Division Foes 2012: The Nats

[Edgy MD]

Hey, you want a storyline? Every time Wilson Ramos comes to bat for the first time in a series, the opposition announcer is going to remind us that the dude was kidnapped this winter and rescued in a firefight. With any luck, Keith will remind us that he played winter ball in Venezuela and spent the whole time getting blasted with Warren Cromartie.

Nine-year-old Bryce Harper is still in camp with the Nats, but has already been through a calf strain and is 0-6 since returning.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'd bet on them to suck but Dave Johnson is managing.

Edited March 16, 2012 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

After watching the US fall flat in the WBC, I'm kind of counting on Johnson to have lost his edge. I wouldn't put it past him to find it as the season progresses however. He's got a history of being a real competitive dude.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I have a sneaking feeling these guys worm their way into second place, and a playoff spot.

[Ceetar]

http://mlb.mlb.com/team/roster_40man.jsp?c_id=was

their roster links only 4 outfielders. One's not actually on the roster, the other's Harper who's probably/maybe not starting with the team.

[G-Fafif]

Nationals suck. Fuck them.

[TransMonk]

Prove it, Washington. I've been hearing for years that this team is finally going to have a winning record...I'll believe it when I see it.

[bmfc1]

I've seen more Nationals hats this year than ever before. Frigging front runners.
I wonder see if they have enough hitting. They are weak at CF and we'll see if Zimmerman's back holds up. Werth is a key and we'll see if Morse can repeat his first successful season. They have a great manager, as we know. The bullpen is strong with an excellent closer (Storen) and set-up man (Clippard).

And they have this guy:

[Frayed Knot]

Definitely a team on the rise.
Even if only some things to break right they're going to improve, and if everything breaks right look out! -- although I tend to think next season is more likely to be their time than this one.

- Strasberg + Zimmermann are healthy and ready to head the rotation - although they're supposedly going to stick to a strict 160 IP limit for Strasberg regardless of where he/they are when it's reached.
- They'll be a bit shy in the OF at least until Harper gets there. I'd be shocked if he starts the season but even moreso if he's not up by June and, once here, nobody believes he's going to be one of the ones who'll miss.
- Their middle IF (Desmond & Espinosa) will still be light on OBP and erratic in the field (esp Desmond) but are decent in other areas and are both are young and improving
- Should be strong at catcher, 3rd & pen
- Questions: Bernadina in the OF (similar to Desmond/Espinosa), LaRoche at 1st, Morse repeating, Werth NOT repeating, who's in CF?
- Trades have robbed their system of most immediate internal help beyond Harper

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Edgy DC wrote: After watching the US fall flat in the WBC, I'm kind of counting on Johnson to have lost his edge. I wouldn't put it past him to find it as the season progresses however. He's got a history of being a real competitive dude.

Well, on the other hand, Davey's WBC team was stuck with a shortshop with no range and a weak-assed stick. Other countries used their best shortstop while Team USA used Derek Jeter. Thank goodness Jeter had David Wright next to him to pick up some of the slack!

[Edgy MD]

Well that's on Johnson, is it not?

He had Jimmy Rollins, and he was swapping one for the other mid-game. It was grievous.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Can you imagine the weeping and gnashing of teeth from Verducci and his ilk had Johnson not used Sweet pants? Rollins is a bum, too!

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, well, kowtowing to "Verducci and his ilk" is sort of exactly what I mean when I suggest that Johnson may have lost his edge.

[Frayed Knot]

Bryce Harper assigned to AAA to begin season -- and the plan is for him to play CF while he's there.

[Vic Sage]

Definitely a team on the rise. Even if only some things to break right they're going to improve, and if everything breaks right look out! -- although I tend to think next season is more likely to be their time than this one. - Strasberg + Zimmermann are healthy and ready to head the rotation - although they're supposedly going to stick to a strict 160 IP limit for Strasberg regardless of where he/they are when it's reached. - They'll be a bit shy in the OF at least until Harper gets there. I'd be shocked if he starts the season but even moreso if he's not up by June and, once here, nobody believes he's going to be one of the ones who'll miss. - Their middle IF (Desmond & Espinosa) will still be light on OBP and erratic in the field (esp Desmond) but are decent in other areas and are both are young and improving - Should be strong at catcher, 3rd & pen - Questions: Bernadina in the OF (similar to Desmond/Espinosa), LaRoche at 1st, Morse repeating, Werth NOT repeating, who's in CF? - Trades have robbed their system of most immediate internal help beyond Harper

This.

