand why we wouldn't just pay Zimmermann instead of signing Max? And no, Rizzo isn't going to trade Stras. It's as stupid as the rumor floated earlier that he would entertain offers for Harper.

 

Zimm doesn't want to be here and he overvalues himself.  

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BRAVEONAWARPATH

BRAVEONAWARPATH

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/01/18/the-nationals-could-be-finalists-for-max-scherzer-heres-how-they-could-make-it-work/

 

 

The Nationals are in the mix for Max Scherzer. Here’s how they could make it work.

 

 

 

So how could this work? We know Scherzer turned down a seven-year, $160 million deal with his own Detroit Tigers last spring – a deal that would have covered his final year of arbitration eligibility, plus his first six years of free agency. His agent, Scott Boras, is adamant that Scherzer’s performance separates him from other premier free agents, so the six-year, $155 million deal signed by Jon Lester with the Cubs is irrelevant, as is the seven-year, $215 million pact the Dodgers agreed to with Clayton Kershaw, because Kershaw never hit free agency, and therefore never allowed the market to drive his salary up.

 

Boras is right about this: Scherzer has been superb. The 2013 Cy Young Award winner went 55-15 with a 3.24 ERA over the past three seasons. The ERA was third in that time behind only Kershaw (who pitches in the National League) and Seattle’s Felix Hernandez, who are also the only two starting pitchers who rang up a higher wins above replacement (WAR) over those three seasons.

 

So a seven-year, $175 million contract – an average of $25 million a year – certainly isn’t out of the question. And the Nationals could figure out how to make it work in a variety of ways – for the upcoming season and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right now, the Nationals have roughly $127 million in salary obligations for 2015, but that covers only 22 players (and estimates reliever Jerry Blevins at $2.3 million, the midway point between the figures the sides exchanged for arbitration on Friday). They saved money not only by trading reliever Tyler Clippard, but by allowing free agents Adam LaRoche and Rafael Soriano to walk.

 

Say the three remaining roster spots are filled by players making near the league minimum of $500,000 – outfielder Michael Taylor, for instance – they still would be around $130 million, less than they spent a year ago.

 

So there are two ways they could add Scherzer. They could sign him to a deal that averages $25 million a year (or more), but if the Lerner family is concerned about a ballooning payroll in 2015 – upwards of $155 million, say – then Boras and Scherzer could easily backload the deal, paying Scherzer perhaps $15 million in 2015 and then higher salaries in future years. The Nationals could then go into the year with a ridiculous rotation of Scherzer, Strasburg, Zimmermann, Gonzalez and Fister (sorry, Tanner), and be the prohibitive favorites to win the World Series. Imagine that for a minute.

 

 

 

 

 

Another option: Sign Scherzer and trade Zimmermann – and his $16.5 million contract – for prospects. If Scherzer’s deal was backloaded as described above, then Scherzer’s 2015 salary would simply replace Zimmermann’s, and the Nats would end up with a comparable (maybe even better) pitcher for this season. (Scherzer, 30, went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.175 WHIP in 2014 while pitching in the American League; Zimmermann, went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and a 1.072 WHIP last year while pitching in the NL. Start the debate.)

 

 

 

 

If the Nats decided to keep everybody and create more buzz than anybody in the game – pick an Opening Day starter among Scherzer, Strasburg and Zimmermann – Boras could still argue payroll certainty going forward, because Zimmermann would be gone, Desmond (making $11 million this season and likely to receive a $150 million deal as a free agent) as well, and take off the salaries of Fister ($11.4 million) and Denard Span ($9 million), and suddenly Scherzer fits into a team whose payroll, by mere attrition, would fall by nearly $48 million. And it’s clear at this point: There are no substantive discussions about long-term extensions with either Desmond or Zimmermann, two of the Nationals’ homegrown all-stars.

 

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