Maybe there is another way to get out of the MASN mess!

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

(L-R) Dan Kolko, Bob Carpenter, Charlie Slowes, Dave Jageler; Photo by Laura Peebles for TalkNats

In case you did not know, the MASN TV contract with the Washington Nationals is binding until perpetuity. There are few ways out of the deal for the Nats. Let’s discuss some of the ways that the Nationals could get out of the deal.

If MASN could not handle paying the Nats true fair market value — and it led to a bankruptcy dissolution of MASN, then that would be one way out. It is highly unlikely it would ever get to that. MASN knows all the ways they could give the Nats an “out” due to a default, and are not going to ever make it easy. A second way out, would be to buy/negotiate themselves out of the contract. Well this was reportedly attempted years ago and was thwarted by Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos. The third most obvious way out of the MASN deal is for the Angelos’ family to sell their team to a third party and the MLB commissioner makes a transfer of sale contingent on selling the Nats their TV rights. Oh, maybe there is a fourth option in MLB going to a national TV deal like the NFL. Continue reading →

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Circle a few dates on your Nats calendar!

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Graphic by Nationals Source for TalkNats

Sure, the Washington Nationals calendar will be loaded with bobblehead giveaways and other ballpark trinkets, but the most important dates have to do with the game on the field. Chief among them is the draft which starts on July 9, and that should net the Nats an immediate Top-25 prospect in all of baseball given that evaluators feel that the top-2 prospects are at the elite level. The rest of the calendar is about playing baseball and developing the players to progress. Continue reading →

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The baseball season moves to preseason mode in a week. How did the #Nats do in our offseason priorities?

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Sol Tucker for Talknats

You can almost smell that freshly cut green grass. Yes, it is that time of year. Baseball has four distinct seasons that encompass an entire year as the seasons change from one to the next. As we prepare for the offseason to end in a week from now, we head to the preseason, known as Spring Training.

The preseason is about 45-days long and still longer than the postseason that only lasts for about 30 days. The regular season is the longest at nearly six months. The offseason is the second longest at three-and-a-half months. The Boys of Summer actually start their regular season in the early spring and play through the entire summer months, and wrap up in early autumn. But everything is endured to reach the postseason — and be the last team standing to hoist up the World Series trophy. Continue reading →

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What To Look Forward To In The 2023 Nats Season

Posted on February 5, 2023 by DonH

From Nats Farm for TalkNats

Quite a few of the articles I post here are the result of an email or Twitter DM conversation with Ghost/Steve. And this one is no exception. I suggested one on why do you like baseball and Steve suggested an alternative which you can see in the title of the post,

This was motivated by the conversation in Bad is understandable — horrible shouldn’t be acceptable…

So we’ve collected some thoughts from a few folks to get the conversation started and invite you to add yours in the comments.

There is no right or wrong answer. So feel free to say whatever and ignore anyone who disagrees with your comments. Continue reading →

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Elijah Green is one key to the Washington Nationals success!

Posted on February 4, 2023 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

WEST PALM BEACH, FL; Aug 2022, Elijah Green batting; Photo by Forensicane for TalkNats

On July 29 of last year, first round pick Elijah Green was at Nationals Park to sign his contract. The first player who greeted Green in the Washington Nationals‘ clubhouse was Juan Soto. It felt like a passing of the torch. There was no secret at that point that Soto was going to be traded. Crudely, it felt like it was — in with the new and out with the old. But not so fast, never believe a door is shut to the old ones in baseball, and Soto will be far from old when he is eligible for free agency after next season. You just never know. Continue reading →

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City of Baltimore Questions Orioles “Long-Term Viability” if they Lose MASN Appeal

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Power Boater

Is Baltimore a Viable MLB Market without MASN fees?

The seemingly never-ending MASN lawsuit just got interesting again, on January 12th the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore submitted an amicus brief to the NY State Court of Appeals indicating that the “long-term viability” of the Orioles in Baltimore is at stake in the case (see images below). This is certainly a major development in this ongoing legal drama that has now spanned nearly a decade in time on one core issue that Angelos does not want to pay the Nationals the “fair market value” awarded. These last-minute maneuvers are drastically upping the consequences of the final ruling. Then on January 16th Orioles team owner John Angelos made a statement contradicting the claims as laid out in the brief: “The Orioles are going to be here for the long-term, we have been here and I’ve said many times, publicly, unsolicited, unprompted, we’re never going anywhere”. Continue reading →

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The offseason ends in two weeks as the Nationals officially welcome pitchers and catchers to open Spring Training!

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats

The offseason ends in two weeks as the Washington Nationals officially welcome pitchers and catchers to open Spring Training camp! This is an offseason that many could not wait to end. When you do not make the postseason, the offseason gets lengthened to four and a half months — far too long, and this one was muddied by the ownership for-sale debacle. The additions to the roster through free agency, Rule-5, and waiver claims, won’t move the needle enough to contend for the postseason, rather 2023 will be about competing as a team in a rebuild mode and watching the progress of the Nats’ top prospects in the team’s minor league system. Continue reading →

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SABR Day in DC—Bob Davids Chapter January 28, 2023

Posted on January 31, 2023 by ArVaFan aka Laura Peebles

Brian Hall of NYU with Mike Carney, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Washington Nationals in Booz Allen’s “The Helix”

 

It was the annual SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) Day in Washington, DC over the weekend. This article was all done from notes on my phone, so if anyone else was there, feel free to make additions (or corrections) in the comments. Continue reading →

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Five Top-100 Nats’ prospects on Keith Law’s rankings!

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

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Posted in Analysis, Feature, MikeRizzo, Prospects | Leave a comment

Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez give the State of the Team address!

Posted on January 29, 2023 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

When the Washington Nationals‘ general manager, Mike Rizzo, spoke at the Hot Stove event for full-season ticket holders this weekend, he said you cannot fool smart baseball fans and sell them on something that isn’t there. He was clear that the team was in a retool/rebuild, and that he would not venture to guess on how many wins the team would get this year. After mistakes in the last offseason when he built a team that was severely lacking in defense, Rizzo vowed, uh promised, to use his exact wording, that the defense would be better.  Continue reading →

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