Looking ahead to 2022

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Price is only 15 million. The Red Sox are picking up the rest. And I think he would be decent out of the pen. He was earlier in the year, before the Dodgers started asking him to start or relieve for 3+ innings

you are going to make me root for David Price again?   But there's something appealing to the idea of taking on short contracts in the $10-20MM owed for a year or two if they are wrapped up with a prospect sweetener, then looking to flip those guys if they perform and we are out of it.  That, and a few flippable signings of the Schwarber /Lester /Hand class.  Collecting a few veteran utility guys also works if you are seeing how many of the Garcia /Kieboom / Antuna / whatevers pan out.  Jur-Pro makes sense, but so would Harrison (not to get too sentimental about a guy who was here, but he's that profile).

[Natsinpwc]

The Lerners are no doubt asking Rizzo why he can’t do what the Rays do every year.  Find cheap guys who will perform.  $100 million payroll or bust. 

[Slateman]

The Lerners are no doubt asking Rizzo why he can’t do what the Rays do every year.  Find cheap guys who will perform.  $100 million payroll or bust. 

I would love to know what the Rays spend on analytics, scouting, and player development

[Natsinpwc]

I would love to know what the Rays spend on analytics, scouting, and player development

I doubt they spend more than other top teams but not sure. Seems more organizational culture and willingness to try new things. And seems they have a great hiring process.

“One of the more recent radical ideas: hiring baseball's first process and analytics coach and giving him a spot in the dugout. Jonathan Erlichman, a former math major at Princeton -- nicknamed J-Money by Friedman for his conspicuously sharp dressing in his early days with the team -- rose from Toronto Blue Jays intern to the Rays' director of analytics before being named to the coaching staff prior to the 2019 season.”

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30146884/world-series-2020-how-rays-became-rays-brain-trust-mlb-most-innovative-team%3fplatform=amp

[Slateman]

Actually, let me rephrase that. I would love to see a comparative analysis on what the Rays pay for those things gersus what the Dodgers pay, versus what the Nats pay

[zimm_da_kid]

Semien fills the most holes in our team via one player.  A capable SS to keep Garcia at 2B, a middle of the order righty bat, and I doubt he gets more than a high value 5 year deal.

What do y’all think he gets?  I’m thinking something like 5 yrs/$125 million

[Natsinpwc]

Semien fills the most holes in our team via one player.  A capable SS to keep Garcia at 2B, a middle of the order righty bat, and I doubt he gets more than a high value 5 year deal.

What do y’all think he gets?  I’m thinking something like 5 yrs/$125 million

Why would he want to play on a likely non contender when he will have contending teams to choose from?  I think you have to realize that we are now back to a rerun of the Nats early years and free agents will only use the team to drive up prices.  The top free agents will not be coming here even if the Lerners wanted to spend--unless you do a major overpay as with Werth.  Don't think it makes any sense until they see how the younger guys are doing. 

[zimm_da_kid]

Trading Yadiel and signing Eddie Rosario to be the lefty platoon for Thomas and Robles.  This should theoretically work pretty well. Thomas and Robles bat against all lefties and Rosario bats against all righty’s, spelling whoever’s hitting worse at he time between Robles and Thomas. 

Rosario wouldn’t be too expensive and wouldn’t take too many years.  We could sign him and pitch up other areas of the team (I.e. Flores/Harrison, Semien?, Greinke pillow deal?)

[Natsinpwc]

Trading Yadiel and signing Eddie Rosario to be the lefty platoon for Thomas and Robles.  This should theoretically work pretty well. Thomas and Robles bat against all lefties and Rosario bats against all righty’s, spelling whoever’s hitting worse at he time between Robles and Thomas. 

Rosario wouldn’t be too expensive and wouldn’t take too many years.  We could sign him and pitch up other areas of the team (I.e. Flores/Harrison, Semien?, Greinke pillow deal?)

So what do you expect to get in a trade for a 33 year old career minor league OF without much power?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

OF the big SS free agents (correa, seager, Semien, Story, Baez), I suspect the first 3 will get big long term deals and the latter two will be more likely to sign a short contract to rebuild value.  Of those two, I'd prefer Story for a year.

[Slateman]

Why would he want to play on a likely non contender when he will have contending teams to choose from?  I think you have to realize that we are now back to a rerun of the Nats early years and free agents will only use the team to drive up prices.  The top free agents will not be coming here even if the Lerners wanted to spend--unless you do a major overpay as with Werth.  Don't think it makes any sense until they see how the younger guys are doing. 

