Looking ahead to 2022

[Slateman]

Correra is a crapbag. He didnt deny Houston was cheating. He was freaking cheating.

[Natsinpwc]

Correa is not coming to DC.  If they were not going to pay Trea $20 million a year why would they pay Correa that much?

Not clear why some folks can’t understand the team is in a rebuild mode.

[Mattionals]

Correa is not coming to DC.  If they were not going to pay Trea $20 million a year why would they pay Correa that much?

Not clear why some folks can’t understand the team is in a rebuild mode.

Lol @ Trea getting 20M a year. His age ta are going to use the Lindor contract as a meter stick. He's getting MVP votes this year. He is going to easily walk into a 30M+ a year contract.


That being said, just pass on Correa because he is going to be too expensive. If the Nats are going to pick up a MI in free agency, look to the next tier down or a guy looking to re-establish his value. Story or Seager could be potential targets.

[sixthree175]

Correra is a crapbag. He didnt deny Houston was cheating. He was freaking cheating.

And yes, there WAS a buzzer.

[Natsinpwc]

Lol @ Trea getting 20M a year. His age ta are going to use the Lindor contract as a meter stick. He's getting MVP votes this year. He is going to easily walk into a 30M+ a year contract.


That being said, just pass on Correa because he is going to be too expensive. If the Nats are going to pick up a MI in free agency, look to the next tier down or a guy looking to re-establish his value. Story or Seager could be potential targets.

Yea, I meant they offered less than $20 million. 

They are not getting Story or Seager either.  Wake up and smell the coffee.  It's a rebuild.  JCA has a good point about Baez who might take a one year prove it deal. 

[sixthree175]

Not a super-team, but the Nats could compete in the NL East.

I just don't see it.  The target years should be 2023/2024.

[Mathguy]

Welch - what do you think about Pitching - particularly relievers ?

[Slateman]

Correa is not coming to DC.  If they were not going to pay Trea $20 million a year why would they pay Correa that much?

Not clear why some folks can’t understand the team is in a rebuild mode.

The Nats were absolutely willing to pay Turner 20 million a year.

Turners agents wanted 35

[Natsinpwc]

The Nats were absolutely willing to pay Turner 20 million a year.

Turners agents wanted 35

You don't know that.  They made no offer other than the one at the start of 2020.  Even if the Lerners are willing to pay any of thee SS why would one of them want to come to a rebuilding team that has been playing .400 ball the past two seasons?  They will go for a cheap solution at SS which is what rebuilding teams do. 

[Mattionals]

Yea, I meant they offered less than $20 million. 

They are not getting Story or Seager either.  Wake up and smell the coffee.  It's a rebuild.  JCA has a good point about Baez who might take a one year prove it deal.

What I meant is that I think Seager and Story might be in the same group as Baez, take a one year deal to re-establish value.

[Slateman]

You don't know that.  They made no offer other than the one at the start of 2020.  Even if the Lerners are willing to pay any of thee SS why would one of them want to come to a rebuilding team that has been playing .400 ball the past two seasons?  They will go for a cheap solution at SS which is what rebuilding teams do. 

They wanted what Lindor got

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/08/13/nationals-rebuild-without-scherzer-turner/

When Cleveland sent Lindor to the New York Mets, Turner’s representatives began hammering the favorable comparisons between the two, arguing that whatever Lindor got in an extension would probably be a fitting number for Turner, too. The Mets gave Lindor 10 years and $341 million. To Turner and his team, the landscape had changed, something they communicated to the Nationals and others in the aftermath.

Not sure why this is even remotely being debated. If Turner really wanted to stay in DC, all he had to do was tell his agency to make it happen

[Slateman]

Anyway, the only reason to get a SS is because Garcia isnt playing SS. And if thats the case, they're giving him a year or two to develop in the minors.

[welch]

Welch - what do you think about Pitching - particularly relievers ?

I don't know much except some of the NLE teams. Syndegaard is a free agent. He has never made much, and he hasn't pitched since 2019. Still buried in rehab. Thor has always struck me as a lunk-head, but he used to throw hard. Remembering more ex-Mets, Steven Matz has had a decent season, and made about $5 million this year. They might be a number 2 and a number 3.

Overall, what does it matter that the Nats are "rebuilding" in 2022? Does that mean the organization plays to fold up next year? Tries to sell another raft of players at the deadline? Why? Would it be to continue "rebuilding" until 2024 or '25 or 2026? Or perpetually? For what? Soto is a free agent after 2024, meaning the Nats need to trade him after 2023 or get only rental-returns. So the team competes in 2023 and then goes into rebuild again?

