houston-nat
 Offline
Posts: 6861
Kenny, I'm gonna give ya an offer I can't accept
|
 |
« on: March 11, 2010, 04:46:40 PM » |
|
His offseason report card was not very positive. I understand $20-30MM spent on short-term free agent acquisitions won't set the franchises back in the rebuilding process much. But if the goal is mainly veteran respectability, couldn't it have been done at half the price?
In particular I am not a fan of the $21MM the Nationals committed to Marquis and Pudge over the next two years. They're mediocre players who don't figure to bring much back in trades or draft picks. The Nats could've gotten similar mentoring from, say, Doug Davis and Yorvit Torrealba for one year and $6.5MM total....
On the other hand, the signings of Capps, Wang, and Kennedy are sensible. The guarantees were minimal, and these players are more likely to have trade value. Plus, the arbitration-eligibility of Capps and Wang for 2011 essentially serves as a club option....
If we eliminated the top two from the Major League Signings ledger, I'd say GM Mike Rizzo had a solid offseason. However, I'm not sure what the plan is here: the Nationals have Keith Law's #23-ranked farm system and should probably launch a full-blown rebuild, but they're adding relatively pricey free agents. In his chat today, I asked him to provide an alternative plan: [Comment From Brian]
You suggested today that the Nationals should burn the whole thing down and do a full rebuild. If you're Mike Rizzo, who would you NOT trade/cut/generally get rid of at some point this season?
Shorter list is who I would...Dunn, Marquis, Willingham, Capps, Pudge, Bruney, Harris, Kennedy, some of those happening midseason. I would rather see the Indians approach of accepting some pain but restocking. Accepting pain but restocking? I don't know ... we could definitely get some moderately valuable prospects in return for Dunn, Willingham and maybe Kennedy and Capps, but is that enough to justify a half-season of having Josh Whitesell, Wil Nieves and Justin Maxwell starting every day, plus the rushing of Espinosa, Storen, and Strasburg? BTW he at least said to build around the Zimmerman(n)s. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
DPMOmaha
Offline
Posts: 8134
Midwest Correspondant
|
|
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2010, 04:49:48 PM » |
|
He's hated the Nats plan all offseason.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Nathan
Offline
Posts: 3788
I has a sad :'(
|
|
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2010, 04:57:12 PM » |
|
I just don't get it. The Nats' FO doesn't spend money in the offseason and the ownership is cheap. They spend money and they're stupid. The Nationals are just a horse for the sports media to bash on no matter what.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Evolution33
Offline
Posts: 2516
|
|
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2010, 04:59:22 PM » |
|
I don't care what any of these people say. Half of them follow the Boswell line that the payroll is too low and then the other have bash the Nats because the payroll is too much. I have to say right now that Pudge deal looks genuis. So what if they paid $6 million in baseball salary for a name player that is the same as $0.20.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
LetsGoNats
Offline
Posts: 1585
We're Nat Gonna Take It!
|
|
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2010, 05:21:30 PM » |
|
Interesting that he cites Cleveland as tearing it down & rebuilding the right way. They certainly have the right manager to sit there like a bump on a log in the face of absolute FAILure.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
natsfan4evr
Offline
Posts: 4817
|
|
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2010, 05:28:57 PM » |
|
It's time to put up or shut up. The media will not stop until this team proves them otherwise. The team has been in the cellar for the last 2 seasons...do they really deserve respect? Respect is earned
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Evolution33
Offline
Posts: 2516
|
|
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2010, 05:47:01 PM » |
|
Interesting that he cites Cleveland as tearing it down & rebuilding the right way. They certainly have the right manager to sit there like a bump on a log in the face of absolute FAILure.
They lost 97 games last season. I don't see much difference between the right way and the wrong way. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
blue911
Offline
Posts: 9269
|
|
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2010, 05:51:46 PM » |
|
I remember the Indians being flamed for not getting more for Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. How can bad trades make your team better?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
PANatsFan
Offline
Posts: 21735
That's a huuuuuge pitch!
|
|
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2010, 05:53:33 PM » |
|
He's just a guy. 1 man's opinion, nothing more, nothing less. I guess he knows a lot about fantasy ball. Not so much about instruction to the sinkerballers from Wang and Marquis.
Upon further contemplation, who cares. Those are not type A's. Would Davis or Torrealba be any better? It has zero to do with rebuilding the system, they drafted with little regard to signability.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
PowerBoater69
Offline
Posts: 830
|
|
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2010, 06:03:44 PM » |
|
The Nats' FO doesn't spend money in the offseason and the ownership is cheap. They spend money and they're stupid.
