Nationals Baseball: Prepare to Panic

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Prepare to Panic

All hands on the deck of the SS Panic.

Everyone assume panic positions.

P-Minus 10, 9, 8...

We're almost out of reason.  We're gonna try insanity.  Brace for Panic

37 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Stupid rain, stupid out field stupid Under Armor Cleats. Just one more reason to hate Baltimore!

Dr Trea (formerly #werthquake) said...

Wait this isn't being sarcastic right?

Unknown said...

Sarcasm is for days when 22 home runs, 53 RBI, 53 walks and a .344 average are not on the trainers table. This is hysteria.

Dr Trea (formerly #werthquake) said...

I assumed so. It's just weird the way he said it.. It was as if it's a joke. Then again he's not a nats fan so he doesn't particularly have a rooting interest haha

Harper said...

C&S - Not really. If Bryce is out for an extended period of time, like post All-Star break... things get very grim. They can be a really good team - but it'll take every starter pitching to the top of their form (the offense is sort of a lost cause - but can survive through Rendon playing like last year and various hot streaks at the right time). They can also not be a really good team and win the NL East. Bryce Harper going down didn't suddenly make the Mets or Braves any better. But it's a dogfight in that case.

So prepare. Lets see what they have to say about Bryce.

Anonymous said...

AAAARRRRGGHHHH! PANICKING!!!!

sirc said...

It's Ian's fault.

Erich said...

It makes me wonder why we all got onboard the SS Panic to begin with. We really should have seen that coming.

In all seriousness, yes. Very bad. Very bad indeed.

John C. said...

ARGH! PANIC!!!111!!!1!

Or as my Grandmother used to say: "when in danger, when in doubt: run in circles, SCREAM AND SHOUT!"

Gr8day4Bsbll said...

I just KNEW we were doomed when Harper called it here a few weeks ago... Let's see, how does an OF consisting of Taylor, Moore and Robinson sound? Yeah, that's what it sounds like to me too...

John C. said...

On the other hand, this may be a year where the Nats stumble to an 82-80 finish. You know, like the 1973 New York Mets. Who went to the World Series.

Nothing so becomes the Nationals than the teams that they are competing with in the NL East. I'm certainly not saying that the Nats have this in the bag - I've been a baseball fan long enough to know better. But it keeps the situation at "concerning" rather than "full on OMFGBBQ PANIC!"

G Cracka X said...

@John C Thanks! I enjoy reading your comments because they often seem positive in nature. You help us keep things in perspective. Appreciate your contributions to this forum. Though I don't remember if you ever confirmed or denied that you are part of the Nats organization!

Chas R said...

Did we somehow fall through a black hole time warp and end up in 2013??? Or maybe this is all just a bad dream???

SM said...

Are there enough lifeboats for all the passengers on the SSPanic?

Bjd1207 said...

@SM - No, there are definitely not. Most of us will drown

Froggy said...

It was ridiculous to 'call it' on May 26 regardless of your caveats Harper. For that jinx you will not be forgiven.

With the team in the current state of disarray there could not be a better time to shore up some holes through trade. Waiting for Desi to 'turn it around' is foolish. Thinking MAT and Robinson are the fill in OF options and TMo at 1b is stupid.

I know Espi is an athlete and the throw from Escobar was weak (a throw Rendon makes in his sleep) but a real first baseman (see LaRoche) digs it out.

So, Mr Soulless automoton tell us whom we deal for to fill the holes of Zimmerman, Bryce, Werth, Desmond, and the freaking Rocky Horror picture show of a bullpen we have?

Harper said...

John C - It's completely possible the Nats win the East. Then in the playoffs, who knows? So pure PANIC time isn't here - probably will never come given what I've seen of the Mets and etc. But PANIC in response to "we can't be sure we'll just take it because we're better". I think that's fine. We all have different panic triggers. I pick up snakes off the ground!

BJD1207 - I don't need one. I'll just sink to the bottom and slowly walk to the nearest shore. Shouldn't take more than a few decades.

Froggy - You could put the band back together - trade something minimal for LaRoche, something decent for Clippard, then deal for Carlos Gomez. Worry about who plays where when the mythical time when everyone is healthy actually occurs the day before Armageddon.

John C. said...

G Cracka X: I can categorically state that I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Washington Nationals organization. Nor am I related to anyone (that I know of) who works for, does business with, or is seeking to do business with (other than routine commercial transactions - IOW, buying game tickets) the Washington Nationals or MLB.

I do attend between 20-25 games a year, so there's that. :)

Harper said...

John C - You are Mike Rizzo. Solved.

John O'Connor said...

I'll actually be surprised if we don't have Clippard back on the roster this year. It makes too much sense. His contract ends this year, Oakland probably won't be a player to re-sign him, he slots right in as the 8th inning guy, and we know he fits in our clubhouse. If Beane doesn't insist on Giolito, I think this happens.

