2019 lineup as constructed today

[varoadking]

That outfield looks serviceable if we can find a good second baseman.  If Harper does end up back here, then the second base situation is probably serviceable, and we can turn Eaton into some pitching and/or 2b pieces.  The line-up as-is is probably not good enough.

So you honestly believe that there is any chance in hell that Harper could be back here next year?

[sixthree175]

So you honestly believe that there is any chance in hell that Harper could be back here next year?

Only if he can play 2nd base.  Eaton is under team control for three more years -- not sure how much is gained by displacing him with Harper.

[Expos]

Starters:

C - Yan Gomes
1B - Ryan Zimmerman
2B- ?
3B - Anthony Rendon
SS - Trea Turner
LF - Juan Soto
CF - Victor Robles
RF - Adam Eaton

Bench:

2B - Howie Kendrick
IF- Wilmer Difo
1B- Matt Adams
OF- Michael Taylor
C- Kurt Suzuki

Rotation:

1- Max Scherzer
2- Patrick Corbin
3- Stephen Strasburg
4- Anibal Sanchez
5- Joe Ross / Erick Fedde

Pen:

Sean Doolittle
Trevor Rosenthal
Kyle Barraclough
Matt Grace
Justin Miller
Wander Suero
-------------
Tanner Rainey
Koda Glover
Sammy Solis

All that's left is a 2B. We are linked to DJ Lemathieu.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Give me Dozier for 2B on a 1 year bounce-back deal and sign a Hellickson-like vet to add SP depth.  That would then give us 3 elite guys, Sanchez to boost the middle, and 3 guys to mix in for the last spot and fill in for injuries.  You want 7-8 guys you feel ok with having in your rotation.

[imref]

thinking about our 2019 projected starters, without actually looking up any data

2018 - 2019
C: Wieters - Gomes/Suzuki - guessing a +2 win improvement?
1B: Zimmerman - Zimmerman - probably no change
2B: Murphy - Difo/Kendrick - yeah, we need an upgrade here - probably a 1-2 loss change?
SS; Turner - Turner - no change
3B: Rendon - Rendon - No change
RF: Harper - Eaton - ~1 loss  change
CF: Taylor - Robles - +2 win improvement
LF: Eaton - Soto - +2 win improvement

So, back of the napkin:  6 wins. - 2-3 losses = 3 win improvement?

WRT to the rotation, bullpen, I'm guessing Corbin and Sanchez are a combined 2 win improvement over Gio/Roark, so that puts us at 5 additional wins.

Now if only we can do something about second base.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

well, if you look at actual playing time, Murphy was only a starter for something like 2 months. But, Soto was here for most of the year, so it is hard to see him improving by 2 wins.  So, big anticipated upgrades should be in CF and C, with something of a downgrade in RF, and the biggest remaining opportunity for an upgrade being 2B and possibly the last rotation spot.

[Expos]

Looking good! Harper would look good in the middle of that lineup.

1- RF Adam Eaton
2- SS Trea Turner
3- LF Juan Soto
4- 1B Ryan Zimmerman
5- 3B Anthony Rendon
6- C Yan Gomes
7- 2B Brian Dozier
8- CF Victor Robles 

Bench:

2B - Howie Kendrick
IF- Wilmer Difo 
1B- Matt Adams
OF- Michael Taylor 
C- Kurt Suzuki

Rotation:

1- Max Scherzer
2- Patrick Corbin
3- Stephen Strasburg
4- Anibal Sanchez
5- Joe Ross / Erick Fedde

Pen:

Sean Doolittle
Trevor Rosenthal
Kyle Barraclough
Matt Grace
Justin Miller
Wander Suero
-------------
Tanner Rainey
Koda Glover
Sammy Solis

[rileyn]

RF Eaton
SS Turner
LF Soto
3B Rendon
1B Zimm/Adams
2B Dozier
C Suzuki/Gomes
CF Robles

[phil219]

If Harper re-signs, I assume Eaton would go:

1) Turner
2) Harper
3) Rendon
4) Soto
5) Zimmerman
6) Dozier
7) Gomes
Robles

sick.

[imref]

especially if Robles can move quickly to the top of the lineup

[sixthree175]

If Harper re-signs, I assume Eaton would go:

1) Turner
2) Harper
3) Rendon
4) Soto
5) Zimmerman
6) Dozier
7) Gomes
Robles

sick.

Eaton should be 100% healthy by now.  Can't get rid of him unless you get something good in return.  If Harper stays, Eaton stays and MAT would go, even if it means getting almost nothing in return, which is likely. 
 

[hotshot]

Expos, wouldn't bat Zim cleanup under any circumstances.

[DCFan]

Expos, wouldn't bat Zim cleanup under any circumstances.

Neither will the Nats.

