is much better than I thought.
That said, I'm not sure what I thought or why when I heard the name Rafael Soriano. I knew he was with Atlanta and then with Tampa. I never paid much attention. My Son the Braves Fan never seemed really worked up about him one way or the other.
Just another example of my ignorance that I've never denied is pretty high when it comes to players who aren't Nats (and many times with players who ARE Nats).
So I kind of shrugged when I heard the Nats were interested, or allegedly interested, or whatever. Is it Carl Pavano interested (not actually) or Zach Greinke interested (very much so)?
Looking at it a little more closely, and without the benefit of knowledge of sabermetrics (does he have Seriously Wicked Shit?), I think I'd be very happy with this signing.
Sign him, sign another bench player (is Nick Punto not in anybody's thoughts?), maybe trade for Fausto Carmona (I like the guy without any valid reason to do so) and let's get the party started.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Happy New Year!
Did you miss me? I sure missed you. Apologies for going so long without a post but it has been quite a month around the ol' FanboyLooser house, with some things going on both good and bad. Plus, being a college football editor, things have been rather hectic in recent days.
So it is time to get all caught up and, I hope, back into a routine of regular posting.
First, for all my Caps fans friends, and everyone else actually, you must watch this short clip now particularly if you watched the 24/7 series (excellent stuff there). WARNING - do not watch at work, do not watch with children present and do not watch if you have sensitive ears. I'll also add that anyone who was shocked by the many F words uttered by Bruce Boudreau needs to get out more. They curse an awful lot in sports.
Now, onto the show and let's see if I remember everything.
*Has Adam LaRoche actually signed yet? Did he pass a physical? I'm very glad they got LaRoche instead of Lee here, though I can't really articulate why. I know Lee was injured last year but I just think he's on the way down. Is LaRoche an all-star or as exciting as Adam Dunn with a bat in his hand? No. But he's pretty consistent and, along with Jayson Werth, is a solid addition. Those two in and Dunn/Willingham out won't really be an offensive dropoff (maybe a few home runs) and they're MUCH better defensively. Of course, my wife and I would represent a defensive upgrade so that's not saying much.
The LaRoche/ADD stories have received a revival in recent days. Who can forget Nick Johnson beating him to first base, the beginning of the end for LaRoche in Atlanta. But I can't think of another time it has really affected him on the field and what player hasn't suffered from brain lock? What is Nyjer's excuse? LaRoche is a solid player and a very solid guy and he's a good addition.
*Speaking of Nyjer, I'd really rather see them try Ankiel or someone (my wife again) in center every day for a while. I'm convinced we saw the real Nyjer last year and not in 2009.
*Thank you, thank you to the person responsible for making sure Carl Pavano didn't become a Nat. Too old, too much money and is he really better than a healthy Jason Marquis? Go with the flow for next year and wait for Jee-SUS to return.
*Thank you, thank you to Zach Greinke for saying no. If that price reported many times over for him is true, that was way too much to give up. That said, I hope the Nats light him up like a pinball machine at least twice this year. Just because.
*Don't trade Jordan Zimmermann for anyone.
*I'm on record as saying I don't like proven for potential deals very much. I would have thought Josh Willingham would have brought more back, but what do I know? I'm sure there's one out there and I'm not thinking clearly, but have any of these hot prospects acquired over the years done anything -- for the Nats? Was anyone surprised that Aaron Thompson, who had a fairly significant history of not doing well in the minors, didn't do well and is now no longer in the organization? The Nats keep buying lottery tickets and I haven't seen much of a return.
*Who is F.P. Santangelo and is he going to make my ears hurt listening to him on my television?
*The results of my Jayson Werth poll were interesting. LOTS of votes and I didn't even have to beg. We had 115 people who thought it was good, nine who thought it was a bad signing and 51 who said wait and see what else they do. I was one of those 51 and my new poll will ask what everyone thinks now that it appears the Nats are about done. Though I suspect, just in my head and without any knowledge, there's something else brewing. Rizzo promised a starter and I think he's bound and determined to get one, no matter the cost.
*Still not sure if I'm satisfied to the point that I'll make a return to the stadium. As noted, I like the Werth and LaRoche additions. I would have preferred Dunn and Werth and I still feel like we as a fanbase were jerked around on Dunn. I don't think the team had any intention of making a serious offer and keeping Dunn. He didn't fit the athletic/defensive mold Rizzo seems to want. And that's fine. Sure, I know you can't come out and say in July, "We don't want the big lug around anymore," but you can tap dance around it. My anger wasn't so much that Dunn wasn't signed, it was more a feeling that we were misled. And I don't like that one bit.
