Offseason moves?

[Mattionals]

Yes it's August 1st.  No the Nats aren't technically out of it.  Pretty sure this season will require a miracle AND some sort of sacrifice to appease the baseball gods to get the team on a consistent winning streak.

That being said, what offseason moves do you think make sense for the team?  I'm thinking that in the next few weeks, it would make sense to put LaRoche on waivers since his salary will likely be enough to the point where he clears.  Maybe Texas picks him up and the Nats agree to pay half his salary next year and they get a Ivan Pineyro type prospect in return.

If Moore isn't the answer, which many here seem to think he is not, then a couple of things could happen.  Going out in FA to get a 1B would be the move to just fix a hole.  Morse and Morales are the two players that will be FA at the end of this year that fit at 1B.  The team could move Zim over to 1B and Rendon over to 3B and look for a 2B in trade or in FA.  Howie Kendrick looks to be "available" in trade, but the Angels want a Jordan Zimmermann type pitcher with more team control back in return.  Cano and Utley are both FA, but I feel that both re-sign with their current teams.

The other option might be to move Zim over, leave Rendon at 2B and obtain a 3B.  My question here is that Headley's market has bottomed out.  The Padres probably want him to re-establish value to try and trade him at the deadline, but maybe the Nats could make a deal in the offseason?  If guys like Ray, Cole, Purke and Solis have solid finishes to this season, I could see them being tradeable to the Padres.

I'm laying off a big starting pitcher trade like Price or Samardzija and I'm hoping that Detwiler bounces back and either Taylor Jordan or Nate Karns fills that last spot.

Lineup - Werth (LF), Harper (RF), Zimmerman (1B), Desmond (SS), Headley (3B), Rendon (2B), Ramos (C), Span (CF).

[Minty Fresh]

Loser talk.

/Baseball Is Life

[spidernat]

It's only August!

[WhiteWhale]

I think it's likely you will see pretty much the same team. The new manager can play with the lineup, that's his business, but I would imagine the same main 8 as right now, plus Lombo and Hairston back as Lombo is valuable and they likely won't release Hairston, at least not to start the season. Suzuki makes sense to be brought back. That leaves two bench spots.

4 of our starters won't change, and the bullpen may look exactly like it does now with Storen back and the big wind up out.

The 5th starter and 2 bench spots is really the focus as far as players go.

I am much more intrigued about coaching. I am torn between Knorr promoted, and familiar faces, or a whole new set. ID the Skipper and let him bring in his crew he wants. I don't have a problem with any of the currents, I just think new voices may go a long way.

[TigerFan]

Nothing personal against Suzuki but unless the restructure his contract I hope he is not back at the $8.5M he is due next year.  I can already hear the bellyaching about his bloated contract and lack of production turning into a stupid Rizzo argument.  Tat is silly money to throw at a maybe average catcher. 

[WhiteWhale]

Suzuki:
2014 30 Washington Nationals *$8,500,000 $8.5M Team Option, $650k Buyout

That won't be what he makes. With the Nats, or anyone else. I'd imagine he agree to tear that up and he comes back for somehwere between his market rate, and his market rate plus the buyout.

Either that, or we just buy it out and let him come back to us after he "tests the makert"

[Displaced Bucco]

I think this synopsis from mlbtraderumors on the trade deadline pretty well sums up the off season too:

"Likewise, for the underperforming Nationals, there were no obvious holes to plug once the team added a veteran right-handed bench bat in Hairston. While there was some talk that the team could shop for a starter, the organization is hardly without options and would have been ill-advised to give up much of anything given its current playoff prospects. On the other side of the coin, the Nats are largely devoid of obvious sell options, particularly since the team figures to maintain the bulk of its roster makeup going into next season."

[WhiteWhale]

I know this is removing the little rock, that is holding the boulder at the top of the hill,

but the bench would look a lot better with Morse at the top of it. We gave him the chance to make some money by trading him to an everyday situation, and that has not worked out.

Between giving Span or LaRoche a day of vs lefties, Pinch Hits, days off for Werth or Harp, and being the first fill in for an everyday spot, he would see a fair number of at bats, and we know he fits in chemistry wise.

[welch]

I know this is removing the little rock, that is holding the boulder at the top of the hill,

but the bench would look a lot better with Morse at the top of it. We gave him the chance to make some money by trading him to an everyday situation, and that has not worked out.

Between giving Span or LaRoche a day of vs lefties, Pinch Hits, days off for Werth or Harp, and being the first fill in for an everyday spot, he would see a fair number of at bats, and we know he fits in chemistry wise.

Bring him back. Yes, I would pay extra to see Morse hit for the Nats again. Could he play 3B? He was originally a SS, but can't remember him playing any infield but 1B.

[MorseTheHorse]

Wow, I wrote an incredibly similar post to the OP about what moves we should make in another thread.  Can't find it now tho heh. 

I'd say there are 3 big questions that hopefully the front office is able to correctly decide this offseason

1. Can Zim still play 3B defensively?
2. Can Rendon play 2B defensively? (overlooked and I think the answer is yes, but if he can't Zim would have to go to first even if the answer to the first question is yes)
3. Can Moore play 1B?

I think this season showed that we need to find a big bench bat and get that bat regularly playing time.  Someone who can play LF/1B and OPS 750 to 800+.  Give that guy 4 starts a week.  (1 day Span has day off Harper moves to CF, 1 day Werth has day off Harper to RF, 1 day 1B off, etc.).   1 month in someone will go down and then we will be more prepared to deal with it than we were this  year. 

