Wander Suero Appreciation Thread

[Slateman]

I'll admit it, I was wrong. Wander looks to be turning into a quality reliever. Another nice find in the Dominican by Rizzo's staff.

Since coming back at the end of July, he's pitched more than 1 inning on four separate occasions. Could we have found our Craig Stammen replacement? Is this a guy we can rely on reliever who can come in during early innings, and get 4+ outs in a game?


EDIT - If one of you jokers comes up with a more clever title, lemme know and I'll ask a mod to change it.

[Greg_SRT]

Not all who wander are lost

[Panther Modern]

Not all who wander are lost

[dcpatti]

I've always been a big fan of Suero's.  He has some really ridiculous movement on some of those pitches. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I kind of think that, in Suero and Grace, we have at least a couple of good internal bullpen developments.  I'm hoping Glover is a third.  Have those guys and Doolittle and we have the start of a nice group.

[Slateman]

I kind of think that, in Suero and Grace, we have at least a couple of good internal bullpen developments.  I'm hoping Glover is a third.  Have those guys and Doolittle and we have the start of a nice group.

I agree. It's nice to see this change. I'm also hoping Barrett can make it back

[dcpatti]

I agree. It's nice to see this change. I'm also hoping Barrett can make it back

1.97 ERA/1.10 WHIP over 14 games/13.2 innings in Auburn.  They are running out of time to send him to Potomac this year but I hope they give him at least one appearance so I can go give him a huge round of applause.

[RobDibblesGhost]

DFA him and lock this thread.

[Smithian]

It’s hard to have a “tough loss” in a meaningless season, but tonight was one.

The Nationals clearly think Suero is a high leverage reliever, and use him as such. It isn’t working. I don’t see the point to keep giving him opportunities.

I don’t like losses, but I’d be less bothered watching a less proven pitcher like Klobs or Harper work through it than Suero.

[Sirjesse]

It’s hard to have a “tough loss” in a meaningless season, but tonight was one.

The Nationals clearly think Suero is a high leverage reliever, and use him as such. It isn’t working. I don’t see the point to keep giving him opportunities.

I don’t like losses, but I’d be less bothered watching a less proven pitcher like Klobs or Harper work through it than Suero.

I wander for how much longer?

[Chelsea_Phil]

Suero is a bum who needs to be DFA'ed, plain and simple.  Tired of his messing wins up with his horrible pitching.

[Section214]

Suero, Clay AND Machado all need to be DFA'd.. Are there enough arms in the minors? This is what actual, horrible teams look like huh.. This is hard.

[Smithian]

I think last night was first time I've ever seen at Nationals Park when there was audible booing and a collective groan when a reliever came out. I've been there a lot of time when people cringed at a Barraclough, Henry Rodriguez, Brad Lidge, but Suero is new. Just unpleasant.

It just sucked. Hard to have a fun game in a lost season. But the strong Nationals debut of our most prized pitching prospect, Zimmerman getting the late inning hit, could have been a fun night. Wander Suero came in and everyone knew it was over. I would have known it was over had he come in with the bases empty.

Keeping Wander Suero on roster is the type of intentional tank job that just kills fan bases.

[aspenbubba]

Those reading this thread should look at the very first post.

[Duke of Earl]

He  should wander in the desert for 40 years.

[Mattionals]

I think last night was first time I've ever seen at Nationals Park when there was audible booing and a collective groan when a reliever came out. I've been there a lot of time when people cringed at a Barraclough, Henry Rodriguez, Brad Lidge, but Suero is new. Just unpleasant.

It just sucked. Hard to have a fun game in a lost season. But the strong Nationals debut of our most prized pitching prospect, Zimmerman getting the late inning hit, could have been a fun night. Wander Suero came in and everyone knew it was over. I would have known it was over had he come in with the bases empty.

Keeping Wander Suero on roster is the type of intentional tank job that just kills fan bases.

Dude is Doug Slaten. I hated any time that bum came in. I feel like the Nats should cut bait with any of these guys who don't fit the "new look Nats". I realize that AAA has Tanner Rainey who needs to be down there to work on stuff, and ZERO actual prospects. Maybe just call up Aaron Barrett to take Suero's place? I liked Voth before he exploded, but maybe his success was "sticky stuff"? Seriously, is there anybody in Harrisburg that deserves a promotion straight to the bigs?

[zimm_da_kid]

He will lead us past the Rockies for the 8th pick!  Rockies idiotically kept story and gray on expiring contracts.  Meanwhile we have our trusty tank commanders wander suero and Samuel clay!

