Team Goals for September

[PowerBoater69]

Do we have any team goals beyond not hitting 100 losses? July was a month of tremendous importance for the future of the franchise, new GM, manager gone, #1 overall draft pick, trades made, trades not made. Other than injuries, have there been any developments in August that will have any impact on the team taking the field in April? Next month some players will want to pad their stats, some will want to work on their techniques in an early spring training, and some will want to coast their way into winter break. Will it really make a difference for which ones leave the team and which ones stay? Have the decisions already been made on which coaches are being retained or let go?

Fans aren't happy with blown game after blown game, but I'm thinking that DeBartolo is going to have a very busy off-season, he should book himself a nice two week cruise and get out of town while he can.

[varoadking]

This hole is so deep, and the new draft rules make it seem even deeper.  This will become the 2000's version of the 1900's Cubs...

[Slateman]

House, Crews, Lile, and Hassell need as many at bats as possible

Get Alvarez at least three starts

Get Susana at least five innings of pitching in the last couple weeks of the season.

[PowerBoater69]

Lost again.

[IanRubbish]

Think about how to change the culture.  So many underperforming young players, years of careless play. 

A new strategy is far more important at this point than any one player given the lack of prospects in AA and AAA.

I'd let the season play out, but do so while thinking about the coaches and manager who will stop the carelessness, the poor swing decisions, and the high pitch counts.  The optimistic scenario for '26 is a tried-their-best 75 win season.  That won't happen without at least a slight improvement in culture.

[PowerBoater69]

Think about how to change the culture.  So many underperforming young players, years of careless play. 

A new strategy is far more important at this point than any one player given the lack of prospects in AA and AAA.

I'd let the season play out, but do so while thinking about the coaches and manager who will stop the carelessness, the poor swing decisions, and the high pitch counts.  The optimistic scenario for '26 is a tried-their-best 75 win season.  That won't happen without at least a slight improvement in culture.

That's a solid point, changing the culture would be a positive development. But I'm not sure if that can be done by and interim manager and lame duck coaching staff.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

House, Crews, Lile, and Hassell need as many at bats as possible

Get Alvarez at least three starts

Get Susana at least five innings of pitching in the last couple weeks of the season.

I'll add that I want to see Christian Franklin. I think a Hassell / Franklin or Lile / Franklin platoon might be a long term OF /DH possibility.

I'd like to have a feeling going into next year that the outfield, DH, maybe 3rd, and wherever CJ plays will be set in 2026. As bad as the record and play has been since May, I think there's a chance that 2/3 of the roster could be in a good position for 2026. (4-5 OFs, DH, one MI slot, 3rd, 3 rotation slot, and 4 or so bullpen pieces).

[IanRubbish]

That's a solid point, changing the culture would be a positive development. But I'm not sure if that can be done by and interim manager and lame duck coaching staff.

Agree, thinking about it from Mike D's perspective, of course he has to get the job first.  Therefore, goal for Sept is to finish the schedule.  Any cultural or process improvements are beyond the expertise of Cairo, Hickey, Coles, and crew.

[PowerBoater69]

Agree, thinking about it from Mike D's perspective, of course he has to get the job first.  Therefore, goal for Sept is to finish the schedule.  Any cultural or process improvements are beyond the expertise of Cairo, Hickey, Coles, and crew.

I'd be pretty shocked if DeBartolo didn't get the job after they gave him the chance to make the #1 pick. I assume that he is busy bending the tampering rules on chatting with other team's coaches and managers right now.

[Slateman]

The idea that there will be a culture change with this ownership group is laughable. Especially headed by a guy who has never worked for any other organization

[Slateman]

I'll add that I want to see Christian Franklin. I think a Hassell / Franklin or Lile / Franklin platoon might be a long term OF /DH possibility.

I'd like to have a feeling going into next year that the outfield, DH, maybe 3rd, and wherever CJ plays will be set in 2026. As bad as the record and play has been since May, I think there's a chance that 2/3 of the roster could be in a good position for 2026. (4-5 OFs, DH, one MI slot, 3rd, 3 rotation slot, and 4 or so bullpen pieces).

Franklin too. Looks like we'll see Susana in 2028.

[imref]

i want to see Morales at 1B.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

i want to see Morales at 1B.

I suspect they're looking at when guys have to be added to the 40 man roster. Morales doesn't have to be added until 2026. I think it's more likely that they hold off on him this September and give him a shot sometime next year.

[imref]

I suspect they're looking at when guys have to be added to the 40 man roster. Morales doesn't have to be added until 2026. I think it's more likely that they hold off on him this September and give him a shot sometime next year.

probably true given they've already called up Alvarez as the additional player.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

probably true given they've already called up Alvarez as the additional player.

one pitcher and one position player, so it's Franklin or maybe infield depth (Baker, Nunez, Lip, Tena).

[PowerBoater69]

Is it too early in the game to note that nothing really matters?

[Smithian]

Yesterday was a good start.

Show some pride, avoid 100 losses, have the pitching give us some reason to smile

[IanRubbish]

Yesterday was a good start.

Show some pride, avoid 100 losses, have the pitching give us some reason to smile

We're reaching new lows for lowered expectations.  2026 - the year to avoid relegation!

[PowerBoater69]

We're reaching new lows for lowered expectations.  2026 - the year to avoid relegation!

This has not been in the ballpark of an acceptable season, but 2022 will remain the lowest of the low for at least another year.

[imref]

This has not been in the ballpark of an acceptable season, but 2022 will remain the lowest of the low for at least another year.

I feel like this one is worse simply because all the prized prospects have arrived and the team was supposed to take a big step forward this year.

Outside of Soto, our 2022 lineup was pretty awful, and built on reclamation projects:
1B: Josh Bell
2B: Cesar Hernandez
SS: Alcides Escobar
3B: Maikel Franco (replacing an injured Carter Kieboom)
RF: Juan Soto
CF: Victor Robles
LF: Lane Thomas
DH: Nelson Cruz

Bench: Dee Strange-Gordon, Lucius Fox, Yadiel Hernandez, Riley Adams

Rotation: Corbin, Gray, Erick Fedde, Anibal Sanchez, Joan Adon

Bullpen: Víctor Arano, Steve Cishek, Sean Doolittle, Paolo Espino, Kyle Finnegan, Andres Machado, Patrick Murphy, Tanner Rainey, Mason Thompson, Austin Voth

ESPN projected 71.5 wins that year (which we came nowhere close to), most of the other predictions I dug into were in the 63-72 range. We won 55.

[Count Walewski]

Agreed, the 2025 Nats were supposed to be a wild card contender after a 2024 season that gave off 2011 vibes. The fact that ownership made no effort to improve this team via the FA market in the winter before the season also set off warning bells.

[PowerBoater69]

The 2022 team set the franchise record for worst run differential, worse than the expansion Expos. That was the rock bottom. If you are going by how far off the team fell from preseason expectations, that was 2020 (or maybe 2018).