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NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 11 2016 09:40 AM

Danny Espinosa blew off an appearance at the Nats' Winter Caravan this week in seeming protest of a reduced role stemming from the Eaton to CF/Turner to SS switch and got abruptly traded to the Angels for 2 suspects. That's not a huge loss I suppose, but 24 fewer homers.

Edgy MD Dec 11 2016 09:47 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

I guess that's what you get for having a winter caravan. Sometimes cracking down on malcontents just produces more malcontentia.

Frayed Knot Dec 11 2016 11:01 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Espinosa was likely to be dealt away whether he showed up to the caravan or not, if not before the Adam Eaton trade which moves Trea Turner to the infield then certainly after it. But, yeah, publicly pouting while coming off a year where you hit .209 and K'd in 1/3 of your ABs is rarely a good move. But his limitations aside, he filled a variety of roles on that team for seven straight seasons - getting 500+ ABs in three of them and over 300 in two others -- while bringing defense, power, versatility and a decent walk rate which at least partially offset the low BA, making his removal not quite an addition by subtraction thing although I'm sure that's how it'll be sold among some Nats fans. Not sure who now becomes their main backup for an infield where Murphy & Zimmerman are over 30 and Zim & Rendon both seem to be frequent flyers on the DL express.

Edgy MD Dec 11 2016 11:13 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

As of now, it's Wilmer Difo, who is a difo Wilmer from our infield backup.

A Boy Named Seo Dec 11 2016 12:34 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Jay Bruce is obv more valuable than Espinosa, but the Nats return in this trade seems pretty paltry. How much more can the Mets realistically expect to get for Bruce ya think?

Edgy MD Dec 11 2016 12:42 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Well, Espinosa comes about $9 million cheaper, but I can't fault the Mets for holding out. If all they get is two prospects, I suppose they're going to hold out for the right two. Sandy's certainly gone to camp without the roster set before, so we'll see where they go from here.

Centerfield Dec 12 2016 07:13 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Fangraphs picks the Nats to win the NL East. The Mets finish second with 84 wins. Fail to qualify for either WC, which go to the Giants and St. Louis. http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.as ... dings#NL-E Mark Simon says most of the difference comes not from a disparity in talent, but more from the uncertainty arising from the injuries. http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/mets/ ... bly-better Which I guess is good, but he still manages to sound kinda like a dick. Did we know about Travis's shoulder issue? Was that really the problem? I hadn't heard that.

TransMonk Dec 12 2016 08:05 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Luckily, divisions are not won and lost in December.

Benjamin Grimm Dec 12 2016 08:12 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Yeah. I imagine the Mets were looking like heavy favorites 11 months ago.

Centerfield Dec 12 2016 08:23 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Plus I'm not sure that the Nats are without their question marks. Daniel Murphy OPS'ed at .985 last year while spending nearly his entire career in the mid. 700's. Are we sure that he can match that production again in 2017? There are all sorts of guys who had that one standout year and never matched it again. Trea Turner looked like a star with a .937 OPS over 73 games. But he could Conforto in his sophomore year. Plus, his performance in Washington far outpaced what he had done through the minors. So there could be some regression. (Though he really looks like he'll be a helluva player.)

Gwreck Dec 12 2016 10:38 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Yeah. I imagine the Mets were looking like heavy favorites 11 months ago. I don't think we were. And not just because Cespedes wasn't re-signed yet at that point. The Mets need more hitting even with Cespedes re-signed. Same thing that was true last off-season is true this off-season.

batmagadanleadoff Dec 12 2016 10:50 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Centerfield wrote: Plus I'm not sure that the Nats are without their question marks. Daniel Murphy OPS'ed at .985 last year while spending nearly his entire career in the mid. 700's. Are we sure that he can match that production again in 2017? There are all sorts of guys who had that one standout year and never matched it again. While I don't know what's in store for Murphy, and maintain a healthy respect for the total unpredictability of everything, everything, I'm also convinced that Murphy is one of those rare players who changed his game in mid-career. I think he's no longer that singles and doubles hitter spraying the ball over the field for all but the last half season of his Mets stint. And so, I wouldn't consider the old Murphy as the baseline by which to gauge expectations. I think Murphy's a stud now, one of baseball's most dangerous hitters. And I think that that Murphy's here to stay. If his productivity goes down, it'll be because of the inevitable wear and tear and injuries and aging --- not a reversion to the original Murph.

Centerfield Dec 12 2016 11:23 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Centerfield wrote: Plus I'm not sure that the Nats are without their question marks. Daniel Murphy OPS'ed at .985 last year while spending nearly his entire career in the mid. 700's. Are we sure that he can match that production again in 2017? There are all sorts of guys who had that one standout year and never matched it again. While I don't know what's in store for Murphy, and maintain a healthy respect for the total unpredictability of everything, everything, I'm also convinced that Murphy is one of those rare players who changed his game in mid-career. I think he's no longer that singles and doubles hitter spraying the ball over the field for all but the last half season of his Mets stint. And so, I wouldn't consider the old Murphy as the baseline by which to gauge expectations. I think Murphy's a stud now, one of baseball's most dangerous hitters. And I think that that Murphy's here to stay. If his productivity goes down, it'll be because of the inevitable wear and tear and injuries and aging --- not a reversion to the original Murph. Is that just a hunch or are you basing that on anything specific? Not to say you're wrong, I just don't have the depth of understanding to make a prediction on this one way or the other.