[Section214]

I think last night was first time I've ever seen at Nationals Park when there was audible booing and a collective groan when a reliever came out. I've been there a lot of time when people cringed at a Barraclough, Henry Rodriguez, Brad Lidge, but Suero is new. Just unpleasant.

It just sucked. Hard to have a fun game in a lost season. But the strong Nationals debut of our most prized pitching prospect, Zimmerman getting the late inning hit, could have been a fun night. Wander Suero came in and everyone knew it was over. I would have known it was over had he come in with the bases empty.

Keeping Wander Suero on roster is the type of intentional tank job that just kills fan bases.

This is a good way to put it. I was there last night with no real "let's win this one" expectations. Beautiful night at the park. Great to watch Gray and then even seeing Thompson was exciting. Stevenson hits one out, Zimm with the big hit, everything is going well... Suero up in the pen, ballgame. Completely deflating. He's gotta go.

[UMDNats]

I'd rather watch a young prospect struggle and try to figure it out than watch a 30-year-old Suero phone it in on a daily basis.

[Natsinpwc]

He will lead us past the Rockies for the 8th pick!  Rockies idiotically kept story and gray on expiring contracts.  Meanwhile we have our trusty tank commanders wander suero and Samuel clay!

Onward and upward.  Or downward. 

[aspenbubba]

Sent down

[Chelsea_Phil]

Good riddance, scrub.

[spidernat]

Sent down

not enough of a demotion 

[welch]

A new era for Nationals, Suero

It’s rebuilding season in Washington. That means it’s development season. It’s also the time of year for the Nationals to figure out if the roles they would like the members of their current roster to play in the future.

As you watch games over the next two months, it’s important to keep that in mind. There’s a good chance you’ll see something you don’t like.

You already saw one such thing Monday night. Martinez brought veteran Wander Suero into the ninth inning with a one-run lead after rookie Gabe Klobosits, who pitched a perfect eighth inning, put two runners on without retiring a batter in the frame. Suero promptly melted down. After throwing Jean Segura a cutter at eye-level, then evening the count with a called strike in the lower third of the zone, he elevated another cut fastball that Segura was able to shoot into the right-center field gap for a game-tying double off the wall.

Suero didn’t rebound well. The Nationals intentionally walked Bryce Harper, then let Suero attempt to retire cleanup hitter J.T. Realmuto. Two runs scored on Realmuto’s single and a third scored on an inning-ending double play.

It was Suero’s second consecutive game blowing a save. The outing extended a bad stretch. He had given up 17 earned runs in his last 13 innings. Batters had hit him at a .334/.409/.702 clip. Since the stretch began on June 28, he had inherited five runners and allowed four to score.

Yet Martinez stuck with him, hoping as he has since he became manager in 2018 that Suero would feel as confident in his stuff as Martinez did. Martinez even said in the days after the Nationals traded their top back-end relievers last week that he wanted to see Suero establish himself as a reliable ninth-inning option. Throughout his career, Suero had typically only filled such a role when injuries or availability left Martinez without more solid options.

“These guys are gonna get an opportunity to do some things that they probably haven’t done before,” Martinez reiterated Monday night. “We gotta see what they can do.”

For the time being, Suero won’t do anything at the major-league level. He was demoted to Triple-A Rochester in the hours after Monday’s loss. Martinez told him to work on throwing strikes, particularly at the start of at-bats. Suero has thrown a first-pitch strike 56 percent of the time this year, 6 percentage points below the career-best first-pitch strike rate he posted last season.

Martinez also asked him to learn to use his secondary pitches — a changeup he throws about 16 percent of the time and a curveball he flashes about 7 percent of the time — more effectively.

“He throws the changeup a little bit harder than we want him to throw it,” Martinez said. “We want him to throw it a little softer. We talked about his curveball, being more consistent with his curveball and learning how to throw it in situations when he’s gonna succeed.”

Suero could have worked out his issues in the major leagues because the Nationals are not actively competing for playoff position. But the Nationals decided the pressure wasn’t doing Suero any good.

Getting in a groove is important for Suero. He turns 30 in mid-September and will be eligible for a raise through arbitration for the first time this winter. If he can’t show the Nationals he is capable of filling a back-end role with any consistency, the team might decide it is time to move on from the pitcher they signed at 18 years old out of the Dominican Republic in 2010.

https://theathletic.com/2750825/2021/08/04/nationals-notes-carter-kiebooms-best-swing-of-the-year-wander-sueros-future-and-more/

[English Natsie]

I wonder if he will go for a wander, at season's end?...