Should we trade starting pitching?

[Optics]

No. I like our pitching too much.

The types of hitters we need aren't that hard to find. We don't need stars. We just need decent contact OBP guys who don't swing and miss and aren't prone to ridiculous cold streaks.

[Slateman]

No. I like our pitching too much.

The types of hitters we need aren't that hard to find. We don't need stars. We just need decent contact OBP guys who don't swing and miss and aren't prone to ridiculous cold streaks.

You mean like . . . ?

No one. No one falls under that definition.

[UMDNats]

We don't need stars. We just need decent contact OBP guys who don't swing and miss and aren't prone to ridiculous cold streaks.

Because those players are available.

I just did a baseball-reference search for players who:

Have an OBP over .340
Strike out fewer than 125 times
And have a batting average over .280

There were 25 players in MLB with that stat line.

We had 3 of them (Rendon, Span, Werth).

Most of them are considered stars.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/season_finder.cgi?type=b#gotresults&as=result_batter&offset=0&sum=0&min_year_season=2014&max_year_season=2014&min_season=1&max_season=-1&min_age=0&max_age=99&is_rookie=&lg_ID=lgAny&lgAL_team=tmAny&lgNL_team=tmAny&lgFL_team=tmAny&lgAA_team=tmAny&lgPL_team=tmAny&lgUA_team=tmAny&lgNA_team=tmAny&isActive=either&isHOF=either&isAllstar=either&bats=any&throws=any&exactness=anypos&pos_1=1&pos_2=1&pos_3=1&pos_4=1&pos_5=1&pos_6=1&pos_7=1&pos_8=1&pos_9=1&pos_10=1&pos_11=1&games_min_max=min&games_prop=50&games_tot=&qualifiersSeason=battingtitle&minpasValS=502&mingamesValS=100&qualifiersCareer=nomin&minpasValC=3000&mingamesValC=1000&number_matched=1&orderby=WAR_off&c1criteria=onbase_perc&c1gtlt=gt&c1val=.340&c2criteria=batting_avg&c2gtlt=gt&c2val=.280&c3criteria=SO&c3gtlt=lt&c3val=125&c4gtlt=eq&c4val=0&c5gtlt=eq&c5val=1.0&location=pob&locationMatch=is&pob=&pod=&pcanada=&pusa=&saved_query=&ajax=1&submitter=1

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I don't really care about the .280 batting average if the OBP is over .340.  This brings in guys like Zobrist and maybe even a few more power options.  Also, I can live with a K% approaching and even topping 20% as long as k%/BB% is < 2

[wpa2629]

We have the hitters we need. They just need to play like they're capable.

[Minty Fresh]

We have the hitters we need. They just need to play like they're capable.

We strikeout too much for my liking. However, I can't tell if that's an indication of how bad at making contact we are or if that's more of a systematic problem across baseball in the post-PED era.

[wpa2629]

We strikeout too much for my liking. However, I can't tell if that's an indication of how bad at making contact we are or if that's more of a systematic problem across baseball in the post-PED era.

Considering the overall strikeout ratio is highest in like the last couple of years than it's ever been in the history of baseball - I would say the latter.

[Slateman]

So who are we trading Strasburg for? Because he's the only one we can trade.

No one is going to give up a whole lot for a year of Fister or Zimmermann. Roark is a number 4. Gio had a terrible season. That leaves Strasburg.

So who is giving up a big bat for Strasburg?

[UMDNats]

I don't really care about the .280 batting average if the OBP is over .340.  This brings in guys like Zobrist and maybe even a few more power options.  Also, I can live with a K% approaching and even topping 20% as long as k%/BB% is < 2

Oh, I agree. Baseball reference won't let you sort by K% or BB%, though, which is annoying. I just did a rudimentary search to prove that guys who a) hit for power, b) get on base a lot and c) don't strike out too much are few and far between.

[monkeyhit]

Trade Gio and Strasburg for better bats.  Get on it, Mike.

[Minty Fresh]

Trade Gio and Strasburg for better bats.  Get on it, Mike.

And sign Lester.

[comish4lif]

If it comes down to the Nats having only enough money to re-sign Stras of Zimm'nn..... I sign Zimmermann and trade Stras to LA (Dodgers or Angels) for a metric crap-ton of prospects.

[spidernat]

And sign Lester.

He'll be back in boston.

[UMDNats]

I like how everyone wants to ship out the guy who just tied for the NL lead in strikeouts and had a 3.02 ERA. He sucks!

