The Washington Nationals Thread: The Future is Near!

[skinfan2k]

2 hours ago, bearrock said:

 

That's the main thing on why I thought the front office needed to spend on Harper even after the FA additions.  Once Max and Stras are done (or opts out), we may be in steep decline because ace pitchers are simply not easy to find.  Having Max fall into our lap is a golden opportunity and FO should have overloaded during that opportunity to maximize our chance of a ring.  Now our best shot is Max holds on for 3-4 years at his level (not easy at all), Stras stays healthy, Corbin shows last year was his true level, Rendon resigns, Soto and Turner takes a step forward and Robles and Kiebloom pans out.  That's a lot of ifs.  Having a presence like Harper gives you some room for error if one of the above doesn't pan out.  At this point, our best hope may be one of Soto/Robles/Turner/Kiebloom turns out to be league elite level during Max's window.

harper has 1 year of 100 RBis and a WAR of 3. 

[Bozo the kKklown]

31 minutes ago, bearrock said:

They also told Harper this was not their final offer and they had room to negotiate.  Harper never got back to them.

 

17 minutes ago, StillUnknown said:

 

Or the offer of a team that fine moving on from him. They had to offer him something, but if you perhaps dont want him back as much as people think, thats the kind of offer you give. Looks credible from the outside, but no real chance of him accepting

 

Dont get me wrong, I don’t have an issue with the Nats not wanting him back. Just pointing out that the offer is a derisory opening offer and I can see why Harper didn’t return to the table. 

 

Also considering what the Lerners have done in the past, I feel this was a legit offer from them. 

[CRobi21]

#SotosBetter

[thebluefood]

Don't blame the man for getting that up-front money. 

 

Having said that, every station on the Broad Street Line smells like pee and I hope his trains are always late. 

 

[Booing intensifies]

[Springfield]

Harper is dead to me.

[NoVaSkins21]

What a clown contract.  All Nats fans know it, the Nats organization knows it, everyone except the Phillies front office knows this.  13 years is crazy.  This shows that Harper cares more about money than anything else.  The fans in Philly won't show him the same love that he got here.  He'll find about that really quick.  I don't know about Martinez, but today I have a lot more faith in Rizzo and Learners than I did yesterday

[hail2skins]

Good tweetstorm here. Like the #3 item describing the DC fanbase:

 

https://twitter.com/JVLast/status/1101249178733330432

[Bacon]

Never forget: the Giants won nothing with Barry Bonds and began something of a dynasty a few years after he left. Sometimes losing the face of a franchise can lead to long term success. 

[bearrock]

1 hour ago, skinfan2k said:

harper has 1 year of 100 RBis and a WAR of 3. 

 

Even in a down year, his wRC+ was top 20.  Nationals have Rendon in top 10 and then after him and Harper, Turner was next in the 70's.  By way of comparison, Red Sox had 3 in top 21 (with 2 and 3) and 4 in top 50.  Dodgers had 4 in top 30-70.  Nationals have a decided gap in offensive production and we would need Turner to step up and someone else (most likely Soto) to take a step forward.  For a WS shot, the equation always should have been Harper and Rendon, not one or the other.  And that's not even banking on Harper replicating the best NL single season in WAR since juiced up Bonds.

[Burgold]

1 hour ago, BenningRoadSkin said:

 

 

Dont get me wrong, I don’t have an issue with the Nats not wanting him back. Just pointing out that the offer is a derisory opening offer and I can see why Harper didn’t return to the table. 

 

Also considering what the Lerners have done in the past, I feel this was a legit offer from them. 

From what I understood, the offer was a  cosmetic offer that was designed by both sides to be rejected, but sort of set the opening floor. It was a farewell gift, but never a serious attempt to get him.

[StillUnknown]

for whatever reason Bryce just doesn't inspire the emotion in me to hate him for the move

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

11 minutes ago, StillUnknown said:

for whatever reason Bryce just doesn't inspire the emotion in me to hate him for the move

I agree.

 

As far as I'm concerned he's just not "that guy" (Ovi, Wall).

[Riggo#44]

What a disingenuous ****. Eat ****, liar.

 

[StillUnknown]

1 minute ago, BRAVEONAWARPATH said:

I agree.

 

As far as I'm concerned he's just not "that guy" (Ovi, Wall).

 

I think he is in that class, certainly a better talent in his sport than Wall.

 

but I was more speaking to the nature of baseball in general. Its the hardest sport for one man to have an impact. especially when the manager can send a signal and take the bat out of his hands every time if they so desire

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

2 hours ago, StillUnknown said:

 

I think he is in that class, certainly a better talent in his sport than Wall.

 

but I was more speaking to the nature of baseball in general. Its the hardest sport for one man to have an impact. especially when the manager can send a signal and take the bat out of his hands every time if they so desire

I wasn't referring to Harper's talent.

 

I meant his not truly embracing the DMV.

.

2 hours ago, Riggo#44 said:

What a disingenuous ****. Eat ****, liar.

 

Yeah, now I want to bury the Harper-led Phillies.