Lefty Specialist Dec 12 2016 01:02 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The 'new Murph' had already started to emerge in the second half of 2015. So I think it's real and sustainable.

batmagadanleadoff Dec 13 2016 11:22 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Centerfield wrote: Centerfield wrote: Plus I'm not sure that the Nats are without their question marks. Daniel Murphy OPS'ed at .985 last year while spending nearly his entire career in the mid. 700's. Are we sure that he can match that production again in 2017? There are all sorts of guys who had that one standout year and never matched it again. While I don't know what's in store for Murphy, and maintain a healthy respect for the total unpredictability of everything, everything, I'm also convinced that Murphy is one of those rare players who changed his game in mid-career. I think he's no longer that singles and doubles hitter spraying the ball over the field for all but the last half season of his Mets stint. And so, I wouldn't consider the old Murphy as the baseline by which to gauge expectations. I think Murphy's a stud now, one of baseball's most dangerous hitters. And I think that that Murphy's here to stay. If his productivity goes down, it'll be because of the inevitable wear and tear and injuries and aging --- not a reversion to the original Murph. Is that just a hunch or are you basing that on anything specific? Not to say you're wrong, I just don't have the depth of understanding to make a prediction on this one way or the other. A hunch, I guess. Murph's been the new Murph for about a season and a half now. And the explanation is very credible. I mean, this isn't Lenny Dykstra showing up at his first Phillies spring training camp with 20 new pounds of muscle because he "wink wink" worked out a lot in the off season. Murphy's new approach has been corroborated by his hitting coach, Kevin Long, by Terry Collins and by many of his former Mets teammates. In fact, I read that at least one Met -- I think it's Kelly Johnson -- kept in contact with Murph in 2016 because he wanted to try the Murph approach.

Edgy MD Dec 13 2016 11:45 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

It's pretty much how folks go from good to great in baseball. When opposite field hitters learn to turn on the inside pitch, the pitchers can no longer pitch away from their strength. Mattingly did it. Kevin Youklis sort of did it. Same can be said for pull hitters who find a way to protect away mid-careers. It doesn't happen often, but it happens, and when it does, the pitcher has nothing left but his stuff. Reason suggests there should be some dropoff for Murphy, but hits aren't just dropping in more often for him. He's hitting stuff he used to not.

Centerfield Dec 13 2016 12:07 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The idea that Murph has been the new Murph for a season and a half is largely cited as fact, but I don't think this is true. In 2015, post All-Star Murph (which is not even a full half-season) OPS'ed at .803. That's nice production, but no where near what he did this year. In 2016, Murph came in at .985, and spent 4 entire months up over 1.000 in OPS. That is just a monster performance. I guess the case could be made, maybe, that he spent the latter part of 2015 building toward this level: July: .646 August: .861 September: .909 Post-Season: 1.115 And maybe that's why we get the idea that this is a transformation, and not a fluke. Plus the fact that this steady increase coincided with his gradual work with Kevin Long. But really, Monster Murph basically debuted very late in 2015. It wasn't half the year. I don't know. I'm still hoping that he regresses a lot in 2017. But if the Kevin Long effect is sustainable, this bodes well for Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker right?

A Boy Named Seo Dec 20 2016 01:19 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The Nats got Murph last year (and way more out of him than anyone expected) and Adam Eaton this year. But how many guys have the Nats whiffed on the last coupla years? All these names I grabbed from the MLBTR site: Yoenis Cespedes (last year) Aroldis Chapman Kenley Jansen Mark Melancon Andrew McCutchen Chris Sale Anyone I'm forgetting? I'm grateful everyone thinks playing in DC for that garbage team is a garbage idea, or that their crappy trade offers came up just short.

Frayed Knot Dec 20 2016 01:52 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

A Boy Named Seo wrote: The Nats got Murph last year (and way more out of him than anyone expected) and Adam Eaton this year. But how many guys have the Nats whiffed on the last coupla years? They certainly hit on Murph but only after he was their third choice in 2nd basemen. They had previously lost out on the Ben Zobrist sweepstakes (as did the Mets) but also Brandon Phillips used his '10 and 5' no-trade protection powers to turn down a deal to Washington.

Frayed Knot Feb 02 2017 10:50 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

With the closer being maybe their only weakness, the Nats went out and signed veterans Joe Nathan and Matt Albers to compete for the back end job as the team futures along youngster Koda Glover (23 y/o, 20 IP in '16). Nathan is rumored to be 78 y/o and in his 34th season, but none-the-less is unsecured upon across nearly seven innings pitched for three different teams over the last two seasons combined. But at least it's not like he's coming off of multiple TJ surgeries or anything. Albers, a mere 34, saw his ERA & WHIP rise just a bit to 6.31 / 1.68 during 58 games for the 2016 White Sox

Edgy MD Feb 02 2017 11:04 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Nathan is also disturbingly undereducated.

TransMonk Feb 02 2017 11:13 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Matt Albers: Met killer. http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/11493214/v764119383

Ceetar Feb 07 2017 11:44 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

[tweet:gnp3p6g4]https://twitter.com/MeekPhill_/status/786949647004762112[/tweet:gnp3p6g4]

Vic Sage Feb 08 2017 03:24 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Edgy MD wrote: Nathan is also disturbingly undereducated. DOH! i see what you did there, ya bastid.

Frayed Knot Feb 17 2017 12:10 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Max Scherzer is looking unlikely to be ready for the opening day duties that would otherwise fall logically to him on account of a lingering injury to a knuckle on his pitching hand.

