2021-2022 Offseason Discussion/Signings/Trades/Rumors

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Damn, I'll need to add that to my credentials then.

a UMD phd is just someone who has thrown up in AT LEAST 3 CP bars.

[blue911]

Damn, I'll need to add that to my credentials then.

Town Hall doesn’t count.

[imref]

Do this Rizzo

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/11/looking-for-a-match-in-a-matt-chapman-trade.html

[imref]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/job-posting-washington-nationals-baseball-research-development-positions/

[Elvir Ovcina]

Do this Rizzo

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/11/looking-for-a-match-in-a-matt-chapman-trade.html

Oakland will almost certainly have better offers than what the Nats could do without pretty much undoing the Turner/Scherzer trade or worse.  Any trade of Chapman to the Nats would start with Cavalli, and on that basis alone it's probably not a match. 

[UMDNats]

Chapman would be really awesome but like Elvir said it likely is tough for us to beat other offers.

That said, we should be looking around Oakland a ton to see if there's anyone we can use to add to our next 2-4 years. Though every team is going to be trying to strip that carcass.

[Slateman]

Theres no reason to burn prospects for Chapman in a rebuild year. Frankly, I think Oakland is going to keep him to start the year so he can rebuild value. They'll get more at the deadline

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Chapman would be really awesome but like Elvir said it likely is tough for us to beat other offers.

That said, we should be looking around Oakland a ton to see if there's anyone we can use to add to our next 2-4 years. Though every team is going to be trying to strip that carcass.

tampa bat has a real roster crunch and has been dealing for guys who do not have to be put on the 40 man roster.  Wendle is getting a bit expensive for them (meaning projected $4 million), so I'd see if there's a deal to be made there. 

[imref]

Chapman would be really awesome but like Elvir said it likely is tough for us to beat other offers.

That said, we should be looking around Oakland a ton to see if there's anyone we can use to add to our next 2-4 years. Though every team is going to be trying to strip that carcass.

he did hit .210 this past year and struck out a ton. He's a tremendous fielder who can hit for power but his hitting for average has declined in each of the last 3 seasons. Maybe that lowers his cost to something like Henry+Rutledge+Kieboom?

[Slateman]

tampa bat has a real roster crunch and has been dealing for guys who do not have to be put on the 40 man roster.  Wendle is getting a bit expensive for them (meaning projected $4 million), so I'd see if there's a deal to be made there. 

Wendle would make a good utility infielder. Probably cost the same as Villar would.

[aspenbubba]

Wendle would make a good utility infielder. Probably cost the same as Villar would.

Harrison would cost much less

[Elvir Ovcina]

he did hit .210 this past year and struck out a ton. He's a tremendous fielder who can hit for power but his hitting for average has declined in each of the last 3 seasons. Maybe that lowers his cost to something like Henry+Rutledge+Kieboom?

Nope.  No chance of a prospect-needy team trading a guy whose floor is 3.5 WAR for zero top-100 prospects.  Chapman was playing with multiple injuries/injury recoveries last year and still did that. 

Harrison would cost much less

Yes, primarily because he's older and not nearly as good. 

[UMDNats]

Rutledge and Kieboom are closer to non-prospect and AAA hitter than actual trade pieces. No one wants our turds.

[Slateman]

Harrison would cost much less

Wendle is likely better. The goal should be to make moves that dont cost a lot while also putting the team in a position to make moves at the deadline, should the Nats get some favorable outcomes

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Wendle is likely better. The goal should be to make moves that dont cost a lot while also putting the team in a position to make moves at the deadline, should the Nats get some favorable outcomes

I view Wendle as an affordable piece with years of control, which makes him more desirable than Villar, imo. He is literally a starter on a division winner. Whether the price in prospects is too high, I don't know.  I just think they are strong sellers and might do a decent deal

[welch]

Rutledge and Kieboom are closer to non-prospect and AAA hitter than actual trade pieces. No one wants our turds.

See today's Post for reasons to be optimistic about Rutledge:

- Sore shoulder sent him to Florida, the blister kept him from pitching much at Fredericksburg

- He pitched regularly in AFL. No breakdowns

- Mark Sciabala says he has brought back his sinker to go with his improved change-up, and his good fastball and slider.

Rutledge does not look like a Kieboom.

