New Year, New Hope, New Expectations, New #Nats

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

As we turn the calendar from 2015 to 2016, we can finally refer to 2015 as last year.  This year brings new hope and many new faces led by new manager Dusty Baker and a revamped coaching staff which includes 5 new coaches:  bench coach Chris Speier and 1st base coach Davey Lopes, pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Dan Firova, and assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones.  There is also a totally revamped medical and training staff that is a new concept to baseball designed around data and prevention to keep players on the field instead of the DL.

The Nats have said goodbye to Yunel Escobar who was traded to the Angels and Jordan Zimmermann  signed with the Detroit Tigers, and there is very little chance that Dan Uggla, Ian Desmond, Casey Janssen, Matt Thornton or Doug Fister would return for 2016, although it is possible that Denard Span could re-sign as the Nats still have that need for a lead-off lefty centerfielder, and Span fits that need.

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

Photo by Sol Tucker for TalkNats

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Posted in CoachingStaff, Dusty, Lineup, MedicalStaff | Leave a comment

A Trip through history: Negro Southern Leagues Museum

Posted on December 31, 2015 by ArVaFan aka Laura Peebles

Negro Southern Leagues Museum

If you ever find yourself with an hour or two to spare in Birmingham, head over to the Negro Southern Leagues Museum, located right next to Regions Park (home of the Birmingham Barons). It’s open year round, admission free (amazingly enough, it’s the only museum I’ve ever been to that doesn’t solicit donations). No restrictions on photography, which is also unusual for any museum.

In addition to the narrative history of the many Negro Leagues, the process of integrating southern baseball, a collection of signed balls, video interviews with former players, and exhibits of old gear and uniforms, there is memorabilia associated with some famous and not-so-famous teams and players. Did you know the Harlem Globetrotters were a baseball team before they were a basketball team? I also found it interesting that many players played winter ball on integrated teams in Mexico long before the major leagues integrated.

Robinson Jersey NSLM 12 2015

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The Scott Boras effect on the Washington #Nationals

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

The super agent Scott Boras often gets a bad ‘rap’ for squeezing every last nickel out of a deal, but that is why many players choose Boras to represent them as the number of years to maximize income in sports is very limited and players want to capitalize on it. Generally Scott Boras delivers big results, and earns his fee in the process.  Boras gets paid well for his services which goes far beyond just negotiating contracts, and it’s rumored that Boras gets a 5% commission (the maximum allowed by the MLBPA) on all salaries and even a higher percentage on sports marketing opportunities.

Vince Gennaro the author of “Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball” and a consultant to MLB teams while also appearing regularly on MLB Network talks all the time about the “Scott Boras Effect”.  Gennaro is a proud stats geek and the President of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) while teaching Sports Business Management programs at Columbia University, and he calculated back in 2011 that Boras negotiated 6% of the 959 MLB free-agent contracts signed between 2004 and 2011 while capturing  21% of the total dollars committed, with the average Boras client earning $25.8 million more than the average non-Boras client. Controlling for factors such as player age, expected performance, and “marquee” value,  Gennaro also estimated that Boras using expert negotiating skill, was responsible for 39% of that $25.8 million premium.  That’s the “Scott Boras Effect”.

For years there has been the grandstand chatter that Scott Boras has too much influence on the Washington Nationals.  When the Nats signed Max Scherzer earlier this year, Barry Svrluga wrote an article titled, “Does Scott Boras run the Nationals?” and Svrluga followed that up with,

“There has been, over the past four days, a bit of a conspiracy theory surrounding the Washington Nationals, who you might have heard bought the services of right-hander Max Scherzer for seven years and a cool $210 million. Scherzer is represented by Scott Boras, the most prominent agent in the game.”