Frayed Knot Feb 21 2017 09:30 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Nationals said to be closing in on a deal for Matt Weiters No confirmation or details at this point. Weiters, now 31, never became the 'Pizza with the bat/Mauer with the Glove' monster some predicted for him, but he beats the combo that the Nats were left with following Wilson Ramos's injury then departure (Derek Norris + Jose Lobaton) and I fear there may just be one of those years in him somewhere. http://www.baseball-reference.com/playe ... ma01.shtml

Ceetar Feb 21 2017 09:53 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

[tweet:11qcixbc]https://twitter.com/chelsea_janes/status/834080647207669762[/tweet:11qcixbc] [tweet:11qcixbc]https://twitter.com/RealEly/status/834080734554030086[/tweet:11qcixbc]

Lefty Specialist Feb 21 2017 10:46 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Rumor is that Norris or Lobaton may be part of a package for David Robertson so that they'd get that closer they desperately need.

Edgy MD Feb 21 2017 10:58 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Ceetar wrote: [tweet]https://twitter.com/RealEly/status/834080734554030086[/tweet] This looks like a They Might Be Giants video is being shot.

Frayed Knot Feb 21 2017 12:14 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Lefty Specialist wrote: Rumor is that Norris or Lobaton may be part of a package for David Robertson so that they'd get that closer they desperately need. That the Nats having had Robertson on their radar for a while now and that the ChiSox are currently motivated sellers add up to something like this being quite likely before ST is out. If so the Nats will have plugged up their two biggest weaknesses.

Edgy MD Feb 21 2017 12:24 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Well, their two biggest seeming weaknesses anyhow. #jaysonwerth #ryanzimmerman

Frayed Knot Feb 21 2017 12:59 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Well yeah, there's always the (continued) fall-off factor. They did sign lefty-swinging / 10-year AL vet Adam Lind to play back-up/platoon with Zimmerman at 1st. After getting more than they had any right to expect out of 30 y/o career minor leaguer Clint Robinson in that role in 2015, he couldn't come close to repeating it in 2016 so they went out and got Lind for the same roster slot. 2017 represents the final year for Werth under that mega-deal he signed as the Nats' first-ever big FA contract. He's fading and will turn 38 in May, but overall they've got to be happy with what they got out of his six going on seven seasons despite all the guff they took about overpaying when they signed him - a charge they pretty much admitted to but reasoned that they had to do so for the first one. I suspect Werth will hold up through this season better than Zimmerman who, despite being some 4-1/2 years younger, is fading faster, more banged-up, has nowhere left to go on the defensive scale, and still has three full years remaining on his (not quite as expensive) deal plus an option buy out to not make it four.

Frayed Knot Feb 28 2017 08:20 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Nats pick up Joe Blanton on a one-year deal to strengthen their bullpen. Part of the famed 'Moneyball' draft (24th overall in 2002) he struggled mostly as a starter for four different clubs across ten seasons. But since skipping all of 2014, he then returned as a reliever and put together two pretty good seasons in 2015 & '16 spread among KC, Pitt, and LAD.

Edgy MD Mar 07 2017 10:45 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The Transaction Ticker wrote: Nationals sent C Spencer Kieboom outright to Triple-A Syracuse. Kieboom cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. The 25-year-old will remain in camp as a non-roster invite. Spencer Kieboom! HOW DID WE NOT CLAIM THIS GUY?!

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2017 10:18 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Frayed Knot wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Rumor is that Norris or Lobaton may be part of a package for David Robertson so that they'd get that closer they desperately need. That the Nats having had Robertson on their radar for a while now and that the ChiSox are currently motivated sellers add up to something like this being quite likely before ST is out. If so the Nats will have plugged up their two biggest weaknesses. The best laid plans ... yadda yadda. So it turns out that Derrick Norris wasn't quite enough to snag David Robertson ... or anyone else apparently so they simply released him despite just trading for him earlier this winter.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 29 2017 09:17 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Here's Daniel Murphy's write-up from Baseball Prospectus' 2016 Annual, published just before the start of the 2016 season: Hey, we're romantics, too. We love to get caught up in the hoopla and take one crazy stretch completely out of context. That's what makes baseball fun. Which is why so many made such a big deal out of Murphy's ... .198/.258/.346 line in April. Well, get it out of your mind now, reader, it put the whole season completely out of whack! There are plenty of other reasons to devalue Murphy: He's 31 this year, and he's already the league's worst defensive second baseman. But a team that believes in his bat might remember that he's played his entire career out of position to accommodate David Wright. A long-awaited return to third base could extend his career. Just don't go flying off the handle based on one month, okay? Come on guys, sample size. We've been over this! And here's his write-up from this year's BP: We spend a lot of time and energy trying to educate people about the dangers of buying into small sample sizes, and then every now and again a guy like Murphy has to go and ruin everything. He kept his postseason 2015 party raging for another six months, clearing his career OPS by 200 points -- good enough to lead the Senior Circuit. (He also paced it in doubles and slugging percentage.) Sure he was still one of the poorest defenders at second base that Major League Baseball had to offer, but after he posted the fourth-highest VORP in the game, the glove wasn't exactly the doomsday instrument of impending bench relegation that it once appeared to be. Murphy is living proof that mechanical and approach changes well into established careers can sometimes unlock wondrous new worlds, and his three-year deal with the Nats is on pace to comfortably pay for itself before Memorial Day -- even with the draft pick accounted for.

