Long Road Update:
Early Games : Goal 21-17 Actual 14-23
Current Stretch : Goal 5-6 Actual 2-2
Sunrise, sunset. By the time I make my next Monday post it'll all be over. 49 games in 51 days will be complete, with only one well timed "rainout" to give them an extra breather. The Nats can't hit the modest 26-23 goal I had set out, nor can they reach .500 for the time frame. A 7 game sweep of the Giants and Padres would only put them at 23-25. A better goal would be for them to take 4 out of the next 7. Have a winning road trip. Start putting together a couple of these in a row, then fans can start thinking about loftier goals.
Other Notes:
Boz looking smart. Balls are starting to drop in for Danny Espinosa. Almost in the .220s!
Forget the wins, this is easily the best news for Nats fans.
I may be crazy, but I think its possible RZim spurs this offense. In the short term, anyway. He's a potent bat and I can see 1 or 2 hitters really keying off the shift in focus (Werth, especially, but a young guy or two as well).
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying they'll become a juggernaut, but a nice 20 game run where they hit pretty nice would go a long way. If they settle down to .500 or just under .500 after that 20 game run, well, so be it.
Possible but I think we're looking at only a month of this. By the end of July Nix should be traded, same with Marquis. Maybe a couple other guys. With no one to step in (There are no other OFs or else they'd be here already, Maya hasn't been impressive, Strasburg won't be ready by then) they'll drop back down.
ReplyDeleteMarquis is most likely to be traded & Livo if he keeps pitching like this. I'd be curious what the asking price is for Burnett or Clips. Love to see Pudge with a contender, guy has handled his role extremely well publicly.
ReplyDeleteI hope Nix is gone from a trade-high perspective but I could see keeping him. Lefty bat means less holes to fill in 2012. Spend money at 2013 and then you have only first and maybe short to feel for the playoff run as 2013.
I wouldn't be too upset if Rizzo wasn't too active as team is transitioning from dumping talent to winning. At some pt you need to keep some talent and except for Marquis, this isn't a bad year to start.
I'd guess Morse-Bernie-Werth as OF with Chris Marrero getting some starts at first in the call-up stage.
Hooo - Burnett is interesting but his contract (and high ERA) make him a bit of a problem to deal. Clippard would be easier but I'm not sure anyone is going to give up anything good for a reliever. If they would jump on it but if they don't keeping him is nice.
ReplyDeleteNix, I think it'll be tough to keep him if he has a decent year. He'll want to go someplace he'll start for decent $. I don't see that being here.