The Sunshine Squad 2024

[Natsinpwc]

Not going to happen but since it's the SSS thread I would love if they signed:

Corbin Burnes
Joc Pederson
Christian Walker

I definitely think this would be a playoff team with those additions.

Burnes will be expensive. Money and years. Would be fun to thumb out noses at Baltimore.

[nobleisthyname]

Burnes will be expensive. Money and years. Would be fun to thumb out noses at Baltimore.

It's a pipe dream I know. I think Walker might be expensive too.

[Senatorswin]

Rendon wasn't an impact player until 2014.

The Astros lost 111 games in 2013 and made the playoffs in 2015.
The Orioles lost 110 games in 2021 and had a winning record in 2022 and a 100 win season in 2023.
The Cubs lost 101 games in 2012 and made the NLCS in 20162015.

The Nationals didn't get to draft Strasburg or Harper this time, but they did get to pick second overall in one of the deepest drafts in recent history last season and got the largest prospect haul in MLB history by trading a future inner-circle HOF'er with 2.5 years of control left. They also got to trade away a future HOF SP and an all-star caliber SS with 1.5 years of control left the season prior.

If this team can reasonably hope to contend for .500 next season without significant additions, then it stands to reason that a few major additions would push this team over the top. No need to wait a whole additional year. Unless the goal is to compete without spending.

Another example of this is the World Series teams of last year.

In 2021 the Rangers were 60-102. In 2022 they were 68-94

In 2021 the Dbacks were 52-110. In 2022 they were 74-88.

In 2023 they're both in the World Series.

[IanRubbish]

Another example of this is the World Series teams of last year.

In 2021 the Rangers were 60-102. In 2022 they were 68-94

In 2021 the Dbacks were 52-110. In 2022 they were 74-88.

In 2023 they're both in the World Series.

Rangers were #7 last year in Defensive Runs Saved, D-backs 4th.  This team plays below its talent level and with all the coaches coming back, not clear how defense and baserunning improve.  Sunshine: we get a full season of James Wood next year with an OPS likely above .900, so that will help.

[Natsinpwc]

Texas caught lightning in a bottle last year. And spent a lot of money to do it. And this year they have one more win than the Nats.  DBacks have really picked it up after a bad start and should be a model for a team like the Nats.  Several good young players.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

true sunshine statement: this team has started to crush pitching consistently. Not launching like you'd like, but for a team with low exit velocity for much of the season, to watch Wood and Tena hit rope after rope, 100+, 105+, and then to have Adams chip in with another 105+ rope, CJ line a homer, Garcia smash a couple balls to the wall / track last night, altogether is a huge step up. Just please start to launch these.

[Slateman]

It's a pipe dream I know. I think Walker might be expensive too.

Walker will be 34 next season. Cant imagine he will command too much

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Walker will be 34 next season. Cant imagine he will command too much

I'll be curious what he gets in terms of years. For the Nats, he would be an ideal guy to go short years, high AAV. Righty bat to balance Wood / CJ / Garcia, decent D to help with the inaccurate infield arms, no prospect he's blocking and there's less risk of getting stuck with declining out years. Who knows - he might even take some deferrals to make Marky Mark and the In-Laws feel like its Old School Nats time. Buy out years 34 and 35, with an option for 36.

[varoadking]

I'll be curious what he gets in terms of years. For the Nats, he would be an ideal guy to go short years, high AAV. Righty bat to balance Wood / CJ / Garcia, decent D to help with the inaccurate infield arms, no prospect he's blocking and there's less risk of getting stuck with declining out years. Who knows - he might even take some deferrals to make Marky Mark and the In-Laws feel like its Old School Nats time. Buy out years 34 and 35, with an option for 36.

More washed-up filler...

It's depressing to look at the 2018-2019 rosters and compare them to the crap they are trotting out there every day now...

[Slateman]

I'll be curious what he gets in terms of years. For the Nats, he would be an ideal guy to go short years, high AAV. Righty bat to balance Wood / CJ / Garcia, decent D to help with the inaccurate infield arms, no prospect he's blocking and there's less risk of getting stuck with declining out years. Who knows - he might even take some deferrals to make Marky Mark and the In-Laws feel like its Old School Nats time. Buy out years 34 and 35, with an option for 36.

His age plus playing in Arizona just screams hard regresssion next year and beyond.

[imref]

Maybe in some parallel universe Mark Lerner decides to go for it and sign Soto and Burnes next year.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

His age plus playing in Arizona just screams hard regresssion next year and beyond.

why I think you can win a bidding war for him for short years. As for hard regression, he's coming off 3 years of pretty stable production and offense (really longer, going back to 2019), so I'm not sure where you are getting the "hard" from.

[IanRubbish]

Maybe in some parallel universe Mark Lerner decides to go for it and sign Soto and Burnes next year.

With deferrals that get paid out until the year that universe is actually discovered.

[imref]

Nice SSS piece about the pieces getting into position:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/dylan-crews-debut-five-things-to-know-about-upstart-nationals-as-another-top-prospect-arrives/

[varoadking]

Only 33 games remaining...

[Smithian]

6 rookies started today.

Embracing the youth movement. For real. Crews could bring that up to 7 next time a rookie is on mound.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Flaherty and Santander are the free agents I want factoring in affordability and age. 

[Slateman]

Winning record against the Braves

[Five Banners]

Winning record against the Braves

Been a while

[imref]

Today is a good day for the Sunshine Squad!

[IanRubbish]

The HFStival is coming

[imref]

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/gore-crews-and-the-kids-lead-nats-to-series-win-over-yanks

But for anyone who has endured the pain of the last three years believing there would be a light at the end of the tunnel, these last three nights were for you. It’s not just that the Nationals won a series against the Yankees, capped off by tonight’s 5-2 triumph on South Capitol Street. It’s that they did it with a roster loaded with talented young players, nearly every one of them a potential piece to the long-term puzzle.

For the most part, these weren’t stopgaps performing well against the Bronx Bombers. They were building blocks. And they delivered about as well as anyone could have hoped.

"I think we all understand that we're talented, to be honest with you," left-hander MacKenzie Gore said. "But it's one of those 'You either do it, or you don't' kind of things. This is where we're at. We don't want to be just like: 'Oh, we're going to be good in a couple of years, as a player or a team.' It's our job to be good right now."

[JCA-CrystalCity]

so Gore is a 'shiner.

i'm sold on Tena. I intend to make an excuse for everything people mistakenly blame him for between now and the end of the season because he hits the ball hard and often, has a strong arm, and will eventually be a decent fielder. This is especially true when Gallo or a coach is really at fault. Mindfact.

[Count Walewski]

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.

[Natsinpwc]

so Gore is a 'shiner.

i'm sold on Tena. I intend to make an excuse for everything people mistakenly blame him for between now and the end of the season because he hits the ball hard and often, has a strong arm, and will eventually be a decent fielder. This is especially true when Gallo or a coach is really at fault. Mindfact.

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.