That said, I still love watching live baseball more than just about anything else so I expect my stance of toughness will crack and melt and I'll be there to catch Jayson Werth's first home run ball.
But it hasn't yet.
So it is time to get all caught up and, I hope, back into a routine of regular posting.
First, for all my Caps fans friends, and everyone else actually, you must watch this short clip now particularly if you watched the 24/7 series (excellent stuff there). WARNING - do not watch at work, do not watch with children present and do not watch if you have sensitive ears. I'll also add that anyone who was shocked by the many F words uttered by Bruce Boudreau needs to get out more. They curse an awful lot in sports.
Now, onto the show and let's see if I remember everything.
*Has Adam LaRoche actually signed yet? Did he pass a physical? I'm very glad they got LaRoche instead of Lee here, though I can't really articulate why. I know Lee was injured last year but I just think he's on the way down. Is LaRoche an all-star or as exciting as Adam Dunn with a bat in his hand? No. But he's pretty consistent and, along with Jayson Werth, is a solid addition. Those two in and Dunn/Willingham out won't really be an offensive dropoff (maybe a few home runs) and they're MUCH better defensively. Of course, my wife and I would represent a defensive upgrade so that's not saying much.
The LaRoche/ADD stories have received a revival in recent days. Who can forget Nick Johnson beating him to first base, the beginning of the end for LaRoche in Atlanta. But I can't think of another time it has really affected him on the field and what player hasn't suffered from brain lock? What is Nyjer's excuse? LaRoche is a solid player and a very solid guy and he's a good addition.
*Speaking of Nyjer, I'd really rather see them try Ankiel or someone (my wife again) in center every day for a while. I'm convinced we saw the real Nyjer last year and not in 2009.
*Thank you, thank you to the person responsible for making sure Carl Pavano didn't become a Nat. Too old, too much money and is he really better than a healthy Jason Marquis? Go with the flow for next year and wait for Jee-SUS to return.
*Thank you, thank you to Zach Greinke for saying no. If that price reported many times over for him is true, that was way too much to give up. That said, I hope the Nats light him up like a pinball machine at least twice this year. Just because.
*Don't trade Jordan Zimmermann for anyone.
*I'm on record as saying I don't like proven for potential deals very much. I would have thought Josh Willingham would have brought more back, but what do I know? I'm sure there's one out there and I'm not thinking clearly, but have any of these hot prospects acquired over the years done anything -- for the Nats? Was anyone surprised that Aaron Thompson, who had a fairly significant history of not doing well in the minors, didn't do well and is now no longer in the organization? The Nats keep buying lottery tickets and I haven't seen much of a return.
*Who is F.P. Santangelo and is he going to make my ears hurt listening to him on my television?
*The results of my Jayson Werth poll were interesting. LOTS of votes and I didn't even have to beg. We had 115 people who thought it was good, nine who thought it was a bad signing and 51 who said wait and see what else they do. I was one of those 51 and my new poll will ask what everyone thinks now that it appears the Nats are about done. Though I suspect, just in my head and without any knowledge, there's something else brewing. Rizzo promised a starter and I think he's bound and determined to get one, no matter the cost.
*Still not sure if I'm satisfied to the point that I'll make a return to the stadium. As noted, I like the Werth and LaRoche additions. I would have preferred Dunn and Werth and I still feel like we as a fanbase were jerked around on Dunn. I don't think the team had any intention of making a serious offer and keeping Dunn. He didn't fit the athletic/defensive mold Rizzo seems to want. And that's fine. Sure, I know you can't come out and say in July, "We don't want the big lug around anymore," but you can tap dance around it. My anger wasn't so much that Dunn wasn't signed, it was more a feeling that we were misled. And I don't like that one bit.
That said, I still love watching live baseball more than just about anything else so I expect my stance of toughness will crack and melt and I'll be there to catch Jayson Werth's first home run ball.
But it hasn't yet.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Bring Back Scruffy!
Jayson Werth is a good-looking guy! Who knew? He cleans up so well.
My wife watched part of the press conference with me and didn't believe it was actually the same guy she saw bouncing up and down with his (former) teammates after that late-season blast off Drew Storen.
That linked video message shows just how good he looks.
That said, BRING BACK SCRUFFY! This Jayson Werth looks like he would simply abhor getting dirty. I want the Jayson Werth who looks mean enough to make me cower in fear.
