Tiger Woods Member since Feb 15th 2004 18387 posts
Tue Apr-04-17 10:21 AM
1. "I was there yesterday" In response to Reply # 0
What a great way to kick off a season with big expectations.
My biggest takeaway: the 1-2 speed of Turner and Eaton could get teams fits. Specifically, seeing Turner's speed in person is still something to behold.
I feel like this team is a little worse than last year, and the competition is as good or better. but it's baseball, so you just have to win your division and it's anybody's game after that.
Trea Turner is looking like an elite player on the Nats for the next 5 years. Adam Eaton is a good player with a very friendly contract. Scherzer and Strasburg are locked in for a while and if they're healthy, a very competitive 1-2. A healthy Rendon is top 10 at his position. They got a couple top 50 guys in the pipeline. Werth's $21 million coming off the books. Gio's $12 million coming off the books. Even if Harper and Murphy walk after 2018, they're still looking like an 85 win team with just some minor upkeep. And Rizzo has been pretty good about making upgrades and having back-up plans.
A Nats contender in 2019 probably looks different the 2017 version, but that happens. Look at 2012 when I guess the window opened to 2017:
-Bryce Harper is Bryce Harper -Werth, Gio, Zimmerman are still here but mostly bloat at this point -Rendon was a dice roll of a draft pick -Murphy, Eaton, Scherzer were somewhere between role players and upside guys on other teams -Tanner Roark was a footnote in Cristian Guzman's career -Joe Ross and Trea Turner were prospects in somebody else's system
Of concern though is that the Phillies may have figured out how to stop sucking and the Braves are a year away from looking scary.
Tiger Woods Member since Feb 15th 2004 18387 posts
Wed Apr-05-17 11:48 AM
4. "we have some young really good guys for CHEAP" In response to Reply # 3
namely, Trea Turner (33 steals last year in only 70 or so games) and Tanner Roark (2.8 ERA + 16 wins) are CRAZY value at their positions.Even after arbitration, I think Roark is due something silly affordable like $4 Million. This team has foundation pieces for the future.
Tiger Woods Member since Feb 15th 2004 18387 posts
Thu Apr-06-17 10:35 AM
6. "Blake Treinen feels like an inevitable fail" In response to Reply # 0
He's 2 for 2 so far so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until he makes a habit of blowing saves I guess. But he promptly put the game in an uneasy place despite inheriting a 6-3 lead last night.
13. "It will continue to be a problem" In response to Reply # 12
And there was really not big plan to fix after last year. Sure, they missed on a couple of big names, but ultimately their finger in the dyke was to sign Matt Albers, Joe Blanton, and Joe Nathan.
this is my first year taking the plunge. have to say, it's an INCREDIBLE value for the seats and games that i picked: 5 games, 2 Diamond Club tickets and parking pass for each game. Orioles, Reds, Braves, Mets (4 tix for this game) and Phillies were the games chosen. had i bought these games and parking passes retail w/o the group it would've been about $2,900...but with the group it came to about $1,800.
the great thing is these seats are all-inclusive and i chose the games based on what the season ticket holder had available. they had every game except Cubs games when i signed up. the bad thing? they sold their tickets cash only, you had to pay upfront via PayPal or cashiers check and there was a 5 game minimum...no credit cards, no payment plans. still, i thought it was a good deal.
because i joined the group i can buy additional regular season tickets and if they're available...PLAYOFF games.
there are different season ticket groups throughout the stadium. there ticket prices seem to be at or slightly above what the plan holder paid per game, but well below the retail price for the same seat. tickets are straight from the plan holder, not a broker. there are still some games available in some groups, but you may have to do some searching for the game of your choice and be mindful if there's a minimum game purchase.
if you didn't know about this before, take a look and see if it might work for you. if not this season, there's always next season.
20. "It's April 28 and Ryan Zimmeman has 10 HRs" In response to Reply # 0
6 months ago, there was an argument to be made for him as the worst everyday player in baseball and the Nationals were on the hook for $50 more million.
Now he's roping jacks to the opposite field like he's playing wiffle ball and pushing Bryce Harper in the NL MVP race. This is amazing but I'm half waiting for that Sterling Marte news alert. I'm going to need to sit down and think if I've ever seen a post-30 resurrection like this in the era of testing.
builtfromwax Member since May 01st 2007 1879 posts
Thu May-04-17 05:32 PM
26. "1/6 thru the season @ 18-9..." In response to Reply # 0
...that's on pace to be like 108-54! not gonna happen, but its been an impressive month. especially for Ryan Zimmerman; my co-worker thinks he's gotta secret stash of 'roids somewhere...i just hope there's no epic pendulum swing in the opposite direction during the season.
now it's early, but...we're the only team in the division with a winning record (as of today), 10 games above .500 after beating the Diamondbacks and have the largest lead of any division leader (6 games as of this post). i'd say that's a pretty good start for a season.
still, the bullpen is trash. this is where i wish they'd traded for Alex Colome during the offseason, but instead they got Enny Romero.
the trade for Adam Eaton was working out well before the injury. Giolito (0-4, 7.33 ERA) and Lopez (2-1, 4.10 ERA) are struggling early on in AAA and haven't been called up yet. who was the 3rd player?
