Author Topic: Now we’re having fun: 2025 Nats Roster (Read 41973 times)

imref · « **Reply #225 on:** July 30, 2024, 10:40:44 am »

a one year deal or a one year with options deal for Williams wouldn't be the worst move.

Elvir Ovcina · « **Reply #226 on:** July 30, 2024, 11:29:21 am »

Quote from: imref on July 30, 2024, 10:40:44 am

a one year deal or a one year with options deal for Williams wouldn't be the worst move.

It wouldn't be good. Dude has the I-need-Tommy-John-but-won't-admit-it-yet injury.

Smithian · « **Reply #227 on:** July 30, 2024, 11:42:33 am »

With Winker, Harvey, Thomas off roster, I'm going to admit I have no idea what the roster is going to look like next season.

Payroll was already low, but even more flexibility with Thomas away. You can read that as getting rid of a arbitration OF when you have plenty of rookie contracts behind him, meaning more money for spots of need. Or you can read that as with Harvey and Thomas gone and no chance of Winker extension, so they're ready to clear the decks again for another tank job.

Now that we have a number of usable young pitchers and by end of the season Wood and Crews will be in lineup, I think it is time for them to actually do the damn thing and start trying to compete. Especially with Corbin contract dropping from $25 mil commitment to $10 mil deferred.

I didn't always agree, but I understood the outlook past few offseasons. If they mail it in again this offseason, I'm accepting we're the Pirates and just not trying.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #228 on:** July 30, 2024, 11:50:07 am »

Quote from: Smithian on July 30, 2024, 11:42:33 am

With Winker, Harvey, Thomas off roster, I'm going to admit I have no idea what the roster is going to look like next season.

Payroll was already low, but even more flexibility with Thomas away. You can read that as getting rid of a arbitration OF when you have plenty of rookie contracts behind him, meaning more money for spots of need. Or you can read that as with Harvey and Thomas gone and no chance of Winker extension, so they're ready to clear the decks again for another tank job.

Now that we have a number of usable young pitchers and by end of the season Wood and Crews will be in lineup, I think it is time for them to actually do the damn thing and start trying to compete. Especially with Corbin contract dropping from $25 mil commitment to $10 mil deferred.

I didn't always agree, but I understood the outlook past few offseasons. If they mail it in again this offseason, I'm accepting we're the Pirates and just not trying.

Yea. That where I’m at.

imref · « **Reply #229 on:** July 30, 2024, 01:24:59 pm »

Right now:
1B: ?
2B: Garcia
SS: Abrams
3B: Lipscomb / House
LF: Wood
CF: Young
RF: Crews
C: Ruiz
DH: ?

IanRubbish · « **Reply #230 on:** July 30, 2024, 01:52:58 pm »

Quote from: Smithian on July 30, 2024, 11:42:33 am

If they mail it in again this offseason, I'm accepting we're the Pirates and just not trying.

The Pirates are two games over and promoted a top prospect without regard for the fact that he could earn a year of service this season. Not fair to associate them with this penny pinching, dysfunctional s-show.

Senatorswin · « **Reply #231 on:** July 30, 2024, 01:55:11 pm »

Quote from: imref on July 30, 2024, 01:24:59 pm

Right now:
1B: ?
2B: Garcia
SS: Abrams
3B: Lipscomb / House
LF: Wood
CF: Young
RF: Crews
C: Ruiz
DH: ?

If the prospects work out that lineup works. Something went wrong though if Lipscomb is still playing for the Nats next year. As far as DH and 1B we need some home runs. We're last in home runs. Hopefully the prospects will help with that but we need free agent home run help.

IanRubbish · « **Reply #232 on:** July 30, 2024, 02:03:01 pm »

Quote from: Senatorswin on July 30, 2024, 01:55:11 pm

but we need free agent home run help.

Mini Me told TalkNats.com that he "promised" they'd be back at the top of the free agent market soon. That was March 2023. I like Yepez, but he's not enough to put this team over the top. Moreover, even with spending you have to account for the Darnell Coles effect and the bad baserunning. But yes, there's no path to a winning season without a free agent bat. This team's offense is worse than last year and no one is being held accountable for it.

Slateman · « **Reply #233 on:** July 30, 2024, 02:08:57 pm »

Quote from: Smithian on July 30, 2024, 11:42:33 am

With Winker, Harvey, Thomas off roster, I'm going to admit I have no idea what the roster is going to look like next season.

