Nationals @ Phillies, Game 2

[PC]

Back during the winter, during one of my screaming session, I was asked what I would have done differently.

In part, I said I would have kept Souza.  I would never have traded Clippard plus I would have signed one of the better relievers who were signed at the beginning of the winter.  I would have resigned Asdrubal Cabrera.  Second base is a garbage dump in MLB.  I'd rather just pay for filler than give up a player for filler.

Now, I know I would have kept Frandsen because he plays third base and first.  Also would have kept Blevins.

Team chemistry is important and Rizzo blew it up for not much of an increase in talent level/performance.

[sportsfan882]

I naged about them signing Scherzer instead of addressing our offensive needs too and it was quickly pointed out to me, who were they supposed to get?  What big bat was out there for us to get?  If there was someone and they didn't get him then that sucks but I really don't know who they were supposed to throw their money at that would've helped this team, do you?  I really don't see cheapness with Clippard, I really think he was dealt because Rizzo felt he was probably thisclose to his arm falling off.  This sucks no doubt, it feels just like 2013, like they've read all the headlines and think they just have to show up and they're guaranteed the NL East
We really, really, really miss Rendon, screw Harper Rendon is our true superstar.   Also all the goodwill Matt Williams earned last year getting us a division title is gone, Rizzo totally blew it hiring him

Should have traded for Ben Zobrist.

[PC]

I really don't see cheapness with Clippard, I really think he was dealt because Rizzo felt he was probably thisclose to his arm falling off.

But we'd still have had Treinen if that were to happen.  He'd just be in Syracuse.  We didn't really gain anything by trading away Clippard.

[sportsfan882]

But we'd still have had Treinen if that were to happen.  He'd just be in Syracuse.  We didn't really gain anything by trading away Clippard.

Yep. Trading Clippard at peak value and with 1 year left before free agency wasn't a bad idea but to only get crappy mediocre ass Yunel Escobar in return is just beyond puzzling. Escobar is an adequate bench fill piece but that is it. Clippard was one of the best 8th inning guys in baseball over the last several years.

[shoeshineboy]

I naged about them signing Scherzer instead of addressing our offensive needs too and it was quickly pointed out to me, who were they supposed to get?  What big bat was out there for us to get?  If there was someone and they didn't get him then that sucks but I really don't know who they were supposed to throw their money at that would've helped this team, do you?  I really don't see cheapness with Clippard, I really think he was dealt because Rizzo felt he was probably thisclose to his arm falling off.  This sucks no doubt, it feels just like 2013, like they've read all the headlines and think they just have to show up and they're guaranteed the NL East
We really, really, really miss Rendon, screw Harper Rendon is our true superstar.   Also all the goodwill Matt Williams earned last year getting us a division title is gone, Rizzo totally blew it hiring him

No problem with Sherzer signing or trading Clip. He was a valuable chit worth trading. The problem is the lack of reinvestment. And it isn't about going after some big bat on the FA market. It is about avoiding having an everyday player who shouldn't even be on a major league roster. We shouldn't have to name names. Go get anyone who is a legit big leaguer. Not to beat the Morse horse to death, but there is a great example of a guy who has gone to several other teams and now in Miami who would be more than serviceable. Even a guy like Cody Ross was out there. Those are just two example off the top of the head without even thinking about it. Hell, even Scott Hairston is more valuable than freaking Tyler Moore. The difference is that this organization scoffs at paying journeymen guys what the system demands. Instead of forking over a few million for a legit player, they would rather pay league minimum. I am all for that when the league minimum is going to top young talent under club control, but not when it is crap.

It is also very hard to ignore the number of times the team seems to dump guys who win out in arbitration disputes or simply refuses to pay the going rate for proven talent before they are truly past their prime.

[sportsfan882]

preach I agree completely. Cheap bastards.

[sportsfan882]

The Lerners are freaking cheap jerks and Mike Rizzo is a cocky arrogant freaking loser who doesn't know crap about baseball.

#pissed #pleasesaveustomorrowmax

[shoeshineboy]

Back during the winter, during one of my screaming session, I was asked what I would have done differently.

In part, I said I would have kept Souza.  I would never have traded Clippard plus I would have signed one of the better relievers who were signed at the beginning of the winter.  I would have resigned Asdrubal Cabrera.  Second base is a garbage dump in MLB.  I'd rather just pay for filler than give up a player for filler.

