2018-2019 Offseason Moves

[UMDNats]

First piece of news from our team regarding the offseason IMO:

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1047560781577969666

#Nationals did not renew contract of assistant GM Bob Miller, sources tell The Athletic. Team plans to fill the position.

Miller is the executive who put his 2001 World Series ring up for auction to raise money for his colleague, Doug Harris, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia.

I liked last year how we had one place for a ton of discussion about the offseason and rumors/random talk. Mods, feel free to delete but wanted to start something. I made this thread in like August but you locked it

[DPMOmaha]

Bob Miller, Mike Rizzo's right-hand man, will not be back next season. Team did not renew his deal, according to a person familiar with the situation. @Ken_Rosenthal mentioned this first.

Miller was the Nats' rules guru, the brains behind the Trea Turner/Joe Ross deal. One of the few execs to travel with the team almost everywhere. Also donated his World Series ring to raise money for fellow AGM Doug Harris's cancer treatment.

Wonder why he's not coming back? Seems like a strange deal here.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I think we can have a general thread, and, if there's a big story line, then break it out. 

If we sign Keuchel or Corbin, then they get their own threads once there is something solid.  Bryce discussion gets its own thread.  5th starter picked up in February?  Probably not.

[Ray D]

Fifth starter deserves a thread.

[HalfSmokes]

Fifth starter deserves a thread.

Do we have a third? That probably should get a thread too

[aspenbubba]

Do we have a third? That probably should get a thread too

Anticipating Archer, Corbin or Keuchel

[dcpatti]

Anticipating Archer, Corbin or Keuchel

I wouldn’t expect the Pirates to give up Archer this winter. Mayyyyybe at the trade deadline if the return is good. But more likely they hang on to him at least till mid 2020. They gave up a lot to get him. They also have a knack for taking fringey pitchers and turning them into studs, so he may be expensive when they finally do move him.

[imref]

Zuck looks at off-season needs:

http://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2018/10/looking-at-the-nationals-positions-of-need-this-winter.html

[Smithian]

Zuck looks at off-season needs:

http://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2018/10/looking-at-the-nationals-positions-of-need-this-winter.html

I agree with Zuck on second base. Difo didn't rise to the occasion and Kieboom is too far away to pencil in. I hate the second base market, especially since I don't see Rockies letting LeMahieu walk. I would like to see the Nationals offer Brian Dozier a "get right" contract.  The market is terrible and a year from today they can either try to go long term with him or reevaluate with another year of monitoring in house options.

At catcher, they have to let Wieters walk unless he wants to stay as a backup for a very low dollar amount. I don't get chuffed about catchers. Not many teams invest highly in them and end up happy. I would like a reunion with Ramos. Lucroy wouldn't be so bad.

I'd like to resign Matt Adams and declare he and Zim a platoon from day one. Those guys platoon splits are massive. Zimmerman absolutely crushes lefties, Adams destroys righties. Adams would also be good insurance in the OF if there was some injuries.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Jed Lowrie is a nice temporary piece at 2d while waiting for Kieboom.

[UMDNats]

Jed Lowrie is a nice temporary piece at 2d while waiting for Kieboom.

Plus a backup to Rendon. I wonder how much he'd cost.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

He's coming off a contract that paid him ~$6MM a year (IIRC), but it was multi-year.

[Slateman]

Plus a backup to Rendon. I wonder how much he'd cost.

24+ million?

[Slateman]

He's coming off a contract that paid him ~$6MM a year (IIRC), but it was multi-year.

3 years/ 23 million

[Ray D]

I'd like to resign Matt Adams and declare he and Zim a platoon from day one.

I'd love that.  Ain't gonna happen though. Would piss Zimmerman off too much. Gotta keep him happy you know.  (Why, I don't know.)

[Slateman]

I'd love that.  Ain't gonna happen though. Would piss Zimmerman off too much. Gotta keep him happy you know.  (Why, I don't know.)

You dont pay someone 18 million to be the short end if a platoon.

Zim OPS'd .911 in the second half. Adams isnt close to that level of production, even against RHP only.

[Expos]

Jed Lowrie is a nice temporary piece at 2d while waiting for Kieboom.

Good call. Rendon, Turner, Lowrie and Kendrick would give us a versatile group of infielders.

I'd be a bit wary of giving Lowrie big money as it seems he had his best year in a contract year but he would be a nice piece to add.

[Ray D]

You dont pay someone 18 million to be the short end if a platoon.

Oh that's a load of horsecrap and I'm tired of hearing "you don't pay x  y dollars to do z".  Yeah, you wouldn't go sign someone and pay him 18 million for that. We're stuck with him, he's getting 18M no matter how he is used. If they decide how he is used based on his pay they're  fools.

[Natsinpwc]

Oh that's a load of horsecrap and I'm tired of hearing "you don't pay x  y dollars to do z".  Yeah, you wouldn't go sign someone and pay him 18 million for that. We're stuck with him, he's getting 18M no matter how he is used. If they decide how he is used based on his pay they're  fools.

Plus we know he will miss a significant chunk of the season due to injury.

[bluestreak]

Oh that's a load of horsecrap and I'm tired of hearing "you don't pay x  y dollars to do z".  Yeah, you wouldn't go sign someone and pay him 18 million for that. We're stuck with him, he's getting 18M no matter how he is used. If they decide how he is used based on his pay they're  fools.

Baseball teams don't understand the concept of sunk costs. That being said Zim had an OPS of .900 second half of last year. So you could say, you don't platoon someone that is hitting as well as Zimmerman did at the end of this year.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

My vote is for Grandal at catcher.

At 2B, I like the idea of signing Dozier short-term at a major discount and hoping he bounces back.  Groom Kieboom to take over.

[Ray D]

Baseball teams don't understand the concept of sunk costs. That being said Zim had an OPS of .900 second half of last year. So you could say, you don't platoon someone that is hitting as well as Zimmerman did at the end of this year.

Sure, it's reasonable to argue based on merit that he should not be platooned.   

And I don't really believe that baseball people don't understand the concept of sunk costs. Baseball people are smart.  They're obstinate too.  Often too obstinate to admit they made a mistake.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

I doubt Zim is going to go on a strict platoon where he sits against all righties.  The "short-side" of a platoon.  I do think we'll find another Lind/Adams LH 1B/LF on the cheap, and they will get quite a few starts against righties and also will fill in when Zim does ikely make a DL stint. 

I wonder if Harper would resist moving to 1B if we did bring him back?  He could play 1B some versus signing a LH bat, and we could keep Eaton and basically have a 5-man platoon for 4 spots between the OF and 1B.  Then Harper could potentially transition full-time to 1B when Zim walks after next season.  He's not a plus defender in the OF, and it would ease wear and tear on his body and potentially lenghen his career and earnings potential. 

[Natsinpwc]

They are going to sign Harper and then go cheap on the rest of the vacancies. Lerners believe in star power.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If I were Zim's agent, I'd be telling him he's looking at $25MM over the next 2 years, with the last year liekely being someplace other than DC.  That's $18MM, a $2MM buyout, and a $5MM free agent contract somewhere in 2020.  Facing that, I'd try to get the Nats to agree to $30MM for 2019-2021, maybe with an option for 2022 and a buyout.  Lower his AAV to help the team, and get to stay in DC.  It bites him if he has a year like 2017 next year, but otherwise, he gets decent money and stays in town.