2018-2019 Offseason Moves

[Natsinpwc]

Bryce Harper sells a lot of jerseys at the park though.  Kids ask their parents to bring them to games from out of town on weekends and they buy jerseys.   He's a big star, and brings in some revenue and adds to excitement at th park.

With Harper gone and no playoffs last year, ticket sales will be down.

[mitlen]

With Harper gone and no playoffs last year, ticket sales will be down.

Shorter beer lines.

[Bloo]

I'd like to see some evidence to jersey and player-specific merchandise at the ball park?

I mean clearly it's gone down since 2007 when they sold holdover jerseys of Vinny Castilla and Termell Sledge

[Natsinpwc]

Shorter beer lines.

And the rest rooms! Cheaper tickets on the resale market.

[mitlen]

And the rest rooms! Cheaper tickets on the resale market.

There are places in the stadium where there are no lines for restrooms.

[varoadking]

If jersey sales are going to be an issue for this franchise...we'll have no hope of ever winning a playoff series...

[Baseball is Life]

With Harper gone and no playoffs last year, ticket sales will be down.

For sure, but I think it will be a temporary, maybe a one year slump. If they play well and win, all is forgotten and the fans will find new heroes to root for. Not many players have Harper's starr appeal, but life will go on.

[nfotiu]

If jersey sales are going to be an issue for this franchise...we'll have no hope of ever winning a playoff series...

That's not even close to the point I was making.  Just saying that Harper generates some amount of revenue that offsets some amount of his salary.   I thinks it's a significant proportion, but I'm mostly guessing.  If he's making 30/year and generating 15/year, he's really only costing 15/year.

[varoadking]

That's not even close to the point I was making.  Just saying that Harper generates some amount of revenue that offsets some amount of his salary.   I thinks it's a significant proportion, but I'm mostly guessing.  If he's making 30/year and generating 15/year, he's really only costing 15/year.

Just guessing...but I'd think $15MM that can't be made up elsewhere is generous...

[hotshot]

Opinions on Wash Post report Nats may be interested in 31 yr old Josh Harrison to play 2B (and elsewhere)?

[UMDNats]

I honestly think Bryce switching teams will get them more tee shirt revenue because a whole new fan base will stock up on their Bryce shirts and the pie will be much bigger for all teams.   

Not to minimize the disappointment for a number of fans.  He is the marquis guy and his arrival brought a good period here.  The run was fun.  I just think the attendance will now rise or fall more on team success than on one guy's career ark.

[UMDNats]

With Harper gone and no playoffs last year, ticket sales will be down.

Maybe in April through the ASB but if the team is good people will come. Baseball fans don't come out to see individual players, really.

[Baseball is Life]

Maybe in April through the ASB but if the team is good people will come. Baseball fans don't come out to see individual players, really.

Totally agree. Maybe some starting pitchers are a draw though.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Bryce Harper sells a lot of jerseys at the park though.  Kids ask their parents to bring them to games from out of town on weekends and they buy jerseys.   He's a big star, and brings in some revenue and adds to excitement at th park.   

Parents have had 6+ years to buy their Harper jerseys for their kids.  Granted, they'll outgrow them and need replacements, but I'm guessing parents buy them big.  It probably may not be an every year a new shirt, but I'm not a parent. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

There are places in the stadium where there are no lines for restrooms.

that's true, but not everyone whizzes off the stairway to the Red Loft.

[DPMOmaha]

Totally agree. Maybe some starting pitchers are a draw though.

For me, if I'm going to watch the Nats, doesn't matter, but if I'm going to watch a game between teams I don't care about, I do care who is playing on who the starting pitchers are.

[Baseball is Life]

For me, if I'm going to watch the Nats, doesn't matter, but if I'm going to watch a game between teams I don't care about, I do care who is playing on who the starting pitchers are.

Usually my work schedule dictates which games I can attend. On occasion, I will have a choice and sometimes the starting pitcher will come into play. I mean, would you rather watch Max/Stras pitch or effing Gio or Roark?

[DPMOmaha]

Usually my work schedule dictates which games I can attend. On occasion, I will have a choice and sometimes the starting pitcher will come into play. I mean, would you rather watch Max/Stras pitch or effing Gio or Roark?

It's usually an ordeal for me to go to a game, though. At least 3 hours to get to the nearest park. If the Nats aren't playing, I either want to see a great team or a great player.

[NJ Ave]

I just don't understand this idea that Bryce is driving a lot of money at the park. Certainly $15 million is a ridiculous number, but lots of studies have been done of these claims in the past, and found scant evidence that "stars" drive spending.

Nationals Attendance (in millions)
2011: 1.94
2012: 2.37
2013: 2.65
2014: 2.58
2015: 2.62
2016: 2.48
2017: 2.52
2018: 2.53

We are solidly in the third tier of attendance markets. We didn't get an increase in his MVP-year in 2015. We don't have a decrease in years where he's injured like 2014 and 2017.

We had an increase from pre-Bryce to post-Bryce, but I'd say that has more to do with the team becoming a playoff team than with Bryce. Milwaukee drew an additional 500,000 fans from 2016 when they were terrible to 2018 when they won the division. That's not because of the magnetic nature of Christian Yelich.

[Slateman]

I just don't understand this idea that Bryce is driving a lot of money at the park. Certainly $15 million is a ridiculous number, but lots of studies have been done of these claims in the past, and found scant evidence that "stars" drive spending.

Nationals Attendance (in millions)
2011: 1.94
2012: 2.37
2013: 2.65
2014: 2.58
2015: 2.62
2016: 2.48
2017: 2.52
2018: 2.53

We are solidly in the third tier of attendance markets. We didn't get an increase in his MVP-year in 2015. We don't have a decrease in years where he's injured like 2014 and 2017.

We had an increase from pre-Bryce to post-Bryce, but I'd say that has more to do with the team becoming a playoff team than with Bryce. Milwaukee drew an additional 500,000 fans from 2016 when they were terrible to 2018 when they won the division. That's not because of the magnetic nature of Christian Yelich.

Big increase from 2011 to 2012-2018.

Winning brings people to the park.

[Trea Burner]

Attendance is not a huge deal in sports anymore. Concessions and optics of near capacity stadium is nice but the mega national and regional TV deals are where the $ are at...

[bluestreak]

Attendance is not a huge deal in sports anymore. Concessions and optics of near capacity stadium is nice but the mega national and regional TV deals are where the $ are at...

That would be true if the team had a viable TV deal...

[hotshot]

That would be true if the team had a viable TV deal...

Speaking of viable TV deals, is there even a known approximate date for a decision on the MASN matter?

[Slateman]

Speaking of viable TV deals, is there even a known approximate date for a decision on the MASN matter?

After the lawyers get enough

[HalfSmokes]

Speaking of viable TV deals, is there even a known approximate date for a decision on the MASN matter?

After Angelos passes when little Angelos is trying to get permission to be a principle owner would be my guess