Now, I know I would have kept Frandsen because he plays third base and first.  Also would have kept Blevins.

Team chemistry is important and Rizzo blew it up for not much of an increase in talent level/performance.

Can't disagree with the sentiment. Not that I am really against the moves to deal some of those guys. But the key is subsequent moves. You have to improve the team.

[shoeshineboy]

Should have traded for Ben Zobrist.

Yes.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Souza's hitting .167 so far this year, so he'd fit right in. Also, I don't buy the owners are cheap bit because our payroll is #6 in MLB. What else do you want them to realistically do? And every team deals with injuries during the year and that's not an excuse in my book. You still have to play the games.

The problem is that when they come to the plate, everyone wants to be the hero and swing for the fences. Screw moving the runner over, they would rather hit a 2-run homer. Once in a while, like with Ramos tonight, they get lucky and the ball gets out. Otherwise, it's a lot of weak groundouts and strikeouts. It's all about the approach at the plate. Just put the ball in play and good things will eventually happen.

[skippy1999]

Not that I am really against the moves to deal some of those guys. But the key is subsequent moves. You have to improve the team.

Should have traded for Ben Zobrist.

We didn't really gain anything by trading away Clippard.

Ok but to me this says Rizzo did a bad job with the resources he had, not that the Learners are cheap.
Seems like we're kind of like the Yankees now, we've bought some good players for high dollar amounts but have absolutely no depth behind them  

[PC]

Souza's hitting .167 so far this year, so he'd fit right in.

That's 167 points better than Tyler Moore.

[whytev]

To those saying there's no bench/minor league depth, the best player on the team currently is one of those minor leaguers. Michael Taylor is going to be a great fill in for Denard whenever he leaves. To those saying nobody addressed the offensive woes last year, somehow Yunel Escobar has been more clutch and more productive than Ryan Zimmerman thus far (unless you want to count Ryan's one homer, which, grant it, is responsible for our only win, we could be 0-5 right now). To those saying we did nothing about the bullpen, we have one of the deepest minor league pitching farms in the MLB, nobody wants to get a Papelbon-like contract on this club. Look back to the Soriano affair.

I'm not trying to defend Rizzo but the team is just playing like crap. Bryce is still swinging for the fences and chasing the high fastball, like he has something to prove. Zim is not doing his part. Neither is Ramos. Neither is Desi. And everybody else is hurt. I think we will see some more action from Thornton once Matt has established his bullpen and is done feeling out Treinen, Barrett, Stammen, Cedeno, and Roark. And of course we owe two whole games to Desmond's defense, and perhaps tonight's to Espinosa's, these guys are getting so over-eager you'd think everybody was in a contract year.

Matt looked pretty pissed tonight. Speaking of swinging for the fences, something like half of our runs scored this year are from the long ball. Somebody needs to sit these guys down and tell them to roll over the freaking lineup. Bullpen will probably sort out, starting pitching like every year is great, the offense is pressing like Drillmaster Eckstein is still around, and the defense is a mystery to me.

And we did get pretty unlucky. Nobody on the planet thought Revere could throw like that. Lesson learned,  go get 'em tomorrow behind Max, and prove they can swing by beating up on a nobody pitcher. If they lose tomorrow and can't take 2 of 3 from Boston, then we can begin panicking. No excuses by then, this is wake-up call of a loss that should shake these guys up. And to think it's only game 6. 

In all fairness, Espinosa threw out two guys at the plate today.

[Mighty Casey]

we saw and endured the same pathetic approach at the plate last year...most of these egotistical clods just want to hit home runs...while other teams succeed with small ball, the Nats have adopted the principle of 'no balls'...it's either over the fence or a futile swing at a bouncing ball in the dirt, or, like the vastly overpaid Zimmerman, watch a called third strike...actually, in his case, he has stood at the plate twice and watched 6 strike whiz by while keeping the bat firmly secured on his shoulders...he should he fined a half million dollars ....anyone can stand in the batter's box and not swing...but no one getting millions of dollars each season should ever do that...why the eff is he being paid to either watch strikes or golf at dirtballs?

[whytev]

So Blake Treinen had never thrown in games in back to back lives at any level in his professional career until last night.

http://www.federalbaseball.com/2015/4/12/8392271/washington-nationals-manager-matt-williams-sticks-to-the-script?utm