Offseason moves?

[PC]

He finished 24-1 this season, I believe.

EDIT - He did finish 30-1 this season, according to wikipedia.

[blue911]

I just watched Masahiro Tanaka pitch the 9th inning of Game 7 of the Japan Series (thank you, vipbox).

They certainly do treat their “aces” strangely in Japan.  He pitched a complete game yesterday (and lost, breaking his 30 game winning streak) and they had him pitch the 9th in this game. He didn’t look that great, not surprisingly.  His team (and Andruw Jones’), the Eagles, were leading 3-0 and he brought the tying run to the plate before ending the game.

According to all reports, he’s soon to be posted and might get a $100 million posting fee.

The NPB schedule is more like a college schedule. They play 142 games but start in late March and end the first week of October. Basically they take 6 weeks longer to play a minor league length schedule. Starters pitch every 6th day, not every fifth. So while they don't seem so hell bent on injury prevention, their normal is well into the "strange" range.

[sph274]

$100 million posting fee is freaking absurd and there is no way in hell the nats even come close to touching that for good reason.

[Terpfan76]

Suzuki:  .222 /.283 /.310 /.593

NO!  Ramos playing instead of Suzuki in the second half was a big reason why we were better in the second half.      

Suzuki is perfectly acceptable as a back up to Ramos. He's not much of a hitter but does everything else well enough. No issues with him coming back.

[blue911]

$100 million posting fee is freaking absurd and there is no way in hell the nats even come close to touching that for good reason.

It'll be less than Davish's posting fee.

[CALSGR8]

Suzuki is perfectly acceptable as a back up to Ramos. He's not much of a hitter but does everything else well enough. No issues with him coming back.

That's what was said on Nats Talk yesterday.  Get Suzuki for what he can do behind the plate as a backup for Ramos.  Solano really isn't ready yet.  Although, it was also said that he probably  wants to play more than 20 games.  Hitters are easier to acquire than good catchers.

[Lintyfresh85]

Popular teammate is often code word for "can't play".

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If Jose Molina isn't signed by Monday midnight, he'd be one of the first guys Rizzo should call Tuesday and he should be offered $3MM (off a base of $1.8MM last year).  If you are going to get a defense first catcher as a back up, get the best.

[blue911]

If Jose Molina isn't signed by Monday midnight, he'd be one of the first guys Rizzo should call Tuesday and he should be offered $3MM (off a base of $1.8MM last year).  If you are going to get a defense first catcher as a back up, get the best.

Sandy Leon is ranked the best catcher for pitch framing in the minors.

[HalfSmokes]

$100 million posting fee is freaking absurd and there is no way in hell the nats even come close to touching that for good reason.

No luxury tax on a posting fee,  and no draft pick compensation on international signings

[Slateman]

No luxury tax on a posting fee,  and no draft pick compensation on international signings

Pretty sure he's claiming LAC

[sph274]

No luxury tax on a posting fee,  and no draft pick compensation on international signings

if we are saying "freak it, international signings woooooooo!!!!!!!" we should have just signed Abreu. $100 mil and then, what another 60, 70 mil?, for some guy who has never pitched in the majors is ridiculous.  we dont need pitching that badly and we should let some other team sign him

[Slateman]

if we are saying "freak it, international signings woooooooo!!!!!!!" we should have just signed Abreu. $100 mil and then, what another 60, 70 mil?, for some guy who has never pitched in the majors is ridiculous.  we dont need pitching that badly and we should let some other team sign him

We don't? I was unaware that we had five aces on the staff . . .

[Lintyfresh85]

Even Philly only had four aces...

[HalfSmokes]

Even Philly only had four aces...

And most of them sacked

[sph274]

we need to pay 160-170 million for it? it really doesnt matter if "they don't affect the luxury cap" that is an insane amount of cash for some guy who has never pitched in the majors. If we are cool with dropping $150 mil we should do it on ellsbury. The fact that we wernt all that involved with the alfredo gonzalez signing hints we prob wont go too far with this one. the yankees are probably gonna go all out to get this dude.

[HalfSmokes]

They may not anyone this off-season. That doesn't mean it's the right move

[Slateman]

we need to pay 160-170 million for it? it really doesnt matter if "they don't affect the luxury cap" that is an insane amount of cash for some guy who has never pitched in the majors. If we are cool with dropping $150 mil we should do it on ellsbury. The fact that we wernt all that involved with the alfredo gonzalez signing hints we prob wont go too far with this one. the yankees are probably gonna go all out to get this dude.

Masahiro Tanaka younger than Ellsbury, will cost less than Ellsbury, and has a higher potential than Ellsbury.

Rather give 100+ million to Masahiro Tanaka than Jordan Zimmermann.

[CALSGR8]

If Jose Molina isn't signed by Monday midnight, he'd be one of the first guys Rizzo should call Tuesday and he should be offered $3MM (off a base of $1.8MM last year).  If you are going to get a defense first catcher as a back up, get the best.

  the "best" don't want to be backup

[Slateman]

  the "best" don't want to be backup

Started half the games for a playoff team with one of the better pitching staffs in baseball. I'll gladly take Jose Molina to be a backup catcher

[CALSGR8]

Yeah but if HE wants a better situation than as BACKUP, he wont want to come here!

[Slateman]

Yeah but if HE wants a better situation than as BACKUP, he wont want to come here!

He's been a back up his entire career.

Solution is simple: Play Ramos at first against lefties.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Sandy Leon is ranked the best catcher for pitch framing in the minors.

then I'll take Sandy Leon over Suzuki. 

Aren't there a ton of indications that some here over-rate Suzuki's defense?

[HalfSmokes]

then I'll take Sandy Leon over Suzuki. 

Aren't there a ton of indications that some here over-rate Suzuki's defense?

Watching suzuki catch gio in the playoffs was enough for me to never want to see him catch for the Nats again

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Molina is quite old at this point.  he'll turn 39 next June.  He'd probably be happy to split time with someone.  He's been paid like a back up catcher.  I would expect no offense out of him, but would hope if he dropped from 100 games a year to 60 or so that his offense would bounce back a bit.  He'd be a heck of mentor to Ramos, too, and has a ton of playoff experience.