Payroll was already low, but even more flexibility with Thomas away. You can read that as getting rid of a arbitration OF when you have plenty of rookie contracts behind him, meaning more money for spots of need. Or you can read that as with Harvey and Thomas gone and no chance of Winker extension, so they're ready to clear the decks again for another tank job.

Now that we have a number of usable young pitchers and by end of the season Wood and Crews will be in lineup, I think it is time for them to actually do the damn thing and start trying to compete. Especially with Corbin contract dropping from $25 mil commitment to $10 mil deferred.

I didn't always agree, but I understood the outlook past few offseasons. If they mail it in again this offseason, I'm accepting we're the Pirates and just not trying.

Am I the only one that is bullish and thinks it will be better? I think Wood and Crews can, at least, duplicate what WInker and Thomas have done, if not be better. Rizzo has traded for two other third baseman, so figure at least one of House/Wallace/Tena/Lipscomb will be a quality MLB bat by June of next year. Personally, I'm hoping Wallace can turn it around and be a decent hitter, which means moving House to first base, thus we kill two birds with one stone.

IanRubbish · « **Reply #234 on:** July 30, 2024, 03:12:45 pm »

Quote from: Slateman on July 30, 2024, 02:08:57 pm

Am I the only one that is bullish and thinks it will be better? I think Wood and Crews can, at least, duplicate what WInker and Thomas have done, if not be better. Rizzo has traded for two other third baseman, so figure at least one of House/Wallace/Tena/Lipscomb will be a quality MLB bat by June of next year. Personally, I'm hoping Wallace can turn it around and be a decent hitter, which means moving House to first base, thus we kill two birds with one stone.

At best, House and Crews will be high 600s OPS hitters next year Rookie adjustment period even if both eventually pan out. Tena could be nothing and Lipscomb has been disappointing. Wallace hasn't played in AAA yet and might not be ready until mid-season '25 at the earliest.

This team's HR rate is actually down from last year, from .93 a game to .81 per game. Dylan Crews has 9 HRs all season in the minors. Brady House has 1 HR since his AAA callup and his ISO there of .136. I could Luis Garcia topping 20 HRs next year, but there's no way to turn around this offense without an additional power bat...and not a bargain bin Joey Gallo one with a sub-300 On Base.

CoryTheFormerExposFan · « **Reply #235 on:** July 30, 2024, 03:50:06 pm »

Look, ownership spent big during the 2012-2019 run that culminated in a championship.

2020 was obviously a weird year.

2021 they tried to retool and after things fell apart in July, they sold off the guys set for free agency.

2022 was starting a rebuild, they couldn’t extend Soto, which wasn’t their fault as the Padres or Yankees were able to as well. Then the Soto trade that fully kicked off the rebuild.

The need to rebuild was because the team didn’t draft and develop well while contending in the 2012-2019 period and also traded some of the few prospects like Giolito for Eaton and Luzardo for Madsen and Doo. There was no keeping the team competitive after Covid, so a tear down to rebuild the system was the only way forward. Spending big on vets that wouldn’t fit that window would make zero sense. It’s not about “pinching Pennie’s,” that’s just the situation they were in.

Now, the system has been restocked, young guys are breaking into the bigs, and it’s time to supplement with free agent spending. If they don’t spend this Winter, that’s concerning.

imref · « **Reply #236 on:** July 30, 2024, 04:06:51 pm »

well put Cory.

IanRubbish · « **Reply #237 on:** July 30, 2024, 04:11:24 pm »

Quote from: CoryTheFormerExposFan on July 30, 2024, 03:50:06 pm

The need to rebuild was because the team didn’t draft and develop well while contending in the 2012-2019 period and also traded some of the few prospects like Giolito for Eaton and Luzardo for Madsen and Doo. There was no keeping the team competitive after Covid, so a tear down to rebuild the system was the only way forward. Spending big on vets that wouldn’t fit that window would make zero sense. It’s not about “pinching Pennie’s,” that’s just the situation they were in.

Now, the system has been restocked, young guys are breaking into the bigs, and it’s time to supplement with free agent spending. If they don’t spend this Winter, that’s concerning.

