Bryce Harper 2018 and beyond

[mitlen]

Well, not to go all ZDK on this, but if we did sign Bryce, then you trade Rendon and Eaton or Robles.  You can win with Michael A in center if you get your steady offense from other positions and just expect defense with  occasional SBs and some HRs from him as a #8 or #9 hitter.

I'd be for (too late now) tradin' Bryce and keepin' Eaton, Rendon and Robles.     Let him walk and use the money to supply some of the parts we need.

[UMDNats]

The farewell tour from MASN basically tells me adios. Enjoy Chicago or Philly, Bryce. Thanks for the mems.

[Panther Modern]

The farewell tour from MASN basically tells me adios. Enjoy Chicago or Philly, Bryce. Thanks for the mems.

RIP Harper.

[dcpatti]

The farewell tour from MASN basically tells me adios. Enjoy Chicago or Philly, Bryce. Thanks for the mems.

MASN would be stupid not to run their farewell tour before the season ends.  Everyone actually wants to watch it now, but if you wait till after he makes his decision, either he stays and this coverage becomes an afterthought, or he leaves and half the fans won't watch the footage because they're pissed off at him while the other half won't watch because they're too busy saying Good Riddance.

[Slateman]

Well, not to go all ZDK on this, but if we did sign Bryce, then you trade Rendon and Eaton or Robles.  You can win with Michael A in center if you get your steady offense from other positions and just expect defense with  occasional SBs and some HRs from him as a #8 or #9 hitter.

Who plays third?  I mean, trading Rendon likely frees up 14 million.

[Ray D]

What is the "MASN farewell tour"?  I missed it.

[Slateman]

What is the "MASN farewell tour"?  I missed it.

Pumping Harp's last home stand

[Ray D]

MASN would be stupid not to run their farewell tour before the season ends.  Everyone actually wants to watch it now, but if you wait till after he makes his decision, either he stays and this coverage becomes an afterthought, or he leaves and half the fans won't watch the footage because they're pissed off at him while the other half won't watch because they're too busy saying Good Riddance.

Then why run it at all?   If he stays then it was a waste of time.  If he leaves, how does MASN benefit from having run it?

[mitlen]

Then why run it at all?   If he stays then it was a waste of time.  If he leaves, how does MASN benefit from having run it?

They benefit when people watch whether it's a waste of time or not.

[dcpatti]

Then why run it at all?   If he stays then it was a waste of time.  If he leaves, how does MASN benefit from having run it?

Because running it right now means clicks and page views and people making an extra effort to watch one more game on MASN and all those other things that advertisers love.

[varoadking]

Is there a link to this?

Sorry I didn't do my own research... 

[mitlen]

Because running it right now means clicks and page views and people making an extra effort to watch one more game on MASN and all those other things that advertisers love.

Zactly.    It's about the money.

[imref]

Who plays third?  I mean, trading Rendon likely frees up 14 million.

Eaton is the odd man out.  You keep Taylor as OF4, and trade Eaton for a bullpen arm.   We don't need him if Robles. is leading off and playing CF.

[DPMOmaha]

I say sign Harper and teach Eaton to play 2B.

[Slateman]

Eaton is the odd man out.  You keep Taylor as OF4, and trade Eaton for a bullpen arm.   We don't need him if Robles. is leading off and playing CF.

Taylor is a terrible 4th OFer, as he struggles off the bench.

Asking Robles to lead off is asking for a disaster.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Who plays third?  I mean, trading Rendon likely frees up 14 million.

you either get a make do guy for 2d or 3d, and count of Carter Kieboom.  Alternatively, you deal Rendon to a club that might be able to use him to get over the top for a year and maybe get a 2d/3d prospect back in the deal. 

[dcpatti]

I say sign Harper and teach Eaton to play 2B.

Eaton is a lefty. Lefties can't play 2B because they will have a hard time setting up the throw to 1B for a double play.  And Eaton is too short to play 1B (Rendon, bless him, would have quite a few more errors if Zim wasn't tall enough and quick enough to snag some of that air mail from 3B).  So stick Eaton and Soto on the corners, Victor in CF and Bryce on 1B.

[DPMOmaha]

Eaton is a lefty. Lefties can't play 2B because they will have a hard time setting up the throw to 1B for a double play.  And Eaton is too short to play 1B (Rendon, bless him, would have quite a few more errors if Zim wasn't tall enough and quick enough to snag some of that air mail from 3B).  So stick Eaton and Soto on the corners, Victor in CF and Bryce on 1B.

I mean, I'm not serious about putting Eaton at 2B...

But Zim's gonna play. If for some reason he wasn't, I'd actually put Soto at 1B. Or maybe he can learn 2nd instead of Eaton. (I'm about 8.4% serious with this comment.)

[GburgNatsFan]

Yeah, MAT either plays a lot or we trade him to someone that would play him a lot.

Taylor is a terrible 4th OFer, as he struggles off the bench.

Asking Robles to lead off is asking for a disaster.

[dcpatti]

I mean, I'm not serious about putting Eaton at 2B...

But Zim's gonna play. If for some reason he wasn't, I'd actually put Soto at 1B. Or maybe he can learn 2nd instead of Eaton. (I'm about 8.4% serious with this comment.)

Zim's definitely going to play, but someone's going to get a game or two a week over there, maybe more. If nothing else, for the afternoon-game-after-a-night-game.  And someone's going to have to play there in 2020 unless Zim and the Nats work out a modification to his current contract, because there's no way the Nats are going to pick up his current option.

[DPMOmaha]

Oh, I don't know about that. I think it's more likely that he's playing in DC than not in 2020. If we're talking about a night or two off a week, I'm not sure you don't go out and look for another Adam Lind or Matt Adams.

[Ray D]

Eaton is a lefty. Lefties can't play 2B because they will have a hard time setting up the throw to 1B for a double play.

More than a hard time, he'd have to be a contortionist. I cannot think of a left handed major league second baseman in the past 100 years. 

(For that matter, I cannot think of a left handed shortstop, third baseman, or catcher, although they don't have the same issues. You'll find left handed shortstops, third basemen, and even catchers, in high school. You won't find second basemen. Well someone here probably has seen one, I haven't.)

[dcpatti]

Oh, I don't know about that. I think it's more likely that he's playing in DC than not in 2020. If we're talking about a night or two off a week, I'm not sure you don't go out and look for another Adam Lind or Matt Adams.

2020 is a club option on Zim with an $18 million price tag. I could definitely see the Nats giving him 2 more years or maybe even 3 at a lower AAV (and I can see Zim taking a lower AAV for more years), but I can't see the Nats giving him one year at $18 million, not with the steady stream of cost-effective free agents that can play a capable first base and produce well at the plate.

[blue911]

More than a hard time, he'd have to be a contortionist. I cannot think of a left handed major league second baseman in the past 100 years. 

(For that matter, I cannot think of a left handed shortstop, third baseman, or catcher, although they don't have the same issues. You'll find left handed shortstops, third basemen, and even catchers, in high school. You won't find second basemen. Well someone here probably has seen one, I haven't.)

Don Mattingly played second for an inning or so in the early eighties.

[bluestreak]

Don Mattingly played second for an inning or so in the early eighties.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/10835.html