Change of plans - At what point would you push for a wild card in 2024?

[Mattionals]

This is not a playoff team. If they in fact do make it, it should be seen as an awesome development, but it's not the season to "buy in" unless you are getting someone at a position of need who is controllable for multiple seasons. Those trades rarely happen during the season and also rarely work out. It's also usually for a big name involving big prospects. I think we hang onto the horses and jettison the one year players at the deadline to try and get some more D.J. Herz players.

[Natsinpwc]

To be fair, they also let their GM walk after last year after trying to demote her.

True. I don’t think changing the GM has much of an impact short term. But a bad look for them. 

[nfotiu]

This question seems pretty moot.   We should try to win as many games we can.   The number of must move players is pretty small, and don't even really make our team much worse, so go ahead and sell anyone at the deadline who is not coming back next year.   There is absolutely no reason to be a buyer unless there is a move to be made for someone who is going to be here long term.

[OfftheBat]

stay at our near .500 until the end of May, stay within a game or two of the WC, add Cavalli and Wood replacing Rosario and Corbin, and we might be a playoff team.

Weren't the Pirates on fire to start the season last year? And then they dwindled past May? I think we should keep rebuilding this year.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

This is not a playoff team. If they in fact do make it, it should be seen as an awesome development, but it's not the season to "buy in" unless you are getting someone at a position of need who is controllable for multiple seasons. Those trades rarely happen during the season and also rarely work out. It's also usually for a big name involving big prospects. I think we hang onto the horses and jettison the one year players at the deadline to try and get some more D.J. Herz players.

This question seems pretty moot.   We should try to win as many games we can.   The number of must move players is pretty small, and don't even really make our team much worse, so go ahead and sell anyone at the deadline who is not coming back next year.   There is absolutely no reason to be a buyer unless there is a move to be made for someone who is going to be here long term.

Both of these.

If this (the team playing around .500 ball) keeps up, the team is roughly where it was in 2011.

In 2011, we just kind of stood pat, focused on development/experience for core players, and waited until the offseason to make a splash.  That carried over into a dominant run during the 2012 regular season.

No reason to deviate from that strategy given all of the talent currently in the pipeline.

[Mattionals]

Both of these.

If this (the team playing around .500 ball) keeps up, the team is roughly where it was in 2011.

In 2011, we just kind of stood pat, focused on development/experience for core players, and waited until the offseason to make a splash.  That carried over into a dominant run during the 2012 regular season.

No reason to deviate from that strategy given all of the talent currently in the pipeline.

100%

[Natsinpwc]

Both of these.

If this (the team playing around .500 ball) keeps up, the team is roughly where it was in 2011.

In 2011, we just kind of stood pat, focused on development/experience for core players, and waited until the offseason to make a splash.  That carried over into a dominant run during the 2012 regular season.

No reason to deviate from that strategy given all of the talent currently in the pipeline.

Better to finish this year with a poor record and get one more high draft pick to help the rebuild.  No indication we are on the same timeline as in 2011.  No Zimmerman or Harper or Strasburg. Or even a workhorse like JZimm. Thai team is about three years away.  Trade Harvey and Finnegan while you can get soemthing for them.

[Mattionals]

Better to finish this year with a poor record and get one more high draft pick to help the rebuild.  No indication we are on the same timeline as in 2011.  No Zimmerman or Harper or Strasburg. Or even a workhorse like JZimm. Thai team is about three years away.  Trade Harvey and Finnegan while you can get soemthing for them.

If you squint hard enough, you might have those three guys in Abrams, Wood, and Gore. Wood of course needs to prove it at the big league level, but if our comparison is 2011, Harper was still in Hagerstown, so Wood being in AAA is still a good comp.

Heck, if Crews can right the ship, the Nats are arguably better off then 2011. I still think we are light on pitching though. Catcher is a concern, but that is mostly because the Nats have bat first guys (hopefully Ruiz heats up). There are holes, but maybe, just maybe, we are starting to see results.

[Natsinpwc]

If you squint hard enough, you might have those three guys in Abrams, Wood, and Gore. Wood of course needs to prove it at the big league level, but if our comparison is 2011, Harper was still in Hagerstown, so Wood being in AAA is still a good comp.

Heck, if Crews can right the ship, the Nats are arguably better off then 2011. I still think we are light on pitching though. Catcher is a concern, but that is mostly because the Nats have bat first guys (hopefully Ruiz heats up). There are holes, but maybe, just maybe, we are starting to see results.

I think this is more like 2010. Wood hasn’t appeared in the majors and is not the slam dunk Harper was. Gore is good but can’t get past five innings. Don’t see them competing for the division next year.  In any event you can’t expect the same trajectory as happened 2011-12. Slow build seems better with so many young guys.