[Optics]

Move Zimm to 1B
Move Rendon to 3B
Sign Robby Cano
Trade Span and Laroach
Bring Mikey Mo back

Werth
Harper
Cano
Zimmerman
Desmond
Morse
Rendon
Ramos

Power power power. freak that smallball crap. Why the freak not not?

[Mattionals]

We might as well hold onto Span.  Without having a better hitting solution in the OF, I guess I will resolve myself to hoping that he turns it around.  That means that I have to apologize to everyone saying that he is in his first year here and players might not live up to expectations in their first year of a new environment.  Ok, fine.

LaRoche doesn't look hurt, but something is definitely off with the guy.  I think he needs to be replaced, and if Zim can't play 3B defensively anymore, might as well try to upgrade 2nd or 3rd.\

Nats aren't getting Cano.  I think the boat has sailed on Morse and he isn't being brought back.

[aspenbubba]

Nothing personal against Suzuki but unless the restructure his contract I hope he is not back at the $8.5M he is due next year.  I can already hear the bellyaching about his bloated contract and lack of production turning into a stupid Rizzo argument.  Tat is silly money to throw at a maybe average catcher. 

+1

[sph274]

This team goes nowhere without Harper being the 1.000 OPS guy we all think he is for a full season. A large part of this teams future depends on his and rendons development

[Baseball is Life]

The Nats need a thumper in the lineup and 1B is the place to put him. Bring up TMoore as soon as you can and play him everyday to see if he can cut it. If he show something, get rid of ALR. If he doesn't, get rid of both and find a thumper in the FA market. Are there any good options out there?

And pitching, pitching, pitching. You got holes with 4-5 starters. Do you trust Det to come back and Jordan, Karns, Ohlendorff,etc. If not, go out and get somebody to fill the holes.

Span stays. Rizzo doesn't give up that easily.

Zimm stays at 3B for at least another year.

Espi gets traded.

[Lintyfresh85]

Span has the 7th highest wOBA in baseball against RHP for CF'ers.

If he bounces back at all against LHP, he's a stud. And it'd be foolish of the Nats to move him. Rizzo knows this.

Don't take Davey's asinine dropping of him to 7th as some type of smart move. He's hitting .312/.363/.443/.806 against RHP and should be leading off every day against RHP. Get a manger that pays attention to what's going on in the field, and Span will shine for the Nats. If the Nats shielded him against LHP by either dropping him to 8th, or platooning him with a RHB, it'll be great.

[Minty Fresh]

Span has the 7th highest wOBA in baseball against RHP for CF'ers.

If he bounces back at all against LHP, he's a stud. And it'd be foolish of the Nats to move him. Rizzo knows this.

Don't take Davey's asinine dropping of him to 7th as some type of smart move. He's hitting .312/.363/.443/.806 against RHP and should be leading off every day against RHP. Get a manger that pays attention to what's going on in the field, and Span will shine for the Nats.

I don't think he should platoon though.  Bat him 8th against LHP and he'll be fine.

[Lintyfresh85]

I don't think he should platoon though.  Bat him 8th against LHP and he'll be fine.

That's fine... just stop batting him 7th against RHP, it's ridiculous and killing the Nats (among many other things).

[Mattionals]

Yea, his splits this year are crazy.  He has always been fairly consistent against both lefties and righties.  This year, as Linty said, he is crushing righties but can't hit lefties if his job depended on it.

As for a masher at 1B, it's Morales.  I'd love his switch bat in the lineup.

[Minty Fresh]

That's fine... just stop batting him 7th against RHP, it's ridiculous and killing the Nats (among many other things).

Sadly, that's only one of many things killing the Nats.

[HalfSmokes]

The Nats need a thumper in the lineup and 1B is the place to put him. Bring up TMoore as soon as you can and play him everyday to see if he can cut it. If he show something, get rid of ALR. If he doesn't, get rid of both and find a thumper in the FA market. Are there any good options out there?

I think you need a thumper to  anchor a lineup, Harper may get there, but he isn't one yet. No one in the lineup scares opposing teams or changes how opposing managers act (accept to let them shrug and leave a starter out for another batter to two). Morales is probably the best on the market, and I'd love to get him here, but I can see Rizzo sticking with ALR

[Mattionals]

I think you need a thumper to  anchor a lineup, Harper may get there, but he isn't one yet. No one in the lineup scares opposing teams or changes how opposing managers act (accept to let them shrug and leave a starter out for another batter to two). Morales is probably the best on the market, and I'd love to get him here, but I can see Rizzo sticking with ALR

Morales is a Boras client...........

Hey Scott?  GET ON THIS!!!

[Baseball is Life]

I think you need a thumper to  anchor a lineup, Harper may get there, but he isn't one yet. No one in the lineup scares opposing teams or changes how opposing managers act (accept to let them shrug and leave a starter out for another batter to two). Morales is probably the best on the market, and I'd love to get him here, but I can see Rizzo sticking with ALR

I also wouldn't mind a trade for a FA masher at 1B. And Harper will become a masher too, I'm sure, but having two would be a nice problem to have.

For you stats guys, my def. of a masher is 30-40HR and 100 RBI.

[sph274]

We should see if we can trade strasburg for darvish. Or sign josh johnson to a one year deal he is sure to turn it around right?!

[mmzznnxx]

That's fine... just stop batting him 7th against RHP, it's ridiculous and killing the Nats (among many other things).

He's hit two home runs since batting 7th, clearly it's his destined spot. How many did he hit before?

But yeah, Span needs to be better for the end of the season if I'm going to be enthusiastic about his return in April.