The Sunshine Squad 2024

[Natsinpwc]

If the Nationals are good next year, this Yankees series will long be remembered as a major turning point. It's hard not to be optimistic, especially after the third game in the series where Wood, Crews, and Young all had multiple hits.

The Nationals need a true ace but I worry about Burnes. He's the best FA pitcher on the market this year but I don't think he's as good as the best pitcher on the FA market in a typical year. Some team probably is going to overpay for him. It might still be worth it, but it just sucks that the Nats are finally ready to splurge on FAs and the FAs this coming offseason are fairly weak outside of Soto.

The anguish here after the Monday night game was amazing. Never take too much from one game. Or even one series.

Looks like the Angels have lost their way to the best odds at a top three pick. The Pirates with their young stars have almost caught the Nats for fourth.

https://www.tankathon.com/mlb

I don’t need the wins this year. Just the young guys to improve.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Had another bad play at third last night when he backed up on the ball and made a bad throw. And then the bad baserunning. Probably just wanted to join in the fun. Looks like he can hit but it’s early. Pitchers will adjust and then he will need to also.

He's had some good plays, too. He's still under 40 games at the position between the minors and majors over he past 3 years. In particular, I expect he will back up on a lot of balls as a SS, he will not dive as much as a true third baseman, and he will charge balls inconsistently as he adjusts. As for the baserunning play, I think he's the least to blame of Gallo, who blew it 2 or 3 times in that sequence, Yepez, who wasn't smart enough to give himself up when Gallo was back at 3rd and Tena standing near 2nd.

[imref]

So are Crews and Wood the new Rendon and Soto?

[Smithian]

Jose Tena spent most of his career in the middle infield, with 3B trailing way behind.

I am confident he can get better at the spot. But if the bat holds up okay, at the worst he is a versatile infielder who has shown the ability to run into the ball and put it over the wall, which is a must for a pinch hitter.

I am a bit worried the bat may be a mirage or the Guardians made a massive internal evaluation error and gave up too much for Lane Thomas.

[varoadking]

So are Crews and Wood the new Rendon and Soto?

3 games in...ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

We just need Dennis Green to make it official...

[IanRubbish]

last Sunday until Feb without NFL football

[imref]

Desperately looking for a reason to be optimistic: yepez was the oldest starter today at 26. These are kids.

[Mattionals]

Desperately looking for a reason to be optimistic: yepez was the oldest starter today at 26. These are kids.

They looked good against the Yankees and bad against the Cubs. Young teams do this.

[Slateman]

Four of the five pieces from the Soto trade have at least made it to Triple A.

[Smithian]

Four of the five pieces from the Soto trade have at least made it to Triple A.

And the last guy is now a Top 100 prospect. Not bad!

[Natsinpwc]

And the last guy is now a Top 100 prospect. Not bad!

But Rizzo should have been able to pull that off. No big deal. Right?

[Smithian]

But Rizzo should have been able to pull that off. No big deal. Right?

I wanted the rumored Cardinals package of closer to the majors guys. I was very wrong there.

Trades are crap shows. But the Nats made the best of a terrible situation when they moved Soto.

[IanRubbish]

Nothing Nats Marketing has ever done is anywhere near as silly and cringe as "Hail to the Commanders"

[Five Banners]

Nothing Nats Marketing has ever done is anywhere near as silly and cringe as "Hail to the Commanders"

Went to the Argentina-Guatemala match this summer there for my first time back since the Skins and saw that. Reminded me of some Soviet enyclopedia exercise.

[Natsinpwc]

Looks like we are locked into the 4th slot.

https://tankathon.com/mlb

[welch]

Looks like we are locked into the 4th slot.

https://tankathon.com/mlb

And that weighted lottery? Will the Nats get lucky?

[Senatorswin]

And that weighted lottery? Will the Nats get lucky?

Is there a guy everybody wants to get the next draft.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I think there's another Holliday kid. Not sure if he's this year. I think we have a draft thread in The Farm. Just checked: it is stickied near the top of the index

[imref]

Is there a guy everybody wants to get the next draft.

I think there's another Holliday kid. Not sure if he's this year. I think we have a draft thread in The Farm. Just checked: it is stickied near the top of the index

Ethan Holliday, SS, currently the consensus #1 for 2025. Jace LaViolette of Texas A&M is a close 2nd.

[Senatorswin]

I'm watching the Yankees/Red Sox game. They said the worst base running team in MLB is ...... not the Nats, it's the Yankees. Chisholm lost track of outs in one inning and got tossed out then walked in another inning and got picked off.

[IanRubbish]

James Wood