Out of Town Headlines

[Farmer Ted]

Washington Post: After another buckle, the Nationals prove they need a stronger spine

{giggling}

[Farmer Ted]

Washington Post: Ray Knight scolds Nats fan wearing a paper bag: �You just look stupid�

Philly Daily News: Ruben Amaro's vision was shortsighted

[Farmer Ted]

Washington Post: Jayson Werth: �I think at the end of the season we�ll look back and look at it as an opportunity wasted�

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Farmer Ted wrote: Washington Post: Jayson Werth: �I think at the end of the season we�ll look back and look at it as an opportunity wasted�

Why do they have to wait until the end of the season to make that analysis?

[Lefty Specialist]

Farmer Ted wrote: Washington Post: Jayson Werth: �I think at the end of the season we�ll look back and look at it as an opportunity wasted�

Hope when he's looking back, he has a mirror.

[Farmer Ted]

Washington Post: Five Storylines to Watch as the Nationals' Season Winds Down (translation "it's fucking over")

From preseason World Series favorite to a team in need of a late-season miracle, the Nationals have slim playoff hopes and could officially be eliminated as early as this weekend. It�s a disappointing reality for longtime Nationals players Ian Desmond and Jordan Zimmermann, who could end their tenures with the organization having never won a playoff series. While player turnover is inevitable, a historic season from Bryce Harper and an impressive second half from a healthy Stephen Strasburg suggest that the Nationals� future is still bright. Below are five storylines to monitor as a disappointing campaign winds down.

1. Harper looks to pad his MVP r�sum�

Bryce Harper, 22, is looking to make D.C. baseball history. Not since 1925 has a Washington baseball player been named MVP, and never before has a Washington player won a batting title and home run crown in the same season. Harper, who has an NL-best .339 average and 41 homers, could change that. He is five home runs shy of matching the Nationals� single-season record and four shy of 100 for his career.

2. Possible last week for Desmond in D.C.

Ian Desmond has been a fixture in the Nationals� lineup since 2010, appearing in 93 percent of Washington�s games over that span. He�s the organization�s longest-tenured player and the only one with ties to the Montreal Expos (2004, third-round pick). But with free agency looming this offseason, Desmond may be entering his final days with the club. He is two home runs shy of a fourth consecutive 20-homer season.

3. Zimmermann�s final start with Nationals

Like Desmond, Jordan Zimmermann is another pending free agent whose days may be numbered with the only organization he has known. The Nationals� second-round pick in 2007, Zimmermann (13-8, 3.49 ERA) is slated to make his final home start Friday against Philadelphia. No pitcher has won more games for the Nationals (2005-present) than Zimmermann (70-48), who is 9?1/3 innings shy of 200 for the season.

4. Strasburg capping brilliant second half

While the Nationals have struggled the past couple of months, Stephen Strasburg has been among the few bright spots. Since returning from the disabled list Aug. 8, he is 5-2 with a 2.24 ERA, 72 strikeouts and six walks in 52?1/3 innings. He is slated to make his final home start Saturday against Philadelphia. Strasburg will enter the outing with three straight games of double-digit strikeouts for the first time in his career.

5. Last chance for Roark in rotation

Zimmermann and Doug Fister made up two-fifths of the Nationals� season-opening rotation, and it�s likely neither will return next season. The Nationals may search beyond the organization to fill the void, but Tanner Roark is among in-house options. He was second on the team with 15 wins in 2014, but struggled while shuttling between the bullpen and the rotation this year. After Thursday�s outing, Roark has a 5.64 ERA in 10 starts this season.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

I had to look up who the hell hit 46 homeruns for the Nationals. Would've never guessed it as I don't even remember this guy playing for the Nationals.

[Centerfield]

Adam Dunn?

[Frayed Knot]

Also on the Nationals front
- Papelbon suspended for 3 games for the beanballs the other night
- Danny Espinosa to miss the remainder of the season

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Centerfield wrote: Adam Dunn?

Nope. This guy's got Yankee cooties.

[Guest sharpie]

Soriano.

[dgwphotography]

Wow - I forgot that he played for the Nationals, and he went 40/40/40...

[Frayed Knot]

The Nats had finished 81-81 in their very first year in DC and so went into a kind of mini- 'go for it' mode. So they dealt for Soriano in the off-season which became a mini-storm later in the season when they didn't trade him away for young talent later in the year as that season slid into a 71-91 disappointment. That was the winter Soriano signed that huge deal with the Cubs which went on to produce predictably decreasing returns (and calls from NYM fans that we deal Reyes for him).
The other reason why his one year as a Nat was forgetful to the average fan was that practically everyone was hitting 40+ in those days and so hitting "merely" 46 hardly stood out. Ryan Howard led the NL that season with 58 and at least 10 other guys hit 40+

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Soriano's career high too.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I am really curious about how things will play out this offseason for the Nationals. I've seen some speculation that the Nationals window is about to close, and that they'll be a lesser team next year. I'm not convinced that that's true, but the ongoing fate of the Nationals is definitely something for us to keep an eye on.

[Frayed Knot]

The window for the team isn't necessarily going to close but it is going to close for a large portion of their 'core' the made up the last four seasons.
As mentioned in that article above: SS Ian Desmond & the pitching Zimmermann are likely gone. As are some of their recent acquisitions like CF Denard Span, P Doug Fister, and maybe Storen after this past month's debacles.
Last winter's monster signing of Scherzer was a kind of pre-replacement for Zimmermann & Fister, but now Strasburg and catcher Ramos are heading into their last pre-FA seasons.
Meanwhile Werth & LHP Gio Gonzalez (both signed thru '17) and the 1B version of Zimmerman (thru 2020) remain from that 2012-2015 core, but that's the over-30 portion of it. Werth & Zimmerman in particular look to be getting older quite quickly and barely combined for 600 ABs this year.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Lots of calls for Matt Williams' head.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Trea Turner and Taylor and Joe Ross at major-league level, already starting to fill the shoes of those departing this offseason; Giolito approaching; Erick Fedde and a host of other interesting talents bubbling up from the low minors... and Harper just beginning to reach peak Bryceness? Their window is FAR from closed.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Werth & Zimmerman in particular look to be getting older quite quickly and barely combined for 600 ABs this year.

Werth can't get old too soon for me.

Later

[Farmer Ted]

Oh, the Chicago media.

Sun-Times, 10/19/15

Report: Mets will let Daniel Murphy Go in Free Agency

Matt Harvey purchased Insurance For Surgically Repaired Arm

[MFS62]

Farmer Ted wrote: Oh, the Chicago media. Sun-Times, 10/19/15 Report: Mets will let Daniel Murphy Go in Free Agency Matt Harvey purchased Insurance For Surgically Repaired Arm

Of course, their most famous earlier headline was:
"Dewey Wins"

Later