Team spending on Free Agents: When? Why? Who?

[HalfSmokes]

I wouldn't say he got nothing. They were able to flip Chris Paul for Jordan Poole who's averaging over 20PPG. I mean, yes, they did it a year too late and it was far less than what they would've got for him but the biggest problem with the Wizards was even when they were good nobody wanted to come here. They nearly made the ECF with two young stars in Beal and Wall and still couldn't get players to come here.

They traded a terrible contract for a terrible contract. Poole is only an asset if you want to lose games. They should have traded Beal long before they gave him an extension complete with no trade clause

[Slateman]

That's basically like unloading the Corbin contract in 2022. I think we'd have been fine with that

[Smithian]

I was reading an article in WAPO dated October 27, 2024 about Ted Leonsis. Ted has this to say in the article:

“If you have a really, really successful business — a billion-dollar business — you can make the investments and you choose the priorities,” he said. “My priority would be, we will never lose a great player for money. We have those resources. Look at who the Nationals have lost — MVP-quality players, in their prime, young. I understand why — they’re rebuilding the team, and they’ll be really good soon. But that hurts the fans. … If we owned the Nationals, we would have the resources to not have that happen, if that’s what the GM says.”

It looks like he's saying if he buys the Nationals he won't lose Wood, Crews etc. because of money. He has kept the greatest player in DC history in DC for his entire career but NHL money is not MLB money. This statement may come back to bite him some day as he says he still would like to buy the Nationals.

Coming out of 2018, if he could have found a way to keep Harper and then a year later Rendon and Strasburg while keeping money available for Trea Turner around the corner with a splash for that young teenage Juan Soto, then I will admit I'd have been in awe of Leonsis.

[Senatorswin]

Coming out of 2018, if he could have found a way to keep Harper and then a year later Rendon and Strasburg while keeping money available for Trea Turner around the corner with a splash for that young teenage Juan Soto, then I will admit I'd have been in awe of Leonsis.

I would think if he did that it would be because he was able to get out of the MASN contract and had them on his network. Even then that would of been a tall order because I assume it still wouldn't of been worth the TV money the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Yankees get.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

Coming out of 2018, if he could have found a way to keep Harper and then a year later Rendon and Strasburg while keeping money available for Trea Turner around the corner with a splash for that young teenage Juan Soto, then I will admit I'd have been in awe of Leonsis.

I mean, they easily could've kept them. They're outrageously wealthy people. They make a bunch of money off the team and hardly put any back in it since the old man passed away. I wouldn't necessarily be thrilled with Ted as an owner but I know we wouldn't watch our star players walk away anymore.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

They traded a terrible contract for a terrible contract. Poole is only an asset if you want to lose games. They should have traded Beal long before they gave him an extension complete with no trade clause

The two deals aren't even remotely close being the same damage. Beal is making $50M this year and it goes up to $53M and then $57M and its all guaranteed. Poole is making $29M and the most his deal goes to is $34M two years from now during his age 27 season. Beal will be making $57M as a 33-year old.

[HalfSmokes]

The two deals aren't even remotely close being the same damage. Beal is making $50M this year and it goes up to $53M and then $57M and its all guaranteed. Poole is making $29M and the most his deal goes to is $34M two years from now during his age 27 season. Beal will be making $57M as a 33-year old.

Great. They had a declining borderline star and let him decline to the point they got nothing for him. Great job

[Natsinpwc]

Great. They had a declining borderline star and let him decline to the point they got nothing for him. Great job

Had to make the trade at that point.  Hard medicine for Ted.  New regime cleaning up mistakes of the old. 

[HalfSmokes]

Had to make the trade at that point.  Hard medicine for Ted.  New regime cleaning up mistakes of the old. 

