Some very gracious words from Scott Boras reported in the Nationals Journal:
"I think the Nationals did everything they could do both with their economic commitment, the time and effort that was made in every attempt to bring Mark to Washington," Boras said. "From the ownership level to the baseball level, it was a very concerted and professional approach they took to Mark, he was very impressed with what Washington did. I think the major consideration in the end was that he felt in his career he really needed to be working for a club that would be giving him an opportunity to win now."
It doesn't make me feel better. I'd much rather he said, "They're miserable, rotten s.o.b's but Teix liked them so he signed there."
Well, at least they got involved. Maybe they will improve enough to get the next Teix, though I have no idea right now who that might be. Anyone?
Question No. 2: If they do sign Dunn and Hudson, is that good enough to make you feel better about this miss? How about one or the other? If you can only have one, which one? Does Fuentes interest you at all?
4 comments:
Dunn and Hudson would absolutely make me feel better. In fact I'd rather have those two then Tex straight up. The nationals are much further then one player away. That's not to say that two players would put the nats over the top, but it would give them a lineup of.
Hudson - 4
Dukes - 9
Johnson - 3
Dunn - 7
Zimmerman - 5
Milledge - 8
Guzman - 6
Flores - 2
Pitcher - 1
You can rework the order as you like, but this gives you a decent leadoff guy followed by three great on base guys and power threats. Then you basically move the heart of the order from last year back to 5-6-7-8. This lineup would score runs. The team may be short on pitching but this combo gives an option of excellent infield defense. There is also flexibility if injuries come into play. Bench would include Nieves, Harris, Willingham, Kearns, Belliard. A versatile set of options. There could also be some mid season trade chips in there.
Worst Case: The Nats don't compete because of a lack of pitching and have to let most of these guys leave via trades or free agency. Prospects come in from trades or compensatory draft picks.
Best Case: This lineup provides enough pop to get the job done and pitchers come in a year later. The team can at least be competitive.
The Lerners and Kasten et al have made a good case for not bloating the payroll last offseason just to win 81 games instead of 72 or whatever.
But, I can only hope that losing out on Tex (even though they offered just as much or more) continued to drive home to the Lerners that "the plan" cannot come at the expense of failing to field a major-league quality team in the now.
Tex might have signed with an 80-win Nats team of 2008.
Sure, that kind of record would still not have been the Yankees, but it would not have given Tex the sense he had that he would have been a lone island of talent in an ocean of mediocrity.
Teixeira having spurned offers from a 95-win Sawx team and a 100-win Angels team, there is no way he would have considered signing with an 80-win Nats team. He was a Yankee all the way.
I guess it's all the rage (excuse the expression) to hate on the Lerners, but why condemn the Nats franchise to Oriolic futility?
How about a Boras to English translator:
"I think the Nationals did everything they could do both with their economic commitment, the time and effort that was made in every attempt to bring Mark to Washington."
I'd like to thank the Nationals for driving up the price the Yankees paid for Mark and making me a boatload of extra cash in the process.
"From the ownership level to the baseball level, it was a very concerted and professional approach they took to Mark, he was very impressed with what Washington did. I think the major consideration in the end was that he felt in his career he really needed to be working for a club that would be giving him an opportunity to win now."
I can't believe I got these suckers to think they could get Mark. There was no way he was ever going there, but I couldn't tell these rubes that. They played their part in this perfectly. Maybe I will stick them with an old player looking for one more fat paycheck. Say maybe Jason would like to live Fairfax County for a few years.
Dunn and Hudson would be better than no signings. Happy New Year everyone its 72 degrees in Florida today and I am going to watch the Hokies lose to Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl.
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