Semien will go to the club offering the most money. Which wont be us.

[Elvir Ovcina]

Trading Yadiel and signing Eddie Rosario to be the lefty platoon for Thomas and Robles.  This should theoretically work pretty well. Thomas and Robles bat against all lefties and Rosario bats against all righty’s, spelling whoever’s hitting worse at he time between Robles and Thomas. 

Rosario wouldn’t be too expensive and wouldn’t take too many years.  We could sign him and pitch up other areas of the team (I.e. Flores/Harrison, Semien?, Greinke pillow deal?)

What's a "pillow deal" for a 38-year-old?  It's not like he's trying to bump up value for a 5-year contract in the future.

[welch]

Yadiel can hit. No need to trade him, and nobody else worth trading.

Meanwhile, the Nats need pitching. Here are all the free agents, according to Spotrac, along with their guess at what they will sign for:

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/free-agents/

Just for grins, I took a look at pitchers we happen to know.

- Noah Syndegaard made about $10 million and ought to make almost $30 million, they think. Seems a big gamble on a pitcher who had his best full season in 2018, has had two good seasons, has never pitched 200 innings, and who is coming off TJS.

- Marcus Stroman: "market value" of about $21 million. Less than I'd have guessed, but if the Mets are the team to spend $30 million on Thor, then they won't have so much to spend on Stroman...even though Stroman is dependable and has been good.

- Robbie Ray: they guess that old friend Robbie Ray should make about $18 million. Odd. Isn't he the best starter in Toronto?

- Steven Matz: old acquaintance Matz makes only about $5 million, and Spotrac won't even estimate what he is worth.

Overall: a lot of pitchers will be floating, including some famous, but older, guys. They estimate that Max will draw $35 million. Zach Grienke will be available, along with Justin Verlander as he recovers.

[Slateman]

Lol, those numbers are stupidly low.

Syndergaard is taking the QO so he's not a available

Stroman probably getting 4 years, 90 million

Robbie Ray, 5 years, 130 million

Matz has easily pitched himself into a multi-year deal with at least 10 million AAV

The Lerners arent going to spend huge this offseason. They'll go with one year deals from guys that they hope bounce back.

[welch]

Lol, those numbers are stupidly low.

Syndergaard is taking the QO so he's not a available

Stroman probably getting 4 years, 90 million

Robbie Ray, 5 years, 130 million

Matz has easily pitched himself into a multi-year deal with at least 10 million AAV

The Lerners arent going to spend huge this offseason. They'll go with one year deals from guys that they hope bounce back.

Yes.

Syndegaard ought to take the QO. He is a risk, a giant risk, for the reasons I mentioned. If he does well in 2022, he makes big bucks for a few years. He turns 30 in 2022, and he's been injured. No reason any team should sign him intp his age 35 or later seasons.

Ray turns 32, and had one other fine year, but he ought to draw interest? Five years at $25 million seems a little high, but maybe he'll get it.

Matz has finally had a solid year. Maybe three seasons at $10 million per?

[welch]

And the Nats should try to sign Verlander, Grienke, or Matz. It would be grins and giggles to go from Scherzer to Verlander, and then Greinke who refused a trade to Washington about fifteen years ago.

[Slateman]

Verlander is a cheating nag. No thanks.

[welch]

Verlander is a cheating nag. No thanks.

If Verlander can win, who cares??

[Slateman]

If Verlander can win, who cares??

We do

[welch]

We do

Ah...win the right way?

[Slateman]

Ah...win the right way?

Just dont employ hypocritical cheaters who choke in the postseason

[welch]

Just dont employ hypocritical cheaters who choke in the postseason

Just get to the post-season. And cranky Greinke might help get to the post-season, too. Ross is unlikely to pitch well. Fedde is not good, even as a reliever. He looks maybe better in the bullpen, but I doubt he can handle the pressure. Rogers is fun to watch, but he doesn't wipe out hitters. Espino is a long relief guy. Corbin might recover and Gray might be ready.

The relievers are a collection of Gas Canrahans.

Unless a 3B falls out of a tree, don't spend a cent on hitters. Get some pitching.

[Slateman]

Or maybe dont waste money on a douchebag 38 year old coming off TJS or a 37 year old coming off his worst season ever

[hotshot]

Think I recently read where Finnegan was named the Nats Most Valuable Pitcher for the 2021 season. That's all you need to know about the state of our staff.

Was that a starting rotation audition today for Mr. Adon? Looked pretty good. 

[imref]

https://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2021/10/rizzo-after-low-point-this-year-improvement-expected-in-2022.html