First off, they were absolutely pinching pennies. 2021 began with $11 million in deferrals to Matt Wieters, Anibal Sanchez, and Rafael Soriano, and they knew '22 would be the first year of a $15 million deferral for Max. Cash flow pressure was in place to due to the poor habit of deferring so much salary. Trea Turner and Schwarber alone were making $23 million that year, and along with the final year of Max's pre-deferral contract, they were all dumped for next to nothing.

The system is not restocked. Outside of the Soto trade, there is very little there. Even with the Soto trade pieces, there is not enough to win consistently with home grown talent like the Orioles are currently doing. So agree they need free agency. But the benefits of free agency will be offset by poor coaching and baserunning and it's not clear those will be addressed.

CoryTheFormerExposFan · « **Reply #238 on:** August 16, 2024, 05:28:21 pm »

Quote from: IanRubbish on July 30, 2024, 04:11:24 pm

First off, they were absolutely pinching pennies. 2021 began with $11 million in deferrals to Matt Wieters, Anibal Sanchez, and Rafael Soriano, and they knew '22 would be the first year of a $15 million deferral for Max. Cash flow pressure was in place to due to the poor habit of deferring so much salary. Trea Turner and Schwarber alone were making $23 million that year, and along with the final year of Max's pre-deferral contract, they were all dumped for next to nothing.

The system is not restocked. Outside of the Soto trade, there is very little there. Even with the Soto trade pieces, there is not enough to win consistently with home grown talent like the Orioles are currently doing. So agree they need free agency. But the benefits of free agency will be offset by poor coaching and baserunning and it's not clear those will be addressed.

Nats system ranks top 10 even with Woods graduating. Susana and Hassell are the only Soto prospects left, and the ranking likely doesn’t change much if at all without them. Almost any team needs to add free agent pieces to truly contend. The O’s might be a rare exception.

https://www.mlb.com/news/farm-system-rankings-2024-in-season

CoryTheFormerExposFan · « **Reply #239 on:** August 16, 2024, 05:32:36 pm »

Quote from: imref on July 30, 2024, 04:06:51 pm

well put Cory.

Thanks. I absolutely would have liked them to have spent more in the past few years and the team be a little better and more watchable, however I understand the process as painful as it’s been. The drafting and player development during the mid 2010s simply didn’t enable the run to continue after 2019.

Now, if ownership won’t spend this winter to supplement the young talent, then I’ll be upset.

Smithian · « **Reply #240 on:** August 16, 2024, 05:52:13 pm »

I know we no don't have a "top 5" system but I'm happy with where it is. The system will graduate two top 10 prospects this year who may be in the corner outfield for rest of the decade. We have a Gold Glove-to-be center fielder who just came up through the system. We need a FA front of the rotation starter, but our system is producing plenty of guys to fill out the middle and back end of a rotation. We now have enough talent across the system to make some trades if the team is competitive next season and it is logical for the franchise to actually go for it at the trade deadline.

IanRubbish · « **Reply #241 on:** August 16, 2024, 06:09:37 pm »

Quote from: Smithian on August 16, 2024, 05:52:13 pm

I know we no don't have a "top 5" system but I'm happy with where it is.

Those rankings are generally meaningless anyway. What matters is performance once they break into MLB, and that often varies wildly in both directions as we've seen with this team. The 2019 Nats would have had a highly ranked system if they had MacKenzie Gore and Keibert Ruiz then, who were 15th and 36th overall respectively, in addition to having two top 25's in Victor Robles and Carter Kieboom.

For a team that hasn't managed to achieve a .450 win percentage in 5 seasons, the system is well behind where it should be, especially with all the rentals its brought in to flip at the deadline. Crews, House, and Brad Lord won't be enough to turn this thing around, especially as rookies and with the weak coaching staff returning.

IanRubbish · « **Reply #242 on:** August 16, 2024, 06:25:25 pm »

Quote from: CoryTheFormerExposFan on July 30, 2024, 03:50:06 pm

There was no keeping the team competitive after Covid, so a tear down to rebuild the system was the only way forward.

This was the propaganda they put out, and while there's a small minority who foolishly still parrot it, the miserable baseball of the last five seasons and declining attendance haven't been worth it. It was obviously not the only way forward if ownership was planning to keep the team, cared about winning, and wasn't now only holding onto the team after reacting to the low comp set by the Orioles sale.