Plan "B"

[sportsfan882]

NOTLD, we're the biggest joke in MLB.  What makes you think we'll be ANY better next season?  It's not really directed at you, I'm asking anyone.  What makes anything think we'll be the same next year with the same AAAA guys we have?  Just want an answer.

Like I said earlier, I am banking on our young studs finally realizing their full potential. Zim, Dukes, Flores, Milledge, etc are all reaching the age of 24-25 where they should start really producing at a high clip.

If we suck again next year it will have meant that these players are not who we thought they were. That would suck but I'm hoping most of them pan out.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

NOTLD, we're the biggest joke in MLB.  What makes you think we'll be ANY better next season?  It's not really directed at you, I'm asking anyone.  What makes anything think we'll be the same next year with the same AAAA guys we have?

I don't think we'll be any better. I think 09' is going to be another season to choke on. But I can't blame the Lerners. They've put up the goods this off season and I don't know how anyone can possibly blame them when a player rejects a deal when he already has made up his mind from the beginning.

[Minty Fresh]

NOTLD, we're the biggest joke in MLB.  What makes you think we'll be ANY better next season?  It's not really directed at you, I'm asking anyone.  What makes anything think we'll be the same next year with the same AAAA guys we have?  Just want an answer.

Faith.  Faith that we'll not be the only franchise in MLB with significant injuries at every position again in 2009.  Faith that our guys are one year older and more experienced.  Faith that our owners will make better signings this off-season than Adam "suckbag" Dunn.

Save that, signing Mark Teixeira would've been nice.

Difference is, you think Dunn makes us better.  What happns when all of our guys stay healthy and we win 75 games next year with Dunn?  Do you really think Adam Dunn will be the difference of 16 wins?  Or do you thik it might be that the team stayed together and now we're saddled with Adam Dunn for another three lousy seasons when we could be allocating that money elsewhere?

Adam Dunn does not improve this team.

[ronnynat]

Like I said earlier, I am banking on our young studs finally realizing their full potential. Zim, Dukes, Flores, Milledge, etc are all reaching the age of 24-25 where they should start really producing at a high clip.

If we suck again next year it will have meant that these players are not who we thought they were. That would suck but I'm hoping most of them pan out.

Hmm, this is interesting coming from you. So how good do you think we'll be if all of these guys realize their full potential this year? (I know it's almost impossible for all of them to do it. I'm just wondering what you think.)

[cmdterps44]

I'm sorry, but I've never desperately searched Stubhub, splurged on great seats, and rushed to a stadium to see Adam Dunn play.

It's not that reason to get people to come watch the games, its not his homers in general, its his ability to hit them and put runs on the board... Runs = Wins. Wins = Fans.

More chances to score runs, better ability on the team, etc etc will mean more chances to win. Which can bring the fans. (front runners = Red Sox!!)

[sportsfan882]

Hmm, this is interesting coming from you. So how good do you think we'll be if all of these guys realize their full potential this year? (I know it's almost impossible for all of them to do it. I'm just wondering what you think.)

If they all play to their potential and we get decent pitching I think we could flirt with 80+ wins and compete for a Wild Card. Of course I also felt that way prior to last year.

You can throw that all out the window if we have a bunch of injuries again though.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

It's not that reason to get people to come watch the games, its not his homers in general, its his ability to hit them and put runs on the board... Runs = Wins. Wins = Fans.

More chances to score runs, better ability on the team, etc etc will mean more chances to win. Which can bring the fans. (front runners = Red Sox!!)

What are those other players doing in Nats Uniform then? Can't we get that from them without spending mucho money?

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Faith.

And that too.

[cmdterps44]

What are those other players doing in Nats Uniform then? Can't we get that from them without spending mucho money?

Yes, I'm not saying we can't, only thing I want money to be spent on are in places we need like I've said (first base, second base, pitching: starting and relief).

Second Base I can do with out for now, but if a Hudson signing came along, id jump for joy (ie: me with a fist in the air and kicking heels with a big smile)

A Dunn at first or a potential trade (which is off topic here) over Nick Johnson would also get a result of a jump for joy.

Just making those flawed positions we've had for sometime could help us more.

[hammondsnats]

once again, ladies and gents i love the optimism.  but having a dunn or ramirez in our line-up protects our interests.  having one of them will only help zimmerman continue to develop into a #3 hitter.  it will allow milledge to bat 2nd instead of clean-up.  it will allow for better depth on the bench. 

having them around short-term will help long-term. 

[ronnynat]

If they all play to their potential and we get decent pitching I think we could flirt with 80+ wins and compete for a Wild Card. Of course I also felt that way prior to last year.

You can throw that all out the window if we have a bunch of injuries again though.

Putting all the talent together and assuming all teams stay healthy next season, I'd say we'll end up between 23rd and 28th in the majors. That's mostly because of our pitching, though. I think we have a top 18 (healthy) offense. I think our pitching staff is one of the worst.