When Scott Boras talks, people listen as evidenced any time you see him at the Winter Meetings, GM Meetings, or even the All Star game festivities.  Boras appeared on MLB Network radio to talk about several subjects from the CBA to Chen to Chris Davis to Denard Span.

boras winter meetings

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Posted in Analysis, Espinosa, Gio, Harper, Jayson, Lerners, Lineup, Strasburg | Leave a comment

#Nats add Stephen Drew as that bench middle infielder

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

The bench is rounding out and the Nats did not go the Emanuel Burriss route rather they spent a lot of money getting Stephen Drew.

The Nats will now have to lighten the 40 man roster by 2 players. It also seems very clear that there is little chance that Trea Turner will begin the season on the Nats 25 man roster and should begin the 2016 season with Triple-A Syracuse.

Stephen Drew was originally scouted by Mike Rizzo during his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Drew was chosen in the 1st round (15th overall pick) of the 2004 Draft.  Drew is brothers of JD Drew and Tim Drew, and coincidentally Tim Drew was part of that infamous trade we’ve referred to as the worst trade in team history as he came over with Bartolo Colon in 2002 for Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Lee Stevens.

Drew becomes another Scott Boras client in Nats control and the soon-to-be 33 year old lefty played shortstop, 2nd and 3rd during his MLB career. Drew has a very good lifetime pinch-hitter slash of .324/.425/.588/1.013 and last year hit 1 HR in 6 pinch-hit at-bats.  The issue is more to the fact that Drew as a starter has been poor offensively for a few years and slashed .201/.271/.381/.652 in 131 games with the Yankees with 17 HRs (9 at home and 8 on the road).


Nats Salary Update 12 29 2015 drew

The question to ask Mike Rizzo is why sign Stephen Drew over Kelly Johnson where Johnson would have cost much less, and was much better offensively.  One of the upsides with Drew is that he can play shortstop while Kelly Johnson is really just a 2nd baseman.

More to follow.

Posted in Analysis, Difo, Dusty, SpringTraining, Turner | Leave a comment

The 40 man roster shuffle #Nats

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

The Nationals are currently at the maximum limit on their 40 man roster, and unless Rizzo can pull off a trade to remove a player(s) from the 40 man roster, the Nationals will have to waive a player to vacate a spot when they add Daniel Murphy to the roster.

This off-season the Nats had several players removed from the 40 man roster when they became Free Agents.   Mike Rizzo waived David Carpenter and non-tendered Craig Stammen to free up 40 man spots while the team decided to protect 3 players from being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, and those players are Spencer Kieboom, Chris Bostick, and Nick Lee.  Each were added to the 40 man roster.  Rizzo then traded Yunel Escobar for Trevor Gott and also added Oliver Perez, Shawn Kelley, and Yusmeiro Petit.

Once Spring Training begins the Nats can transfer Aaron Barrett to the 60 Day DL and free up a spot on the 40 man roster.

Our source tells us that the Nats will likely waive Erik Davis from the 40 man roster to free up a spot; however, Rizzo is looking at other options.

Rizzo seems to be in no hurry making the Murphy signing official as he might be buying time to make a trade.

https://twitter.com/dyingquails/status/667538901054001153

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The Bench before and after Daniel Murphy #Nats

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

There was quite the discussion on Sunday on what the Washington Nationals 2016 bench could look like for 2016. Bench personnel change and evolve during the course of a 162 game season.

Most fans expect Espinosa to be a starter when the 2016 season begins which will create an opening for a backup middle infielder to begin the season. Currently on the 40 man roster, the middle infielders are Rendon, Espinosa, Trea Turner, Wilmer Difo, and Chris Bostick. Soon Daniel Murphy will join that list. If your Opening Day starters are Rendon 3B, Espinosa SS, Murphy 2B, and Turner, Difo and Bostick all begin the season in the Minors than that would mean Rizzo will be acquiring a middle infielder for the bench.

Dusty and Rizzo also have Tyler Moore and Clint Robinson as extra 1st basemen, and both players can also add emergency depth as outfielders. There is no guarantee both Moore and Robinson will make the Opening Day roster as Daniel Murphy could find himself as the 1st back-up to Ryan Zimmerman at 1st base.