So there's my New Year's wish list. The return of Scruffy.
Unrelated, my ornament came today. Yeah, I bought one of those three-packs that offered the Nats ornament as a "bonus" gift. And the tickets are a gift. I haven't made up my mind yet about returning in 2011. Will Jayson Werth be enough or do I need to see more? Stay tuned on that because I just know everyone is on the edge of their seats.
But back to the ornament. It broke coming out of the box.
I sure hope that's not an omen. I have a clean Jayson Werth and a mess of an ornament. That needs to be reversed.
My wife watched part of the press conference with me and didn't believe it was actually the same guy she saw bouncing up and down with his (former) teammates after that late-season blast off Drew Storen.
That linked video message shows just how good he looks.
That said, BRING BACK SCRUFFY! This Jayson Werth looks like he would simply abhor getting dirty. I want the Jayson Werth who looks mean enough to make me cower in fear.
So there's my New Year's wish list. The return of Scruffy.
Unrelated, my ornament came today. Yeah, I bought one of those three-packs that offered the Nats ornament as a "bonus" gift. And the tickets are a gift. I haven't made up my mind yet about returning in 2011. Will Jayson Werth be enough or do I need to see more? Stay tuned on that because I just know everyone is on the edge of their seats.
But back to the ornament. It broke coming out of the box.
I sure hope that's not an omen. I have a clean Jayson Werth and a mess of an ornament. That needs to be reversed.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Opening Day Starter for the Viera Invisible All-Stars
Welcome back Chien-Ming, be good to see you at Nationals Park agai *** oh wait. It will be good to see you at Nationals Park.
We'll see.
Wonder if Brandon Webb will join him on the VIA-S.
This is their hat:
This is their uniform:
And this is the release, courtesy of the Nationals:
NATIONALS RE-SIGN RIGHTHANDER CHIEN-MING WANG
The Washington Nationals tonight signed free-agent right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year Major League contract. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Wang, 30, returns for a second season with the Nationals organization. He did not pitch in 2010 while working with the Nationals’ training staff on a rehab program designed to regain full health from July 2009 right shoulder surgery.
Wang is 55-26 with a 4.16 ERA in 109 career games/104 starts spanning five seasons with the Yankees. An extreme ground-ball pitcher, Wang’s career ground ball-to-fly ball ratio of 2.73/1 ranks third among active pitchers with 100-plus starts, trailing only Brandon Webb (3.63/1) and Derek Lowe (3.09/1). His .679 career winning percentage ranks second among active pitchers with 100 or more starts.
Perhaps best known for posting consecutive 19-win seasons for the Yankees in 2006 and ‘07, Wang’s consistency afforded him the honor of starting the Yankees’ first post-season contest in 2007 vs. Cleveland. During the same two-year span, Wang led MLB with 38 wins and a .745 winning percentage while pacing the American League with 864 ground balls induced and a 2.9/1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio.
Wang originally signed with the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on May 5, 2000.
We'll see.
Wonder if Brandon Webb will join him on the VIA-S.
This is their hat:
This is their uniform:
And this is the release, courtesy of the Nationals:
NATIONALS RE-SIGN RIGHTHANDER CHIEN-MING WANG
The Washington Nationals tonight signed free-agent right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year Major League contract. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Wang, 30, returns for a second season with the Nationals organization. He did not pitch in 2010 while working with the Nationals’ training staff on a rehab program designed to regain full health from July 2009 right shoulder surgery.
Wang is 55-26 with a 4.16 ERA in 109 career games/104 starts spanning five seasons with the Yankees. An extreme ground-ball pitcher, Wang’s career ground ball-to-fly ball ratio of 2.73/1 ranks third among active pitchers with 100-plus starts, trailing only Brandon Webb (3.63/1) and Derek Lowe (3.09/1). His .679 career winning percentage ranks second among active pitchers with 100 or more starts.
Perhaps best known for posting consecutive 19-win seasons for the Yankees in 2006 and ‘07, Wang’s consistency afforded him the honor of starting the Yankees’ first post-season contest in 2007 vs. Cleveland. During the same two-year span, Wang led MLB with 38 wins and a .745 winning percentage while pacing the American League with 864 ground balls induced and a 2.9/1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio.
Wang originally signed with the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on May 5, 2000.
See Ya Hammer
Props to Mark Zuckerman on the scoop on this one - Josh Willingham to the As for two as-yet-unidentified "young" players.
