2012 free agency

[zimm_da_kid]

The Nats are going to be a .500 team this year.  If we can add one good #2 starter and a slugging first baseman we could become a legitimate playoff contender next year.  Enter CJ Wilson and Prince Fielder.  This would instantly boost the team over the top.  A lineup of

2B Danny Espinosa
RF Jayson Werth
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Prince Fielder
LF Michael Morse
CF Bryce Harper
C Wilson Ramos
SS Ian Desmond

And a rotation of:

#1 Stephen Strasburg
#2 CJ Wilson
#3 Jordan Zimmerman
#4 John Lannan
#5 Brad Peacock

Now to me that looks like a championship team.  Please leave your opinions on what the nats should do next off season

[TylerDC]

- No way Zimmermann is a 3.
- Don't know if Desmond is the answer at short.
- Obligatory Werth sucks mention

Other than that, yeah, looks ideal.

[zimm_da_kid]

too high or too low?

[spidernat]

  I'm sick of doing this crap every year where we talk about next year before the current season has yet to reach the All Star Game.

[TylerDC]

too high or too low?

I think he's going to be our number two, if not number one based on Strasburg's pitch count and all. Not saying Stras won't start opening day, but Zim may be a better pitcher next year.

[HalfSmokes]

  I'm sick of doing this crap every year where we talk about next year before the current season has yet to reach the All Star Game.

Hope springs eternal, but we're not catching the braves, so it's time to look to next season

[RD]

Id rather go after Reyes than Fielder, if we're spending big money on a position player.

He is a leadoff guy, which is our biggest problem. In the middle of the lineup, we should have enough pop with Espinosa, Zimmerman, Morse, Werth and LaRoche. Harper will be coming soon as well. Rendon soon after.

But we dont have anyone, other than Lombardozzi, that projects as a leadoff man. And if we're leaving Danny at second, he doesn't fit into the equation.

[Strasburg37]

Seriously, and I'm not saying this to hammer Rizzo again, but I don't think he will be given permission to spend a lot of money by the Lerners this off-season after the Werth and LaRoche disasters.  He will be on a very short leash.

[Eddie the Expos fan]

Harper will not start the season with the Nats.  He'll be in Syracuse till July !st.

[GMUTrkstar]

Zimmermann is only going to pitch 180 innings next year, Strasburg will be on a short leash as well. Harper probably won't be up till midseason and we're not going to spend the money to get Fielder...Is Garza a FA after this season? if so I could see us going after him this offseason

[welch]

I suspect that Morse and LaRoche will do well enough at 1B.

Desmond isn't hitting. That can be fixed internally: Lombardozi to 2B and Espinosa to SS, with esmond as utility.

Add an OF who can hit .300 and the team competes well next season. Zmnn will pitch more, Strasburg probably will return for half a season, and the pitchers today are not half-bad.

[cmdterps44]

Id rather go after Reyes than Fielder, if we're spending big money on a position player.

I'd go after Reyes as well but it seems he's always a liability because of his injuries. He is a damn good player though. Still, I'd like to go after Prince/CJ as well

[HalfSmokes]

I'd go after Reyes as well but it seems he's always a liability because of his injuries. He is a damn good player though. Still, I'd like to go after Prince/CJ as well

I'd rather have a slugging 1b signed to a contract taking them into their mid-late 30s than a speed ss

[cmdterps44]

I'd rather have a slugging 1b signed to a contract taking them into their mid-late 30s than a speed ss

Yeah who wouldn't. Either one of Pujols/Fielder would be my top selection but I'm just saying Reyes would be a nice player to have as well.

[Kevrock]

Not sure if there's a better thread to post this in.

The Nationals don't intend to go after Prince Fielder once he reaches free agency, a team source told MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  The primary reason is that first basemen Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche are already under team control for 2012.  Instead, the Nats may be more focused on finding a center fielder and a leadoff hitter.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/nationals-dont-intend-to-pursue-prince-fielder.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

[Evolution33]

Not sure if there's a better thread to post this in.

The Nationals don't intend to go after Prince Fielder once he reaches free agency, a team source told MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  The primary reason is that first basemen Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche are already under team control for 2012.  Instead, the Nats may be more focused on finding a center fielder and a leadoff hitter.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/nationals-dont-intend-to-pursue-prince-fielder.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

This of course means they do intend to go after him.

Anyone else remember when the Yankees weren't interested in Mark Teixeira?

