Nationals Baseball: Former Nat Round-Up

Friday, February 01, 2019

Former Nat Round-Up

Slow news Friday means aggregation. But not links to stories type. The stuff you could look up yourself but haven't.

2018 Nats
Matt Wieters - still a FA, enough interest around him that he's pretty sure to sign somewhere, probably soon.
Mark Reynolds - minor league COL contract
Daniel Murphy - major league COL contract (basically the only person they've signed)
Gio Gonzalez - still a FA, interest has been decidedly minimal with Mets & Padres current newest suitors.  Expect him to end up somewhere on a 2 year deal for less than you think
Ryan Madson - still a FA,  as relievers are being picked up in droves he should get a deal somewhere. Twins are newest suitor.
Shawn Kelley - signed with TEX.
Greg Holland - signed with AZ.
Kelvin Herrera - signed with CHW
AJ Cole - claimed by CLE
Jeremy Hellickson - nowhere - assume anyone else not mentioned is either on the same team as last year bc that's the deal they signed (like Kintzler/Albers) or I don't care enough to mention them

2017 and before Nats
Jose Lobaton - minor league deal with SEA
Enny Romero - playing baseball in Japan.
Oliver Perez - signed with CLE
Wilson Ramos - Sadly reminding you he's on the Mets
Marc Rzepczynski - had a showcase recently, but no signings
Asdrubal Cabrera - signed with TEX
Zack Duke - still a FA, really close to signing with Reds
Ian Krol - signed minor league deal with CIN

Two things you note when you look back. One, this game, like all sports, chews them up and spits them out. A lot of "what about this guy... still a free agent. No prospects either".  Two, if you are going to be anything in this world - be a reliever. Relief corps have expanded which means about 30+ new jobs that have to be filled by someone. On that account I'd expect Tyler Clippard signed and a few guys looking around Storen, and maybe a minor league deal for him.

The only guy at the plate I expect to see somewhere next year not on this list is Denard Span who is still hitting slightly above average though age and injury have sapped his D. If he's ok with it though - hard not to see someone picking him up as a 4th OF.

10 comments:

sirc said...

Michael A. went to his arbitration hearing. We shall see whether Harper's right about Rizzo moving players who do that.

I'm mostly kidding here, but not entirely.

I'm happy to see Mark Reynolds get a spring gig.

billyhacker said...

Fangraphs says that MAT is represented by Boras. Going to arbitration with a gap of "just" 250K seems a little weird. Maybe Boras is trying to get him traded so he can get a few starts before his final arb year?

ssln said...

Let's not forget Ian Desmond with the Rockies. Let's see, Murphy, Desmond and Reynolds signed by the Rockies. Apparently Colorado's free agent strategy is to sign everyone dumped by the Nats. Can anyone guess where Clippard and Gio wind up?

sirc said...

Colorado got 31 starts apiece from their top 4 starters, with a quantity over quality focus. That would seem an unsustainable model based on the law of big numbers. Still, Gio would be a good fit under those circumstances since he does make 31 starts every year.

BxJaycobb said...

@Harper: I predict Gio only gets 1 year deal—-Wade Miley type money, maybe bit more, so i will guess 1 yr 6-7m (while he’s wayyyyy more accomplished he’s trending in poor direction, older, jury is out on whether he’s figured out how to be effective with 88 mph.). Put me down for signing Hellickson for rotation depth for like 1 yr, 2m.

ssln said...

Has it dawned on anyone that the White Sox have the best offer on the table for Machado and that no one in baseball wants Bryce?
This could get real interesting if Boras can't manufacture something in the next week. Could we have the two media hyped generational talents unemployed as pitchers and catchers report for spring training? Or will they take a prove it to me contract for a year in the 30-32M range? Life is tough when you have to survive on 30M for a year.

BxJaycobb said...

@ssln: Why do you say “nobody wants Bryce”? Because there hasn’t been a publicly reported offer besides Nats initial one? I’m sure he has multiple offers, formal or informal, from two or three of the Padres/Nats/White Sox/Phillies and he’s not crazy about the money or the team. I don’t know this for sure but i think Bryce was dreaming of going to the Yankees or Dodgers on a big deal. I don’t think he wants to take the high bid and go to the White Sox or Phillies or Padres that much. But i mean, there is roughly zero chance Bryce Harper takes a one year deal. I’m guessing he and Boras are holding out hope for a team he prefers, but the idea he’s going to approach the actual season in mid March without a deal in the 9 figures is silly. It may not be 350m. But I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if he ends up going to the Phillies for, say, 250 mil or something. I also would say that if the Nats let somebody else sign him for like less than 28 AAV and less than 7-8 years they’re total fools.

sirc said...

I keep reading about the financial incentives contained in Bryce's contract with Under Armour, and that they can increase dramatically if he lands with one of the largest market teams in baseball. I wonder how much that is factoring into his decision.

Also BOO to Kevin Plank for incentivizing a local player to leave. I know that he is a Baltimore guy but come on.

blovy8 said...

Free agents and those who prognosticate their value are going to have to ratchet their expectations down for the next three years. This notion that so and so is "worth" 30 million per year or 8 or so million per WAR, or will get x amount of years is clearly being revised downward. I would argue that the Nats are the only team that has clearly exceeded the market estimate in their free agent deal for Corbin. It could be they are the only club willing to thumb their nose at the current FA group think going on in front offices.

I would say 30ish veterans are a good stock to invest in right now - loading a competitive bench and rotation with $570,000 guys and "potential" is opening up a lot of risk, even factoring in a decline. Would you rather have Howie Kendrick or Wilmer Difo?

NavyYardSteve said...

@sirc I always thought it was real damning that the Under Armour store in the Tyson's Corner mall (a Lerner property!) had zero Bryce Harper branding. The men's clothing and apparel side of the store is plastered with pictures of Steph Curry and Jordan Speith, and no Bryce, even during baseball season/little-league season.