Plan "B"

[Minty Fresh]

Then he can join the "love-fest, no complaining" atmosphere on the MLB boards.  Great news for them though:  it's moderated so well to avoid trolls.  I mean, it's been what, 15 minutes or so since Zimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm posted?

[tomterp]

Ken doesn't like us anymore. when he starts rageposting over the most insignificant things, we have the nerve to call him on it.

Quite frankly, Ken is only one of a number of posters who have trouble with inter-poster relationships, some of whom have sought a more comfortable place here. 

[MrMadison]

Both are crucifying Dunn for his bad defense, low batting average and sub-par "speed." 

yeah cause we need Dunn to hit .350 and steal 40 bases.

the defense, I'll give you that one for free.

why didn't we just sign Willy Tavares and call it an offseason. he's got all the speed and defense we need.  to hell with power and high OBP. who needs any of that crap? the 14 HRs our cleanup hitter and team leader in HRs hit last season are MORE than enough.

[hammondsnats]

But he would ruin my favorite baseball team.

Our favorite baseball team is already ruined.

In all seriousness, thanks Minty for the transcript!  I used to have XM radio and hope to get it back soon.  The baseball talk on their is uncanny.

[Minty Fresh]

Our favorite baseball team is already ruined.

In all seriousness, thanks Minty for the transcript!  I used to have XM radio and hope to get it back soon.  The baseball talk on their is uncanny.

You need to get it back.  I gladly pay my monthly subscription just for XM-175.  It beats the crap out of ESPN....er..... I mean NFL-YES-NESN-Radio.

[hammondsnats]

You need to get it back.  I gladly pay my monthly subscription just for XM-175.  It beats the crap out of ESPN....er..... I mean NFL-YES-NESN-Radio.

I used to have the Pioneer XM Portable radio/mp3 player.  I was one of the first to ever get it, but lost it @ a bar.  I lived off of it, especially my weekend beach trips before MASN hit cable stations down in the Eastern Shore.

[DCFan]

the 14 HRs our cleanup hitter and team leader in HRs hit last season are MORE than enough.

Can you explain why it seems so many fans worry more about Lerner parting with his money than seeing the team improve and are content with being the laughingstock of baseball and having more of the opponents fans in the stands than Nats fans?

We know the revenue streams are there, we know the Nats are the most profitable team in baseball (courtesy of Forbes Magazine), we know the Nats offense is nonexistent and we know that while we *seem* to have a bountiful crop of pitching prospects our batting prospects are few and far between and won't have an impact for a couple of more years.

As long as we start another s/t with the likes of Langerhans and Casto on the team we're screwed. 

[DCFan]

I used to have the Pioneer XM Portable radio/mp3 player.  I was one of the first to ever get it, but lost it @ a bar. 

Thank your lucky stars because it's doubtful that XM/Sirius will be around this time next year.

[MrMadison]

Can you explain why it seems so many fans worry more about Lerner parting with his money than seeing the team improve and are content with being the laughingstock of baseball and having more of the opponents fans in the stands than Nats fans?

We know the revenue streams are there, we know the Nats are the most profitable team in baseball (courtesy of Forbes Magazine), we know the Nats offense is nonexistent and we know that while we *seem* to have a bountiful crop of pitching prospects our batting prospects are few and far between and won't have an impact for a couple of more years.

As long as we start another s/t with the likes of Langerhans and Casto on the team we're screwed. 

instead of answering your question, I'm going to sit here and try to figure out why you are asking *me* of all people in the first place.

I WANT the team to sign Dunn. or acquire a power hitter in some other fashion.

you should be asking Minty this question.

[DCFan]

instead of answering your question, I'm going to sit here and try to figure out why you are asking *me* of all people in the first place.

I WANT the team to sign Dunn. or acquire a power hitter in some other fashion.

you should be asking Minty this question.

I was asking you because you, like me, are a refugee from BPG where the same sentiments expressed by Minty were so prevalent there. I know the game there was to pounce whenever "poster x" came out for or against something (whether they likewise felt the same or not). I don't know if Minty's playing the same game or not, we'll see? 

The team sucks and needs improvement at just about every position, we have the resources, yet so many posters are content to wait years and years for draft picks to mature (if they do at all) even if it means years of suckitude while the fans stop coming to the park and based on the TV ratings, don't even watch the team for free on TV. 

[KnorrForYourMoney]

If you're comparing Minty, or anywhere here, to the blind, homer-goggle wearing types of BPG, you're off on the wrong track.

[Minty Fresh]

Can you explain why it seems so many fans worry more about Lerner parting with his money than seeing the team improve and are content with being the laughingstock of baseball and having more of the opponents fans in the stands than Nats fans?

It's not that I am opposed to spending the Lerners' money.  I am opposed to financially crippling the team for years to come by loading up on bad contracts now.  Dunn would be a good acquisition if we were talking about a two or so year contract.  That way - WHEN HE SUCKS - we can get out of the deal without any long term affects. 

I think you'll struggle to find anyone who was more in favor of signing Tex than I was.  He undoubtedly will cost more than Dunn will, but Teix is a long-term, viable solution at 1B.  Adam Dunn is not.  This team should be ready to compete in 2010 and if we go into 2010 with Adam Dunn playing 1B our infield will SUCK.  One homerun every four games and 1.3 RBI every other game is not going to improve this team.  We need better production and we don't need ANOTHER statue playing 1B and we certainly don't need it at 15 MM/per.  The Lerner's are going to be more hesitant to spend money next year if they know they owe Dunn 15 MM.

This is not about my opposition to spending money to make the team better.  We are not New York.  We are not Boston.  We are not Los Angeles.  We don't have endless revenues at this point (nor will we probably ever).  We are not the type of team that can OVERPAY for an OVERHYPED mediocre player. 