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1132868&srvc=home&position=1

[hammondsnats]

This of course means they do intend to go after him.

Anyone else remember when the Yankees weren't interested in Mark Teixeira?

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1132868&srvc=home&position=1

very well said again evo

i hope they do.  look laroche - at the time - i thought was a smart signing.  it ended up working out the best for us, but if a bat like prince fielder is available ... you make due (move morse to OF, release laroche, trade him and eat salary, etc).


SS Lombardozzi / CF Upton
CF Upton / SS Desmond
3B Zimmerman
1B Fielder
LF Morse
RF Werth
2B Espinosa
C Ramos

 

[UMDNats]

Why spend $150 million on Fielder when you have 3 viable options for next year already under contract and you can spend the money somewhere else? Makes no sense to go after Fielder.

$20 million a year for Werth, around the same for Zimmerman when he gets an extension...then extensions for Strasburg, Znn...

it just doesn't seem prudent to go after Fielder now with Morse, LaRoche and Marrero all under contract for next season.

[hammondsnats]

Why spend $150 million on Fielder when you have 3 viable options for next year already under contract and you can spend the money somewhere else? Makes no sense to go after Fielder.

where else would they spend it? 

[UMDNats]

where else would they spend it? 

Assuming we keep LaRoche and don't release him (doubtful, but it could happen), I think we could start the year with LaRoche at 1st and Morse at LF. I'd look at Coco Crisp for CF, but there aren't many appealing players in the FA market besides the players at the very top. Not a big fan of giving big money to Wilson, either. If Morse hadn't broken out, I'd be all for Fielder, but now we have a surplus at 1B. We'd have to move at least one of Morse, LaRoche and Marrero before I think we competitively go after Fielder.

Use Fielder's money to lock up Zimmerman and prepare for the extensions for Strasburg, Zimmermann, etc.

[hammondsnats]

Assuming we keep LaRoche and don't release him (doubtful, but it could happen), I think we could start the year with LaRoche at 1st and Morse at LF. I'd look at Coco Crisp for CF, but there aren't many appealing players in the FA market besides the players at the very top. Not a big fan of giving big money to Wilson, either. If Morse hadn't broken out, I'd be all for Fielder, but now we have a surplus at 1B. We'd have to move at least one of Morse, LaRoche and Marrero before I think we competitively go after Fielder.

Use Fielder's money to lock up Zimmerman and prepare for the extensions for Strasburg, Zimmermann, etc.

but that's where the problem is ... it's pretty much the same line-up as this year.   yeah we get a whole year of zimmerman (knock on wood), laroche is a better everyday option than gomes/nix (i like those guys as bench guys) and the young kids will have another year of experience under their belts ... but imo, that's not a line-up that would take us to the postseason or magically give us a more substantial amount of wins than we had this year.

[Baseball is Life]

where else would they spend it? 

Starting pitching. After Stras and JZimm, there are a whole lot of question marks. Make those young pitchers (Det, Peacock, Millone, Meyer, Purke) fight for a spot in the rotation.

[hammondsnats]

Starting pitching. After Stras and JZimm, there are a whole lot of question marks. Make those young pitchers (Det, Peacock, Millone, Meyer, Purke) fight for a spot in the rotation.

okay cool that's fine ... but that doesn't solve the offense.

[Hondo]

We don't need to sign Fielder.  Let Morse play LF untill Harper is ready, then move him to first.  Hopfully, LaRoche plays well enough in the first half that we can trade him at the deadline.  We need to find a leadoff man and when we do I think this offense with start producing.

[HalfSmokes]

but that's where the problem is ... it's pretty much the same line-up as this year.   yeah we get a whole year of zimmerman (knock on wood), laroche is a better everyday option than gomes/nix (i like those guys as bench guys) and the young kids will have another year of experience under their belts ... but imo, that's not a line-up that would take us to the postseason or magically give us a more substantial amount of wins than we had this year.

LaRoche's 162 game average isn't that much better than what we've gotten out of gomes/Nix this year. Granted Nix had a great year for us, but if you're talking about fielding an offense that puts up better numbers next year, I don't think that helps much. I'd like to see them upgrade CF, but other than that (and even there the free agent class sucks), I don't know where else they will improve. 3b, RF are locked 2b and SS are some combo of Espinosa, Desmond and Lombo, but I wouldn't expect too much improvement there.