Patrick Corbin Consternation Thread

[Slateman]

We literally saw his would-be replacement last night. Some promise, but not ready. Huge burden on the bullpen, especially after Gore's off game.  Now, without Williams, we really can't kick Corbin to the curb until 2 of 3 things happen: Herz shows more,  Cavalli is ready, and /or Gray is back.

Again, JCA gets it

No one is saying Corbin is worth his money. But its silly to say he is only getting a rotation spot because of his salary. This rotation is, effectively, developing 4 young pitchers right now. This rotation needs someone who you can let pitch, regardless of pitch count, just to get some innings. You cant keep throwing guys who cant get out of the 5th inning and expect your bullpen to not burn out.

[Natsinpwc]

Again, JCA gets it

No one is saying Corbin is worth his money. But its silly to say he is only getting a rotation spot because of his salary. This rotation is, effectively, developing 4 young pitchers right now. This rotation needs someone who you can let pitch, regardless of pitch count, just to get some innings. You cant keep throwing guys who cant get out of the 5th inning and expect your bullpen to not burn out.

The only reason I would like him in the pen is that it might increase his trade value. Left relievers are gold.

[IanRubbish]

He's not taking anyone's spot because there is no one else.

If he were released today, he'd be signed by another major league team within a week.

LOL of course he wouldn't be, he'd be done.  He won't get another major league contract next year from anyone.

[Smithian]

Corbin is in his last year on the contract. The time to be mad and want him replaced was 2022 and 2023.

The weird thing about Corbin is he is clearly terrible. But his advanced metrics are ..... just bad? Not catastrophic like his normal numbers.

Corbin does himself no favors and if I have spent three years wondering how the defense around him collapses when he is on the mound, probably meaning its his fault. But in individual starts I sometimes wonder if the team let him down.

The Nationals don't have 5 good options around Corbin or he would be in the bullpen as a mop up man. They no longer hold ambitions of "fixing" him.

[Natsinpwc]

He’s always healthy and almost always eats up 5-6 innings. Those are the positives.  End of story.  They will need to find a veteran pitcher next year that can eat innings with him and Williams gone. Probably two.

[varoadking]

Again, JCA gets it

No one is saying Corbin is worth his money. But its silly to say he is only getting a rotation spot because of his salary. This rotation is, effectively, developing 4 young pitchers right now. This rotation needs someone who you can let pitch, regardless of pitch count, just to get some innings. You cant keep throwing guys who cant get out of the 5th inning and expect your bullpen to not burn out.

I think the point folks are making is that if Corbin was a MLB minimum salary guy, there's no way we'd be trotting him out there every 5 days...he'd have been gone years ago...

I believe even Dan Haren had better results during his brief...and much cheaper...Nats tenure...and he was pretty well hated for just that one year...

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

How about the pitcher, ∞, formerly known as "Trevor Rosenthal"?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

During May, he made 6 starts. HE gave up more than 3 earned in only one start. One of those starts, he gave up and unearned run, so 4 if you don't think 3 earned over 6 IP is OK. 4 of the starts, he went 6, the 5 IP start, he only gave up 1 run, and the 5.2 IP start, he gave up 2 runs.  Still ended up with 4.93 ERA and an atrocious K%.

I get we should be done with him and that he's not getting the Ks we want, but if he can limit his bad starts to 1 per month, that's adequate.

[sixthree175]

During May, he made 6 starts. HE gave up more than 3 earned in only one start. One of those starts, he gave up and unearned run, so 4 if you don't think 3 earned over 6 IP is OK. 4 of the starts, he went 6, the 5 IP start, he only gave up 1 run, and the 5.2 IP start, he gave up 2 runs.  Still ended up with 4.93 ERA and an atrocious K%.

I get we should be done with him and that he's not getting the Ks we want, but if he can limit his bad starts to 1 per month, that's adequate.

What about the moral hazard aspect to all this?

[sixthree175]

How about the pitcher, ∞, formerly known as "Trevor Rosenthal"?

He almost single-handedly ruined a championship season.  And, if I'm not mistaken they gave him a ring.

