Michael Taylor superstar

[sph274]

Werth come become a DH on an AL team

yea, we would have to pay most of that salary though. to a certain extent it is sunk cash anyway. who would be looking for someone like werth as a dh next year?

[Truconfidence]

I would certainly work hard to get Span to re-sign at a rational price. Our white whale has performed as advertised. Taylor can take Werth's place as he declines.

How? Span is going to want 3-4 years. I don't see us doing that. QO is going to be 16-18 probably for an outfielder. No way you pay that much just to keep Span. He is gone.

[sph274]

How? Span is going to want 3-4 years. I don't see us doing that. QO is going to be 16-18 probably for an outfielder. No way you pay that much just to keep Span. He is gone.

it was $14.1 mil last year, an 800,000 dollar increase. So it will rpob be around 15 million. that may be too much for Span, but considering it is only a year and Werth could be done soon, I dont see why not. He prob declines it, and f he doesnt, we are already clearing loads of salary.

[blue911]

it was $14.1 mil last year, an 800,000 dollar increase. So it will rpob be around 15 million. that may be too much for Span, but considering it is only a year and Werth could be done soon, I dont see why not. He prob declines it, and f he doesnt, we are already clearing loads of salary.

Last year was $15.3M

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/players-to-reject-the-qualifying-offer.html

[Optics]

I don't see us keeping Span. Some team is going to massively overpay for his services. I mean you just don't find .300 hitting lefties who play Gold Glove caliber defense at CF very often. And Rizzo has shown he is not afraid to tell guys who demand too much "thanks, but no thanks".

I'd like to keep him, and have Taylor play more rotationally next year(subbing in for Werth or Span based on rest/matchups)before eventually sliding him into LF once Werth's contract is up, but I think the plan is clearly for Taylor to be full time CF next year.

[KV]

you're right.... .300 hitting lefty leadoff man- Gold Glove center fielders don't grow on trees.  That's why I would argue that you consider paying him accordingly.  Not a crazy A-Rod contract..... but a fair or higher-than-fair 3 to 4 year offer that respects what he's done here.  Taylor is a nice player, but I'd rather have him here to replace Werth in a year or two.  Losing Span makes the team worse.

[Truconfidence]

If you sign Span to 3-4 years you trade Taylor. Werth has 2 years left. Taylor isn't going to get enough ABs to develop into a regular unless he plays 4 to 5 times a week. Look at Souza now he is in his 1st year as a regular.

[Smithian]

I would let Span walk. Let Taylor play.

The Nats should have a noticeably lower payroll next year. If Taylor bombs then Nats could very easily pick up a solid outfielder through a trade, either corner or center. Bryce can move to center if the corner bat is strong enough. Every year you see bad teams trying to move bats and willing to take back limited talent if they can clear most of the salary.

[varoadking]

So, a question on QO's.

If the Nats offer one to Span, how long does he have before he has to decide if he takes it? 

If he declines, can he later accept it after no other team signs him?  Does that offer ever go away. 

Can't remember what happened with ALR...I know he strung Rizzo out for a long time.

[Clever]

I think there's a window of a couple days where they can decide before they are eligible to sign with another team.

Last winter the Rockies offered one to thirty-six year old Michael Cuddyer who had played in 49 games last season. He chose to decline the QO when he learned that the Mets would be willing to give up the draft pick to sign him. 

[whytev]

So, a question on QO's.

If the Nats offer one to Span, how long does he have before he has to decide if he takes it? 

If he declines, can he later accept it after no other team signs him?  Does that offer ever go away. 

Can't remember what happened with ALR...I know he strung Rizzo out for a long time.

It's like a week or something, during which you aren't allowed to negotiate with other teams.  You have to take it, or risk setting yourself free.

ALR did turn it down, which made him worth a draft pick, which then caused him to dither all winter and ultimately come back for a different offer.

[BrandonK]

I miss the old type A & B compensation. Better for both players and former clubs. I think Span would take the $15M

[HalfSmokes]

I miss the old type A & B compensation. Better for both players and former clubs. I think Span would take the $15M

It really screwed relievers

[Lintyfresh85]

Bryce isn't good enough to play CF lets be real. He's becoming a darn good corner OF. Don't rock the boat.

[BrandonK]

It really screwed relievers

That's true, but you don't think the current market for relievers would alleviate that? Or make the equation value IP, so only top arms equal Type A?

[blue911]

Bryce isn't good enough to play CF lets be real. He's becoming a darn good corner OF. Don't rock the boat.

This

[Count Walewski]

Taylor is doing well in the majors after a slow start but I'm not sure he can replace what Span brings to the table. He seems like he makes a lot less contact, for one.