The only issue with Correa is what the market tells him he is worth. He is a 5-WAR SS. Who cares if he lies and continues to lie about the Trash Canning?

[Five Banners]

The only issue with Correa is what the market tells him he is worth. He is a 5-WAR SS. Who cares if he lies and continues to lie about the Trash Canning?

For enough of the fan base (and presumably management and ownership), the issue would be similar to the Nationals had looking into acquiring Happy Felsch (late of the Black Sox scandal) around 1926 or 1927.

[DPMOmaha]

I just don't see it.  The target years should be 2023/2024.

I think they'll attempt to put a competitive team in the field next season.

[Slateman]

I think they'll attempt to put a competitive team in the field next season.

They'll do what they did this year. If everything goes well, they're in position to add at the deadline and make a push. If not, they won't have overcommitted beyond Stras and Corbin

[imref]

I think they'll attempt to put a competitive team in the field next season.

Strasburg's recovery is key IMHO. If he looks good in the offseason, why not make at least some kind of push?

[Natsinpwc]

Strasburg's recovery is key IMHO. If he looks good in the offseason, why not make at least some kind of push?

He always looks uncomfortable out there. So how would anyone know if he looks good in the off-season?  They will not know until spring training. Or even after that.

[zimm_da_kid]

The key is signing relievers with upside to 1 year deals.  We need 2 (at least) to add to the mix of thompson, finnegan, harris, machado, klobosits, Cronin

Likewise we need to sign the best starter we can to a one year deal.  I don’t want the wave of arms to be blocked.  We need space for whomever emerges out of cavalli, Rutledge, Henry, Aldo, Carrillo, and Parker.  Someone like syndegaard or Paxton on a one year pillow deal or Charlie Morton on a one year deal to stay pretty close to home

[DPMOmaha]

They'll do what they did this year. If everything goes well, they're in position to add at the deadline and make a push. If not, they won't have overcommitted beyond Stras and Corbin

I agree.

[UMDNats]

Fedde and Epsino as your #4 and #5 starters is basically saying you need 6 innings from your bullpen twice a week. Fedde is not a good pitcher, and Espino should be our long man and "freak everyone is hurt" starter.

[Slateman]

The key is signing relievers with upside to 1 year deals.  We need 2 (at least) to add to the mix of thompson, finnegan, harris, machado, klobosits, Cronin

Likewise we need to sign the best starter we can to a one year deal.  I don’t want the wave of arms to be blocked.  We need space for whomever emerges out of cavalli, Rutledge, Henry, Aldo, Carrillo, and Parker.  Someone like syndegaard or Paxton on a one year pillow deal or Charlie Morton on a one year deal to stay pretty close to home

Rutledge, Henry, Ramirez, Carillo, and Parker arent going to be MLB starters for years. You sign the best pitcher(s) you can

[zimm_da_kid]

Rutledge, Henry, Ramirez, Carillo, and Parker arent going to be MLB starters for years. You sign the best pitcher(s) you can

By the end of 2023 at least one will have made 10+ starts for us

[Natsinpwc]

By the end of 2023 at least one will have made 10+ starts for us

So has Espino!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

THE RACING PRECEDENTS - Comparative dates on which the Nationals notched their 54th win, each season:

2016 - 10th July (90th match)
2017 - 15th July (90th match)
2005 - 19th July (94th match)
2012 - 21st July (93rd match)
2014 - 21st July (97th match)
2019 - 24th July (100th match)
2015 - 30th July (100th match)
2018 - 1st August (107th match)
2013 - 3rd August (110th match)
2011 - 5th August (112th match)
2007 - 12th August (118th match)
2006 - 18th August (122nd match)
2021 - 24th August (124th match)
2010 - 26th August (128th match)
2008 - 3rd September (140th match)
2009 - 29th September (157th match)
---
2020 - finished 26-34

Here we are, our record solidly straddling two prior epochs of the current Nats.  2006 (really, 2nd half of 2005) was the start of the laughing stock of baseball that culminated in the horrible 2008 and 2009 teams. 2010 marked the start of the turn around, which led to an 80-81 2011 and the subsequent contender era that culminated in a World Series win. 

So, is this team's direction closer to 2006 or 2010? We don't have quite the top end prospects that we had in 2010 (Stras and Harper, and earning the pick that got us Rendon), but we have Soto plus maybe the best position player in the draft in House, plus a high pick coming, and probably more close-to-the-majors high end young talent surrounding Soto in Kieboom, Ruiz, and maybe another infielder.  Gray is a nice comparable to Zimmermann, but I'm not going to drink Kool-Aid and say either Gray or Cavalli is Strasburg.