So a couple of relievers, a back up catcher, and a 5th starter? Did the Nats just miss the playoffs last year while I was asleep or something? This is a team that needs major improvements not tweaks. Let's see a story for a starter that feels like more than a negotiating ploy for him and his agent.
While I agree the players they are shooting for are lack luster, they don't want to end up like the Orioles. For years Baltimore made investments on above average players that they could get their hands on, but never developed any true talent.
ReplyDeleteWhat Washington is doing is piecing together a team that can function everyday on the field next season, while in the meantime developing young talent and keeping their eyes out for franchise talent on the free agent market. The Nats don't need to even be .500 next year, they need to be in a position to be .600 in two or three years. That's how the Nationals will make it to the promised land.
It takes time to become a playoff team from one that was disowned. No quick fix will work, just like in life.
-Will
TheNatsBlog.com
Calling Smoltz a 5th starter misses the point. On a team composed entirely of 5th starters John could easily be your 3rd best. It's not as though there was a frontline free agent starter to be had.
ReplyDeleteIf the Nats can pair someone like Garland or Marquis at the front of the rotation with Lannan, Smoltz can stabilize the 3rd slot and you can pick from Stammen/Martin/Detwiler/Balester/Martis/etc. to round out the rotation until Strasburg arrives.
Performing triage on the rotation and bullpen will go a long way to making the Nats respectable, if not quite competitive.
The only deals that have happened thus far are the *major* ones (Halladay trade) and the obscure ones (Bruney deal).
ReplyDeleteKasten repeatedly said that the I-Rod and Bruney deals were "on the bottom of their long list" of todos after the season. Capps would be another; imagine having Capps, Bruney and Storen all competing in spring training? That's a significant, across the board improvement of the bullpen versus where the back-end was on 4/1/08 (Tavarez, Rivera, Hanrahan).
You forget about the real news coming out about our interest in Garland, Pineiro (who Keith Law calls the "best remaining FA right now.") So the Nats are in it.
Imagine a rotation of Garland, Smoltz, Lannan, Stammen/Martin/Detwiler/whoever is ready, and around 5/1 Strasburg? That's respectable in my book.
I think we're all in agreement - there are decent players available (like Garland) who can help stabilize the rotation that they should make a run at - but we'd rather see them do nothing than something stupid.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time - until they do something, it's just talk to me. There's no more benefits to my doubts.
I'd like to see more action myself, but its a big cat and mouse game. No sense in making the first move and paying too much for a FA starting pitcher.
ReplyDeleteThe Nats waited till the last minute to sign Adam Dunn in '08 and as a result paid a lot less than they would have in December or January.
As long as they don't get caught moving last, I don't mind if someone else moves first.