The Former Nationals Watch (2024)

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Braves sign Sandy Leon to a minor league deal. Crazy how long he's hung around the league.

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Joe Ross made his first appearance tonight in the majors since 2021. He started for the Brewers and went 3.2 IP with 2 H, 5BB, 3Ks, and 0 runs.

[Natsinpwc]

Joe Ross made his first appearance tonight in the majors since 2021. He started for the Brewers and went 3.2 IP with 2 H, 5BB, 3Ks, and 0 runs.

Well done Joe.

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Blue Jays activate Paolo Espino.

[welch]

Blue Jays activate Paolo Espino.

!!!!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/mariners-release-cory-abbott.html

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Anthony Rendon, after his first inning K tonight, has started the season 0-20, with 7Ks and no walks.

[Senatorswin]

Anthony Rendon, after his first inning K tonight, has started the season 0-20, with 7Ks and no walks.

I'm watching the game. When he came up for his 3rd at-bat he was getting booed big time. He walked. His next time up he hit a dribbler to short and beat it out for an infield hit, his first. Next time grounded out to third and was being booed as he went to the dugout.

[IanRubbish]

I'm watching the game. When he came up for his 3rd at-bat he was getting booed big time. He walked. His next time up he hit a dribbler to short and beat it out for an infield hit, his first. Next time grounded out to third and was being booed as he went to the dugout.

He's never played in more than 58 games in one season for the Angels and is already at 6.  Have to think some kind of groin or toe injury will be on its way soon that will allow him to kick back at home rather than force him to earn his salary.

[welch]

Yes, it's a consideration by Bobby Jim Bowden, but...

8. The Angels should release third baseman Anthony Rendon.

ON POINT

Rendon helped lead the Nationals to a World Series title in 2019 when he hit 34 home runs and led the majors in RBIs with 126. He left for the Angels in free agency during that offseason, landing a seven-year, $245 million contract that has become a disaster. In five seasons with the Angels, he’s never hit 10 home runs, had 35 RBIs or even played 60 games in a single season. To top it off, he said this after reporting to camp this spring: “(Baseball) has never been a top priority for me. This is a job. I do this to make a living.” That mindset is one of the reasons the Nationals decided not to re-sign him after winning it all.

Rendon has dealt with injuries, and you never want to see that for any player. He will turn 34 in June and along with his frequent injuries, it’s evident that his decline is here to stay. The Angels have signed him through 2026 but continuing to try to salvage this huge free-agent misstep just doubles down on the original mistake. They should just release him and move on. By the way, he’s 3-for-32 to start the season.

https://theathletic.com/5398463/2024/04/08/mlb-early-season-takeaways-overreactions/

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Cory Abbott to the White Sox on a minor league deal.

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Checking in on Erick Fedde after 3 starts:

4.30 ERA, 14.2 IP, 1.43 WHIP

[Five Banners]

Checking in on Erick Fedde after 3 starts:

4.30 ERA, 14.2 IP, 1.43 WHIP

That would play in this rotation.

[IanRubbish]

Rendon exits early with a hamstring injury.  Angels need to cut him, eat the loss, and move forward.

[nfotiu]

Rendon exits early with a hamstring injury.  Angels need to cut him, eat the loss, and move forward.

I'm sure that would suit Rendon just fine  .   I wonder how many of his injuries are a result of not putting much effort into conditioning.

Is there a more impotent .257 than Rendon's current batting average.  It's not easy to keep your OPS at .614 while hitting .257.

[varoadking]

Rendon exits early with a hamstring injury.  Angels need to cut him, eat the loss, and move forward.

Did we even make him an offer?  Probably actually saw this coming...thankfully...

[Slateman]

Did we even make him an offer?  Probably actually saw this coming...thankfully...

Yes. 7 years, 210 -215 million

[varoadking]

Yes. 7 years, 210 -215 million

Dodged a bullet there...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Dodged a bullet there...

here's one for you: Knowing what we now know of how Strasburg's and Rendon's careers went after 2019, would we have been better off if we had signed Rendon to a 7 year, $210 million offer and let Strasburg walk?

Rendon of course was smart financially to reject what turned out to be less than he could make in Anaheim, but let's figure it was one or the other and he got cold feet about the market and grabbed the Nats offer to play with his buddy Turner and the rest of the returning lineup. We would have gotten a nice 2020 out of Rendon then had him fall apart from injuries and attitude, but we would have had a bit more financial freedom ($5 million per year) and could have focused perhaps on other starters to fill in the rotation.

[imref]

There’s no way of knowing if Rendon would have had the same injury issues here.

[HalfSmokes]

There’s no way of knowing if Rendon would have had the same injury issues here.

Injuries are his way of retiring in place.

[imref]

also worth remembering that the team thought they had a replacement in Kieboom.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

But, knowing what you do know, I think having Rendon at $30 million a year for 7 would have been better.

[varoadking]

Injuries are his way of retiring in place.

He checked out mentally after he signed the big deal in Anaheim...if not before...

[varoadking]

There’s no way of knowing if Rendon would have had the same injury issues here.

Y'all worry 'bout y'all selves...