[Slateman]

He almost single-handedly ruined a championship season.  And, if I'm not mistaken they gave him a ring.

He also got like 18 million over three years in contracts after that.

[IanRubbish]

Anyone still think Corbin can fetch more than a bat boy jersey?

[imref]

gotta be the end of the line at this point, right? 2 awful starts in a row.

[Slateman]

Anyone still think Corbin can fetch more than a bat boy jersey?

Nobody has thought that about him this entire time. He's here because he can take the ball and they don't care about his health. That's all.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

[IanRubbish]

gotta be the end of the line at this point, right? 2 awful starts in a row.

No it's not.  The play the contract, not the best player.  Same reason Nasim Nunez and Keibert Ruiz aren't going anywhere.  Maybe later in the season they finally let go, but they won't DFA him the way the D-backs did with Madison Bumgarner last year with nearly 2 years of free agent salary due.

[imref]

No it's not.  The play the contract, not the best player.  Same reason Nasim Nunez and Keibert Ruiz aren't going anywhere.  Maybe later in the season they finally let go, but they won't DFA him the way the D-backs did with Madison Bumgarner last year with nearly 2 years of free agent salary due.

Victor Robles says hi.

[IanRubbish]

Victor Robles says hi.

Keibert Ruiz, Nasim Nunez, Joey Gallo, Eddie Rosario, Patrick Corbin, and Jesse Winker say hi back.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Harper's survey of the field of replacements finds . . .  nothing.
http://natsbaseball.blogspot.com/2024/06/if-not-corbin-then-who.html

Herz is already up to replace Williams. He has his chance to show he can start before being converted to reliever.

Beyond that, he goes through the rest of the AAA starters and finds nothing. As for AA, too early for Lara, so that leaves Lord, which would accelerate his clock (not R5 eligible until after next year).

[imref]

Gray and cavalli are the obvious options when they are ready

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Gray and cavalli are the obvious options when they are ready

yes, he notes them but they are not capable of taking Corbin's next start. Also questions Cavalli missing his last start.

[IanRubbish]

Beyond that, he goes through the rest of the AAA starters and finds nothing. As for AA, too early for Lara, so that leaves Lord, which would accelerate his clock (not R5 eligible until after next year).

Lord was drafted at age 22 out of college and is already 24, so he's more or less under team control until his age 30 season.  A few more starts and he should be ready for AAA. 

[aspenbubba]

Corbin is in his last year on the contract. The time to be mad and want him replaced was 2022 and 2023.

The weird thing about Corbin is he is clearly terrible. But his advanced metrics are ..... just bad? Not catastrophic like his normal numbers.

If anyone cares to look in the 2020 season prediction thread there was a category asking which player would underperform . My choice was obviously Corbin or I wouldn't be posting in this thread. I never bought into the fanboy hysteria of the WS relief job he did. His pedestrian 2019 record of 14-10 never impressed me as after the 19-31 start I felt that a very average pitcher ( at a much lower AAV) could amass that record with the team playing at such a high level. I think what I even suggested that we hang him upside down from the So Cap bridge in 2021 or 2.

[Natsinpwc]

If anyone cares to look in the 2020 season prediction thread there was a category asking which player would underperform . My choice was obviously Corbin or I wouldn't be posting in this thread. I never bought into the fanboy hysteria of the WS relief job he did. His pedestrian 2019 record of 14-10 never impressed me as after the 19-31 start I felt that a very average pitcher ( at a much lower AAV) could amass that record with the team playing at such a high level. I think what I even suggested that we hang him upside down from the So Cap bridge in 2021 or 2.

The contract was always bad and you were right. But for heavens sake everyone knows starting pitcher wins and losses are meaningless. His ERA in 2019 was 3.25. People often use FIP as a better predictor of the future but that was 3.49. He was one of the better MLB starting pitchers in 2019.

[nobleisthyname]

2019 was the height of the juiced ball era as well. Even Robles hit 17. Corbin's 3.49 FIP was still 22% better than league average that season.