Plus, lets not pretend Morse came out of nowhere. His step up in class was predicated on similar success the year before playing 1/2 season for the Nats. He's always hit for a solid average and has finally developed significant power as he approached his late 20s. While his low BB/ high K rates indicate a guy that can be pitched to, he's also a guy that can punish mistakes and help a lineup. I don't see the case for assuming a regression. As for LaRoche, if he's healthy and ready to play, then his career avg of .270/25hr with a good glove at 1b seems solid enough. Zimmerman came back well from the injury and is in line to give the Nat another 290/25hr GG-caliber season at 3b. The kids up the middle, Desmond and Espinosa, are erratic but with huge upside, offering a power/speed combo at both positions. Along with Morse in the OF, Werth is not really a CFer and he may not be the hitter he was in the Phillies bandbox, more likely to replicate his low average/high BB/decent power numbers from his earlier LA days now. But that's not nothing (despite that they're overpaying for it). And Harper is the bluest of chips, waiting to be cashed midseason. And Ramos is an above-avg catcher; not top-tier but a decent average, with power, and solid glove.

So i think the offense has big upside... But not as big the pitching. With Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Edwin Jackson, they are deep and solid, and Wang probably pushes Lannan out of the rotation entirely (Lannan would be on of our top starters), With Storen and Clippard anchoring the pen, this rotation will have great support.

I see the Nats chasing the Phils all season, with a good shot at a WC at least.

[Frayed Knot]

In a sign of the improvement of their staff, John Lannan (who I believe started opening day twice for this club) now finds himself nudged out of the rotation as he's been assigned to the minors in favor of Ross Detwiler as their 5th starter

Both LF/1B Michael Morse and closer Drew Storen will begin the season on the DL

[Frayed Knot]

John Lannan has acknowledged that he's asked the Nats for a trade following his demotion.
His biggest problem here, in addition to the part where he has no leverage to make a trade happen, is that he's making $5mil this year which is a lot for a team to pay and give up players for just to get a back of the rotation starter.
But I can see why he wants out. Sure he could get called back due to an injury or someone faltering; but Strasberg, Zimmermann, and Gonzalez can falter all they want and they're not going to get bumped out of a spot in the rotation anytime soon. Which leaves just Detwiler or Edwin Jackson as guys to replace and Jackson makes even more money than him and he just lost the ST battle to Detwiler. Plus by the time someone does need replacing, CM Wang will probably be healthy and the team's first choice.

I don't see the Mets as a player here.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He's worth his money, if barely; he's taken a very Moyerly route (stuffwise) to a pretty damn Pelf-y stat profile (low-K, sorta-BB-heavy, okay ERA, good amount of baserunners allowed), only slightly better, and with one more arb year to go.

[bmfc1]

The Nationals are 12 and 4 and getting a little buzz in DC (at least until the NFL Draft this weekend). T

The batting stats are not impressive: 17th in MLB in Runs Scored, 20th in BA, 23d in Slugging, 23d in OPS.
But the pitching stats are: 1st in MLB in ERA; 1st in BA against; 2d in WHIP.

The pitching stats can't stay this high so will the hitting get better to keep the Nationals in first place?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The pitching stats can't stay this high? Who says?

Not that I'd necessarily bet on it, but this pitching staff is capable of maintaining thus and then some; Davey's gang trots out Jordan Zimmermann and Edwin Jackson as back-end rotation guys, and-- with 3-4 strikeout-per-inning guys-- boasts maybe the deepest pen in the NL.

