Rizzo Interim Report Card 2021

[Slateman]

You also have to add in:

Doubling-down and going all-in on Carter Kieboom: F

Rizzo's decision to count on Kieboom being an above-average player has been the most damaging decision he's made and the primary reason we suck ass.

The primary reasons we suck ass are Strasburg getting hurt, and Bell and Schwarber sucking. Harrison has easily out produced even the best case scenario for Kieboom, and there was really no real options to get better production.

[Natsinpwc]

The primary reasons we suck ass are Strasburg getting hurt, and Bell and Schwarber sucking. Harrison has easily out produced even the best case scenario for Kieboom, and there was really no real options to get better production.

Correct.  However it’s an issue longer term. And also Harrison’s production does not match Rendon so their is a fall off there. Not like letting Harper go because you have Soto. 

[Natsinpwc]

Yea, largely because Doolittle was more interested in lecturing everyone on pandemic response rather than getting ready for the season.

Meanwhile, his ERA is over twice as high. Despite not being a closer, he has just as many innings pitched. And right handed batters are hitting .381 off him.

The lack of interest in Doo has nothing to do with his off the field stuff. It’s because teams thought he lost his stuff. Hand appears to have lost some of his stuff also. Need more time to evalauate though.

[aspenbubba]

oh, Sam Clay looks like a heck of a signing. 

As for Kieboom, yes, he's been bad, but the plan B (HArrison and Castro) look good enough to say he wasn't so much all in there as running a risk when he had some coverage. 

Harrison was never intended to be a full time player and it was hoped that he would take up SOME of the slack with Howie retiring. He has exceeded everyones expectation and it is like catching lightning in a bottle. I'm not saying Kieboom will never be a MLB player he just wasn't ready and had shown jack in every opportunity he was afforded the past three years.

[imref]

oh, Sam Clay looks like a heck of a signing. 

Remember that Clay was supposed to be in Rochester, he's only here because Avilan went down.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Remember that Clay was supposed to be in Rochester, he's only here because Avilan went down.

If offering him a major league contract induced him to sign here, he was a fantastic use of a 40 man slot.  Add in the options, and the upside (he was dominant in 2019, IIRC), and Rizzo deserves a straight A for the signing.

Harrison was never intended to be a full time player and it was hoped that he would take up SOME of the slack with Howie retiring. He has exceeded everyones expectation and it is like catching lightning in a bottle..

The fact is, he was signed as a Plan B, and it worked out well.  You can't say that it was "all in" on Kieboom if he had a back up plan of Castro and Harrison.  You can say, "gee, I would have rather they went out and signed a guy like Lowrie [if you clairvoyant] / La Stella [if you were not]" or pulled the trigger on a hypothetical deal, but I don't think the plan at 3rd was as "all in" as big of a "it's this guy, regardless of how he performs" as 1st or LF.

[Slateman]

LaStella woulda fit right in here

[hohoho]

Yea, largely because Doolittle was more interested in lecturing everyone on pandemic response rather than getting ready for the season.

Meanwhile, his ERA is over twice as high. Despite not being a closer, he has just as many innings pitched. And right handed batters are hitting .381 off him.

Your usual nonsense.

[Smithian]

The major league roster is rough.

I'm more concerned about the complete dumpster fire in our farm system. It's one of the worst in the majors. I don't know if they've gotten lazy or what. In the early 2010's the system was always packed with arms and bats who usually didn't make it to DC but were great trade chips. Right now? Awful. There are some interesting pieces in the low minors, but that doesn't hide the fact there is a reason I think every farm system ranking has Washington dead last.

I think Rizzo has earned the right to get first swing at the rebuild after inheriting a dumpster fire from Bowden and giving us a decade of winning baseball. But there has to be accountability for the fact our farm system has withered.

[RyanZimsKazoo]

 Are we going to ignore that rizzo gave often injured hot house flower Strasburg a quarter of a billion dollars over rendon? That alone is a fireable offense if you ask me

[Natsinpwc]

Are we going to ignore that rizzo gave often injured hot house flower Strasburg a quarter of a billion dollars over rendon? That alone is a fireable offense if you ask me

That was the Lerner’s decision.

[Slateman]

That was the Lerner’s decision.

Yep.

The rejection of a Harper trade in 2018, the botched contract Harper negotiations, the unwillingness to go over the luxury tax, and the Strasburg contract are squarely on the Lerners shoulders

[WilyMoP]

The real report card will be how much he is able to able to replenish the farm at the trade deadline.

Hopefully guys like Hudson, Lester, Harrison, Harris are hot in July.

[rileyn]

The real report card will be how much he is able to able to replenish the farm at the trade deadline.

Hopefully guys like Hudson, Lester, Harrison, Harris are hot in July.

Hand.  Don't forget Hand.  Get him TF outta here!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The real report card will be how much he is able to able to replenish the farm at the trade deadline.

Hopefully guys like Hudson, Lester, Harrison, Harris are hot in July.

Agree. There's a lot of expiring contracts that could be moved towards the deadline if that's the direction the Nats want to go in.  Lester has return to Boston written all over him if they need rotation help down the stretch.  There's also a lot of models for the value of a late innings high leverage reliever's value at the deadline, so figuring out what Hudson's worth will not be hard.  Harris has decent money due next year, so he might be harder to move. 

[imref]

Castro is turning out to be quite the win for Rizzo.

[Natsinpwc]

Castro is turning out to be quite the win for Rizzo.

Several posters here wanted him banished in April.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Castro is turning out to be quite the win for Rizzo.

I don't think he has a lot of value in trade down the stretch unless he gets some power back, but he's been at least useful this year.  I don't think 2nd/3rd basemen are all that rare on contenders, so he'd be a utility or maybe a platoon guy. 

[imref]

Harrison = B+
Bell =F
Schwarber  = F
Hand = D+
Avilan = Inc
Avila = C-
Lester = B-
Mercer = C-

And to count on Kiebust as the OD 3B he gets no grade because he was auditing the class

Might be time to update this a bit. Schwarber, Hand, and Lester have turned into pretty good signings.  Josh Bell over his last month is slashing .282 / .337 / .482 with 4 home runs.

[Smithian]

Gonna take our AAAA squad to the postseason!!