Spring Training Thread

[daveb32]

Haha, Oliver Perez.

Walks kill!! Walks kill!!

[hammondsnats]

The Mets rotation for the Nationals series is set and will go as follows:

4/9:  Mike Pelfrey
4/10:  Oliver Perez
4/11:  Johan Santana

I like our match-ups with Pelfrey and LOLiver Perez.  And honestly, Santana isn't the same Santana as he's been in the past (he's still trying to recover from surgery ... although he may revert to form in a few weeks).

We have to win at least one game against the Phils to open the season.  Then I say we'll take 2-outta-3 from the Mets.  No more of this 0-3/0-6 crap.

[CJames0569]

Pelfrey has been struggling this spring, no? I'd like to see us take 2 out of 3 in the early season series, but that's a lot to ask knowing our past early season's struggles.

[blue911]

I like our match-ups with Pelfrey and LOLiver Perez.  And honestly, Santana isn't the same Santana as he's been in the past (he's still trying to recover from surgery ... although he may revert to form in a few weeks).

We have to win at least one game against the Phils to open the season.  Then I say we'll take 2-outta-3 from the Mets.  No more of this 0-3/0-6 crap.

I think he's still in shock from the ball Dunn hit off of him.

[UMDNats]

AdamKilgoreWP
 
As of now, Willy Taveras will be the #Nats right-handed platoon option in RF, Riggleman said.

[Lintyfresh85]

Hopefully its April Fools from the team.

That's going to be the worst RF in all of baseball.

[DPMOmaha]

Hopefully its April Fools from the team.

That's going to be the worst RF in all of baseball.

Meh, even if it is true, I'm farily pleased with how they've addressed most of the positions on the field the past couple of years.  I'm expecting next off season RF and potentially C, depending on how Flores turns out this year, will be the big priorities next year.  That's the fewest holes we've had on the field in quite some time. 

[PANatsFan]

How in any possible world is Taveras a better player than Bernadina? They are OBSESSED with player control, to a fault. I hope they put him on a special bus with him and Bautista, yell APRIL FOOLS, and send it to Syracuse.

[The Chief]

Okay now even I'm annoyed.

[ronnynat]

We need to give Dye a 1-year deal ASAP.

[Lintyfresh85]

I'm guessing they had their 'plan' foiled when Maxwell stopped hitting.

I'm positive they wanted him to be the right handed part of the platoon... thus the comments about keeping Taveras around for his range in the OF. Something Maxwell provided in spades.

Either way, its pretty embarrassing.

[The Chief]

I thought Bernadina was a pretty good fielder (question mark?)

[CJames0569]

Either way, its pretty embarrassing.

Agreed, it's absolutely freaking embarassing that Taveras will be part of a platoon in RF for OUR Washington Nationals this year. Hell I'd rather have Kearns... 

[The Chief]

Willies in the outfield and Wang on the mound.

[JMUalumni]

I thought Bernadina was a pretty good fielder (question mark?)

Yeah, he has been a very good outfielder throughout his minor league career.  He is just as good as Maxwell in the field, but I wonder if the Nationals are still concerned about his ankle.

[Lintyfresh85]

I wonder if they actually believe that Taveras is actually a good hitter? I hope they weren't duped into thinking his ST numbers are an actual indication as to what he can do.

He makes Guzman's OBP numbers look sterling.

[blue911]

Yeah, he has been a very good outfielder throughout his minor league career.  He is just as good as Maxwell in the field, but I wonder if the Nationals are still concerned about his ankle.

 It isn't as if he beat Willie Harris out of a job. He doesn't provide a natural platoon and I'd want him to play everyday after missing almost all of 2009.

[CJames0569]

Willy Taveras's career lines provided by baseball-reference.com 

Year Age Tm   Lg   G    PA   AB   R   H   2B   3B HR RBI SB CS BB  SO    BA   OBP   SLG OPS OPS+ TB  GDP HBP SH SF IBB
2004 22  HOU  NL   10   2    1     2   0    0    0   0   0    1   0   0   1    .000  .000 .000 .000 -100   0    0    0    1   0   0 
2005 23  HOU  NL   152 635 592 82 172 13    4   3  29  34  11 25  103 .291  .325 .341 .666  75   202   4    7    7   4   1
2006 24  HOU  NL   149 587 529 83 147 19    5   1  30  33   9  34  88   .278 .333 .338 .672  74   179   6    11  11  2   0
2007 25  COL  NL    97  408 372 64 119 13    2   2  24  33   9  21  55   .320 .367 .382 .748  89   142   1    7     7  1   0 
2008 26  COL  NL   133 538 479 64 120 15     2   1  26  68   7  36  79  .251  .308 .296 .604  55   142   4    5   15  3   0 
2009 27  CIN   NL   102 437 404 56 97   11    2   1  15  25   6  18  58  .240  .275 .285 .559  48   115   2    2   11  2   0 

[JMW IV]

Dye is bad, but I would rathet have Dye than Taveras.

Rizzo FAIL. shoulda kept Dukes for now.

[The Chief]

Dye is bad, but I would rathet have Dye than Taveras.

Rizzo FAIL. shoulda kept Dukes for now.

I really don't think it was going to make any difference one way or the other (or the other).  We're nagging over worse or worser here.

[NatsDad14]

Tell me how Taveras is better at performing baseball against lefthanders than Elijah Dukes is?

[The Chief]

Tell me how Taveras is better at performing baseball against lefthanders than Elijah Dukes is?

Is that question directed at me?

[NatsDad14]

Is that question directed at me?

It's too anyone especially the Nats front office.

[Lintyfresh85]

What has upset me the most about the Taveras news is the fact that for the very first time... I'm concerned that Rizzo isn't nearly as on top of things as I thought he was. I really thought he had everything figured out when he cuts Dukes... but naming Willie Taveras as part of a platoon has really shaken my belief in that previous notion.

[HalfSmokes]

Maybe they just wanted to be rid of Dukes? This season was never really about competing, our best pitcher is in the minors and our second best pitcher is still recovering from Tommy John, we have a terrible rotationa and a bad bullpen. I'll worry if they don't get the hole plugged next year.