WiredHK said...

Harper, I know you're not suggesting we deal for the same Carlos Gomez that has already had 1-2 DL stints this season, has missed 3 of the past 9 Brewers games and now appears likely headed for the DL again with his current hip injury. Can you tell this is the top draft pick that is killing my fantasy offense?

I'm expecting Bryce out until the AS break, honestly. I know that seems negative, but these things (hammy) take time to really resolve, if you want to be sure there is no re-injury.

Also, I'm not even sure I'm in love with kicking Roark and Ross out of the rotation. I feel better with those two on the hill right now than Gio, Stras or Fister (his velocity was abysmal last night - like, High School-level). My how the perspective has changed on this rotation. Ugh.....

Froggy said...

Harper - I think Rizzo (John C) should go big and deal whomever it takes for Tulowitzki. Have the Rockies eat some of his contract for Giolito and Difo and throw in a Desmond.

The impending 2016 rebuilding year doesn't bode well for post season prospects, so what are we waiting for?

Chas R said...

I really think Fister appears to be getting back to his usual self. If we get Strasburg back the same way, and Gio also gains some consistency, along with Max and ZNN continuing to perform, we really should be fine despite all the injuries and inconsistent offense.

Harper said...

WiredHK - Buy Low!

You have Gomez? I have Gomez! And Matt Adams, Daniel Murphy, Jayson Werth, Martin Prado, Lance Lynn, Henderson Alvarez, Wily Peralta... and that's only who's on the offical DL now, Rosenthal and Hamels are DTD, Grandal & Grichuk have seen decent DL time before. Plus some scrubs I've picked up and got injured I can't remember. But we hang on!

Froggy - 0 chance Giolito gets dealt. Zero.

Chaz R - the SP is the key to any "easy NL East" scenario.

WiredHK said...

Looks like we drafted a number of the same guys, Harper (toss in Rendon for me, Devon Travis, Travis D'Arnaud and a few other injury-issues I've dropped whose names escape me). The bright side for me is that my pitching staff has been beyond exceptional (King Felix, Gerrit Cole, Sale, Wacha, Gray and Keuchel). Dumb luck having all those studs but I'll take it...

Harper said...

That's a nice staff there. I have Cueto, Carlos Martinez, Jake Arrieta, and Wada's been a nice pick-up. If you can't tell it's a NL only league (10 team - also a 10 team AL counterpart - but I missed the early part of the auction draft so it's a "rebuilding" year there) so not as much flexibility in replacing injured players. But strong enough to start that I'm in spitting distance of a $ finish (3rd or better) if I can ever get healthy

Donald said...

The Yankees are 6 games over .500 and are playing solid ball. The rest of their division has been pretty weak. At this point, even though they are a game back, I'm calling the AL East for the Yankees.

Anonymous said...

Harper, did you already 'call it' in your fantasy league too?

Anonymous said...

I'm terrified to say anything for fear of jinxes... Nationals training staff...

AHHHHHH!

J. Henry Waugh said...

It's so obvious from the replay that those ridiculous long pants were to blame for this one. They got caught up under his cleat and his leg slid out from underneath himself. What exactly is he benefit for the long pants, anyway?

Unknown said...

It's so obvious the long pants caused this. On the replay, you can see the pants getting underneath his cleats and causing his leg to slide. Are there any benefits at all for the whole long-pants thing or is it just a fashion thing that just gets in the way?

Anonymous said...

Taking stock. First, the good news: the "replacements" (Espi, Robinson) have been better than MLB average. Espi is everything we thought he would be before his string of injuries.

The bullpen has been much, much worse than expected and MW is pushing his starters too far into games because of it. Treinen needs to be in the rumor mill. His 98 mph fastball means teams will offer value in return. And let's face it, this is a win-now year for the Nats, not one where we can wait for a project like that to develop.

Gio is having a Desmond kind of year: he's gone from being coveted to a mediocrity. At least two starters not expected to start once Straus returns are better than Gio. Let's put him in the trade rumors. Here's a thought: Gio for Clip and Zobrist.

The Nats have been counting on Desmond's impending free agency to net them a 1st rounder. But as things stand now, a qualifying offer ($16MM+) seems less likely. He is not just playing himself out of the money. We need to give him a chance to right the ship. Getting value for Desi is an organizational priority, making him a this-year kind of project.

Anonymous said...

Well, the wild card game is looking winnable :)

John C. said...

MIRACLE MAX!!!!!!

Zimmerman11 said...

Panic averted... Harper hits no. 23 and Max becomes one of "our guys". He's gonna drag this team kicking and screaming into the playoffs :) Then, let's hope we can win some coinflips.

Froggy said...

My daughter has now been to two no-hitters and she is only 15mo old!

Meanwhile, lookout here come the Barves...only 3 games behind. I'd say this is a critical series.

Froggy said...

Correction: 2 games behind. Yikes!