How much will the opening day payroll rise from 2009 to 2010? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
The Chief
Offline
Posts: 19606
I happen to like trash
|
|
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2010, 06:10:08 PM » |
|
What's Dierkes' track record on the Nats? Isn't he one of the guys who pretty much always trashes us?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
JMW4th
Offline
Posts: 14219
Sarcastically, I'm in charge.
|
 |
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2010, 06:12:17 PM » |
|
tim dierkes is not a baseball "expert" at all. he just runs a site that tells people what all the beat writers say.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
PANatsFan
Offline
Posts: 21735
That's a huuuuuge pitch!
|
|
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2010, 06:14:15 PM » |
|
tim dierkes is not a baseball "expert" at all. he just runs a site that tells people what all the beat writers say.
To be fair, he also used the site to sell his condo. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
JMW4th
Offline
Posts: 14219
Sarcastically, I'm in charge.
|
|
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2010, 06:14:43 PM » |
|
I love mlbtr for what it does, but Dierkes' personal opinion on baseball matters really means absolutely nothing, imo.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
The Chief
Offline
Posts: 19606
I happen to like trash
|
|
« Reply #14 on: March 11, 2010, 06:16:31 PM » |
|
Not who I was thinking of at all then. Getting mixed up with Kurkijan.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Nathan
Offline
Posts: 3788
I has a sad :'(
|
|
« Reply #15 on: March 11, 2010, 06:39:32 PM » |
|
Not who I was thinking of at all then. Getting mixed up with Kurkijan.
QFT. I thought this was someone that mattered. Screw Tim Dierkes. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
PANatsFan
Offline
Posts: 21735
That's a huuuuuge pitch!
|
|
« Reply #16 on: March 11, 2010, 07:12:46 PM » |
|
Not who I was thinking of at all then. Getting mixed up with Kurkijan.
 They are like Einstein and Forrest Gump. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
PatsNats28
Offline
Posts: 5678
New team mascot!
|
|
« Reply #17 on: March 11, 2010, 07:28:04 PM » |
|
I think Rizzo's plan was a good one... Speaking of Acta, we were doing catalysts in chem today and when we talked about activation energy, I wrote it down in my notes as ACTAvation Energy  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
imref
Offline
Posts: 2774
|
|
« Reply #18 on: March 11, 2010, 09:55:27 PM » |
|
i'm a lot more excited about 2011 then I am about this season, if all goes to plan we've got a front 3 of Strasburg, Zimmermann, and Lannan, with Storen in the closer spot, Desmond entrenched at short, Norris catching, and hopefully Dunn locked up. Add a quality OF and that's a team that could at least chase a wild card spot if everyone is healthy.
And then you've got that kid from Vegas potentially as a September call-up. :-)
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
KnorrForYourMoney
Offline
Posts: 9462
^treated for nauseau by Nats trainers
|
|
« Reply #19 on: March 11, 2010, 10:04:10 PM » |
|
They are like Einstein and Forrest Gump. Yeah, the guy's a real simpleton. I mean he's not high on the NATS! How could you not want to sing the praises of such a great franchise? I wonder if Pirates fans have been saying the same thing for the past ten years about writers who trash them.  The fault of the Nats wasn't spending too much on free agents, it was spending on guys who aren't going to get them out of suck territory. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
PANatsFan
Offline
Posts: 21735
That's a huuuuuge pitch!
|
|
« Reply #20 on: March 11, 2010, 10:25:25 PM » |
|
Yeah, the guy's a real simpleton. I mean he's not high on the NATS! Tim Kurkjian is a Hall of Fame voter and really respected baseball reporter with tons of connections. KnorrForYourMoney argues with straw men. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
KnorrForYourMoney
Offline
Posts: 9462
^treated for nauseau by Nats trainers
|
|
« Reply #21 on: March 11, 2010, 10:50:38 PM » |
|
Forrest Gump comparisons are normally so flattering!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
DPMOmaha
Offline
Posts: 8134
Midwest Correspondant
|
|
« Reply #22 on: March 11, 2010, 11:14:11 PM » |
|
i'm a lot more excited about 2011 then I am about this season, if all goes to plan we've got a front 3 of Strasburg, Zimmermann, and Lannan, with Storen in the closer spot... Actually, if all goes according to plan, you've got Wang, Stras, Zmann, Lannan and Detwiler/Marquis as your rotation. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
PANatsFan
Offline
Posts: 21735
That's a huuuuuge pitch!
|
|
« Reply #23 on: March 11, 2010, 11:23:04 PM » |
|
Detwiler/Marquis You realize how amazing that is? The current 2nd best pitcher fighting for a 5th starter spot. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
DPMOmaha
Offline
Posts: 8134
Midwest Correspondant
|
|
« Reply #24 on: March 11, 2010, 11:24:43 PM » |
|
You realize how amazing that is? The current 2nd best pitcher fighting for a 5th starter spot.
Yeah, it's be pretty cool. But we actually have to get Wang and Zmann back to that level before we can wag our tongues at it. The potential's there though. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