[thebluefood]

Scherzer's first Bryce-K is gonna be so sweet. Nationals Park is gonna roar 

[Riggo#44]

You know, Jonathan  Papelbon just brcame a much more sympathetic character in this whole thing

[@DCGoldPants]

Still bummed this AM. But that'll go away.

 

Next steps as many have said should be.

 

#1. Locking down Rendon for a long time,

#2. Looking back as so many of the good free agents who are still available and would be impactful. Dallas Keuchel? Craig Kimbrel? Tony Sipp?

 

Those are just pitchers. But I'd love to get more relievers to feel better about. Maybe a long reliever.

 

and thinking the theme of the spring about being great at the basics....then fundamentals. That's something I **** about with the Skins year after year. If they could just do the basics well then you have something to build off of. If Davey can get this team to do the little things over and over. Hitting the cut-off man. Everyone where they should be. Knowing the count and swinging at the right time. Even running out the grounders. Then you have so much in your favor if you're healthy. 

[OVCChairman]

22 minutes ago, @SkinsGoldPants said:

Still bummed this AM. But that'll go away.

 

Next steps as many have said should be.

 

#1. Locking down Rendon for a long time,

#2. Looking back as so many of the good free agents who are still available and would be impactful. Dallas Keuchel? Craig Kimbrel? Tony Sipp?

 

Those are just pitchers. But I'd love to get more relievers to feel better about. Maybe a long reliever.

 

and thinking the theme of the spring about being great at the basics....then fundamentals. That's something I **** about with the Skins year after year. If they could just do the basics well then you have something to build off of. If Davey can get this team to do the little things over and over. Hitting the cut-off man. Everyone where they should be. Knowing the count and swinging at the right time. Even running out the grounders. Then you have so much in your favor if you're healthy. 

 

Sign Keuchel and move Hellickson into a long spot?  Similar to what we did with Roark?  

 

Hellickson is very good 2 times through the lineup, and he would also serve as injury insurance in the event that you'd need another starter? 

 

Spitballing here. 

 

[TheGoodBits]

Linking to my own tweet thread because I’m too lazy to re-write my thoughts... but there’s some “bigger picture” stuff here which I think is important to remember. Frustrating how this has played out. 

 

 

[@DCGoldPants]

12 minutes ago, skinsfan_1215 said:

Linking to my own tweet thread because I’m too lazy to re-write my thoughts... but there’s some “bigger picture” stuff here which I think is important to remember. Frustrating how this has played out. 

 

 

 

I don't agree. Still felt they had the talent to make a run. I still thought they wouldn't get outbid at that point. Was wrong on both points. But whatever. Would have been nice if he ended up in the AL but he didn't.

 

Moving ahead

1 hour ago, OVCChairman said:

 

Sign Keuchel and move Hellickson into a long spot?  Similar to what we did with Roark?  

 

Hellickson is very good 2 times through the lineup, and he would also serve as injury insurance in the event that you'd need another starter? 

 

Spitballing here. 

 

 

If Hellickson can be a long reliever. Great. I think that spot is underrated. Shame Gio can't handle that mentally. I'd bring him back for that if he could.2-4 innings from time to time. 

[PleaseBlitz]

So this Nats/Phillies rivalry is going to become Yankees / Red Sox level.  

[@DCGoldPants]

Just now, PleaseBlitz said:

So this Nats/Phillies rivalry is going to become Yankees / Red Sox level.  

 

I don't know if anybody views the Nats as that. Maybe the Braves. Philly just hates everyone in the division equally with the exception of Miami. They might hate the Mets most. 

[PleaseBlitz]

1 minute ago, @SkinsGoldPants said:

 

I don't know if anybody views the Nats as that. Maybe the Braves. Philly just hates everyone in the division equally with the exception of Miami. They might hate the Mets most. 

 

I agree that is the current situation.  I think Harper moving from the Nats to Philly gives Nats fans reason to hate Philly, and that will be reciprocated.  For 13 years.  

[OVCChairman]

4 minutes ago, @SkinsGoldPants said:

 

I don't agree. Still felt they had the talent to make a run. I still thought they wouldn't get outbid at that point. Was wrong on both points. But whatever. Would have been nice if he ended up in the AL but he didn't.

 

Moving ahead

 

If Hellickson can be a long reliever. Great. I think that spot is underrated. Shame Gio can't handle that mentally. I'd bring him back for that if he could.2-4 innings from time to time. 

 

Agree on the first point.  I do wish we would have taken that trade, but I don't think the current brass was the one that made that call.  I think that was Ted, and for all intents and purposes, it appears Ted isn't pulling the strings.  He used his ownership card there and it was a poor decision.  

 

 

I agree on the long reliever.  A good long reliever can change the dynamic of a season with no REAL statistical proof.  It may mean he eats up 4 innings in a losing blowout effort, which allows your 7-8-9 guys to be saved for the next day when they have to come in and preserve a 2-1 win.  It also could be that same guy coming in when you're losing 6-0 in the 1st inning, and the offense rallies and wins the game 10-8...