2012/13 Offseason Discussion Thread

[imref]

So what's tap for tomorrow?

Soriano yesterday, Morse today.  Maybe we swing a deal for Lincecum tomorrow?

[Kevrock]

Sign Joe Saunders just to troll Angelos.  Make him the lefty in the pen or trade him to someone else in the AL East.

NO

[Tyler Durden]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/32134/2013-nationals-versus-2001-mariners

Dave Schoenfield loves the Nats.

[rbw5t]

I love our team, and we look so great on paper... but, the more people keep talking about how good we look, the more I'm starting to worry about things not going right for some crazy reason.  I just keeping thinking about Davey's '87 Mets team.  They had almost everyone back from a team that won 108 games in '86, and they didn't even make the playoffs.  Sometimes stuff just doesn't work out, for no good reason.  I don't think that will happen, but I'm still worried that it might.  I would love a 105 win season (as Schoenfield suggests is possible), but I'm afraid 85 wins might be just as likely.  Ugh -- the stress of expectations!

[wpa2629]

I love our team, and we look so great on paper... but, the more people keep talking about how good we look, the more I'm starting to worry about things not going right for some crazy reason.  I just keeping thinking about Davey's '87 Mets team.  They had almost everyone back from a team that won 108 games in '86, and they didn't even make the playoffs.  Sometimes stuff just doesn't work out, for no good reason.  I don't think that will happen, but I'm still worried that it might.  I would love a 105 win season (as Schoenfield suggests is possible), but I'm afraid 85 wins might be just as likely.  Ugh -- the stress of expectations!

That's infinitely better than the stress of suck ...

[Slateman]

No, it's not. When you know you're going to suck, its easier to find successes.

Lets face it. If this team doesn't at least get to the World Series, it's a massive failure.

[BigMeech]

Looking forward to our dynasty.

[NJ Ave]

I would love a 105 win season (as Schoenfield suggests is possible), but I'm afraid 85 wins might be just as likely. 

That's probably actually true, but only because there's about a 5% chance of either one of those outcomes.

Our team is so good and has so much depth that's well above replacement value, that there's got to be like an 80-90% chance of this team winning more than 88 games or so and making the playoffs. Even the things that could truly start subtracting wins probably need to happen in bunches for us to miss the playoffs. Like Zimmerman would have to go down and having to sub Tracy for a long time, 2 SP go down, AND Harper completely craters in year two.

But even if one or even two of those things happen, I still think we make the playoffs comfortably as a wildcard. Even with the WORST luck possible, we still probably win 85 games and compete until the final week or two of the season for a playoff berth. Not being a homer, I just don't see how it happens.

[NJ Ave]

And it's not like "bad luck" doesn't happen, but it's usually age disguised as bad luck. Like the Phillies were so old and so shallow last year that their injuries completely made them fall apart. The same could happen with the Yankees any of these years. But for a bunch of really young guys to suddenly get injured or forget how to play? That just doesn't usually happen.

Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden would have to show up after games with kilos to derail this train.

[wpa2629]

No, it's not. When you know you're going to suck, its easier to find successes.

Lets face it. If this team doesn't at least get to the World Series, it's a massive failure.

Losing sucks in every possible way. "Finding success" in losing seasons is what losers do.

As for expectations:
If we have a winning season, I'll be happy
If we make the playoffs, I'll be very happy
If we make it to the World Series, I'll be exstatic
If we win the World Series, I'll be over the moon

Playoffs are a total crapshoot. Expecting to get to the World Series and viewing anything less as a failure is a fool's game.

OTH: Having a losing season would be a massive failure.

I'd much rather watch a winning team and all the excitement and expectations that brings, then try and find silver linings in a losing season. I did that already. I paid my dues with 300 losses in 3 years.

I'm THRILLED to expect greatness and success, I've earned it.

[nobleisthyname]

It will be interesting how the team approaches the season. Last season they were the "dark horse" for a wild card spot but most people had them well behind the Phillies and Braves. Then they finish with the best record in baseball and have arguably the best offseason and the hype is through the roof. It's easier to play as the underdog in my opinion.

[Mr Clean]

Kilgore just tweeted Espinosa may join Team USA. I bet Davey sticks Rendon at 2b a few times in March.

[Lintyfresh85]

Kilgore just tweeted Espinosa may join Team USA. I bet Davey sticks Rendon at 2b a few times in March.

He's already on Team Mexico... so whatever Davey was planning to do won't change if Espinosa switches over to Team USA.

[Gleason2]

No, it's not. When you know you're going to suck, its easier to find successes.

Lets face it. If this team doesn't at least get to the World Series, it's a massive failure.

Stated like a true Yankees fan.

[Baseball is Life]

Losing sucks in every possible way. "Finding success" in losing seasons is what losers do.

As for expectations:
If we have a winning season, I'll be happy
If we make the playoffs, I'll be very happy
If we make it to the World Series, I'll be exstatic
If we win the World Series, I'll be over the moon

Playoffs are a total crapshoot. Expecting to get to the World Series and viewing anything less as a failure is a fool's game.

OTH: Having a losing season would be a massive failure.

I'd much rather watch a winning team and all the excitement and expectations that brings, then try and find silver linings in a losing season. I did that already. I paid my dues with 300 losses in 3 years.

I'm THRILLED to expect greatness and success, I've earned it.

Post of the week, and it's still Thursday.

[Slateman]

Not making it to the World Series would be a massive failure. It would also vindicate all those who said shutting down Strasburg was a mistake

[houston-nat]

Not making it to the World Series would be a massive failure. It would also vindicate all those who said shutting down Strasburg was a mistake

Slateman is great sometimes because he can make a post and I get to find out what all the people who think the exact opposite things as me, are thinking.

[tomterp]

Not making it to the World Series would be a massive failure. It would also vindicate all those who said shutting down Strasburg was a mistake

Hardly.  In that scenario, 2012 we don't make the WS without Stras, and 2013 we don't make the WS WITH Stras.  I'm pretty sure it proves nothing.

[Slateman]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2012/12/04/nationals-davey-johnson-world-series-or-bust-dan-haren/1747209/

"World Series or bust, that's probably the slogan this year,'' Johnson said at the winter meetings. "But I'm comfortable with that.''

So say we all

[MarquisDeSade]

Everyone here should either get laid or eat a bullet. Your choice.

[hammondsnats]

can espy stay with team mexico?   

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Everyone here should either get laid or eat a bullet. Your choice.

When you say, "eat a bullet," should that go in the food and how you cook / eat it thread?

[Vega]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2012/12/04/nationals-davey-johnson-world-series-or-bust-dan-haren/1747209/

So say we all

No. I'm not going to use a Battlestar Galactica quote.

[varoadking]

can espy stay with team mexico?   

Check with the Attorney General...he got pretty good walking things into Mejico that never came back...

[MarquisDeSade]

Check with the Attorney General...he got pretty good walking things into Mejico that never came back...