[wpa2629]

I like how everyone wants to ship out the guy who just tied for the NL lead in strikeouts and had a 3.02 ERA. He sucks!

yeah it's nutty

now if there's no way he re-signs here because he's committed to return to the west coast or something - then fine, in the absence of that - he should stay

[Slateman]

Trade Gio and Strasburg for better bats.  Get on it, Mike.

Who?

[whytev]

If it comes down to the Nats having only enough money to re-sign Stras of Zimm'nn..... I sign Zimmermann and trade Stras to LA (Dodgers or Angels) for a metric crap-ton of prospects.

There is money for both.  Let's look ahead to 2016:

- No more Span...Souza and/or Taylor will be cheaper.
- No more LaRoche.
- No more Soriano...assuming Storen keeps his job, his agent's job just got a lot harder getting him a raise.
- Maybe Gio doesn't deserve to stay.
- No more McLouth's contract.
- We take Desmond's money and give it to Rendon.

Suddenly there is money everywhere.  This team as it looks right now gets one more year.  LaRoche and Cabrera walk, we move Zimmerman and find a one year solution for 2nd base (I'm still fine with Espinosa getting half a season to prove himself before we shop around), then hard priorities/choices need to be made.  Zimmermann and Stras can stay.  We'll have one up and coming outfielder in place of Span, and we'll have to figure out the middle of the infield from scratch.  The pitching staff is solid, Rendon and Harper are the future, and Zimmerman and Werth are the veteran leaders.  This team is going to be good for 3 - 5 more years.

[KV]

I like how everyone wants to ship out the guy who just tied for the NL lead in strikeouts and had a 3.02 ERA. He sucks!

I don't think anyone is arguing that we want to ship out Strasburg.  But I believe that what we lack is a feared middle-of-the-order hitter.  If we can get one with through a trade that includes Stras we should be willing to do it.

[Slateman]

No one has yet provided the name of a bat we can get for one of our pitchers. I would really like to know who we could get, especially considering that the requirement is a .340 OBP.

[Minty Fresh]

No one has yet provided the name of a bat we can get for one of our pitchers. I would really like to know who we could get, especially considering that the requirement is a .340 OBP.

As soon as someone here gets a Major League GM's job, we'll let you know. 

[HalfSmokes]

There is money for both.  Let's look ahead to 2016:

- No more Span...Souza and/or Taylor will be cheaper.
- No more LaRoche.
- No more Soriano...assuming Storen keeps his job, his agent's job just got a lot harder getting him a raise.
- Maybe Gio doesn't deserve to stay.
- No more McLouth's contract.
- We take Desmond's money and give it to Rendon.

Suddenly there is money everywhere.  This team as it looks right now gets one more year.  LaRoche and Cabrera walk, we move Zimmerman and find a one year solution for 2nd base (I'm still fine with Espinosa getting half a season to prove himself before we shop around), then hard priorities/choices need to be made.  Zimmermann and Stras can stay.  We'll have one up and coming outfielder in place of Span, and we'll have to figure out the middle of the infield from scratch.  The pitching staff is solid, Rendon and Harper are the future, and Zimmerman and Werth are the veteran leaders.  This team is going to be good for 3 - 5 more years.

and all of them will be replaced by guys making the league minimum?

[whytev]

and all of them will be replaced by guys making the league minimum?

Not necessarily.  But it's about what we're willing to spend, and about what we're overpaying for now.

McLouth and Hairston for starters.

[Ray D]

I believe that what we lack is a feared middle-of-the-order hitter.  If we can get one with through a trade that includes Stras we should be willing to do it.

But where's he going to play other than the outfield? Zimmerman is penciled in for first, Rendon for third, our new second baseman isn't going to be that man, nor is a shortstop or catcher.  Has to be an outfielder.  That means we have to trade Harper, Span, or Werth.

[whytev]

But where's he going to play other than the outfield? Zimmerman is penciled in for first, Rendon for third, our new second baseman isn't going to be that man, nor is a shortstop or catcher.  Has to be an outfielder.  That means we have to trade Harper, Span, or Werth.

We need to turn Harper into that guy.

[Slateman]

But where's he going to play other than the outfield? Zimmerman is penciled in for first, Rendon for third, our new second baseman isn't going to be that man, nor is a shortstop or catcher.  Has to be an outfielder.  That means we have to trade Harper, Span, or Werth.

Play Harper at third. I'm telling you, this would work.