Author Topic: Premature in season speculation about next year's roster  (Read 4951 times)

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Online Slateman

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I would do that in a heartbeat. We have no one else to pay for the next four years, might as well overpay to have at least one solid guy in the lineup every day while the young guys come up. I don't want to sign anyone to very long deals next offseason, except Trea who is a pipedream, but I would gladly pay way too much AAV short term to get a guy like Benintendi.
That is a massive over pay for a sub .800 OPS DH.

We should absolutely be saving money for when we can compete or for extending our own players.

Offline Section214

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That is a massive over pay for a sub .800 OPS DH.

We should absolutely be saving money for when we can compete or for extending our own players.

He's not a DH, he won a gold glove last year and has been very solid in the OF again this year. I just want one legitimate big leaguer to go with the young guys, he is available, consistently productive and does not demand a 6+ year deal.

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Benintendi is going to command at least 5 years. He has only a hit tool and has hit .300 once. He's Adam Eaton at the plate, but defensively limited to LF or DH.
I am still in a mode where basically nobody should be signed for more than 2 - 3 years, absent something strange like Trea saying "I'm desperate to play my entire useful life in DC."

Online Slateman

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He's not a DH, he won a gold glove last year and has been very solid in the OF again this year. I just want one legitimate big leaguer to go with the young guys, he is available, consistently productive and does not demand a 6+ year deal.
Hes exclusively a LFer with poor defensive metrics and no ability to play another position.

We just had two "legitimate big leaguers" and were a 100+ loss team. If we really want him in 2 or 3 years, we will be able go trade for him in exchange for a marginal prospect. But I really dont want a slap hitting LFer. Every team should be able to easily develop a Benintendi.

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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My goal next year is for the Nationals to win 63 games and to not make any FA signings/trades that will last more than a couple years.

That's a hard pair of goals to achieve together.  Unless you somehow luck into Correa's contract with the Twins, impact players - and you'd need a lot to get this roster out of 100-loss territory - aren't available for short term contracts in general, and especially not with awful teams.

Offline Section214

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Hes exclusively a LFer with poor defensive metrics and no ability to play another position.

We just had two "legitimate big leaguers" and were a 100+ loss team. If we really want him in 2 or 3 years, we will be able go trade for him in exchange for a marginal prospect. But I really dont want a slap hitting LFer. Every team should be able to easily develop a Benintendi.

So because Cruz and Cesar were awful this year, we shouldn't go after anyone? I am not saying we should give him 6 years 140 or something crazy, but he has been a solid player for years in the big leagues and I shudder at the idea of trotting out an OF with Yadi, Thomas, Robles, Stevenson and Call while we wait to pick up some other AAAA guys off waivers.

Online imref

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Is it unrealistic to think that by the end of next year:

1. Abrams SS
2. Garcia 2B
3. Meneses DH
4. Voit 1B
5. Ruiz C
6. Antuna RF
7. Hassell LF
8. Kieboom 3B
9. Robles CF

Rotation: Cavalli, Henry, Gray, Espino, ???

I'm starting to get a wee bit excited....

Online Slateman

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So because Cruz and Cesar were awful this year, we shouldn't go after anyone? I am not saying we should give him 6 years 140 or something crazy, but he has been a solid player for years in the big leagues and I shudder at the idea of trotting out an OF with Yadi, Thomas, Robles, Stevenson and Call while we wait to pick up some other AAAA guys off waivers.
There is no one who helps us in 2024 and 2025. He aint coming here without a massive overpay.

BTW, the legitimate big leaguers I was talking about were Soto and Bell. We should not invest any real money until we are sure that Gore, Cavalli, and Gray can anchor a big league rotation.

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Is it unrealistic to think that by the end of next year:

1. Abrams SS
2. Garcia 2B
3. Meneses DH
4. Voit 1B
5. Ruiz C
6. Antuna RF
7. Hassell LF
8. Kieboom 3B
9. Robles CF

Rotation: Cavalli, Henry, Gray, Espino, ???

I'm starting to get a wee bit excited....
Fedde probably has shown enough to be a #4, so that is an internal answer to ???. Otoh, Antuna I think may be dropped from the 40 man roster if there's a space need.

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Fedde probably has shown enough to be a #4, so that is an internal answer to ???. Otoh, Antuna I think may be dropped from the 40 man roster if there's a space need.

Fedde's having the best or second-best season of his 6-year career and he's still barely above replacement level.  A dude coming off a season with an ERA just under 5 and whose career ERA is just over 5 ain't a lock to be #4.  5, maybe, on a bad team.  He also can't stay healthy.  Normally, that dude should be fighting for a roster spot.

Online Slateman

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deGrom baby

Online Smithian

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Is it unrealistic to think that by the end of next year:

1. Abrams SS
2. Garcia 2B
3. Meneses DH
4. Voit 1B
5. Ruiz C
6. Antuna RF
7. Hassell LF
8. Kieboom 3B
9. Robles CF

Rotation: Cavalli, Henry, Gray, Espino, ???

I'm starting to get a wee bit excited....
There's a world where rotation by next ASG break could be

Gray
Gore
Cavalli
Henry

With Jackson Rutledge, Evan Lee, and Mitchell Parker fighting for the fifth spot. But TINSTAAPP is real. A couple guys are going to move up a level and fall apart. Someone's arm will explode.

Journeyman starters will always have because of that.

Offline Section214

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There is no one who helps us in 2024 and 2025. He aint coming here without a massive overpay.

BTW, the legitimate big leaguers I was talking about were Soto and Bell. We should not invest any real money until we are sure that Gore, Cavalli, and Gray can anchor a big league rotation.