[Frayed Knot]

In the last week and a half the Nats have had two blow-up games where they've allowed 11 and 8 (3 in extras) runs
The runs-against in those two games certainly stand out against the others since game 5 of the season (right after the Met loss): 2, 0, 2, 1, 1, 8, 3, 0, 2, 11, 0, 2

So that's a total of 13 runs allowed in a 10 games out of 12 stretch - 3 of which even went extra innings
And 4 of those runs were allowed by substitute closer Lidge, who has now blown 2 of his 4 sv-opps (2-run leads both times) although the Nats have managed to win both of those games.
And even the four game stretch that opened the season prior to this run their runs-against were all of: 1, 4, 4, and 4


Of course their down-side is that they're not exactly scoring a lot. I mentioned in one of the IGTs the other day that every time I look in on a Nats game it seems to be either 0-0 or 1-0 in about the sixth inning only about an hour or so into the game.

[Frayed Knot]

Ryan Zimmerman to go on the 15-day DL with (non-serious it's thought) shoulder woes.
And to replace him on the roster the Nats have - despite his rather pedestrian AAA numbers (.250/.333/.375, 6 XBHs) - purchased the contract of one Bryce Harper.
Harper, who will not turn 20 y/o until after the season is complete, is expected in the lineup for Saturday's game in LA


I guess scoring over 3 runs just twice in the last 8 games can make you a bit panicky even when your pitching has been as good as it has.
I believe it's also just past the date that will delay Harper's FA eligibility for an extra year.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

I didn't know the Nats brought Harper up. Just got his first ML hit, a double.

[Frayed Knot]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I didn't know the Nats brought Harper up.

Well if you had read my damn post right above yours you would have known all about it now wouldn't you?
Sheesh, kids these days. You can't learn 'em nuthin'!



1-0 Nats (LaRoche HR)
Strasburg with the shutout in the 7th

Edited April 28, 2012 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

Harper just made a PERFECT throw from LF to cut down the tying run at the plate ... except the catcher dropped it.

1-1, Dodgers still batting in the 7th.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Tied in the bottom of the 9th on an 0-2 passed ball, won in the bottom of the 10th on a Kemp bomb to center. Your winning pitcher? A perfect Jamey Wright.

Even if you set aside the Harper debut, it was a great friggin' ballgame.

[Gwreck]

In case you need some additional proof that Dodgers fans are among the worst in the league:

-Fans doing the wave while the Dodgers are pitching...and a fan in the $500+ Dugout Club seats directly behind the plate turns around as the wave is passing through and moons the camera. Not coincidentally, Bryce Harper hits the pitch for a double. That's karma, douchebag.

-Fan on the field as the Dodgers had multiple runners on in the bottom of the 9th. Then Mattingly has the temerity to come out and complain that the previous pitch (a swing-and-miss-strike) shouldn't have counted due to time being called for the fan running on the field.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

In case you need some additional proof that Dodgers fans are among the worst in the league: -Fans doing the wave while the Dodgers are pitching...and a fan in the $500+ Dugout Club seats directly behind the plate turns around as the wave is passing through and moons the camera. Not coincidentally, Bryce Harper hits the pitch for a double. That's karma, douchebag.

Yeah, Dodger fans are a rare breed of douche. My theory is that they are a remnant of the Raiders fans that stayed behind from the mid-90's.

[Frayed Knot]

In case you need some additional proof that Dodgers fans are among the worst in the league: -Fans doing the wave while the Dodgers are pitching...and a fan in the $500+ Dugout Club seats directly behind the plate turns around as the wave is passing through and moons the camera. Not coincidentally, Bryce Harper hits the pitch for a double. That's karma, douchebag. -Fan on the field as the Dodgers had multiple runners on in the bottom of the 9th. Then Mattingly has the temerity to come out and complain that the previous pitch (a swing-and-miss-strike) shouldn't have counted due to time being called for the fan running on the field.

Then there were the fans going nuts in the LF corner because a ground-rule double which barely cleared the low fence bounced right to them. Their celebration seemed oblivious to the idea that had the ball stayed on the field it would have tied the game.
"Yeah, it was a bad break for the team ... but the important part is that we got the ball and got on TV"




The last three innings in that game were a wild ride.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Between the charmingly-douchey field dress, the incidental barehanded catches, and this business tonight, I think I kinda love the Harper kid.