Lind and Wieters are proving to be solid pick-ups thus far. if Michael Taylor can hit for .250 he can help minimize the loss of Eaton. meanwhile Danny Espinosa is hitting .160 for the Angels, he's somebody else's lineup liability now.
it's like the Nats have an uncanny ability to know when to let someone go because once they leave, the player rarely has the same level of success they did with the Nationals.
builtfromwax Member since May 01st 2007 1879 posts
Thu May-11-17 04:48 PM
31. "Kelley and Glover are the best internal options..." In response to Reply # 28
...Tampa's Alex Colome is on my wish list, but Rizzo and his team may have their eyes on someone else.
Seattle's Edwin Diaz fits the Rizzo trade scenario (young talent, controllable contract), but that's not happening.
it's still early in the season, but...it's always better to win the games you should win early too. a good closer should get about 5 saves out of 6 opportunities. that alone would give the Nats 3 to 4 Ws they should've gotten at this point.
32. "Melancon is hurt though" In response to Reply # 29 Fri May-12-17 04:05 PM by Call It Anything
I just hope we don't end up overpaying for a poor midseason replacement like Soriano or Papelbon. Got to do something, but relievers are generally dice rolls
35. "Pretty much" In response to Reply # 33 Mon May-15-17 01:50 AM by Call It Anything
Austin Adams has had a good month in relief in AAA. I expect him to get a call up next time somebody hits the DL.
Meanwhile, Felipe Rivero is dealing for the Pirates so far. Leading the league in appearances with a 0.87 ERA, striking out 22 in 20.2 and only walking 4. I would take 2 months of Melancon memories back for him under control the next couple years after seeing him this year. Although the Pirates appear to be pitching whisperers at this point.
36. "New report that they're moving Fedde to the bullpen in AA" In response to Reply # 0
2014 first rounder and top pitching prospect in the system. I don't feel great about that just because you're ultimately short-changing value out of a good pick who has thus far succeeded as a starter at every level by shifting the expectation from 180 IP to 60 IP but it's not necessarily a permanent role. There are cases of pitchers who transition back to starter, Chris Sale being the most recent high profile example that comes to mind. Still probably better than dumping prospects for a rental.
46. "I agree...health is the biggest issue" In response to Reply # 45
But if we could get MAT and Trea back we are set! However, what do we do with Jayson? What until post season...do you put him back in everyday at this point? It would take AB's from Goodwin....Good problem to have but worth mentioning.
49. "Sounds like no ligament damage" In response to Reply # 48
Probably best case scenario. Going to be weird if everybody comes back healthy in October. Like a relay team not using their best runners to qualify in the heats.
Max returned and looked healthy and mid-season form. Werth is back and homered! Offense exploded... Beat division team and shrinks our magic number ...and Trea is playing tonight (Tues)
With the time the subs go, we are LOADED! Thing is when Bryce comes back, what do we do with Howie!?!? He is SCORCHING!!
54. "Let's just get through September without any hiccups, please" In response to Reply # 0
And lets hope the offense holds up lest the bullpen craps the bed yet again
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
This may be his best year ...and more importantly, we needed it!!! With the injuries to Stras and Max and with Roark having some mid-season struggles, he has been a steady force all season! Between him and Rendon, they are the Nats MVP this season.
builtfromwax Member since May 01st 2007 1879 posts
Fri Sep-15-17 11:01 AM
65. "Victor Robles is f*cking FAST..." In response to Reply # 0
...got a chance to sit front row for last night's game against the Braves. Victor Robles is f*cking fast; i dare say faster than Trea Turner who's pretty f*cking fast himself. but being so close to the field it seemed like Robles was the fastest player out there last night; especially out of the batter's box.
with Brian Goodwin out, he just might make the playoff roster. when everyone's healthy, there's lots of versatility in the outfield. it'll be interesting to see how Dusty manages it.
builtfromwax Member since May 01st 2007 1879 posts
Tue Oct-10-17 04:07 PM
72. "Trea Turner has been awful at the plate..." In response to Reply # 0
...0 for 12 with 5 Ks. hasn't even got on base to set up the batting order. can't even blame it on inexperience because he hit above .300 last year vs. the Dodgers.
Max and Strasburg pitched BETTER than they're season averages and still lost their games. the bullpen hasn't been bad and pretty much kept them in all 3 games.
unless the bats come alive and the pitching continues to hold, the season's over.
Tiger Woods Member since Feb 15th 2004 18387 posts
Wed Oct-11-17 02:33 PM
81. "this is not a Kirk Cousins situation" In response to Reply # 78
All Cousins did was come to town with no fanfare, endure a primadonna RGII, keep his head down, and get better every year.
Strasburg on the other hand came to town with all of the fanfare, did not protest his 2012 shutdown (it was also endorsed by Scott Boras), gets hurt all of the time, and signed a random extension in the last year. His expectations are higher and he deserves a lot less benefit of the doubt.