Edgy MD Mar 29 2017 09:41 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

And that draft pick was ... Anthony Kay ... and his torn UCL. THANKS, WARD MELVILLE!

Frayed Knot Apr 10 2017 06:12 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Trea Turner to the DL with a hamstring injury, something which is never a good thing for a speedster SS. In recent years this would be a sign for the versatile Danny Espinosa but he moved on over the winter so Stephen Drew is the current replacement.

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2017 12:37 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Frayed Knot wrote: Trea Turner to the DL with a hamstring injury, something which is never a good thing for a speedster SS. In recent years this would be a sign for the versatile Danny Espinosa but he moved on over the winter so Stephen Drew is the current replacement. Yeah, ignore all the above as, after two games, Stephen Drew now goes to the DL with ... a strained hamstring. Must be contagious. Nats call up something named Grant Green to fill in. He's had bits of four seasons with OAK, LAA, & SFG (350 total PAs) btw, the Nats (non-pitcher) hitting line so far is a rocking .321/.396/.546 with only Anthony Rendon and the now-DL'd Trea Turner off to slow starts this year. All other starters are currently hitting .300+ including a .472 BA for Murphy and .435 from Matt Weiters. That helps to explain their ML-leading 6.00 RS/G By contrast, even last night's hit-stravaganza only managed to bring the NYM team offense to .232/.305/.449 (4.88 R/G)

batmagadanleadoff Apr 14 2017 01:03 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

For Murph, it's always the 2015 playoffs. [fimg=444:3vg1vwl8]https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2924/33879149062_089d08959c.jpg[/fimg:3vg1vwl8]

Frayed Knot Apr 21 2017 11:39 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

[u:2xnwu20r]KTE April 21-23[/u:2xnwu20r] We got six games out of the next nine vs these guys so we better get to know them. Friday 7:05 — Harvey vs Tanner Roark WPIX but also MLBN for those without access to the usual outlets Saturday 4:05 — deGrom vs Gio Gonzalez SNY & FOX Sports 1 Sunday 8:00 — Wheeler vs Max Scherzer ESPN, your one and only choice We pretty much know who’s going to play for the Nats because they run the same lineup out there every day. Only Trea Turner has been DL’d causing them to mix and match at SS for the last 10 games but Turner is expected to be reactivated for Friday’s game. Mets of course come into the series completely healthy except for Cespedes, Flores, d’Arnaud, Duda, Wright, Matz, and Lugo Like us, they're pretty much an unchanged squad since last season. The one major addition was Adam Eaton to play CF allowing them to move Trea Turner back to the IF replacing the departed Danny Espinosa Eaton doesn't hit for power but he runs, fields, and gets on base. As far as the rest of their offense they're tops in the NL in RS/G by a wide margin (over 6/per). I could throw up a bunch of individual stats but it’s easier to say that just about all their starters are hitting over .300 and half the lineup has OBAs over .400 [Weiters = .412; Zimmerman = .431; Eaton = .403; Harper = .515] Murph is slumming it at the moment at .344/.375/.557 leaving only Anthony Rendon to lag behind in the raking department with a HR-less .226 BA. Their pitching is actually among the worst in the league for RA/G although a good chunk of that is the small sample size this early combined with the 17-3 posting they took from the Phils. They released pitcher Mark Guthrie the next day despite having signed him to a FA contract over the winter. His Nats career ends at 2/3 inning and 10 earned runs; that's an ERA of 135.00 and a WHiP of 15.00 Their biggest weakness this season has been the bullpen and mainly their closer. After losing Mark Melancon to FA-gency and coming up empty on several replacement candidates over the winter, they handed the job to Blake Treinen who quickly racked up a convenience store ERA (7.11) and handed it back. Thursday night’s closing assignment went to Shawn Kelley who put two on but squeaked out with the save although he’s being viewed as nothing more than the place-holder for 24 y/o hard-throwing Koda Glover dubbed as “Closer of the Future” despite the fact that he has a whopping 26 IP under his belt since his ML debut last July.

Edgy MD Apr 21 2017 05:06 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Nats' Leadoff Hitter Adam Eaton: .304 / .403 / .446 // .849. All Mets Leadoff Hitters Combined: .070 / .154 / .127 // .281.

Frayed Knot Apr 28 2017 07:04 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

[u:2ome2vr4]KTE @ Nats - Apr 28-30[/u:2ome2vr4] Nats a 16-6 overall, have lost twice in the last two weeks, and are coming off a game in Colorado where they scored more runs in yesterday's 7th inning than the Mets have all week. I'd put up individual stats but it's too depressing, just assume that every member of their lineup is hitting over .400 with power because that's pretty close to true. Their bullpen still sucks (6.18 ERA - .295 BAA) but they managed to hold the Mets to no runs on 1 hit over 8 innings in the last series. Friday 7:05 -- Max Scherzer vs deGrom Mets notched 3 runs on 5 hits over 8 innings vs Scherzer on Sunday courtesy of HRs from Conforto and Walker Saturday 1:05 (yes, apparently day games on Saturday are still permitted) -- Steven Strasberg vs Wheeler We missed Strasberg last time around (paternity leave), he's 2-0 in 4 starts with 2.89 ERA and 1.04 WHIP Sunday 1:05 -- Joe Ross vs some fan who wins a lucky drawing to be held on Saturday 2 starts for Ross so far this season, the most recent one on Monday when he got thumped in Colorado in the only game the Nats have lost since April 15. Overall Mets are 1-1 against him in 3 career starts

Edgy MD Apr 28 2017 07:31 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

So, even taking one of three will be a moral victory. Taking two would be an outrageous upset. Three would be a season-saver. Adam Wilk got raked last night, so he is unlikely for Sunday's start. Montero has had one start with Las Vegas, throwing seven innings of two-hit shutout ball, with seven K's and no walks. He's currently on track to start for them tomorrow night, so he's probably a good bet. Gilly, who hasn't performed well in AAA or the bigs this year, is scheduled for Sunday. Tyler Pill, who hasn't allowed a run yet in four starts (two for Bingo, two for Vegas) is a dark horse, as he is not currently on the roster.

