tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post6077544023208284483..comments2024-03-28T10:50:33.234-07:00Comments on Nationals Baseball: "The Nats win the hearts of Washington DC - Take Three"Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07738813756060133236noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-49899820565846138752010-06-01T21:07:53.367-07:002010-06-01T21:07:53.367-07:00I wouldn't say Nieves was 4th string. Certainl...I wouldn't say Nieves was 4th string. Certainly 4th in importance, but he was totally the #1 backup at season's start. They knew Flores would be out for a while so they picked up Pudge and Nieves was the stop gap back-up until Flores came back or Coste improved. I think though, given Pudge's age, they really should have thought through the "stop-gap" plan a little more. Like DezoPengiun says - what can you do? You don't bring in a 4th starter worthy catcher for what you hope will be a half-season, 3 times every 10 games gig. It was a bad situation that they got lucky didn't blow up earlier. Now though, unless they think Flores is ready to come back in a month or so they need to bring a better player in... if they can.Harperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738813756060133236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-45161082405220012282010-06-01T15:55:36.844-07:002010-06-01T15:55:36.844-07:00I don't know--seriously, how prepared can you ...I don't know--seriously, how prepared can you possibly be for having FOUR catchers on the DL simultaneously. Nieves was basically supposed to be the fourth-string catcher (after Flores, Pudge, and Coste), and no major league team carries more than three, so at best the guys out there now should have been in AAA...or even AA-ball. Not much you can do when you're getting crucified like that. It's not like the sucking chest wound in right field where there was never anybody on the roster in the first place to play that position.<br /><br />The bitter irony there is that catcher was probably the Nats' deepest position on the roster in terms of having major-league-adequate backups. Only they ALL went down.DezoPenguinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9207681.post-37029918093325226662010-06-01T14:02:38.824-07:002010-06-01T14:02:38.824-07:00Nothing wrong with resting Desmond every now and t...Nothing wrong with resting Desmond every now and then, seems to me. No reason to wear him out, and letting him sit gives him a chance to observe as well as rest.<br /><br />I guess there's an element of bad luck in the catcher situation, what with Burke, Flores and Coste all being hurt, but I do think they should have been better prepared for that. The offensive void created by Nieves, even as the backup, was daunting. And Maldonado? Frightening. (despite his HR yesterday)Sec314noreply@blogger.com