Go to baseball-reference.com and look at all of the comparisons on the Adam Dunn player page.  He's not compared to the types of players that will help carry a team.  That's the type of player we need right now and Adam Dunn doesn't fit the bill.

[Obed_Marsh]

I will say this: If Bowden even makes a run at Manny Ramirez, as has been widely speculated, the Nats are even worse off than imagined. Two (or three, or whatever) years of Ramirez would not only handcuff the Nats for those number of seasons, but would further contribute to the idea that Bowden cares about just one thing: his image.

In other news, the Nats signed a bunch players on Tuesday that all had promise at one point in their careers, but have failed as big leaguers for one reason or another.

Daniel Cabrera? Corey Patterson? Freddie Bynum? Jorge Sosa?

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah Nats fans.

What about the idea that because the Nats were in the Teixeira sweepstakes they have become "players?" That's just ridiculous. The Nats got played, plain and simple. They were nothing but unwitting pawns in the whole thing. All Jim Bowden accomplished was driving the price the Yankees paid just a little and giving false hope to a rapidly diminishing fan base.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/97062-washington-nationals-not-players-just-played

Maybe folks around here are not so cynical after all.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

It's not that I am opposed to spending the Lerners' money.  I am opposed to financially crippling the team for years to come by loading up on bad contracts now.

Crippling?  I don't get this line of thinking.  We could sign Dunn for 30 mil a year and our payroll would be around 80 million, which is around the median for the league.

He'll cost maybe half that.  We could've signed both Adam Dunn and Mark Teixeira during this offseason and it would've given this team a "normal" payroll; therefore, a Dunn signing is not "crippling" at all.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/97062-washington-nationals-not-players-just-played

Maybe folks around here are not so cynical after all.

What jerkasses.  It's not like the Nats actually paid Teixeira millions of dollars or something.  They engaged in a negotiation and made a bid. 

Oh noes, they got swindled!  How humiliating!!!!111

[hammondsnats]

We'd only sign Dunn to a two-year deal (three tops).  That way we're a) not rushing Marrero/Burgess and b) not having to rely on out of position 1st baseman playing 1b (casto/pimp are not 1b).

[DCFan]

It's not that I am opposed to spending the Lerners' money.

Nice try but while your lips say no, your eyes say yes.      I appreciate the cogent response.

[DCFan]

Crippling?  I don't get this line of thinking.  We could sign Dunn for 30 mil a year and our payroll would be around 80 million, which is around the median for the league.

He'll cost maybe half that.  We could've signed both Adam Dunn and Mark Teixeira during this offseason and it would've given this team a "normal" payroll; therefore, a Dunn signing is not "crippling" at all.

QFT. 

[DCFan]

We'd only sign Dunn to a two-year deal (three tops).  That way we're a) not rushing Marrero/Burgess and b) not having to rely on out of position 1st baseman playing 1b (casto/pimp are not 1b).

I doubt that Dunn signs for anything less than 3 years. I would expect he'd get something around 4/60 at a minimum.

[Minty Fresh]

Nice try but while your lips say no, your eyes say yes.      I appreciate the cogent response.

Why would I be opposed if I wanted to sign Teixeira by any means necessary.  Spend the big money, just spend it on the right players. 

[MrMadison]

I can understand where Minty is coming from.

plain and simple, he thinks that Dunn is going to suck in a Nats uniform, regardless of how much we pay him.  that's a baseball thing, not a "save the Lerners money" thing.

seems that "spending money" is the only thing some folks are capable of considering when it comes to free agents.

I disagree with Minty though, as I don't think Dunn will suck half as bad as he and sportsfan think he will.

I do think though, that spending money just because it is there, and just so DCFan and Hammondsnats can say "oh they spent money" is a faulty move.

if you are gonna spend the money, then we need to get something worthwhile out of it.

I think Dunn is worthwhile, Minty does not.

[hammondsnats]

Some of you are confused.  I have already stated they shouldn't spend money just to spend it and keep me quiet.  Right now is the time to spend.  They can't risk to afford another 102 loss season.  They'll lose whatever fan base they were building, they'll lose potential free agents, they'll lose their clubhouse. 

Having two-three years of Dunn/Ramirez is worth it.

[Minty Fresh]

Crippling?  I don't get this line of thinking.  We could sign Dunn for 30 mil a year and our payroll would be around 80 million, which is around the median for the league.

He'll cost maybe half that.  We could've signed both Adam Dunn and Mark Teixeira during this offseason and it would've given this team a "normal" payroll; therefore, a Dunn signing is not "crippling" at all.

Just look at the players who will be free agents after next year and tell me there aren't any names on there you wouldn't want.

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2001/05/2010-free-agents.html

If you're looking to add payroll, why not wait and go after:

Brandon Webb
Cliff Lee
John Lackey
Justin Duchscherer
Tim Hudson
Matt Holliday
Jason Bay
Hank Blalock
Adam LaRoche
J.J. Putz
Jose Valverde

I'd rather have any of the two of those than Adam Dunn and only one of those. 

If you HONESTLY think the Lerners are going to pay Dunn $15,000,000 this year and then pony up for a Cliff Lee and/or Brandon Webb next year than that's where you and I will differ.

[Minty Fresh]

Some of you are confused.  I have already stated they shouldn't spend money just to spend it and keep me quiet.  Right now is the time to spend.  They can't risk to afford another 102 loss season.  They'll lose whatever fan base they were building, they'll lose potential free agents, they'll lose their clubhouse. 

Having two-three years of Dunn/Ramirez is worth it.

Right now may be the time to spend, but the right players are not available right now.

[hammondsnats]

Right now may be the time to spend, but the right players are not available right now.

obviously, teix was the right guy, but like i said you can't afford to go through another season like '08 so you have to make due with what's available.