[sportsfan882]

once again, ladies and gents i love the optimism.  but having a dunn or ramirez in our line-up protects our interests.  having one of them will only help zimmerman continue to develop into a #3 hitter.  it will allow milledge to bat 2nd instead of clean-up.  it will allow for better depth on the bench. 

having them around short-term will help long-term. 

Where did the old optimistic Hammondsnats go? 

[sportsfan882]

Putting all the talent together and assuming all teams stay healthy next season, I'd say we'll end up between 23rd and 28th in the majors. That's mostly because of our pitching, though. I think we have a top 18 (healthy) offense. I think our pitching staff is one of the worst.

That would be awful. I don't think our pitching is that bad but once again we are banking on a bunch of young guys like we are with our offense.

We need Olsen and Cabrera to find themselves. We need Lannan to keep pitching the way he did last year and lastly we need some of the young guys like Balester and Martis to emerge.

I think our bullpen will be much improved. No more Colomes, Ray Kings, etc. We have a nice group of young and experienced guys who I believe can get the job done.

[cmdterps44]

Where did the old optimistic Hammondsnats go? 

Assuming it went out the window when Pete Orr started.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

The offense will slightly improve, the rotation will barely hold it together, the bullpen will be garbage. All the Dunns, Hudsons, and Mannys couldn't make this team any less flawed.

[hammondsnats]

Where did the old optimistic Hammondsnats go? 

the lerners killed him.  there is no ray, there is only rayvigo!  seeing pete orr and levale speigner play every night have opened my eyes.

[ronnynat]

We need Olsen and Cabrera to find themselves. We need Lannan to keep pitching the way he did last year and lastly we need some of the young guys like Balester and Martis to emerge.

If those five make up our rotation, we're in serious trouble. We could have gotten Tex AND Manny and we'd still end up w/ one of the worst records. After I thought about it a while, I realized that I'm more upset about the Cabrera signing than anything we did last year. WAY too risky, IMO.

I think our bullpen will be much improved. No more Colomes, Ray Kings, etc. We have a nice group of young and experienced guys who I believe can get the job done.

Trust me, regardless of our record, you'll have at least two regular relievers/bums to complain about next season.

[hammondsnats]

get a sheets/lowe/garland and a ramirez/dunn, you won't hear a bad thing from me until spring training.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

get a sheets/lowe/garland and a ramirez/dunn, you won't hear a bad thing from me until spring training.

Then we'll be hearing from you. There have already been several articles about the Nats and how they are saying they aren't going for FA pitching.

[sportsfan882]

If those five make up our rotation, we're in serious trouble. We could have gotten Tex AND Manny and we'd still end up w/ one of the worst records. After I thought about it a while, I realized that I'm more upset about the Cabrera signing than anything we did last year. WAY too risky, IMO.

Trust me, regardless of our record, you'll have at least two regular relievers/bums to complain about next season.

We're kind of stuck with that rotation. We just have to hope that they pan out.

What don't you like about our bullpen? I'm hesitant of Joel but he's not terrible. 

[spidernat]

I disagree. Winning comes first. Players are going to take slightly less money to play for a winner. They are so rich that a couple million dollars are not going to sway them to play for a loser.

I disagree with this. And by the way, the 5 millions less was over 8 years not per year.

[spidernat]

I just think it's gotta be hard for players like Lowe and Manny who have always played on winning teams to go to losing teams. They wouldn't and couldn't do it.

Dunn's been a loser for his entire career so going to yet another losing ball club would not bother him.

Dunn must've spent an offseason in NoVa, maybe visiting Kearns, and banged sportsfan's girlfriend.   

[hammondsnats]

Then we'll be hearing from you. There have already been several articles about the Nats and how they are saying they aren't going for FA pitching.

then get ready to type a lot of "hammondsnats beating the dead horse" and "hammondsnats sounds like a broken record."

p.s. d-cab was a free agent pitcher

[ronnynat]

We're kind of stuck with that rotation. We just have to hope that they pan out.

What don't you like about our bullpen? I'm hesitant of Joel but he's not terrible. 

With a bad rotation, there is a much higher chance that a few relievers will have some terrible games due to overuse. It's not necessarily their fault, but it always seems to happen. I don't mind our bullpen, but they aren't THAT good.

[PANatsFan]

But Dunn does?

Manny's career OPS v. RHP is .980, Dunn's is .931.

How are we WORSE with Manny?  Just because he's a righty?  Makes NO sense....

Ok sign Manny. Thank you for looking up the splits and not just resisting a Dunn signing because he's ugly or has bad shoes like you did before.

I now don't give a crap if we sign Abreu, Dunn, or Manny. We need big OPS masher. Name/face/whatever not important. If we don't we are so so so screwed. Our lineup looks like the New Jersey Tech lineup. It's pathetic.