In the outfield based on depth there is Harper, Werth, Taylor, den Dekker, and Brian Goodwin. As of now Werth LF, Taylor CF, and Harper RF would be your starting outfield; however, it is very possible that Mike Rizzo will acquire another outfielder before Spring Training starts which would push Taylor to the bench or to get reps in AAA.

https://twitter.com/BatHoarder/status/678959155332276224

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Posted in Difo, Dusty, Espinosa, FreeAgents, Lineup, Lobaton, Prospects, Roster, SpringTraining, Taylor, TMo, Turner | Leave a comment

What the Talk Nats community thinks about line-ups & CF!

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

We had well over 200 comments on TalkNats, Twitter comments, and emails as to our poll questions and line-up construction.

We had sjm308 with the most creative of line-ups as he went “LaRussa” on us.

Here is sjm308’s line-up:

  1. Werth
  2. Murphy
  3. Rendon
  4. Harper
  5. Zimmerman
  6. Espinosa
  7. Ramos
  8. Pitcher
  9. Taylor

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Posted in CoachingStaff, Dusty, Roster | Leave a comment

Daniel Murphy is the Lefty Bat that Rizzo & Harper wanted. Lineup Construction Guesses.

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Bryce Harper talked and Mike Rizzo did listen and delivered the needed lefthanded bat. Bryce laid it on the line with what he needed in this line-up.  Here’s Bryce’s quote:

“The one thing we definitely need is another lefthanded bat and hopefully a HUGE righthanded bat to hit behind me, or in front of me.  If we can do that, that would definitely help us out and put us up to the top.”

Will Dusty Baker stack lefties in his line-up or separate his lefties and go to R-L-R-L type of alignment. Bryce wants a huge right-handed bat in front of him and behind him and that sounds like a place for Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman.

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‘Twas the night of Christmas, when all through NatsTown,

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

‘Twas the night of Christmas, when all through NatsTown,
not a Free Agent was stirring, not even that Angelos [expletive deleted] clown.
The stockings were hung by the lockers with care,
in hopes that Blackmon or Span soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their jerseys of white and red,
while visions of a lefty lead-off man danced in their head.
And Mama in her ‘kerchief, and I in my Curly W cap,
had just settled our brains for a long Hot Stove’s nap.

When out on the Nats Park roof there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to log-on to Twitter to see all the chatter.
Away to Microsoft Windows, for a good muse,
quickly to the ‘net and Talk Nats, for Breaking News.

Time for a MASN Nationals classic on the TV,
Tunes played like Harper’s walk-up song glee,
a Throwback to The Best Is Yet To Come by Ole Blue Eyes,
a classic song for a MVP, no time for goodbyes,
when, what to my wondering eyes should be clear,
a towering Harp home run, hit so far the ball would disappear.

With a sprint around the bases, so lively and quick,
in a moment it’s time for the batting helmet off the head trick,
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
and he whistled and shouted and called Bryce by his name: Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis, Bullpen, Dusty, Espinosa, Harper, Jayson, Kelley, NLEast, Ramos, Scherzer, Turner | Tagged | Leave a comment

According to Jim Bowden, #Nats sign Daniel Murphy to 3 year deal

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Shocking news for most Nats fans that Mike Rizzo has totally gone against his mantra he stated in November, “The 2016 Nats will be younger, less experienced but more athletic and speedier. A little transformation…We would like to get more left-handed.”  Those are Mike Rizzo’s own words.  Rizzo has talked about refocusing on pitching and defense in a year that the team slid in BABIP against, DRS, and team UZR.

Daniel Murphy is not young, not speedy, and not particularly athletic.  Add to that his poor defense and the fact the Nats just forfeited their 17th pick in the 2016 Draft and this pick becomes somewhat muddled. Add to that Murphy’s controversial political and moral views, and you have a fanbase who probably won’t be thrilled with this move.

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