What to trade?

[aspenbubba]

Trouts signing bonus as the 25th pick was 1.215 M. Storen may have been slightly less. It was not a money issue. Twenty three teams missed on him .

[awbb]

Storen was a compatibility pick, meaning everyone knew he wasn't a true 1st round pick but was chosen solely because he could be signed cheaper than a real 1st rounder such as Trout. He was picked because they knew that Strasburg was going to break the bank and there wasn't enough room in the budget for Stras and Trout. Metrics, BABIP and every other stat had nothing to do with picking Storen, it was a dollars and cents decision.

Even working on the principle that no one knew Trout would pan out to be a generational, if not historical talent, this still sounds like the moronic thing I have ever read on here. If the Lerners are too tight to stump up a signing bonus for two first round picks they can then ride at league minimum salary until arbitration we’re doomed to never win a playoff series and frankly, we don’t deserve too.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Even working on the principle that no one knew Trout would pan out to be a generational, if not historical talent, this still sounds like the moronic thing I have ever read on here. If the Lerners are too tight to stump up a signing bonus for two first round picks they can then ride at league minimum salary until arbitration we’re doomed to never win a playoff series and frankly, we don’t deserve too.

It's not about being tight.  You have a certain amount of money to allocate to signing bonuses for your entire draft.  If you try and entice a later round guy to sign that otherwise may go to school or stay in school, you might need over slot money available because you were under slot elsewhere.  Still, if anybody had a clue what Trout was gong to become, you'd give him whatever he wanted and figure the rest out.

[awbb]

It's not about being tight.  You have a certain amount of money to allocate to signing bonuses for your entire draft.  If you try and entice a later round guy to sign that otherwise may go to school or stay in school, you might need over slot money available because you were under slot elsewhere.  Still, if anybody had a clue what Trout was gong to become, you'd give him whatever he wanted and figure the rest out.

I had no idea there was a limit on the amount you could spend on signing bonuses in the draft. Thanks for enlightening me.

I still think it’s a mad idea though!

[bluestreak]

IIRC Storen was picked at # 10 and Trout was picked in the low 20's in the first round. What were the signing bonuses of each. I'm not sure money was an issue. Consensus was an easy signing and he signed immediately and went off to the minors .

I am not going to beat up on Rizzo for missing on someone that 20 other guys passed on as well.

[RichMinSC]

the most important need is SP and has been since February.  Right now our #1 is a potential Cy Young pitcher who is capable of 6-8 real clunkers  when not trowing a gem. Our #2 is really a #4  our #3 is really a #5   our #4 is a mediocre AAA pitcher and our #5 is a mediocre AA pitcher. arrietta should have been signed but I go back to July we should have made a trade for Kate Upton's husband

[Slateman]

Why cant we just get Adam Dunn to pitch for us?

[bluestreak]

the most important need is SP and has been since February.  Right now our #1 is a potential Cy Young pitcher who is capable of 6-8 real clunkers  when not trowing a gem. Our #2 is really a #4  our #3 is really a #5   our #4 is a mediocre AAA pitcher and our #5 is a mediocre AA pitcher. arrietta should have been signed but I go back to July we should have made a trade for Kate Upton's husband

Has Max thrown a clunker this year? And the starting pitching has been a strength.

[HalfSmokes]

I had no idea there was a limit on the amount you could spend on signing bonuses in the draft. Thanks for enlightening me.

I still think it’s a mad idea though!

You can still be mad, I’m pretty sure the hard cap is in the current cba, not the one in place where they took a reliever in the top ten

[RichMinSC]

Has Max thrown a clunker this year? And the starting pitching has been a strength.

you obliviously don't watch the same team-----you go to the playoffs ----IF we get there with -----Gio and Roark and fredde starting 3 of every 4

[bluestreak]

you obliviously don't watch the same team-----you go to the playoffs ----IF we get there with -----Gio and Roark and fredde starting 3 of every 4

Nationals starters are second in baseball in ERA as a staff.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching/split/127

[RichMinSC]

Nationals starters are second in baseball in ERA as a staff.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching/split/127

that is a ridiculous statement  60% of those guys are NOT currently active. you want to manipulate all your stats . as of today th only stats that matter are Mx, gio, Roark fedde and Rodriguez

the 3- 5 starter spots have accounted for 3 wins

[bluestreak]

that is a ridiculous statement  60% of those guys are NOT currently active. you want to manipulate all your stats . as of today th only stats that matter are Mx, gio, Roark fedde and Rodriguez

Um, you realize Hellickson is close to being back and Strasburg is coming back as well. He does a DL stint every year. He did one last year. And your original post went off on all the pitchers.

I’m not sure how posting the starters stats for the entire year is “manipulating stats,” but you do you, man.

