2025 Off-season - general thread

[madj55]

Reports are Walker signed for 3/60M. No reason Nats shouldn’t have matched that.

I hope the Lerner’s lose everything and Tysons Corner crumbles to the ground.

[nobleisthyname]

Looks like Christian Walker is headed to Houston.

38 year old Carlos Santana is going to be the 1B on Opening Day 

Santana was about as good as Walker last season, he would be a good signing for the Nats on a 1-year deal.

That means Santana will sign with the Yankees instead.

[Mattionals]

Optimism says we are the dark horse for Alonso. Not sure I like him anywhere other than DH, which realistically could happen here.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Walker's deal is for 3 years and north of $50M per Passan. Seems like an overpay for a guy who will be 34 at the start of next season, but who isn't an overpay at this point (and is the term "overpay" no longer applicable?)

The FG crowd source was 3 years, $18 million AAV. $60 million, 3 years seems like a fair price to me. I hope the Nats went at least that high and he turned them down because of something non-monetary, like wanting to be with an immediate contender.

I think it is a signal that Rizzo is trying to land the 2025 Nats at a lower payroll than 2024. Now we get into overpays on Santana or Goldy. Say you land Santana around $8-10 million  for 1 year, that would leave them about $25 million below last year needing a second bat and a closer. With the going rate for credible closers at < $12 million, figure a Winker reunion and you end up $5+ million lower than last year.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Santana was about as good as Walker last season, he would be a good signing for the Nats on a 1-year deal.

That means Santana will sign with the Yankees instead.

Santana hit well and was neutral in the field in 2024, but historically he's a bad defender and is nowhere in Walker's class. 34-36 is not that old for 1st.

I do expect Santana will get a better offer than the Nats. Him and Goldy are the best non-Alonso's out there. We may be heading towards a Josh Bell reunion. Turner, Canha, and Rizzo probably are on the table, too. Rizzo on a pillow contract seems a possibility.

[nobleisthyname]

Santana hit well and was neutral in the field in 2024, but historically he's a bad defender and is nowhere in Walker's class. 34-36 is not that old for 1st.

The age difference makes Walker the better FA, but Santana was quite good last year at first and deservedly won a gold glove. I'm not sure where you're seeing him as neutral defensively.

[machpost]

Looks like we're in for a repeat of 2023 and 2024. I see no reason for optimism at this stage.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

The age difference makes Walker the better FA, but Santana was quite good last year at first and deservedly won a gold glove. I'm not sure where you're seeing him as neutral defensively.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/carlos-santana/2396/stats?position=1B

We are both right, but you are more right than I was. He was neutral in terms of defensive value (0.8 runs) but that builds in the positional adjustment of -12.5 runs for a full season at 1st. OAA likes him, UZR doesn't over his career. I agree he doesn't look like a big liability, but he's still not Walker.

[imref]

Very good chance that Walker wanted to go to a team that gave him a shot at winning. The Nats, at this stage, are going to have to make a Werth-like overpay/gamble to get an impact FA.

[Slateman]

The age difference makes Walker the better FA, but Santana was quite good last year at first and deservedly won a gold glove. I'm not sure where you're seeing him as neutral defensively.

Pretty  sure he's too much for the Nats

[Natsinpwc]

Looks like we're in for a repeat of 2023 and 2024. I see no reason for optimism at this stage.

No more Lerners. No More.

[varoadking]

Looks like we're in for a repeat of 2023 and 2024. I see no reason for optimism at this stage.

 

Where's the prediction thread...I'm in at 71-91...again.  Groundhog's Day!

[IanRubbish]

Very good chance that Walker wanted to go to a team that gave him a shot at winning. The Nats, at this stage, are going to have to make a Werth-like overpay/gamble to get an impact FA.

His loss.  Someone else will happily take lessons from Darnell Coles on how to swing softly at a slider that's two feet off the plate.

[imref]

Goldschmidt to the Yankees.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Goldschmidt to the Yankees.

Alonso >>>>>>>> Santana > Bell > Rizzo>Canha/Turner.

I suppose Ty France is also out there.

Strikes me that, if they aren't in on Alonso, then they settle for leftovers. I'm sure they also are starting to think Josh Bell had a decent 1st half of 2022 here, so they may look at a reunion.

[zimm_da_kid]

Profar is the best bat we could realistically get in our price range. Can play left, 2nd, and third all poorly. Maybe he’d be passable to slightly above average at first.  Had a better ops+ than Santander and teoscar last year. Would probably take 3 years/$15 mil a year but tack on another $5-$10 mil for the loser tax. Seems like a guy who wants to get paid. No qualifying offer attached either

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Profar is the best bat we could realistically get in our price range. Can play left, 2nd, and third all poorly. Maybe he’d be passable to slightly above average at first.  Had a better ops+ than Santander and teoscar last year. Would probably take 3 years/$15 mil a year but tack on another $5-$10 mil for the loser tax. Seems like a guy who wants to get paid. No qualifying offer attached either

3/$15million AAV is the FG crowdsource number so that's not a bad ballpark. He's 6' 0", so a little small for 1B, but you'd think he'd be decent defensively.

TBH, he's erratic and I'd hate to count on him.

[zimm_da_kid]

3/$15million AAV is the FG crowdsource number so that's not a bad ballpark. He's 6' 0", so a little small for 1B, but you'd think he'd be decent defensively.

TBH, he's erratic and I'd hate to count on him.

Would you rather count on him or bell/santana/rizzo/turner?

[Slateman]

3/$15million AAV is the FG crowdsource number so that's not a bad ballpark. He's 6' 0", so a little small for 1B, but you'd think he'd be decent defensively.

TBH, he's erratic and I'd hate to count on him.

45 million is way outside of this team's budget.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

45 million is way outside of this team's budget.

when Rizzo says they are looking for a middle of the order bat, how much do you think they are willing to spend for one? They spent $5 million on Gallo last year. Is that the range you think they are in?

[madj55]

Two more 1B options gone.

They aren’t going to pay up for Alonso, Santander or Bregman. Feels like Jesse Winker might be the “middle of the order bat” they end up with.

[Slateman]

when Rizzo says they are looking for a middle of the order bat, how much do you think they are willing to spend for one? They spent $5 million on Gallo last year. Is that the range you think they are in?

9 million seems to be the limit

[Slateman]

Two more 1B options gone.

They aren’t going to pay up for Alonso, Santander or Bregman. Feels like Jesse Winker might be the “middle of the order bat” they end up with.

I don't know that Jesse will want to come here, tbh

[Slateman]

"Now is not the time to hit the brakes, it's time to hit the gas." - Mike Rizzo December 10th, 2024

[IanRubbish]

One more 1B off the board for the Nats, Carlos Santana to the Guardians.

https://www.mlb.com/news/carlos-santana-contract-with-guardians