Lefty Specialist Apr 28 2017 08:04 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Quick trade for Bartolo perhaps?

Frayed Knot Apr 28 2017 08:46 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Edgy MD wrote: So, even taking one of three will be a moral victory. Taking two would be an outrageous upset. Three would be a season-saver. At the moment I'd settle for NOT being multiple runs down by the end of the 1st inning.

bmfc1 Apr 28 2017 09:12 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

I will be at tonight's game, section 113, head down, looking sad.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 28 2017 10:54 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

This guy.... This guy, I tells ya. [fimg=444:3e5xat15]https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/33939622180_97cbe1c6d4_z.jpg[/fimg:3e5xat15]

bmfc1 Apr 29 2017 12:24 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

After last night, Dusty Baker said that Terry made the wrong move because Harper is hitting .470 against lefties but it was the necessary move. Hey Dusty, go fuck yourself. Take care of your own team. See if they can win a playoff series. Mind your own business. And get your bratty kid away from home plate. https://twitter.com/goodfundies/status/ ... 7764052992

Frayed Knot Apr 29 2017 02:26 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Edgy MD wrote: So, even taking one of three will be a moral victory. Taking two would be an outrageous upset. Three would be a season-saver. One - Check Two - Check Three - ? And the remaining game is the one where we (theoretically anyway) have the pitching matchup on our side for the first time in the series.

Edgy MD Apr 29 2017 04:42 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Still not sure he'll be answering the bell. Nor am I sure that he should be.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 29 2017 06:54 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

I like the way Eaton hustled as much as the next guy, maybe more, but he's out for the year with a torn ACL on that play

Rockin' Doc Apr 29 2017 06:56 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 29 2017 06:57 PM

Adam Eaton is out for the remainder of the season as his MRI showed a torn left ACL. Michael Taylor is expected to replace Eaton in CF.* * upon edit: Lunchbucket scooped me.

Benjamin Grimm Apr 29 2017 06:57 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

He should have refused the MRI!

Frayed Knot Apr 29 2017 09:31 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Benjamin Grimm wrote: He should have refused the MRI! Because then it wouldn't have shown the tear and his knee would be fine!! Suxx for Eaton but you knew that didn't look good as soon as it happened. Tough for the Nats too as they gave up a lot for him -- Lucas Giolito plus one other promising pitcher. On the other hand, I hadn't realized that Eaton was one of those guys the ChiSox signed two years ago back when they (and the Padres) were trying to spend their way into 1st place in the course of one off-season. So the Nats inherited a rather team-friendly contract and have him signed at reasonable (although escalating) rates thru 2019 and even then have team options on him for 2020 & 2021 so it's not like they went all-in on him for just this year. Now all Chisox have to do is find out why Giolito suxx so bad this year at AAA Charlotte just one season removed from being the best pitching prospect in baseball. The other guy, Reynaldo Lopez, not doing so well either. As the boys at Baseball Prospectus say: TINSTAAPP (there is no such thing as a pitching prospect)

Edgy MD May 09 2017 01:35 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

.226 / .316 / .250 // .566 .278 / .356 / .411 // .768 What do these two slash lines represent?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 10 2017 12:07 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Leadoff numbers after Eaton/leadoff numbers WITH Eaton?

Edgy MD May 10 2017 12:13 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Anthony Rendon at the start of last Sunday's game. Anthony Rendon at the end of last Sunday's game.

Frayed Knot Jun 15 2017 09:14 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