[imref]

Better to finish this year with a poor record and get one more high draft pick to help the rebuild.  No indication we are on the same timeline as in 2011.  No Zimmerman or Harper or Strasburg. Or even a workhorse like JZimm. Thai team is about three years away.  Trade Harvey and Finnegan while you can get soemthing for them.

one more high draft pick in 2025 won't arrive until 2027-28 at the earliest.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Better to finish this year with a poor record and get one more high draft pick to help the rebuild.  No indication we are on the same timeline as in 2011.  No Zimmerman or Harper or Strasburg. Or even a workhorse like JZimm. Thai team is about three years away.  Trade Harvey and Finnegan while you can get soemthing for them.

Not as top heavy as Harp/Stras, but I'd say we actually have more guys now who have a reasonable chance of contributing to a winning team: Gore, Wood, Crews, Cavalli, House, Young, Abrams, Garcia, Hassell

While it's likely that a few of those names go bust between now and 2025-26, you also might get a core of a good team for years to come.

[nobleisthyname]

one more high draft pick in 2025 won't arrive until 2027-28 at the earliest.

At which point Gore, Abrams, and Gray are all gone assuming no extensions. If this team is three years away then it's actually probably much farther away from competing than that as it means the rebuild had to start over again.

[welch]

Off the floor in '24.

That is, develop this Nats' own youngsters, but don't trade prospects. Maybe promote Wood and Baker, but House, Hassell, and Crews need to master AAA first. Clear out Nunez. Move Corbin to the bullpen when Gray and Cavalli return. Keep Thomas, Harvey, and Finnegan because they are under Nats' control next season. What about Robles? Young looks better, but no teams have wanted Robles. Maybe Robles will hit enough to draw interest from a contender?

Off the floor? The Gil Hodges slogan, "Off the floor in '64". This team has no longer the bottoming-out team of 2023, '22, and the second have of 2021. It's not a first division, or playoff, team, but it is better than some of the worst teams.

[Natsinpwc]

one more high draft pick in 2025 won't arrive until 2027-28 at the earliest.

Seriously? You said Crews would arrive this year.  Langford is already there and Skenes should be. Get a high draft pick and sell off pieces to get assets. Even when you are competing there is almost always the need to trade for late season help.  Need assets to do that.  If a couple fo the current guys are gone then so be it.  This team got in trouble by having no farm replacements for its better players. Top draft picks are valuable.

[Natsinpwc]

Not as top heavy as Harp/Stras, but I'd say we actually have more guys now who have a reasonable chance of contributing to a winning team: Gore, Wood, Crews, Cavalli, House, Young, Abrams, Garcia, Hassell

While it's likely that a few of those names go bust between now and 2025-26, you also might get a core of a good team for years to come.

You’re forgetting Rendon.  And also how highly regarded Desmond and Espinosa were.

[nobleisthyname]

Desmond is more like what we're hoping of García. He'd been up for a few seasons and below average during that time before finally putting it together and becoming an above average contributer for the first half of the Nats' window.

[varoadking]

Seriously? You said Crews would arrive this year.

He actually had him on the opening day roster...

[imref]

Seriously? You said Crews would arrive this year.  Langford is already there and Skenes should be. Get a high draft pick and sell off pieces to get assets. Even when you are competing there is almost always the need to trade for late season help.  Need assets to do that.  If a couple fo the current guys are gone then so be it.  This team got in trouble by having no farm replacements for its better players. Top draft picks are valuable.

Langford and Crews are exceptions. Skenes too. They are generational prospects. And all three came out of college ball.

The only one I know of who fits that description in 2025 is Ethan Holliday, but he'll only be 18 at the time of the 2025 draft.

[IanRubbish]

The offense is contending for fewest runs scored and there’s not enough on the farm to address it.  Boras knows this as well as anyone, and will likely get the Nats involved in the bidding for Tyler O’Neill.

[Slateman]

It would have to be the deadline and we would have to have a guaranteed WC spot. Thats the only way.

You can't sell to try and get into a WC spot. Not unless you're, effectively, making a long term trade.

[Smithian]

I'd be fine with the Nationals loading up only if it was by taking on salary. No reason to trade young for old at this point in the rebuilding process.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It would have to be the deadline and we would have to have a guaranteed WC spot. Thats the only way.

You can't sell to try and get into a WC spot. Not unless you're, effectively, making a long term trade.

I kind of buy this thinking, but I would be willing to give up about what the Cubs gave up for Candelario last year to make a push. Guys who are fringe 40 man roster types who must be added this off-season. I don't see that as a big sale.

I think they could be in a position with just one or two real weak spots that could be plugged this way.

[imref]

Half game back of the WC.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Since we are in the 3rd wild card position, the question is at what point should the Nats try to stay there?

[awbb]

We’re nowhere near good enough to challenge for the WS so there is no value in trading prospects (or anyone for that matter) who may actually improve us for this season. I’d also look at some of our wins and say ‘we got lucky there’:

Williams’ Houdini double-bases-loaded-no-out saves being the best example.

Or that we beat up on a hilarious Marlins outfit (who ironically had a much better record than they should have by beating us up continually last year).

Lastly, LAC. No payroll for you!