If one of them is Gio Gonzalez, I'm really jacked. I would have thought Willingham would have been part of a package to bring in a major-league player. Preferably a pitcher.
I wonder if the Nats know something we don't?
Moving Willingham doesn't bother me as much as it might have before. At least last year he had an excuse for not doing anything in the second half of the season. I seem to remember a significant dropoff in 2009.
That said, he served the Nats well. I still can't believe it took the Nats so long to finally start playing him.
I wish him well.
Now, who are these two "young" players?
UPDATE: More on the players coming the Nats way. At first glance, I'm not overwhelmed. Anybody who actually knows something about these guys, please share your thoughts in the comments.
UPDATE 2: The Nats' release on the trade --
NATIONALS ACQUIRE RHP HENRY RODRIGUEZ & OF COREY BROWN
FROM OAKLAND IN EXCHANGE FOR LF JOSH WILLINGHAM
The Washington Nationals today acquired right-handed pitcher Henry Rodriguez and outfielder Corey Brown from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for left fielder Josh Willingham. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Rodriguez went 1-0 with a 4.55 ERA in 29 appearances last season with Oakland in just his second season as a full-time reliever. He posted 10.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (33 K/27.2 IP) and a .240 batting average against, including a stingy .207 mark against right-handed batters. Rodriguez recorded 11 saves and a 1.69 ERA in 20 appearances with Sacramento of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 2010, posting 13.1 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (31 K/21.1 IP) and a 3.44 strikeout-to-walk ratio (31 K/9 BB) with the River Cats.
The hard-throwing right-hander ranked fourth in the big leagues last season with an average fastball velocity of 98.45 miles per hour, after his 98.96 mph average in 2009 trailed only Detroit’s Joel Zumaya (99.19 mph). Rodriguez touched 103.2 mph on the gun in 2010, a high that was topped only by Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman (105.1 mph) and Texas’ Neftali Feliz (103.4 mph).
Rodriguez, 23, is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in 32 career relief appearances in the major leagues. A member of the World Team in the 2008 All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium, he is currently pitching for Leones in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he has five saves and a 1.77 ERA (27 K/20.1 IP) in 17 appearances.
Brown batted .283 with 18 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, 69 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 131 games last season with Midland of the Double-A Texas League and Sacramento. He earned citations as a Texas League All-Star and Topps Double-A All-Star for his 90 games with Midland. Brown batted .320 with 14 doubles, eight triples, 10 homers, 49 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a .415 on-base percentage with the RockHounds, ranking among Double-A leaders for on-base percentage (third), batting average (fifth) and triples (tied for eighth).
Brown dominated the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League in 2009, hitting .333 and finishing among AFL leaders with 28 RBI (first), six home runs (tied for second), 65 total bases (second), 15 extra-base hits (tied for third) and 35 hits (fourth).
Selected by Oakland in the compensation round (59th overall) of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, the 25-year-old has batted .272 with 83 doubles, 21 triples, 65 home runs, 243 RBI and 48 stolen bases in 390 games over four minor-league seasons.
Willingham, 31, batted .268 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 114 games last season with the Nationals.
If one of them is Gio Gonzalez, I'm really jacked. I would have thought Willingham would have been part of a package to bring in a major-league player. Preferably a pitcher.
I wonder if the Nats know something we don't?
Moving Willingham doesn't bother me as much as it might have before. At least last year he had an excuse for not doing anything in the second half of the season. I seem to remember a significant dropoff in 2009.
That said, he served the Nats well. I still can't believe it took the Nats so long to finally start playing him.
I wish him well.
Now, who are these two "young" players?
UPDATE: More on the players coming the Nats way. At first glance, I'm not overwhelmed. Anybody who actually knows something about these guys, please share your thoughts in the comments.
UPDATE 2: The Nats' release on the trade --
NATIONALS ACQUIRE RHP HENRY RODRIGUEZ & OF COREY BROWN
FROM OAKLAND IN EXCHANGE FOR LF JOSH WILLINGHAM
The Washington Nationals today acquired right-handed pitcher Henry Rodriguez and outfielder Corey Brown from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for left fielder Josh Willingham. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Rodriguez went 1-0 with a 4.55 ERA in 29 appearances last season with Oakland in just his second season as a full-time reliever. He posted 10.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (33 K/27.2 IP) and a .240 batting average against, including a stingy .207 mark against right-handed batters. Rodriguez recorded 11 saves and a 1.69 ERA in 20 appearances with Sacramento of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 2010, posting 13.1 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (31 K/21.1 IP) and a 3.44 strikeout-to-walk ratio (31 K/9 BB) with the River Cats.