Fair enough on the big leaguers. I agree we shouldn't throw out long term, massive contracts, but we were a 69 win team when Jayson Werth signed a massive $125m deal which at the time made no sense. It gave us one solid guy to build around and by the time his contract was winding down, he was a 6-7 hitter on a good team, that's what I think a guy like Benintendi could be.

Our payroll in 2023 as of now is going to be nothing, we might as well go overpay a few guys on short-term deals to field a somewhat competitive team.

Offline UMDNats

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Is it unrealistic to think that by the end of next year:

1. Abrams SS
2. Garcia 2B
3. Meneses DH
4. Voit 1B
5. Ruiz C
6. Antuna RF
7. Hassell LF
8. Kieboom 3B
9. Robles CF

Rotation: Cavalli, Henry, Gray, Espino, ???

I'm starting to get a wee bit excited....

why would you be excited about this?!?

Menses is a journeyman who has had a fun like 10 days so far in the majors. Atuna is a 740 OPS outfielder in high-A who is closer to off the 40 than the MLB. Kieboom is an objectively bad player at the MLB level. Espino is a journeyman. That is like a 70 win roster if everything goes perfectly!


Offline UMDNats

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Fair enough on the big leaguers. I agree we shouldn't throw out long term, massive contracts, but we were a 69 win team when Jayson Werth signed a massive $125m deal which at the time made no sense. It gave us one solid guy to build around and by the time his contract was winding down, he was a 6-7 hitter on a good team, that's what I think a guy like Benintendi could be.

Our payroll in 2023 as of now is going to be nothing, we might as well go overpay a few guys on short-term deals to field a somewhat competitive team.

i don't see benintendi taking a deal with a team that won't be good for 2 years of his contract. he'll have too many options to realistically consider us unless we pay like $20 million more than the next closest team.

Offline UMDNats

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With Jackson Rutledge, Evan Lee, and Mitchell Parker fighting for the fifth spot. But TINSTAAPP is real. A couple guys are going to move up a level and fall apart. Someone's arm will explode.

Let's see if Big Hat Jack can actually pitch to an ERA below 5 in high-A before penciling him in to a rotation battle.

Online Slateman

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There's a world where rotation by next ASG break could be

Gray
Gore
Cavalli
Henry

With Jackson Rutledge, Evan Lee, and Mitchell Parker fighting for the fifth spot. But TINSTAAPP is real. A couple guys are going to move up a level and fall apart. Someone's arm will explode.

Journeyman starters will always have because of that.
Theres a world where my wife agrees to a threesome with Gabbie Carter. About the same likelihood of Henry making the big league rotation at this point.


Offline Natsinpwc

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Fair enough on the big leaguers. I agree we shouldn't throw out long term, massive contracts, but we were a 69 win team when Jayson Werth signed a massive $125m deal which at the time made no sense. It gave us one solid guy to build around and by the time his contract was winding down, he was a 6-7 hitter on a good team, that's what I think a guy like Benintendi could be.

Our payroll in 2023 as of now is going to be nothing, we might as well go overpay a few guys on short-term deals to field a somewhat competitive team.
I think the key is short term but not likely to get the top guys at any position. Think more the lower tier guys.


Offline Natsinpwc

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One interesting guy to think about is Michael Conforto. Depending on his medical issues. I don’t think any of the big teams will be interested.

Online Slateman

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Fair enough on the big leaguers. I agree we shouldn't throw out long term, massive contracts, but we were a 69 win team when Jayson Werth signed a massive $125m deal which at the time made no sense. It gave us one solid guy to build around and by the time his contract was winding down, he was a 6-7 hitter on a good team, that's what I think a guy like Benintendi could be.

Our payroll in 2023 as of now is going to be nothing, we might as well go overpay a few guys on short-term deals to field a somewhat competitive team.
And Werth was an albatross the entire time.

https://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=25857.0

Keep in mind that in 2024, the Nats will be paying almost 90 million for Patrick Corbin to suck, Strasburg to be hurt, and Scherzer to be deferred. That number goes down from 2025 to 2028 to 50 million a year in lost money.

Online Slateman

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One interesting guy to think about is Michael Conforto. Depending on his medical issues. I don’t think any of the big teams will be interested.
Would want a one year, prove it deal. Which I'd be happy to do next year, so long as Rizzo doesnt get lazy and is willing to move players at the deadline.

But chances are that if they come here, any free agent will be thinking of it as the last big payday (i.e., Nelson Cruz)

Offline Natsinpwc

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Would want a one year, prove it deal. Which I'd be happy to do next year, so long as Rizzo doesnt get lazy and is willing to move players at the deadline.

But chances are that if they come here, any free agent will be thinking of it as the last big payday (i.e., Nelson Cruz)
Conforto is not 42. Will be interesting to see if anyone signs him end of this season. Would not have to give up a compensatory pick now.  A two year deal might even be fine. Not much risk for a team like the Nats.

Online Five Banners

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Our payroll in 2023 as of now is going to be nothing, we might as well go overpay a few guys on short-term deals to field a somewhat competitive team.

It makes sense to have some veterans who can contribute to wins as well as attitude shaping. That could be combined with smart money investments in the coaching staff, along with everything on the development side.

Online Slateman

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Conforto is not 42. Will be interesting to see if anyone signs him end of this season. Would not have to give up a compensatory pick now.  A two year deal might even be fine. Not much risk for a team like the Nats.
Im saying the Nats are basically a team of last resort for Conforto. We're either giving him way more money than anyone else, or he knows he has nothing left and wants one last payday.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Im saying the Nats are basically a team of last resort for Conforto. We're either giving him way more money than anyone else, or he knows he has nothing left and wants one last payday.
Teams didn’t want to sign him to give up a comp pick after he had surgery in the year.  Can’t just assume he is finished. If he has one year offers give him 2.