KTE - June 15-18 It's the start of a big four game series tonight and we haven’t seen these guys since the end of April so let’s check out what they’ve been up to lately. They score runs; best in the NL at BA, OBA, SLG (and naturally OPS) HRs, and RS/G, several of those by a sizable margin. Individually, Harper is over whatever bugged him last year, Matt Weiters, Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon are all over their slow starts; Murphy still enjoying his middle-aged renaissance; and there’s simply no explanation for Ryan Zimmerman who’s just a couple RBIs shy of a Triple Crown lead and is on pace for 50 HRs in a career which has only once topped 30 and even that was several years and multiple injuries ago. They’re also 4th best at preventing runs in the NL which, considering the state of their bullpen, pretty much says how their starters are doing. The pen was the team’s big Achilles heel coming into the season and has only gotten worse since. They’re so bad they’d kill to have our bullpen issues. Players in the Nats clubhouse have recently been quoted as saying “it’s like we have to win each game three different times” on account of leads given up and often re-given up. Bullpen ERAs tend to be a bit better than that for starters (league-wide splits = 4.13 ERA for relievers vs 4.45 for starters) but the Nats have that completely flipped at 5.20 (R) vs 3.80 (S) And even that doesn’t tell the whole story. I wish I could remember the exact stat I heard the other day about how many games they’ve lost after holding leads of 2 runs or more in the 8th inning or later. Suffice to say it was a lot and is by far the highest in baseball. But despite all that (mostly) good news they have "only" the third best record in the NL and come into town losers of 5 of their last 6 (swept by Texas, lost 2 of 3 to Atlanta) These should be the pitching match-ups for the weekend even though several of the games are still listed as TBA on mlb’s site. Gio Gonzalez vs pinch-running specialist Robert Gsellman [5-1; 2.91; 1.32] Gio seems to alternate good years with so-so ones and is on a good cycle right now. He’ll also be our third straight LH starter faced Max Scherzer vs pinch-hitting specialist Steven Matz [7-4; 2.36; 0.85] Scherzer totaled 32 innings and 48 strikeouts over his last four games the most recent of which he inexplicably lost, only partly due to the pen. Steven Strasburg vs spin specialist Seth Lugo [7-2; 3.27; 1.06] Strasburg got batted around in his last start vs Atlanta — 6 runs, 7 hits incl. 3 HRs in just 5 IP — despite K’ing 10 Joe Ross vs hair care specialist Jacob deGrom [3-2; 6.39; 1.53] Ross pretty much sucks (see numbers) but is 3-2 because on days when he pitches Nats bats are averaging a redonculous 12 runs per game!! Injured: Nats are currently missing 2/3 of their starting OF plus one backup OF. So Michael Taylor is playing pretty much everyday CF while a combo of Adam Lind (a hitter disguised as a fielder) and recent call-up/2011 1st round draft pick Brian Goodwin cover LF They also picked up utility man Ryan Raburn from the ChiSox a few weeks back. Jayson Werth - left foot contusion. Can come off the DL as early as today but I don’t think he’s scheduled to Chris Heisey - right biceps rupture … which I think is Latin for “steroid miscalculation” Koda Glover - their hoped-to-be future closer strained his back in a bizarre [crossout]gardening[/crossout] showering accident No, seriously, he hurt himself reaching for the body wash in the shower, then only fessed up to the 'tweak' after blowing a game that night. Adam Eaton - out for year with torn knee

bmfc1 Jun 26 2017 10:51 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

[tweet:3al24v27]https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/879376969032499200[/tweet:3al24v27] Go ahead.

Frayed Knot Jun 26 2017 02:41 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

It makes sense for them to try it anyway. Rodriguez was released over the weekend by Detroit, partly on account of his 7.82 ERA coupled with a 1.66 WHiP and partly after complaining that his role as a set-up man rather than full-time closer was the primary cause of those ugly numbers. Also his K numbers are falling despite this K-happy era, as is his hit rate, and his HR rate is WAY up. But the Nats pen has been so bad in EVERY role that the still only 35 y/o K-Rod is probably worth a flyer and may even get his chance to close seeing as how everyone else they've tried has either sucked, been injured, or both. P.S. -- imagine where the Nats would be had they won the rights to Kenley Jansen this past winter? They may have even been the highest bidder but KJ accepted less money to stay w/the Dodgers. On a side note, Jansen gave up his first walk of the season on Sunday although he fixed that by hitting a run scoring double. Another oddity in that (4 hour 19 minute) 12-6 Dodger win vs Colorado is that 6 of the 18 runs were scored via wild pitches, 5 for the Dodgers and 1 for the Rox

Frayed Knot Jun 26 2017 02:52 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Meanwhile, the Cubs and Nats start a four game series tonight in DC Mon: Butler vs Gonzalez Tue: Arrieta v Scherzer Wed: Lackey v Strasburg Thu (4:05): Lester v Ross P.S. I saw that the Nats offense went wild again in Joe Ross's last start (Saturday). 18 runs this time vs Cincy That was his 4th win of the season and they've come in games where he's been given 14, 10, 6, and 18 runs to work with (not necessarily all with him still in the game) And as if that wasn't enough, he was also the starter in games in which the Nats scored 15, 23 (you may remember that one) and 10 runs where he failed to pitch well enough or long enough (or both) to qualify for a win.

Ceetar Jun 26 2017 09:10 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Nats fall 5-4 to the Cubs. Their bullpen is bad, making the deficit increase from 2 to 5 before rallying for 4 runs to lose by 1. If only there was another team in the division to challenge them, the Nats look very vulnerable.

Edgy MD Jun 27 2017 06:22 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

I see a little Mark Melancon in their future.

Frayed Knot Jun 27 2017 07:01 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The Cubs tried really hard to blow that one last night. They led 5-0 into bottom 9 until finally (and by 'finally' I mean like four hours after it started) Ryan Zimmerman K'd with the tying and winning runs on 2nd & 3rd to end it. Part of what helped the Cubs open it up (was a 1-0 game until the 8th) was Murph making a bad decision in the field (seen that movie before). With the runner going he decided to try for the DP anyway and wound up getting neither out. Both runners later scored. The Nats are tops in the whole NL is scoring runs and, even with their bullpen, are 4th best at preventing them so calling them "vulnerable" is probably a bit of wishful thinking especially since they'll shirley land a closer type before July is out whether it be re-acquiring Melancon, or the long-rumored David Robertson from the ChiSox, or maybe even .... Addison Reed. The only chance I see them of slipping up is if their rotation gets somehow decimated. They've gone through the entire season to date with only four token starts from anyone other than their main five and, while four & five (Roark & Ross) may be shaky at times, their big three are as good as anyone's so unless something happens to one or more of those guys ...

