Closer Watch: 2017

[whytev]

Risk of stating obvious... not to insult anyone's intelligence...

It matters because it's an independent third-party's assessment of where our system ranks in comparison to our competitors. It's not the only one. But it's one. And since it reflects conventional reasoning about what assets we have in the cupboard, it's a concern. It might not be a concern if we see new prospects emerge over this new season, but for now, it's a concern unless/until that happens. You have to develop and maintain a constant stream of talent in the cupboard both for what that talent can actually mean for your MLB roster and for what it means perceptually to other GMs with whom you may want/need to swing a deal at the optimal moment.

Turning the page, if I may...

I'm anxious to see what other out-of-options assets might become available in the last week of camp, and that could get an April audition. Just hard to put total trust in Glover now even if he keeps doing what he's doing because of that hip thing being chronic (as I understand it).

If you don't have enough assets to be good in a few years, you might as well punt the ones you have to go all in.

[_sturt_]

So, all or nothing, eh?

Sounds like what someone might say who was an original Expos fan, don't it?

(hehe)

(And don't take that to mean I'm suddenly ripping on Expos... just their GMs who kept the franchise in such a consistent state of ineptitude... )

[_sturt_]

Don't go easy on me

Ah. So, I missed the sarcasm on that first reply? Glad to know it.

[whytev]

So, all or nothing, eh?

Sounds like what someone might say who was an original Expos fan, don't it?

(hehe)

(And don't take that to mean I'm suddenly ripping on Expos... just their GMs who kept the franchise in such a consistent state of ineptitude... )

The Expos only went for it twice and both trades were terrible ideas.

Farm forever is the strategy for them. Or the Rays. Probably Pirates too.

We're close enough to burn a few prospects to capture a window.

[GuyFromCO]

Ah. So, I missed the sarcasm on that first reply? Glad to know it.

Sorry. Yeah.

[_sturt_]

The Expos only went for it twice and both trades were terrible ideas.

Farm forever is the strategy for them. Or the Rays. Probably Pirates too.

We're close enough to burn a few prospects to capture a window.

Your idea of "capturing a window" is a little different than mine. The few closers who would have captured said window for us were available in the free agent market. And it's always cooler to argue against the stupid GM, of course, but never having had that need to be the contrarian and rather just coming by it honestly when it makes sense, the logic Rizzo's adopted here is sound, at least to me. If you have no decent options, you have to be more aggressive just to gain some decent option... but letting your decent options have a few weeks' chance to prove themselves before spending some talent currency I think is the right call.

[_sturt_]

Sorry. Yeah.

Nah... my bad, not yours... though in my own defense, this is one of those boards, and more specifically collections of posters, that's more difficult for a relative spring chicken like myself to figure sometimes... a few highly cynical/predictable types, but beyond those, not always clear how straightforward to read the words typed.

[DPMOmaha]

I vote for Jimmy Cordero.

http://m.mlb.com/wsh/video/topic/69972428/v1230042383/?game_pk=509947

[whytev]

Your idea of "capturing a window" is a little different than mine. The few closers who would have captured said window for us were available in the free agent market. And it's always cooler to argue against the stupid GM, of course, but never having had that need to be the contrarian and rather just coming by it honestly when it makes sense, the logic Rizzo's adopted here is sound, at least to me. If you have no decent options, you have to be more aggressive just to gain some decent option... but letting your decent options have a few weeks' chance to prove themselves before spending some talent currency I think is the right call.

With three years left in the window last year, I feel that Rizzo was appropriately aggressive.

With two left now, he needs to step it up.

I sure wish the Giolito for Miller trade had worked out.

[Mattionals]

I vote for Jimmy Cordero.

http://m.mlb.com/wsh/video/topic/69972428/v1230042383/?game_pk=509947

I tweeted Zuckerman to see what the gun is saying about Cordero's fastball. Used to hit triple digits before his shoulder surgery. Zuck said he was interviewing Gio and didn't get a chance to see his velocity but is said to be having a good spring.

[Truconfidence]

I tweeted Zuckerman to see what the gun is saying about Cordero's fastball. Used to hit triple digits before his shoulder surgery. Zuck said he was interviewing Gio and didn't get a chance to see his velocity but is said to be having a good spring.

i saw him pitch in todays game. his slider has good downward tilt. the cardinals broadcast did not have a gun either.

[Mattionals]

i saw him pitch in todays game. his slider has good downward tilt. the cardinals broadcast did not have a gun either.

I'd love to hear that he can crank it up to 104 again but if he did, I bet we'd have heard about it by now.

[Truconfidence]

Koda again with another 1IP 3K performance

[DPMOmaha]

Koda again with another 1IP 3K performance

I'd still like to have him get the first crack at it.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Every time I hear "Koda" I hear "Toga."

[PowerBoater69]

But the White Sox have executed no other trades. Hahn said they had two deals completed on the baseball-operations level that were quashed by opposing ownership, with one of those believed to be Robertson moving to the Nationals.

http://nypost.com/2017/03/08/white-sox-fire-sale-isnt-over-it-just-got-paused/

[bluestreak]

http://nypost.com/2017/03/08/white-sox-fire-sale-isnt-over-it-just-got-paused/

I don't disagree with getting aggressive to get a closer. That being said, I don't think that Robertson is the guy to give away the farm for.

[Slateman]

They're waiting for him to bounce back from last year. He comes in this season and looks more like 2015 than 2016, he'll command a king's ransom.

[dcpatti]

watching Nats classics right now and Soriano is pitching in a game against the Pirates and all I gotta say is... sometimes not having a designated closer aint a bad thing...

[imref]

Nathan got rocked today. It isn't 2010 anymore. 

[Ray D]

watching Nats classics right now and Soriano is pitching in a game against the Pirates and all I gotta say is... sometimes not having a designated closer aint a bad thing...

I think i was at that game, a weekday day game in 2013?  He comes in in the 9th and blows a four run lead, it goes into extra innings, and Harper hits a walkoff in the 12th or 13th.

[dcpatti]

this one was the Hairston sac fly to bring Werth home in about the 12th I think? From the Late Night Nats period where every freakin game went into extras for like 2 weeks. But you got the Soriano blowing the lead bit right.

[mitlen]

MASN showing another game now with Christina Akra.    FP and Carp are gonna interview Giollito and are talking about Lannan coming back up to the bigs.       Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeriste, it's deja vu.

[imref]

Zuck notes: "More important than the radar gun was Romero's command. He threw 9-of-13 pitches for strikes and has now walked only one batter in 6 2/3 total innings this spring between the Nationals and the WBC. That's extremely encouraging for a reliever who last season with the Rays walked a staggering 5.5 batters per nine innings."

[mitlen]

Pollin and Loverro (106.7) were indicating that Koda will be the man.