The hard-throwing right-hander ranked fourth in the big leagues last season with an average fastball velocity of 98.45 miles per hour, after his 98.96 mph average in 2009 trailed only Detroit’s Joel Zumaya (99.19 mph). Rodriguez touched 103.2 mph on the gun in 2010, a high that was topped only by Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman (105.1 mph) and Texas’ Neftali Feliz (103.4 mph).
Rodriguez, 23, is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in 32 career relief appearances in the major leagues. A member of the World Team in the 2008 All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium, he is currently pitching for Leones in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he has five saves and a 1.77 ERA (27 K/20.1 IP) in 17 appearances.
Brown batted .283 with 18 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, 69 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 131 games last season with Midland of the Double-A Texas League and Sacramento. He earned citations as a Texas League All-Star and Topps Double-A All-Star for his 90 games with Midland. Brown batted .320 with 14 doubles, eight triples, 10 homers, 49 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a .415 on-base percentage with the RockHounds, ranking among Double-A leaders for on-base percentage (third), batting average (fifth) and triples (tied for eighth).
Brown dominated the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League in 2009, hitting .333 and finishing among AFL leaders with 28 RBI (first), six home runs (tied for second), 65 total bases (second), 15 extra-base hits (tied for third) and 35 hits (fourth).
Selected by Oakland in the compensation round (59th overall) of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, the 25-year-old has batted .272 with 83 doubles, 21 triples, 65 home runs, 243 RBI and 48 stolen bases in 390 games over four minor-league seasons.
Willingham, 31, batted .268 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 114 games last season with the Nationals.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Matt Stairs is a Nat
Strike up the band, another member of the Senior League All-Stars!
Release courtesy of the Washington Nationals and I'm sure everyone feels better about things now. Did anyone have a whiff of this one coming?
Bold has been added by me, not the Nats. Take that Phils! You got Cliff Lee? The Nats got Matt Stairs!
NATIONALS AGREE TO TERMS WITH OF/1B MATT STAIRS
The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with outfielder/first baseman Matt Stairs on a non-guaranteed minor league contract, which includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Stairs is an 18-year big league veteran who has competed in four post-seasons and won a World Series championship with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. He owns the all-time Major League mark with 23 pinch-hit home runs (Greg Dobbs and Ross Gload rank second among active players with eight pinch-homers). Stairs enters 2011 having played for a record-tying 12 different Major League teams and having homered for a record-tying 11 different clubs.
The 42-year-old tied for the Major League lead with four pinch-hit home runs last season, after leading all big league pinch hitters with five homers and 15 RBI (tied) in 2009. Overall in 2010, Stairs clubbed six home runs, six doubles and 16 RBI in 78 contests with the San Diego Padres.
Stairs has reached the 20-homer plateau six times en route to hitting 265 home runs and posting 897 RBI during his career.
Release courtesy of the Washington Nationals and I'm sure everyone feels better about things now. Did anyone have a whiff of this one coming?
Bold has been added by me, not the Nats. Take that Phils! You got Cliff Lee? The Nats got Matt Stairs!
NATIONALS AGREE TO TERMS WITH OF/1B MATT STAIRS
The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with outfielder/first baseman Matt Stairs on a non-guaranteed minor league contract, which includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Stairs is an 18-year big league veteran who has competed in four post-seasons and won a World Series championship with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. He owns the all-time Major League mark with 23 pinch-hit home runs (Greg Dobbs and Ross Gload rank second among active players with eight pinch-homers). Stairs enters 2011 having played for a record-tying 12 different Major League teams and having homered for a record-tying 11 different clubs.
The 42-year-old tied for the Major League lead with four pinch-hit home runs last season, after leading all big league pinch hitters with five homers and 15 RBI (tied) in 2009. Overall in 2010, Stairs clubbed six home runs, six doubles and 16 RBI in 78 contests with the San Diego Padres.
Stairs has reached the 20-homer plateau six times en route to hitting 265 home runs and posting 897 RBI during his career.
And the Nats Can't Find ONE No. 1 Starter
Depending on your view of Cole Hamels (and I think highly of him), the Phillies now have FOUR No. 1 starters with the news that Cliff Lee is returning to Philadelphia. Surprise news, everyone is saying. Really? A true surprise or just something no one knew anything about until it actually happened? Kind of like Jayson Werth?