[RichMinSC]

Um, you realize Hellickson is close to being back and Strasburg is coming back as well. He does a DL stint every year. He did one last year. And your original post went off on all the pitchers.

I’m not sure how posting the starters stats for the entire year is “manipulating stats,” but you do you, man.

the starting rotation  you can manipulative  what you want but the post we need SP because right now we have a lousy rotation

[bluestreak]

that is a ridiculous statement  60% of those guys are NOT currently active. you want to manipulate all your stats . as of today th only stats that matter are Mx, gio, Roark fedde and Rodriguez

the 3- 5 starter spots have accounted for 3 wins

Did Stras and Hellickson die? Did we go out and get a new third baseman when Rendon broke his toe?

[nfotiu]

that is a ridiculous statement  60% of those guys are NOT currently active. you want to manipulate all your stats . as of today th only stats that matter are Mx, gio, Roark fedde and Rodriguez

the 3- 5 starter spots have accounted for 3 wins

60%?   Looks like about 33% of games are started by guys not on the active roster.  Pulling Strasburg and Helickson's numbers from those stats doesn't change much.  Although, I'm not sure why you would, when both are expected to be back.

[dracnal]

60%?   Looks like about 33% of games are started by guys not on the active roster.  Pulling Strasburg and Helickson's numbers from those stats doesn't change much.  Although, I'm not sure why you would, when both are expected to be back.

Look, it's harder to be angry when you use rational numbers and thinking. Please stop immediately and activate your amygdala accordingly.

[HalfSmokes]

Look, it's harder to be angry when you use rational numbers and thinking. Please stop immediately and activate your amygdala accordingly.

My view on the rotation is the same as it’s been all season- good regular season rotation that has two guys I want touching the ball in the playoffs. The standing make getting a third pitcher more urgent

[GburgNatsFan]

Look, it's harder to be angry when you use rational numbers and thinking. Please stop immediately and activate your amygdala accordingly.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

that is a ridiculous statement  60% of those guys are NOT currently active. you want to manipulate all your stats . as of today th only stats that matter are Mx, gio, Roark fedde and Rodriguez

the 3- 5 starter spots have accounted for 3 wins

Aside from the fact that Hellickson is back really soon and Stras not far behind, your math sucks.  Max, Gio, and Roark are active.  That means 3 out of 5, or 60%, are active.  40% are not active. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It's not about being tight.  You have a certain amount of money to allocate to signing bonuses for your entire draft.  If you try and entice a later round guy to sign that otherwise may go to school or stay in school, you might need over slot money available because you were under slot elsewhere.  Still, if anybody had a clue what Trout was gong to become, you'd give him whatever he wanted and figure the rest out.

back then, the penalties for going over slot weren't as severe as now. In fact, they may have been non-existent.  Just Bud jawboning.  The real reason they went for Storen has to do with Aaron Crowe (or whatever that horse's behind's name is) and how we got the pick.  That was a compensation pick for failing to sign Crowe the year before. Under the old CBA, if you failed to sign a guy, you got a compensation pick one slot later in the next year's draft.  However, if you did not sign the compensation pick, you lost the pick.  Storen was an overdraft who was supposed to go later in the 1st round, but they more or less had a deal in place saying, "if we draft you at #10 and give you what Bud says a #10 is worth, you will sign, right?"  They did not want to get into two complex negotiations for their two high picks by drafting a guy who was chancier to sign. Imagine the reaction if Strasburg did not sign and #10 did not sign.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Speaking of eating Crow, that fella is currently plying his trade in Mexico with Acereros de Monclova. 

[spidernat]

Speaking of eating Crow, that fella is currently plying his trade in Mexico with Acereros de Monclova. 

[Natsinpwc]

the starting rotation  you can manipulative  what you want but the post we need SP because right now we have a lousy rotation

Going into the season I thought the SP was the team weakness. But the numbers don't bear that out. The Nats are fourth in MLB in team ERA. The bullpen last I looked was about tenth so the starters have been great overall. Hellickson has pitched better than Arietta.   At least so far. Roark has had a good year. Gio is Gio. Unless they think Stras will not be back no reason to trade for a starter.

The offense has been weaker than expected. That's why the team record is below expectations.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching

[bluestreak]

Going into the season I thought the SP was the team weakness. But the numbers don't bear that out. The Nats are fourth in MLB in team ERA. The bullpen last I looked was about tenth so the starters have been great overall. Hellickson has pitched better than Arietta.   At least so far. Roark has had a good year. Gio is Gio. Unless they think Stras will not be back no reason to trade for a starter.

The offense has been weaker than expected. That's why the team record is below expectations.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching

Starters are 2nd in MLB behind only the Astros...