Hot Stove: 2019-2020 Offseason

[Greg_SRT]

Doesnt your comment on how inconsistent bullpens are negate the pen being "much better?"

Yes and no. It’s a bet. As in they are betting on increases from multiple other areas and good health... or not devastating bad health.

Says we blew 29 saves last year...

[imref]

2020 playoff projections have the Nats winning East, with Harper and Rendon playing golf early.

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds

[UMDNats]

Phillies have thrown all this money around the last 2 years and are still projected 4th place in the NL East and projected for 79 wins, not to mention essentially a complete afterthought in the national MLB conversation. Sick team.

[DCFan]

Phillies have thrown all this money around the last 2 years and are still projected 4th place in the NL East and projected for 79 wins, not to mention essentially a complete afterthought in the national MLB conversation. Sick team.

  Good.

[imref]

Phillies have thrown all this money around the last 2 years and are still projected 4th place in the NL East and projected for 79 wins, not to mention essentially a complete afterthought in the national MLB conversation. Sick team.

yeah, it's pretty rare that signing a big name non-starting pitching FA leads to success.

[Five Banners]

Phillies have thrown all this money around the last 2 years and are still projected 4th place in the NL East and projected for 79 wins, not to mention essentially a complete afterthought in the national MLB conversation. Sick team.

I still think Girardi's presence and a lineup suited for Citizens Bandbox Park can make things interesting

[UMDNats]

Their lineup is really solid top to bottom but their pitching staff is horrible. Girardi is a really, really good manager and will protect guys like Bryce and squeeze a lot of our the turds they have on the mound but their path to the playoffs basically is if the Braves, Mets and Nats all get hurt or underperform substantially. Year 2 of 13 looks great!

[WashingtonWizards23]

The Angels are so underrated. Barring injuries to Trout, Rendon and Ohtani  they will win 95 games this year.

[Slateman]

The Angels are so underrated. Barring injuries to Trout, Rendon and Ohtani  they will win 95 games this year.

Not with that rotation they're not. Especially in that division

[bluestreak]

The Angels are so underrated. Barring injuries to Trout, Rendon and Ohtani  they will win 95 games this year.

What about Griffin Canning? Their rotation is awful.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/maddon-hard-to-imagine-griffin-canning-not-starting-season-on-il.html

[Slateman]

What about Griffin Canning? Their rotation is awful.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/maddon-hard-to-imagine-griffin-canning-not-starting-season-on-il.html

Even if he were healthy, that rotation is Ohtani (not starting until May and probably cant be relied on), Heaney and Canning (decent number 3s on average teams), and then Tehran and Bundy (men, warm bodies). Their pen is nothing special.

So unless the Astros and Athletics fall completely on their faces, or the Angels make a monster trade for a front of the rotation starter, I dont know how they get to 95 wins.

But I hope they do

[DCFan]

Not with that rotation they're not. Especially in that division

Good luck keeping up with Houston and Oakland.

[Elvir Ovcina]

The Angels are so underrated. Barring injuries to Trout, Rendon and Ohtani  they will win 95 games this year.

Depending on how his hitting translates to a new setting, Rendon might be the third-best 3B in that division, and the A's and Astros are both significantly better across the board than the Angels' roster.   Sure, they might win 95 games, but there's a pile of reasons their over/under for wins this year is 85-ish. 

[Greg_SRT]

So another year of obnoxious Philly fans oblivious to their own roster while telling me Harper is happier in Philly because the Phillies fans are more knowledgeable about baseball?

[Elvir Ovcina]

So another year of obnoxious Philly fans oblivious to their own roster while telling me Harper is happier in Philly because the Phillies fans are more knowledgeable about baseball?

This year, there's a very simple response to any crap opposing fans talk.

[Greg_SRT]

This year, there's a very simple response to any crap opposing fans talk.

lol so true. I seen one on Reddit that responded to that with Nats only have 12 fans. Desperation is a stinky colon

[MtPleasantNatsFan]

This year, there's a very simple response to any crap opposing fans talk.

After the Astros scandal, I’m happy we lost 2012 FAIRLY, if naively, than if we won but there was cheating.

We won 2019 against all odds.  I have a hard time imagining I’ll ever get upset again unless someone goes for a low blow

[imref]

Some roster moves today:

Barrera and Fedde to AAA Fresno
Bourque, Finnegan, Adrian Sanchez, and Andrew Stevenson to Harrisburg

This appears to ensure Taylor makes the team as the 4th OF.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

So that means Sanchez cleared waivers? Though he was out of options? Also, Difo is still around, so there's 8 infielders for now.

[imref]

So that means Sanchez cleared waivers? Though he was out of options? Also, Difo is still around, so there's 8 infielders for now.

He had one year where he spent less than 20 days in the minors after being sent down so he still had an option.

[imref]

MLB and the MLBPA are expected to announce a deal today to address disruptions to the 2020 season.  Details from Zuck

https://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2020/03/reports-mlb-union-agree-to-salary-service-time-draft-changes.html

* Management will advance $170 million in salary payments over the next two months, with most of the money going to players at the lower end of the salary spectrum (i.e., those who have fewer than three years of big league service time and make at or near the league minimum). That money will not have to be returned if the entire season is canceled, but owners won't be responsible for any salary payments beyond that if the season isn't played. (Total salaries for the entire league were expected to be around $4 billion this year.)

* Assuming the season does take place, but includes fewer than 162 games, all salaries will be prorated. (So, if the season is reduced to 120 games, players would receive only 75 percent of their original salaries.)

* In exchange for sacrificing potential earnings, players got owners to agree to award a full year's worth of service time even if the season isn't played. If it's a partial season, service time will be calculated based on how many days a player would have accrued during a full season. (So players like Mookie Betts, Trevor Bauer, George Springer and J.T. Realmuto, who were entering their contract years, will become free agents this fall even if they don't play any games in 2020.)

* Both sides agreed to make a good faith effort to schedule as many games this season as possible, once government and public health officials declare it safe. In order to achieve that goal, there could be fewer off days, scheduled doubleheaders and an extension of the season beyond late October, with the possibility of some postseason games played in neutral sites to account for cold weather. The current postseason format also could be adjusted.

* The draft, currently scheduled for June 10, could be pushed back as late as July 20 both this year and next year. The typically 40-round event could be condensed to as few as five rounds this year and 20 rounds next year.

All rosters are frozen as of today as well.

Zuck notes:

The Nationals do have several veterans with expiring contracts after the 2020 season, including Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick, Asdrúbal Cabrera, Kurt Suzuki and Sean Doolittle. If by some chance this season is never played, all would still become free agents this fall.

[HalfSmokes]

Screw job for rookies minor leaguers and undrafted players, helps the veterans- definitely what I’d expect from the mlbpa

[djnrook]

Screw job for rookies minor leaguers and undrafted players, helps the veterans- definitely what I’d expect from the mlbpa

Also, “in the event fewer than 162 games are played” and “good faith effort to play as many games as possible” translates to “no season ticket refunds or payment plan pauses are being considered at this time”

[UMDNats]

Also, “in the event fewer than 162 games are played” and “good faith effort to play as many games as possible” translates to “no season ticket refunds or payment plan pauses are being considered at this time”

Don't be so grim. Season ticket holders will get taken care of. You'll get access to a limited edition sale of autographed bobbleheads!

[imref]

Nightengale tweets that the plan is to let teams keep 29 players on the roster for the first month of the season, whenever that happens.