[nfotiu]

If Harper re-signs, I assume Eaton would go:

1) Turner
2) Harper
3) Rendon
4) Soto
5) Zimmerman
6) Dozier
7) Gomes
Robles

sick.

If Harper re-signs, I assume Eaton would go:

1) Turner
2) Harper
3) Rendon
4) Soto
5) Zimmerman
6) Dozier
7) Gomes
Robles

sick.

especially if Robles can move quickly to the top of the lineup

That's a good point.  There's a few truths the Nats need to accept if they are going to be successful.  Daniel Murphy is not a 2nd baseman anymore, Turner is not a lead off hitter and Harper is not a center fielder.  Murphy is taken care of.  I hope the other 2 are understood and can only happen in case of emergency.

[Expos]

Expos, wouldn't bat Zim cleanup under any circumstances.

Probably not.

Problem is we don't have a prototypical cleanup hitter. Harper was never good there. Rendon rakes at #5 or #6. Maybe Soto? Or Dozier?

1- CF Eaton
2- SS Turner
3- RF Harper
4- 2B Dozier
5- LF Soto
6- 3B Rendon
7- 1B Zimmerman
8- C Gomes


                 

                       

[bluestreak]

Probably not.

Problem is we don't have a prototypical cleanup hitter. Harper was never good there. Rendon rakes at #5 or #6. Maybe Soto? Or Dozier?

1- RF Eaton
2- SS Turner
3- LF Harper
4- 2B Dozier
5- LF Soto
6- 3B Rendon
7- 1B Zimmerman
8- C Gomes


                 

                       

You need a CF. This outfield leaves a bit to be desired defensively. And I think Soto would be fine in cleanup.

[Expos]

You need a CF. This outfield leaves a bit to be desired defensively. And I think Soto would be fine in cleanup.

My bad. Eaton would be in CF in that scenerio

[imref]

My bad. Eaton would be in CF in that scenerio

That might be worse than Harper.

[GburgNatsFan]

You need a CF. This outfield leaves a bit to be desired defensively. And I think Soto would be fine in cleanup.

Might be wrong to put a 20 year old 2nd year guy at cleanup, but he doesn't seem like the type to get flustered.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

That might be worse than Harper.

Yea, can't play Eaton or Harper in CF other than maybe a rare pinch of a situation.  We are going to give Robles the chance with MAT as Plan B.  Soto in entrenched in LF.  That means as of now Eaton is the RF, and if we sign Harper, then Eaton is gone. 

[sixthree175]

Yea, can't play Eaton or Harper in CF other than maybe a rare pinch of a situation.  We are going to give Robles the chance with MAT as Plan B.  Soto in entrenched in LF.  That means as of now Eaton is the RF, and if we sign Harper, then Eaton is gone.

No, Eaton is not gone -- MAT is gone. MAT can't hit and Eaton is under control for one additional year.  Harper or Eaton can play back-up center field.  Not ideal, but it's better than the alternative.
Note: Eaton should be back to normal speed now, so he can probably cover center field without too much heartburn.

[aBaltoNat]

I have to say, even without Harper, im looking forward to watching them every night come April.

[Greg_SRT]

I have to say, even without Harper, im looking forward to watching them every night come April.

Definitely I like the roster top to bottom.

[Elvir Ovcina]

No, Eaton is not gone -- MAT is gone. MAT can't hit and Eaton is under control for one additional year.  Harper or Eaton can play back-up center field.  Not ideal, but it's better than the alternative.
Note: Eaton should be back to normal speed now, so he can probably cover center field without too much heartburn.

Eaton can't play CF.  He was well below average at it when he was 3 years younger than he is now, before an ACL tear and whatever crap he did to his ankle.   By some metrics, he was a worse CF at 26 than Harper was last year.  The eye test comported with that.  Or, another way to look at it: he was such a great CF in 2015 that the White Sox, after playing him for 145 games there and not particularly thinking of contending, signed a free agent CF that offseason and moved Eaton to right.

Hell, he was barely passable in the corners last year.  Four months of rest isn't magically going to make him a healthy 23-year-old.  At the very best, he's a 30-year-old version of a guy who was marginal in CF two leg surgeries and four years ago.  Yech.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Taylor and the Nats are $250K apart ($3.5MM v. $3.25MM) in their arbitration filings.  I can't believe they will not split the difference, but you wonder if the Nats might move both him and Eaton were Harper to sign and just go with Stevenson as the back up CF either in DC or in Fresno (available if there's an injury).  you have Adams and Kendrick on the roster as back up corner OFs with Harper the nominal backup in CF, Difo and one C on the bench, and then perhaps Stevenson or another IF/C as the last bench slot, with the option to run 8 relievers  in the bullpen at times if the pen is tired.