[Slateman]

I view Wendle as an affordable piece with years of control, which makes him more desirable than Villar, imo. He is literally a starter on a division winner. Whether the price in prospects is too high, I don't know.  I just think they are strong sellers and might do a decent deal

Wendle is probably 4.5 million this season, with next season being ~6 million. I would expect Villar to get ~6 million AAV. Villar can also play SS in a pinch.

Of the two, I would prefer Wendle, but who knows what the Rays will be asking

[Elvir Ovcina]

See today's Post for reasons to be optimistic about Rutledge:

- Sore shoulder sent him to Florida, the blister kept him from pitching much at Fredericksburg

- He pitched regularly in AFL. No breakdowns

- Mark Sciabala says he has brought back his sinker to go with his improved change-up, and his good fastball and slider.

Rutledge does not look like a Kieboom.

Those are reasons to be optimistic, but I'd still agree with UMDNats. 

Rutledge will be 23 when next season opens and he's done nothing productive above low-A.  Some of that is COVID, some injuries, but it's still factual.  Given his situation, there's a good chance he makes up some time and rebounds, but a 23-year-old starter with a shoulder injury in his past, no good numbers above low-A, and pure projection on the mound simply isn't a top prospect.   He's a promising lottery ticket, but not a meaningful trade piece.

[zimm_da_kid]

all i'm hoping for from rutledge at this point is some cheap pre-arb and arb years with him as a rainey-esque reliever

[UMDNats]

You know Rutledge sucks simply by the way he wears his hat. Turd that we pray can be a 4-ERA reliever in 3 years.

[Slateman]

Uh ... 23 is still fairly young for a pitcher. Also, dont forget, he lost a whole year due COVID

[imref]

 Jefry Rodriguez and Luis Reyes signed to minor league deals

[Elvir Ovcina]

Uh ... 23 is still fairly young for a pitcher. Also, dont forget, he lost a whole year due COVID

Sure, but it's not young for the level he's at.  Most early-round pitching prospects who are 23 and going to make it (at least as starters) are looking at least at AA to start the season with likely midseason promotions to AAA. 

That's still possible for Rutledge - and yes, COVID matters here (consider the season Cavalli just had, which not coincidentally ended with him at age 23 in AAA) - but it's a bit uphill. 

Compare the other pitchers chosen in the first 20 picks alongside him: Nick Lodolo dominated AA and ended the season in AAA.  Alek Manoah's already in the majors.  Quinn Priester (a high school draftee) did well in high-A at age 21 this year.  Zack Thompson struggled in AAA but did well in the AFL.  George Kirby succeeded in high-A and AA. 

Rutledge is behind all those guys.

[imref]

Sure, but it's not young for the level he's at.  Most early-round pitching prospects who are 23 and going to make it (at least as starters) are looking at least at AA to start the season with likely midseason promotions to AAA. 

That's still possible for Rutledge - and yes, COVID matters here (consider the season Cavalli just had, which not coincidentally ended with him at age 23 in AAA) - but it's a bit uphill. 

Compare the other pitchers chosen in the first 20 picks alongside him: Nick Lodolo dominated AA and ended the season in AAA.  Alek Manoah's already in the majors.  Quinn Priester (a high school draftee) did well in high-A at age 21 this year.  Zack Thompson struggled in AAA but did well in the AFL.  George Kirby succeeded in high-A and AA. 

Rutledge is behind all those guys.

And Rutledge hasn't been exactly dominating in the AFL.  He's at least a couple of years away from the majors at this point.

[Slateman]

Sure, but it's not young for the level he's at.  Most early-round pitching prospects who are 23 and going to make it (at least as starters) are looking at least at AA to start the season with likely midseason promotions to AAA. 

That's still possible for Rutledge - and yes, COVID matters here (consider the season Cavalli just had, which not coincidentally ended with him at age 23 in AAA) - but it's a bit uphill. 

Compare the other pitchers chosen in the first 20 picks alongside him: Nick Lodolo dominated AA and ended the season in AAA.  Alek Manoah's already in the majors.  Quinn Priester (a high school draftee) did well in high-A at age 21 this year.  Zack Thompson struggled in AAA but did well in the AFL.  George Kirby succeeded in high-A and AA. 

Rutledge is behind all those guys.

His age isnt that big of a deal, especially when you factor in a lost year. Y'all are too spoiled by young phenoms. None of the other prep school/juco arms drafted with him as starters have progressed much further.

Lots of time to let him develop. His fastball is still electric and that alone puts him in MLB reliever territory.