The Washington Nationals Thread: The Future is Near!

[EmirOfShmo]

Say it ain't so, Doo...

 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38461897/ex-nats-reliever-sean-doolittle-exits-11-incredible-seasons

[Riggo#44]

Congrats on a wonderful career Doooooooo. One of the best to ever wear the uniform, and my daughter's favorite player

 

[@DCGoldPants]

Good dude and World Series Champion

[ixcuincle]

it's too cold for September. 

[ixcuincle]

thank you Sean 

 

[ixcuincle]

the only pretty thing about tonight. 

 

Braves up 3-0.

[ixcuincle]

 

 

 

[Riggo#44]

[Ball Security]

Arizona Fall League news:

 

Hassell, Pineda, and Lipscomb are the position players on the roster.

 

We’ll see if they can manage to keep four catchers on the roster throughout the winter.

 

I want to see what position Lipscomb plays.

 

Hassell getting more PAs is a good thing as he came on late in the season.

 

For pitchers, they are sending Herz, Ward, Jack Sinclair, Holden Powell, and Orlando Ribalta.

 

Sinclair and Ribalta weren’t really on my radar. Powell is a guy they may feel like they need to protect from the Rule V.

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

I thought the Fall league featured less seasoned players. I guess I was wrong. That's a lot of AA and AAA guys.

[ixcuincle]

Nats strike out. Orioles win it 1-0.

[Riggo#44]

Our goal tonight should be to score just one run. Just one. I'd consider that a win.

[Ball Security]

Encouraging to see Gray rattle off three solid starts to end his season. He was shaky after the ASB (which also coincided with the six man rotation). But, overall, he had a really nice turnaround season. 79 ERA+ in 22 to 111 this year. 

[ixcuincle]

rutledge is calming down too so if he, gore and rutledge can get going next year should be good. the problem with gray is wild inconsistency.

 

need to get it together for a full season

[Riggo#44]

2 hours ago, Ball Security said:

Encouraging to see Gray rattle off three solid starts to end his season. He was shaky after the ASB (which also coincided with the six man rotation). But, overall, he had a really nice turnaround season. 79 ERA+ in 22 to 111 this year. 

 

Gray was very impressive last night against a good lineup. He did very well after an atrocious August. Hickey worked with him on his mechanics (gasp!, Imagine that!), and he was way better his last 3 starts. He needs to keep improving, but it was a good sign. Going into next year, I like Rutledge, Irvin, Adon fighting for two spots. Corbin will be one, unfortunately, with Gore and Gray assured others. Williams can be shot into the sun.

 

I'd love to see Adon transitioned into the bullpen. He is really good his first two times, but turns into Trevor Williams his 3rd time through:

 

His reliever stats aren't good this year, but it was 2 games and 5 IP. He's still only 25, so he has time to grow.

 

[Ball Security]

6 minutes ago, Riggo#44 said:

 

Gray was very impressive last night against a good lineup. He did very well after an atrocious August. Hickey worked with him on his mechanics (gasp!, Imagine that!), and he was way better his last 3 starts. He needs to keep improving, but it was a good sign. Going into next year, I like Rutledge, Irvin, Adon fighting for two spots. Corbin will be one, unfortunately, with Gore and Gray assured others. Williams can be shot into the sun.

 

I'd love to see Adon transitioned into the bullpen. He is really good his first two times, but turns into Trevor Williams his 3rd time through:

 

His reliever stats aren't good this year, but it was 2 games and 5 IP. He's still only 25, so he has time to grow.

 

It depends on whether or not they go after and land a FA pitcher. I’d like to see Martinez utilize a full bullpen next year so having a long guy or two instead of never using the seventh and eighth guys could take the stress off the one inning guys, especially if the starters only go five or six innings.

 

I don’t see them punting on Williams’ contract, but a move to a long man/spot starter as he was in NY may improve his results. I think Irvin’s body of work this season gives him an edge over Rutledge/Adon.

 

Hopefully, Cavalli can return in June or July to bump Corbin. 
 

They’ve been very fortunate with SP health this season besides Cavalli’s ST TJ. I don’t think they can rely on that going forward. Things will get thin pretty quickly if there are injuries next year. That’s why I’d be interested in going after Montgomery in FA. 
 

You’d have Montgomery/Gore/Gray/Corbin and Rutledge/Irvin/Adon with 1-2 of those guys at Rochester with Ward, Herz, and Parker. 

[Riggo#44]

5 minutes ago, Ball Security said:

Hopefully, Cavalli can return in June or July to bump Corbin.

