The Sunshine Squad 2023: Gotta be better, right?

[imref]

strasburg I think won a silver slugger, so throw him in so he can hit on the days he's not pitching.

Strasburg, Robles, Cobin, and Kuhl for Ohtani won't be enough. We'd have to include Matt Adams too.

[imref]

we're on a better W-L pace right now than we were in 2019.....

[rileyn]

May 8, look at our schedule so far:

We have played 2 teams each division, except for the NL West. 

TB/Balt - 1st and 2nd place
Minn/Cle - 1st and 2nd place
LAA - 2nd place
Atl/NYM - 1st and 2nd place
Pitt/Chi - 1st and 3rd place
Ari/Col - 2nd and 5th place

The only bad team we have played is Colorado.  Is this a reason for optimism going forward? 

[nobleisthyname]

May 8, look at our schedule so far:

We have played 2 teams each division, except for the NL West. 

TB/Balt - 1st and 2nd place
Minn/Cle - 1st and 2nd place
LAA - 2nd place
Atl/NYM - 1st and 2nd place
Pitt/Chi - 1st and 3rd place
Ari/Col - 2nd and 5th place

The only bad team we have played is Colorado.  Is this a reason for optimism going forward?

And we've been mostly competitive (though a clear step below as reflected in the record) to boot.

[welch]

Nats can compete against the teams meandering at .500 records. Can't beat the powerhouse teams. Not Atlanta. Everybody else in the NLE is beatable.

Better starting and relief pitching, plus respectable defense will put most games within reach. This is good.

[catocony]

They're playing better than expected and in all aspects of the game.  Okay, maybe not hitting, but they're not worst than expected.  Quite honestly, as of today, the pitching staff is way better than I anticipated.  Defense is better as well. 

[imref]

upgrade Call and Smith and that might be good for another 6 wins or so.

[IanRubbish]

upgrade Call and Smith and that might be good for another 6 wins or so.

Smith should be a late inning defensive replacement.  Matt Adams or even Darren Baker should be a given a shot there.

[imref]

6-3 in our last nine. Game behind Philly, 2 back of second place.

[Smithian]

PB69 inadvertently lit a fire under Martinez’s ass and ever since this team has been firing on every best case scenario.

[GataNats]

upgrade Call and Smith and that might be good for another 6 wins or so.

Candy is the guy hurting us the most hitting fourth

[imref]

11-9 in our last 20. 3 games back of the WC.

[welch]

Rizzo's rebuild has been skillfully done:

- Scherzer and Trea to the Dodgers for Gray and Ruiz: Nats got a starting catcher and a starting pitcher; Dodgers got nothing from Max and a season of Trea.

- Schwarber to Boston for a pitcher who has been hurt: Nothing for either team, as Schwarber left immediately.

- Daniel Hudson to Padres for Mason Thompson: Hudson pitched some for SDP, and left for the Dodgers, where he is still a good reliever. Thompson is ten years younger, a looks pretty good.

- Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison to Oakland for three washouts: a wash for both teams. Gomes and Harrison became free agents, and Gomes signed with the Cubs for $6 million -- might have been the veteran catcher to back up Ruiz. Harrison looks finished. Both are 35.

- Brad Hand to Toronto for Riley Adams: Hopeless Hand for Adams, who backs up Ruiz.

- Soto and Bell to Padres for Gore, Abrams, and those prospects: Bell left for Cleveland, and Soto does not look like the next Ted Williams. Nats got a starting pitcher and a shortstop, plus some prospects working their way up the minors.

- Drafting astutely: so far, so good with players like Brady House and the others.

The future looks pretty good, and all that is without spending on big-time free agents.

[Smithian]

Rizzo's rebuild has been skillfully done:

- Scherzer and Trea to the Dodgers for Gray and Ruiz: Nats got a starting catcher and a starting pitcher; Dodgers got nothing from Max and a season of Trea.

- Schwarber to Boston for a pitcher who has been hurt: Nothing for either team, as Schwarber left immediately.

- Daniel Hudson to Padres for Mason Thompson: Hudson pitched some for SDP, and left for the Dodgers, where he is still a good reliever. Thompson is ten years younger, a looks pretty good.

- Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison to Oakland for three washouts: a wash for both teams. Gomes and Harrison became free agents, and Gomes signed with the Cubs for $6 million -- might have been the veteran catcher to back up Ruiz. Harrison looks finished. Both are 35.