Today was an example of why getting your story right before you tell it is important - it was a clusterF. But it also came as no surprise to anyone that Strasburg may have declined the opportunity to pitch.
I'm holding out hope that he isn't THAT mentally fragile and this was just a botched attempt at gamesmanship by Dusty.
but, again, the only way this doesn't blow up in their face is if they advance.
83. "Well, it comes back around" In response to Reply # 0
All hands on deck tomorrow. I would guess start Gio and use Scherzer if they need a short bridge to the bullpen with a lead but go to Roark if it's a quick hook.
So glad to see Strasburg get a big moment, even get a chance for a big moment. Tied Verlander for most Ks in a LDS.
builtfromwax Member since May 01st 2007 1879 posts
Wed Oct-11-17 07:31 PM
84. "honestly, i’d rather go with Max..." In response to Reply # 83
...or Roark. Gio has had a great year, but he can lose focus in the postseason. maybe i’m projecting Gm 5 of the 2012 NLDS, but there can be no let up tomorrow night.
98. "every. single. time." In response to Reply # 0
8 of Washington's last 9 losses in the playoffs have been by a run. 0-3 in game five since 2012, all of those losses at home.
this one had all the traumatizing footnotes of a Nationals' postseason flub: Werth being turned into stone on an easy flyball that led to the deciding run, Lobaton getting picked off at first with the tying run at second (why did he even have a lead? was he going to score on a liner with his blazing speed?), Scherzer coming in and lighting the place on fire with two outs, Wieters kicking the ball around...
Tiger Woods Member since Feb 15th 2004 18387 posts
Fri Oct-13-17 12:07 AM
100. "It's just not meant to be" In response to Reply # 0
You can't blame Rizzo, he's built an incredible club
The pitching overall is stellar and was mostly great in this series, but it's especially cruel to lose mostly because your bulldog ace had a meltdown
The offense was lights out all year. You really didn't get enough of it this series, but then neither did the Cubs either.
Dissecting the series loss by the bigger takeaways, I would mostly just say that Gio sucks in the playoffs, Werth especially sucked this series, and you didn't get enough overall offense...but they lost a game 5 by only one run, so I'm still just so confused
I hope more than anything that Harper stays. Harper is the man now, and his attitude should set the tone for this team. Some of this team's demeanor just seems a little too cool for school sometimes. Werth, Zimmerman, Rendon...their stoic dispositions present a stark contrast to the Cubs or Yankees. These guys just don't seem loose enough in the playoffs.
Maybe they get through one day. Or maybe Werth leaves, Harper leaves, Zim retires in the next three years, and Mike Rizzo bolts for the West coast. Playoff baseball is just too fickle to forecast the future.
This doesn't feel like the Caps' annual choke, it feels like a prize fight that someone had to lose and my fighter lost. Painful.
101. "Sweating this one out...." In response to Reply # 0
....Happy for my Cubs....CRAZY GAME....But damn, I feel horrible for Dusty....His press conference was heartbreaking....He's a damn good manager. Deserves better.....
GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....
103. "Damn" In response to Reply # 0 Fri Oct-13-17 10:50 AM by Call It Anything
Whenever they do win a series, it probably won't be with a team that's better than this one.
No reason they won't be as good on paper next year. Eaton is back, losing Werth won't hurt, they could conceivably upgrade at catcher. But all of their big guns were healthy. Rendon, Zimmerman, Gio, and Stras all overachieved to varying degrees above expectations. Bench was deep with Kendrick, Lind, and Robles. Bullpen was solid.
Looking back over the last 6 years, these things are obviously rolling, but these guys are probably on the short list with the 60s Giants and the early 90s Pirates as the best group of players over several years to never win a playoff series. Both of those teams played in an era with less rounds in the postseason. Playoffs are a dice roll to some degree but damn.
builtfromwax Member since May 01st 2007 1879 posts
Fri Oct-13-17 12:24 PM
106. "Rizzo believes in this team for the long term..." In response to Reply # 103
...and they've set themselves up nicely with young controllable players.
Eaton will take Werth's place; leave MAT at CF. Goodwin gives them great depth/versatility in the OF. Robles is the future and will force someone out by 2019. if Wieters opts out this year, then Severino is an upgrade in my opinion (why pay him $10m when this kid can do the job better for less than $600k?)
but this team isn't as good as some of us would like to believe. multiple division titles? sureas a unit, they lacked the tenacity to seize the moment and play solid baseball when it mattered most. aside from Strasburg and MAT, no one raised their level of play above or even up to their regular season line. mostly everyone played well below their averages.
they're good enough to get in the club, but not good enough to sit in VIP. that requires a different mentality. one that says, "we in this b!tch! f*ck yo couch!" that's not the makeup of this team.
105. "Mad Max and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad 5th Inning..." In response to Reply # 0
He and Wieters are going to have extremely long off seasons living that inning down. Nobody in the world would have predicted that. I'm glad the team dug in and kept chipping away at that deficit, but they shouldn't have been there in the first place.
Another year, another early exit. Let's hope they don't make too many radical moves for next year
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
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