MFS62 Jun 27 2017 07:28 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Frayed Knot wrote: The only chance I see them of slipping up is if their rotation gets somehow decimated. They've gone through the entire season to date with only four token starts from anyone other than their main five and, while four & five (Roark & Ross) may be shaky at times, their big three are as good as anyone's so unless something happens to one or more of those guys ... Strasburg hasn't had his regularly scheduled DL stint? He seems to have one every year. Later

Ceetar Jun 27 2017 07:35 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Frayed Knot wrote: The only chance I see them of slipping up is if their rotation gets somehow decimated. They've gone through the entire season to date with only four token starts from anyone other than their main five and, while four & five (Roark & Ross) may be shaky at times, their big three are as good as anyone's so unless something happens to one or more of those guys ... well yeah, but I feel like you always take the over on "how many pitchers will get hurt" They're vulnerable in the sense that if YOU can pitch, you can hold them close and pounce on the bullpen. The Mets-Nats games two weeks ago turned very heavily on pitches, and defensive plays, not made. Sure, if the pitching holds up they'll be fine, but they're like one Max Scherzer shoulder twinge away from being the Mets. Since the start of 2013 no one has thrown more innings than Scherzer, and he's 50 ahead of Samardzija.

HahnSolo Jun 27 2017 09:26 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The Nationals ongoing quest to blow as many late-inning leads as possible finds them bringing in a feller you're all familiar with: [url]http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19745212/francisco-rodriguez-agrees-deal-washington-nationals

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 27 2017 09:49 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Yeah, he's been shit this year, with the HR rate and walk rate way up over last year. But more to the point, his swing-and-miss stuff has long since faded, to the point where he's a league-average guy-- and below-average reliever-- on that front now. His swing-and-hit-old-dudes-who-are-his-kids'-grandparents stuff, though, may still be pretty strong.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 27 2017 09:57 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The thing with these guys are, you never know. Guys like Fernando Rodney or Jorge Julio or whomever can gas-can their way out of a city and be someone completely different in their next stop. Salas and Reed and two guys whom we couldn't have expected much of given their recent track records. This is why I'm in on the Jeanmar Gomez action, if there is Jeanmar Gomez Action.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 27 2017 10:06 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Yabbut, Gomez has always pitched to contact, currently even more so. We... don't do so well with contact.

Nymr83 Jun 27 2017 06:36 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Trea Turner stole 2nd and 3rd. then he stole 2nd and 3rd again. we're in the 4th inning. anyone know the record offhand?

seawolf17 Jun 27 2017 07:02 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Nymr83 wrote: Trea Turner stole 2nd and 3rd. then he stole 2nd and 3rd again. we're in the 4th inning. anyone know the record offhand? Six in one game in the modern era, most recently by Carl Crawford in 2009, according to the internets.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 27 2017 07:12 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Lee Mazzilli stole 7 bases in a single 7 inning game, as a minor Leaguer in Visalia. Stole 2nd 3 times, third base 4 times.

Frayed Knot Jun 27 2017 07:19 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

6-1 Nats after 5 (yes, it's taken them over 2 hours to get in 5 innings). Another bad outing by Arrieta: 4 IP, 6 Runs (5 ER) on 6 Hits and 6 Walks

bmfc1 Jun 28 2017 09:05 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

All those stolen bases: some trouble in Cubs paradise: http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/1975 ... olen-bases [tweet:2nujg837]https://twitter.com/ESPN1000/status/880076242900353024[/tweet:2nujg837] Life comes at you fast: [tweet:2nujg837]https://twitter.com/Joelsherman1/status/880099584487436289[/tweet:2nujg837]

Frayed Knot Jun 29 2017 05:12 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Murphy fails to turn a game-ending DP ... then three straight hits follow and the Cubs take the lead with 3 in top 9 as the Nats blow a multi-run late game lead AGAIN!! 5-4 CHI, now in bottom 9

bmfc1 Jun 29 2017 06:23 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Darn shame: [tweet:p02c4s1b]https://twitter.com/chelsea_janes/status/880578354520489984[/tweet:p02c4s1b]

Edgy MD Jun 29 2017 06:28 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Knock wood that Michael Conforto won't be joining him.

Frayed Knot Jun 29 2017 07:56 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

I was watching part of that game when Turner got HBP'd. It didn't look as bad as Conforto's but, as I've said before, I don't understand how 90 mph pitches don't break bones Every. Single. Time., and mostly I think the fact that one pitch does while another one doesn't is mostly just a matter of luck.

Ceetar Jun 30 2017 07:19 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Frayed Knot wrote: I was watching part of that game when Turner got HBP'd. It didn't look as bad as Conforto's but, as I've said before, I don't understand how 90 mph pitches don't break bones Every. Single. Time., and mostly I think the fact that one pitch does while another one doesn't is mostly just a matter of luck. yeah, it's probably just if it happens to hit between a bone or on a bone.

Frayed Knot Jul 15 2017 06:01 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

5th starter Joe Ross to have TJ surgery Ross has a decent record this year but pretty bad peripherals so it's not like they have to replace a main cog here. Jacob Turner (2) and AJ Cole (1) are the only starters other than the main five to have started games for the Nats this year.

