Going Deep with The Nats

Mike Rizzo, Mark Lerner, Ryan Zimmerman, Lindsay Czarniak, and Craig Melvin ; photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

From Monday’s smashing success at the Nationals premiere of the World Series documentary, Mark Lerner agreed to do another interview today. It turned out to be another of those “cringeworthy” one-on-one interviews. Clearly, Lerner lacks the ability to maneuver through the minefield of direct questions about free agents when the situation calls for a more subtle response. The interview with Donald Dell for NBC Sports Washington appears to not have been done with any prepping from the public relations department. We wrote last week that a source told us the Nats would not spend over the CBT limit of $208 million, and while people do not want to hear that, the system has limits. Both Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg remain unsigned and these stars were drafted by the Nationals and were stars for them in the postseason, and if you listen to what Lerner said they will only have room for one of them to return if they want to return. Continue reading →

The event kicked off with a quick Q&A with (L to R) Ryan Zimmerman, Mike Rizzo, Mark Lerner, Lindsay Czarniak, Craig Melvin

The premiere showing of the 2019 World Series documentary from Shout! Factory Productions was debuted last night to a sold-out crowd of 3,000 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. This red carpet event was attended by Ryan Zimmerman and general manager Mike Rizzo as well as principal owner Mark Lerner, and the narrator of the film Craig Melvin. Local sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak who is married to Melvin acted as the emcee for the Q&A discussion in which Mike Rizzo talked about that he got married in Jamaica last week and said since the end of the World Series, “I’ve been drunk for a month.” That was met with applause and laughter. Much of the Q&A was met with applause and laughter as Craig Melvin asked Lerner if he could buy the Redskins. Continue reading →

Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats

Can Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo meet all of his goals for the 2020 roster of penciling in a 90-win team based on the analytics plus stay under the $208 million CBT salary cap, and bring back Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon, Howie Kendrick, and Asdrubal Cabrera? The answer is “possibly” and they have reportedly agreed to bring back catcher Yan Gomes at $5 million a year for two years. It would not be easy though to get most key players back at inflated numbers though and stay under the cap and fill all holes. Continue reading →

The FOCO World Series Bobblehead collection

Finding holiday gifts for Nats fans are easy this year due to the World Series win! There are so many choices from a few dollars to over $1 million. Continue reading →

LOS ALAMITOS YOUTH BASEBALL Image Screenshot

The Nationals Thanksgiving

I’m thankful the Nationals won the World Series (aren’t we all!) because:

The Washington Nationals beat the Houston Asterisks, er, Astros. In their own stadium, no less.

The Spring Training games at the Fitteam Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will be lit!

Ryan Zimmerman gets a well-earned ring.

Gerardo Parra gets a well-earned ring.

Heck, even Jake Noll gets a well-earned ring!

We got to see Max Scherzer cry on Aníbal Sánchez’s shoulder. For a good reason.

Parades are cool and especially when they’re attended by an estimated million fans. 🎉 Continue reading →

The 2019 World Champions

When you win the World Series, there is a financial windfall that will cumulative for years to come. One of the first checks will come from the players share of the MLB pool that the Washington Nationals received in a total of $29,110,012.47 for winning the World Series. On top of that, the players will get World Series rings, mementos, and other gifts of appreciation, and if that is not enough, there will be trips, appearances, and memorabilia contracts. Many of the players have already signed thousands of World Series pieces that were sold to collectors, and the demand will always be there for reunions and autograph shows. It is the gift that keeps on giving!  To a player like Max Scherzer who has made hundreds of millions of dollars, the monetary sums will not matter but to a player like Jake Noll his share of cash will make a sizeable difference in his life for that walk-off walk on April 3rd. In total, 50 Nats players appeared in games this season and 51 players were on the roster during 2019. There are players like James Bourque who appeared in one game and 2/3 of an inning, Michael Blazek who appeared in four games and was DFA’d, and the most curious case of Spencer Kieboom who was on the roster for five days in two separate stints but never appeared in a game in 2019.  Continue reading →

Rendon photo exclusively for TalkNats by Sol Tucker

The Washington Nationals plan of tanking during 2008-2010 was painful for fans, but the draft picks resulting from those disastrous years yielded in succession: Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Anthony Rendon. Those are three All-Star players who have been at the top of their game for the Washington Nationals. The thought of any of them leaving will shake you at your core. Reality struck last year when Harper signed with the rival Phillies. It was a gut-punch for many. When Jordan Zimmermann left for Detroit it did not hurt as bad. But nobody wants to see other key defections. Drafting stars like Strasburg, Harper, and Rendon can change a franchise and a mindset in the fanbase. The Nationals have not picked in the top half of any draft since Rendon was chosen in the 1st round (6th overall) of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft from Rice University in Houston, Texas. Continue reading →