Let's get one thing straight though - just because Ramos is here doesn't necessarily mean that he's the catcher from now until forever. It doesn't mean Flores is done, that Norris is trade bait, or that Harper must shift positions. All it means is the Nats have a legit ready for his major-league trial catching prospect who should start for the rest of the year relegating Pudge to a back-up role. That's the only thing that changes. Maybe he doesn't succeed right away, maybe he doesn't succeed at all. Any struggles and Flores will likely get a chance to win back the starting role next Spring, like he would have against Pudge. Norris will be allowed to develop as he should and may challenge whoever the starter is in a couple years. Harper... well Bryce would probably shift positions anyway, but if he didn't he'll get the same chance Norris will have. All Ramos is is another bullet in the gun. A fantastic, made-by-hand silver bullet, but another bullet. And that's what you want - a gun full of bullets so that at least one fired will hit the target, a minor league full of talent so that at least one will develop into a good major leaguer.
Of course this brings up a ton of questions/comments for me, not necessarily Nats related
Of course Ramos would be dealt - he kind of had to be - but was Capps really the best rental the Twins could get? I guess he is a good young cheap bullpen arm, and he's under some level of control for 2011, but still...don't you get the feeling if the Twins offered Ramos for Meek AND Hanrahan (or Dotel and Hanrahan, or Dotel and Meek) the Pirates might have bit? Sure he's "untradeable" but maybe the Royals see the light and make a Ramos for Soria switch? And here's a wild one - but don't you think the Red Sox are smart and deep enough that a Ramos for Papelbon deal is at least seriously considered?
Since this was a super perfect best case start lets continue with the super perfect best case scenario for the Nats for the next couple days:
- The Nats work out a deal with the White Sox and Diamondbacks where the Nats end up with Edwin Jackson and Daniel Hudson. They likely fill out a super young 1,3-5 in the rotation next year.
- They then resign Dunn to a 2-yr deal after the season ends. (worth a draft pick as they are in "win sooner" mode).
- Nats bite bullet on Guzman, eat the majority of his salary and flip him to the Phillies (who'd love a utility man) for Harold Garcia who becomes the Nats 2nd baseman of the future
- Kennedy gets dealt to the Red Sox for old for his status and recently slumping Daniel Nava who immediately becomes the Nats RF.
- Nyjer Morgan finally works through his ropes and defeats his evil, awful at baseball clone who has been playing with the Nats since Spring.
Sign me up for those transactions. The next 36 hours should be a lot of fun. If Rizzo is able to keep on good terms with Dunn, I could certainly see the Nats being in a great position to resign him. Dunn still won't want to be a DH, and few or no other National League teams would suffer him at first base.
ReplyDeleteThis sky is the limit, happy, optimistic Harper frightens me. Where is the brutal realism we have to cherish?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great direction for the Nats to go. Nieves is one of my favorite players but he is kinda bad yesterday. So I was glad to be at the Park yesterday for his moment of glory. But there's no question that the Nats will give Ramos an extended look in the next few weeks.
Yeah for starting to try to fill in one of the big holes for next year. Yeah for new catchers. Alas for Jesus "S. Hill" Flores.*
Even though Morgan is playing much better, Nats still need a new starting OF as the Maxwell, Morse, Bernadina, Morgan monster is kinda lame.
I certainly have a skip in my step this morning as a result of this trade.
*Somewhere Jim Bowden is hailed as a genius as Shawn Hill and John Patterson throw to Jesus Flores while Smiley Gonzalez patrols short and hits behind leadoff man Lasting Milledge.
+1/2 STREET : It should be fun, then again the most recent White Sox rumors have them pulling basically a one for one deal Hudson for Jackson. If that happens - the Dunn deal to them is done and now this grand trade deadline of aweseomness is just Capps for Ramos (which is still pretty good - just not game changing)
ReplyDeleteWho? - If the Nats can pull off this deal, then I owe them two days of good feelings before they end the deadline with nothing more than a Kennedy for Garret Mock type deal. Then we settle on the main theme for the next 6 months "They have (a lot of?) offseason work to do"
As I watch Matt Capps take the mound for the first time as a Twin, I must admit I'm lukewarm about him. Well, not really Capps per se, but the fact that Wilson Ramos was traded for him instead of a starter. And why give up on Jon Rauch so soon? The closer role has seemed much less of a glaring weakness than the fact that no starter except Carl Pavano has been consistently good.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that the market for starters this year has been thin. The Twins were on Haren's no-trade list, Oswalt clearly would have been too expensive even with the Astros throwing in 12 mill, and Cliff Lee most likely would have been a half-season rental. Edwin Jackson signing with the White Sox doesn't scare me. But Ramos (and AA prospect Testa) for Capps and cash seems to me a lopsided trade. Word is that the only reason Twins GM Bill Smith agreed to it is because Minnesota has control of Capps through 2011. But Ramos should've been held for a starter, if not this year then sometime later.
At least the Twins didn't pick up Livan Hernandez again. They already tried that retread for 23 starts in 2008. I still have nightmares.