 

Actually forgot about Cavalli. Maybe we don't go after a top pitcher this year--I'm still of the mind we should wait until next offseason and chase after Fried, Corbin, Woodruff, Buehler, Bieber. We'll have a better idea of what we have in our corps and make a more informed decision.

[Ball Security]

20 minutes ago, Riggo#44 said:

 

Actually forgot about Cavalli. Maybe we don't go after a top pitcher this year--I'm still of the mind we should wait until next offseason and chase after Fried, Corbin, Woodruff, Buehler, Bieber. We'll have a better idea of what we have in our corps and make a more informed decision.

Montgomery has really grown on me as a target considering there will be no QO attached. It all depends on the price point. I don’t see why we can’t go after a SP in both years. I’d hate to sit out this year and then potentially get shut out the following year. I think now is the time to smartly spend. I just don’t see much on the offensive end that is enticing. Perhaps Hoskins on a short term deal.

 

To me, Bieber has a lot of red flags and I don’t see LAD letting Buehler walk. The other three are good targets.

[ixcuincle]

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-nationals-fans-switching-20230927-23xhxdcnpnfofmlxndc6unyemy-story.html

 

[quote]

With Nationals long out of the race, are DC-area fans returning, at least for now, to their Orioles roots?[/quote]

 

I thought about going to Camden yards but I live in NOVA and I'm not driving 90 minutes up north and coming up at midnight (and that's even after leaving at 9:30 and not staying the full game)

 

 

[Riggo#44]

Quote

There’s a suspicion among DMV baseball fans that every Washington Nationals fan of a certain age secretly has an Orioles jersey or maybe a hat buried in their closet. It’s a sign of their original rooting interest. With the Nationals plummeting to the bottom of the National League East this year and the Orioles closing in on their first 100-win season in 40-plus years, some have begun digging for that orange evidence

They want to matter so much to us...

[ixcuincle]

It's typical Baltimore syndrome. They want to boss around the Nats and they always want to remind us what JKC did to Baltimore when the Ravens weren't there. They make everything personal like Deion, except when Deion does it it's funny. We've heard the same tune from up north for years. DC was not a baseball town. No fans in DC. Fairweather. Well we are still here even with the team playing like ass.

[Warhead36]

Love Doo. I feel like he's gonna be one of this generation's beloved role player champions. Think like Doc Walker of the 80s Redskins Hogs generation. I could see him having some media roles around here. Great dude.

[Riggo#44]

2 hours ago, Ball Security said:

Montgomery has really grown on me as a target considering there will be no QO attached. It all depends on the price point. I don’t see why we can’t go after a SP in both years. I’d hate to sit out this year and then potentially get shut out the following year. I think now is the time to smartly spend. I just don’t see much on the offensive end that is enticing. Perhaps Hoskins on a short term deal.

 

To me, Bieber has a lot of red flags and I don’t see LAD letting Buehler walk. The other three are good targets.

My fear next year is getting a Jameson Taillon. He's been awful and injured and singed a 4 yr, $68m deal, and be locked into another bad pitcher, we have to pitch. Montgomery would be a good target, but he'd be a good target for contenders too, and we're not that yet. I'd rather spend judiciously on Tyler Mahe or someone like that. See what we really have in our younger rotation.

 

I feel we absolutely have to go after someone with some power, like Hoskins or Soler. 

[Ball Security]

3 hours ago, Riggo#44 said:

My fear next year is getting a Jameson Taillon. He's been awful and injured and singed a 4 yr, $68m deal, and be locked into another bad pitcher, we have to pitch. Montgomery would be a good target, but he'd be a good target for contenders too, and we're not that yet. I'd rather spend judiciously on Tyler Mahe or someone like that. See what we really have in our younger rotation.

 

I feel we absolutely have to go after someone with some power, like Hoskins or Soler. 

I hear you on not going after bad contracts. There are a few guys I’d be interested in, but I definitely don’t want to spend $10M+/year on guys that don’t move the needle. 
 

It sucks that Urias is the way he is because he would have pulled some FA money off the table. I’d imagine that the biggest non Shohei contract guys will be Snell, Nola, and Rodriguez. Not sure if we can be competitive on the Montgomery market. But, then again, Werth came out of nowhere.

 

Meant to add that Mahle had TJ about six weeks after Cavalli. I’d pass on him.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Ball Security

[Riggo#44]

BREAKING NEWS!!!

 

We scored a run against the Baltimore Orioles. Sources have confirmed.