Pretty strong rotation there, though, eh? I think the pecking order is clear: Halladay (the best pitcher in baseball), Lee (not the second best as long as The Freak is around), Oswalt and Hamels. You could throw Ramon Ortiz in the fifth spot and still have the best rotation in the game (or second best if you are a Giants fan).
While it is an impressive collection, here's why I think Phils fans shouldn't get but so excited and why fans of the Nats and other NL East teams don't need to get too freaked out: It is an aging rotation.
My prediction? Enjoy 2011, Philadelphia. I predict 100 victories and a pennant and probably a World Series crown.
But Hamels is the only youngster of the group and he's running out of young (he'll be 27 two days after Christmas). Oswalt and Lee turn 33 next season. Halladay turns 34.
Which one breaks down first? I'd never wish ill or injury on anyone, seriously, not even my worst enemy or a Phillie. But is there any way that trio makes it through 2012 unscathed?
Let's also note the Big Four combined to lose 43 games in 2010. So the idea when playing the Phils is to catch them in a "back-end" series. Take your chances with Hamels, Joe Blanton (until he's traded to the Red Sox) and Halladay. Beat No. 5 and catch one of the other two on one of their infrequent but not unheard of off days. Win the series.
Chin up people, it can be done.
So where does this leave the Nats? No change. Did anyone really expect Cliff Lee to come to Washington? Did anyone really expect to win the division in 2011? No. So there's no reason for us to fret.
I'm still not in favor of Carl Pavano and I still would like to see the team take a chance on Brandon Webb. I still wouldn't cry if Norris/Ramos, Desmond and a pitcher not named Zimmermann went to the Royals for Zack Greinke. I also wouldn't cry if the Nats didn't add a pitcher. Take your chances with Zimmermann, post-injury Marquis, post-demotion Lannan, Livo and any one of countless other options.
My main concern is first base and that the Nats will somehow end up with their own Senior Tour ready first baseman, the other available Lee (Derrek). I'd rather see Adam LaRoche, who will never hit 50 doubles and 46 home runs like Derrek Lee did in 2005 but looks (to me anyway) to be a better fit for this team right now.
Of course, they had a pretty good fit already (you think a Zimmerman/Dunn/Werth/Willingham 3-6 would have been OK) and he's with the White Sox now.
Pretty strong rotation there, though, eh? I think the pecking order is clear: Halladay (the best pitcher in baseball), Lee (not the second best as long as The Freak is around), Oswalt and Hamels. You could throw Ramon Ortiz in the fifth spot and still have the best rotation in the game (or second best if you are a Giants fan).
While it is an impressive collection, here's why I think Phils fans shouldn't get but so excited and why fans of the Nats and other NL East teams don't need to get too freaked out: It is an aging rotation.
My prediction? Enjoy 2011, Philadelphia. I predict 100 victories and a pennant and probably a World Series crown.
But Hamels is the only youngster of the group and he's running out of young (he'll be 27 two days after Christmas). Oswalt and Lee turn 33 next season. Halladay turns 34.
Which one breaks down first? I'd never wish ill or injury on anyone, seriously, not even my worst enemy or a Phillie. But is there any way that trio makes it through 2012 unscathed?
Let's also note the Big Four combined to lose 43 games in 2010. So the idea when playing the Phils is to catch them in a "back-end" series. Take your chances with Hamels, Joe Blanton (until he's traded to the Red Sox) and Halladay. Beat No. 5 and catch one of the other two on one of their infrequent but not unheard of off days. Win the series.
Chin up people, it can be done.
So where does this leave the Nats? No change. Did anyone really expect Cliff Lee to come to Washington? Did anyone really expect to win the division in 2011? No. So there's no reason for us to fret.
I'm still not in favor of Carl Pavano and I still would like to see the team take a chance on Brandon Webb. I still wouldn't cry if Norris/Ramos, Desmond and a pitcher not named Zimmermann went to the Royals for Zack Greinke. I also wouldn't cry if the Nats didn't add a pitcher. Take your chances with Zimmermann, post-injury Marquis, post-demotion Lannan, Livo and any one of countless other options.
My main concern is first base and that the Nats will somehow end up with their own Senior Tour ready first baseman, the other available Lee (Derrek). I'd rather see Adam LaRoche, who will never hit 50 doubles and 46 home runs like Derrek Lee did in 2005 but looks (to me anyway) to be a better fit for this team right now.
Of course, they had a pretty good fit already (you think a Zimmerman/Dunn/Werth/Willingham 3-6 would have been OK) and he's with the White Sox now.
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