They had to because of they extended him instead of trading him when any other team would have flipped him for assets

[tomwvr]

Is the jury still out? Ruiz's 8 years $50M is the largest contract the team has since getting burned on Corbin and Strassburg. Payroll this year is 106M, of which almost 50M is Strasburg and Corbin. There is nothing to indicate ownership is serious about competing or willing to spend

you are correct mark wont spend, excluding dead money on players not here the teams payroll may be less then Soto makes for himself.
Mark is a horrible owner

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Au_xTIni1eJbDGzravS1482wBbzN9DBQaOY1wwo2Mr0/edit?gid=1520401900#gid=1520401900

Cot's has the 40 man payroll at $77 million right now for 2025 and the lux tax payroll at a bit under $100 million. Those numbers include arb estimates, pre-arb players, 40 man players in the minors, and an allocation for player benefits. They also include Stras's $35 million hit for CBT and his $32.8 million for payroll but do not include any payments to Corbin

[HalfSmokes]

So Strass will be 40% of payroll, give or take? We are the marlins

[Natsinpwc]

So Strass will be 40% of payroll, give or take? We are the marlins

Don’t worry we will sign a couple of washed guys for $5-10 million to lower that percentage a bit.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

They need to sell the team. They don't want it anymore and they have no interest in investing so this is just silly.

[Natsinpwc]

Rich Hill is available. 

[OfftheBat]

Rich Hill is available.

  

[OfftheBat]

They need to sell the team. They don't want it anymore and they have no interest in investing so this is just silly.

Exactly... I wish Bezos'd be interested in buying...

[Natsinpwc]

  

It's gonna happen.  Mark my words.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/rich-hill-open-to-pitching-in-2025.html

[imref]

a cautionary tale on FA spending: The six highest paid pitchers in baseball last year amassed 21 wins. Two of them were on the Nats' payroll.

[Natsinpwc]

a cautionary tale on FA spending: The six highest paid pitchers in baseball last year amassed 21 wins. Two of them were on the Nats' payroll.

Phillies paid about 45-50 million for Wheeler and Nola last year and they did well. Wheeler alone will be over $40 million this year. And no one really worries about wins for starting pitchers anymore. Have to look for the right guys. But yea it’s really dumb to throw money at guys like Strasburg and DeGrom who have major injury history. Or a washed up Max.

[Senatorswin]

Top 5 paid pitchers 2024 and their wins:

Jacob DeGrom - $40 million won - 0
Gerrit Cole - $36 million won - 8
Patrick Corbin - $34.5 million won - 6
Stephan Strasburg - $32.5 million won 0
Blake Snell - $32 million won - 5

Top 5 winning pitchers 2024 and their salary:

Chris Sale - won - 18 Salary - $19 million
Tarik Skubal - won - 18 Salary - $2.67 million
Zach Wheeler - won - 16 Salary - $23.5 million
Jose Berrios - won - 16 Salary - $5.6 million
Carlos Rodon - won - 16 Salary - $22 million

[varoadking]

a cautionary tale on FA spending: The six highest paid pitchers in baseball last year amassed 21 wins. Two of them were on the Nats' payroll.

Wins is a terrible pitching stat...or so I have been told here countless times...

[OfftheBat]

It's gonna happen.  Mark my words.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/11/rich-hill-open-to-pitching-in-2025.html

That would be such a Rizzo move if it happened lol.

[Slateman]

Top 5 paid pitchers 2024 and their wins:

Jacob DeGrom - $40 million won - 0
Gerrit Cole - $36 million won - 8
Patrick Corbin - $34.5 million won - 6
Stephan Strasburg - $32.5 million won 0
Blake Snell - $32 million won - 5

Top 5 winning pitchers 2024 and their salary:

Chris Sale - won - 18 Salary - $19 million
Tarik Skubal - won - 18 Salary - $2.67 million
Zach Wheeler - won - 16 Salary - $23.5 million
Jose Berrios - won - 16 Salary - $5.6 million
Carlos Rodon - won - 16 Salary - $22 million

Berrios cost 18 million last season. Rodon cost 27 million

A better way to look at this would be WAR and how much each team has to commit to get this level of performance.

They gave Chris Sale 38 million at age 35
Skubal is under team control
Wheeler cost 126 million over the next three years (through age 38)
Jose Berrios cost 131 million (through age 34)
Rodon cost 162 million through age 35.

If you want pitching, you either pay a ton, gamble on a player, or draft it. I bet if you ask Blue Jays or Yankees fans, they would love to undo those deals

[Senatorswin]

I would not mind seeing Trevor Williams come back to the Nats. He had a couple decent years when he wore younger man's clothes with the Pirates. There must be a reason he was so good last year when healthy.