Frayed Knot Jul 16 2017 05:22 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

As mentioned during the broadcast on Sunday, the Nats moved to shore up their bullpen by getting relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson from Oakland in exchange for relieverBlake Treinan plus two minor leaguers. First of all: How many deals is that over the last five years or so between Washington and Oakland?!!? It's like Billy Beane's side job is filling whatever holes the Nats develop each year. Doolittle, a lefty, was an All-Star when he was the Oakland closer in 2014 but has pitched only 73 innings over the 2-1/2 seasons since. He missed the month of May this year. Madison you'll all remember from his days as the Phils' set-up man. But then he was out of baseball entirely from 2012-2014 only to return and pitch as well as ever beginning again in 2015 -- first with the Royals and then Oakland -- with ERAs around 2.50 and WHIPs near 1.00 while pitching 60-65 innings/season despite now being 36 y/o Treinen was a guy the Nats were counting on to be good but he never got there and only got worse this season despite his vaunted "stuff". The minor leaguers are the Washington 2nd and 3rd round picks from 2016, both HS picks who are still in the low minors.

Edgy MD Jul 16 2017 06:45 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

If this deal shores up the Nats bullpen but doesn't pan out for Oakland, it'll forever be known as The Doolittle Raid. Besides that, I just thi ... nah, that's all I got.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 16 2017 07:00 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

I'm hopeful it will do little. Madson, Werth and Blanton reuinted in Washington. Could Hamels be far behind?

d'Kong76 Jul 17 2017 10:54 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Nats matinee today in Cincinnati, they put up a five spot in the first already.

Frayed Knot Jul 17 2017 11:04 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

They put up a five-spot in the 1st every game. OK maybe not quite that, but going back to the last game prior to the break they've had: - a 3-0 lead in the 1st (vs ATL) - 4-0 lead after 3 (vs CIN) - 3-0 after 4 (then 10-0 by the 7th) - 4-0 after 2 - and now 5-0 after 1 Why risk spending prospects on replacing the starting pitcher (Ross) they just lost? They could probably just toss the peanut vendor out there on the mound and still be able to get the 'W' oe: today they started: 2B, 1B, HR (Harper), HR (Zimmerman), BB, 1B, Sac Fly So it was 5-0 after just one out and Strasburg got an AB (he made the last out of the inning) and had the big lead before throwing his first pitch.

Herb Gardner Jul 17 2017 07:29 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The key is : lots of wins

Frayed Knot Jul 27 2017 11:59 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Strasburg to the DL (his 9th time in 8 seasons) due to a "nerve impingement" in his right elbow but is expected to miss only the minimum amount of time. I wonder what that's like, guys going on the DL and coming off at the earliest possible date? They're expected to bring up their 1st round pick in 2014, Erick Fedde, from AA to take his place. In the meantime they have Scherzer out there this afternoon vs Milwaukee but it could be just about anyone as it's 15-1 Nats at the end of 4! The eight HRs might have something to do with that, including the back-to-back-to-back-to-back they hit in the 2nd (Goodwin, Difo, Harper, Zimmerman). Murphy then flew out before Rendon made it five HRs in six batters. Craig Counsell then decided that was the point when it was probably a good time to yank his starter (career reliever Michael Blazek). I mean, I don't want to say the guy was having a rough time of it but Scherzer himself got on base twice in the inning (walk + single). HRs: Goodwin, Difo, Harper (2), Zimmerman (2), Rendon, Loboton. That's 22 for Zimmerman in 90 games. He once passed 26 for a whole season and that was back in 2009

G-Fafif Aug 08 2017 01:17 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

The rainout from early July will be day-nighted on Sunday, August 27, the latter an ESPN special. Alert the network stooge!

themetfairy Aug 08 2017 02:21 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Oh goodie - an extra game on nickname uniform weekend....

Frayed Knot Aug 25 2017 09:58 AM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals

Even before an extra game was added on to this weekend series due to an early season rainout, this was a series that a lot of fans had circled on their calendars which only goes to show that God hates those who circles dates on calendars. I mean, other than the fact that the Mets couldn't win the division even if everything broke right from here on out and the Nats couldn't lose the division if everything broke wrong, it's also a series that'll be missing: Granderson, Conforto, Bruce, Duda, Syndergaard, Wheeler, Harvey, Reed, Matz, Reyes, Walker, and Lugo just to name a few … but not Jeurys Familia!, so there’s that. On the other side, there'll be no Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth, Adam Eaton, Trea Turner, Max Scherzer, Brian Goodwin, Steven Drew, Joe Ross, or relievers Koda Glover, Ryan Madson, and Enny Romero Steven Strasburg is just back from the DL but he pitched on Thursday so we'll miss him as well. But despite all those losses, the Nats are in 1st place by 13.5 games at 75-49, are 28-16 since July 1st, and are coming off taking 2 of 3 in Houston where they got out of town just ahead of the hurricane. Mets now have the worst record in all of baseball in August (7-16) and 7th worst overall for those of you looking at draft positioning. Friday 7:05: deGrom vs AJ Cole Saturday 4:05: Gsellman vs Gio Gonzalez Sunday 1:35: TBD vs Tanner Roark Sunday 8:08: TBD vs TBD I bet ESPN is glad they grabbed THIS game. Oh well, it'll just give them more time to discuss the goofy uniform gimmick for the weekend, the Little League World Series (which they wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole if not for the fact that they own it), the McGregor/Mayfield debacle, and of course their upcoming football schedule. Seth Lugo is in line to start one of the Sunday games if his health checks out. Tommy Milone might be the other although if you’ve got the afternoon free you may want to put in an application …. it can’t hurt.

Edgy MD Sep 05 2017 11:05 PM Re: NL East Enemies: 2017 Washington Nationals