[BeltwayBaseball]

Yunel is possibly next year's leadoff man, unless Michael Taylor turns 1/3 of his strikeouts into walks or improves his BA. As for his glove, Michael probably has better legs under him but he I hope he's studying under Span's tutelage when it comes to glovework and routes taken. We are likely to be a worse club one way or another next year, with Jordan Zimmerman and Doug Fister possibly both being replaced (Roark and Cole, Taylor Jordan, maybe Treinen if he can finally iron out a third pitch), and the Trea Turner era being probably a good year away, early 2017ish. On a related side note, the way Werth is performing right now, it's possible he has officially entered the "albatross years".

We will probably still be a championship caliber club next year, Rizzo makes a couple moves to even things out a bit, but instead we'll face genuine competition from the Mets/Marlins (if they make moves) and we'll be "championship caliber" like the Mariners are supposed to be this year, not the 2013-15 Nats have been. If October goes well none of this really matters.

2018 Nats lineup:
Turner
Difo
Rendon
Harper
Zim
Taylor
Ramos (assume he's resigned, Rizzo seems to love him)
Mystery LF (trade/FA)

That's pretty damn good looking to me. Rotation could be Scherzer/Giolito/Roark/Cole/Jordan without a single addition and it'd be damn good. Bullpen featuring whoever doesn't make it (Reynaldo Lopez, Erick Fedde) and the 2018 Nats look like big time contenders once again. It's just gonna be 2016-17 that is a tad murky (a Yuni-Espi infield, Taylor still adjusting to CF, increasingly unproductive unbenchable $20m Werth).

[ZimW1N]

That's pretty damn good looking to me. Rotation could be Scherzer/Giolito/Roark/Cole/Jordan without a single addition and it'd be damn good. Bullpen featuring whoever doesn't make it (Reynaldo Lopez, Erick Fedde) and the 2018 Nats look like big time contenders once again. It's just gonna be 2016-17 that is a tad murky (a Yuni-Espi infield, Taylor still adjusting to CF, increasingly unproductive unbenchable $20m Werth).

No Joe Ross?

[Ray D]

Werth could become a DH on an AL team

If you take all of the old, decrepit players who can no longer play a position, that people suggest could go to the AL and DH -  if they all went to the AL to DH -- every AL team would have five  DHs.

[sph274]

If you take all of the old, decrepit players who can no longer play a position, that people suggest could go to the AL and DH -  if they all went to the AL to DH -- every AL team would have five  DHs.

also,its not like he is knocking the cover off the ball but just cant field anymore. hes reaching the point where he just sucks. if he is bad all year, we will have to pay his freight to trade him, he is too old for teams to hope for a turnaround and give up anything real. we all knew this was a possibility, it may soon be upon us. but we will have rendon and harper so it will all be ok

[blue911]

also,its not like he is knocking the cover off the ball but just cant field anymore. hes reaching the point where he just sucks. if he is bad all year, we will have to pay his freight to trade him, he is too old for teams to hope for a turnaround and give up anything real. we all knew this was a possibility, it may soon be upon us. but we will have rendon and harper so it will all be ok

Last two weeks he has an OPS of .910 with an OBP > .400. Doesn't sound like he's ready to visit the upstate farm.

[Smithian]

also,its not like he is knocking the cover off the ball but just cant field anymore. hes reaching the point where he just sucks. if he is bad all year, we will have to pay his freight to trade him, he is too old for teams to hope for a turnaround and give up anything real. we all knew this was a possibility, it may soon be upon us. but we will have rendon and harper so it will all be ok

He has started badly this season but has had the second best WAR on the team both of the last two seasons, by Fangraphs number.

One of the Nats bloggers made the point over the offseason had Werth put up his 2012-2014 numbers on another team and the Nats over the offseason had signed him to a 3 year, $63 million contract it wouldn't be viewed that terribly for a contending team.

Werth has been doing a bit better last couple weeks. Raised his batting average up above the mendoza line. Unless he is still sitting at 2011 Werth numbers in July and August, I'm not worried.

[BeltwayBaseball]

No Joe Ross?

They've gotta do something with Jordan, if they don't slot him in they have to trade him, he was supposed to be "major league ready." In which case, I suppose Joe Ross would be the next guy up.

[whytev]

also,its not like he is knocking the cover off the ball but just cant field anymore. hes reaching the point where he just sucks. if he is bad all year, we will have to pay his freight to trade him, he is too old for teams to hope for a turnaround and give up anything real. we all knew this was a possibility, it may soon be upon us. but we will have rendon and harper so it will all be ok

He has a clause, no?