- Brad Hand to Toronto for Riley Adams: Hopeless Hand for Adams, who backs up Ruiz.

- Soto and Bell to Padres for Gore, Abrams, and those prospects: Bell left for Cleveland, and Soto does not look like the next Ted Williams. Nats got a starting pitcher and a shortstop, plus some prospects working their way up the minors.

- Drafting astutely: so far, so good with players like Brady House and the others.

The future looks pretty good, and all that is without spending on big-time free agents.

You had me until the bolded part! Sample size too small to give him credit yet.

[UMDNats]

We absolutely cannot give Rizzo for drafting astutely. Like come on. Yeah, he didn't use a top-10 pick on a high school pitcher with substance abuse issues. Congrats to Mike for doing literally the bare minimum job of taking the consensus best players available in House and Green. He only spent 10 years freaking up the draft to a level where we had to trade Soto!

[imref]

Romero was the #25 pick that year (2017). If you look at the next five players drafted, Alex Lange (#30) has had success as a middle reliever. Bubba Thompson (26) would have been a nice CO for us. Drew Rasmussen (31) was drafted by Tampa, didn't sign, and was drafted the next year by Milwaukee before they traded him to Tampa. He has been a solid starter for them after years of injuries.

Other notable names that year were Jeter Downs (32) and Will Crowe (65)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I don't nitpick sunshine posts, but, IIRC, the Ref Sox made the ALCS with Schwarber and he played and contributed, so the got what they  traded for. As for Aldo, I think he's still rated on our prospect lists despite his injuries. As for the deal with the As, Millas may end up contributing. It's just that Adams and Pineda are ahead of him. I think Millas is on the 40 man, so I don't think he's seen as a bust.

[UMDNats]

Millas is probably better than Adams. He's playing well in AA and I think they plan on him and Pineda being possible backups.

[Mattionals]

Millas is probably better than Adams. He's playing well in AA and I think they plan on him and Pineda being possible backups.

I always wondered if Adams got the chance to hit everyday if he would be better suited to DH. Maybe he gets that ability after the deadline? I would have guessed that if Dom Smith was actually hitting, then he would be dealt at the deadline, Meneses would move to 1B, and Adams could DH on days he doesn't catch.

[Dave in Fairfax]

Rizzo's rebuild has been skillfully done:

- Scherzer and Trea to the Dodgers for Gray and Ruiz: Nats got a starting catcher and a starting pitcher; Dodgers got nothing from Max and a season of Trea.

- Schwarber to Boston for a pitcher who has been hurt: Nothing for either team, as Schwarber left immediately.

- Daniel Hudson to Padres for Mason Thompson: Hudson pitched some for SDP, and left for the Dodgers, where he is still a good reliever. Thompson is ten years younger, a looks pretty good.

- Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison to Oakland for three washouts: a wash for both teams. Gomes and Harrison became free agents, and Gomes signed with the Cubs for $6 million -- might have been the veteran catcher to back up Ruiz. Harrison looks finished. Both are 35.

- Brad Hand to Toronto for Riley Adams: Hopeless Hand for Adams, who backs up Ruiz.

- Soto and Bell to Padres for Gore, Abrams, and those prospects: Bell left for Cleveland, and Soto does not look like the next Ted Williams. Nats got a starting pitcher and a shortstop, plus some prospects working their way up the minors.

- Drafting astutely: so far, so good with players like Brady House and the others.

The future looks pretty good, and all that is without spending on big-time free agents.

You forgot Jon Lester to St. Louis for Lane Thomas.

[welch]

You forgot Jon Lester to St. Louis for Lane Thomas.

Yes. I often forget how the Nats got Lane Thomas.

[Natsinpwc]

Was only able to catch the first inning on the radio last night. That was amazing. So what happened to Thomas on the play he stopped at 3B?  Didn’t miss much after the first other than Irvin being impressive.

[imref]

Tonight's the biggest game of the season. If we win, and Corbin pitches well, Rizzo has to pick up the phone and call St. Louis about Goldschmidt!

[Natsinpwc]

Tonight's the biggest game of the season. If we win, and Corbin pitches well, Rizzo has to pick up the phone and call St. Louis about Goldschmidt!

You mean San Diego. About what’s his name.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Was only able to catch the first inning on the radio last night. That was amazing. So what happened to Thomas on the play he stopped at 3B?  Didn’t miss much after the first other than Irvin being impressive.

late jump so disacina held him. should have scored but decent chance wouldn't with the jump. probably figured bases loaded no outs would have been good enough