Spring training thread

[Steak Snabler]

The only thing that gives me pause about the Zimmerman deal is that he's two years from free agency. Why the pressure to do it now?

What if he has two catastrophic injury years and Rendon is ready to take over at third in 2014. What then?

 

[JackReacher]

It's not a "rather than" situation.

 

[Dick Whitman]

One player I will be really interested in tracking this year is Brandon McCarthy, especially as he's entering free agency. ESPN: The Magazine made him its cover boy for this week's issue on analytics, and the piece goes into how he used sabermetrics to tailor his approach to utilizing his stuff. Vince Gennaro, the SABR president, was on MLB Network this morning and said that McCarthy is going to lead a player panel at the upcoming SABR Convention. This is where it all comes together, right? Meaning traditional scouting and statistical analysis. Then again, I recall that Brian Bannister was one of the pioneers in this area - he knew that his breakout season was fool's gold, but he just couldn't find a way to outpitch his stuff. I think McCarthy has better stuff than Bannister, though.

 

[JackReacher]

Plus, his wife is silly.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Plus, his wife is silly.

Most right-thinking men: "Brandon McCarthy was on the cover? Didn't notice."

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

I suspect there are few people who watch Zimmerman play every day who think this was a massive overpay.

Really? I mean overpay is one thing. But "massive"?

This Zimmerman deal goes beyond money.

Most times that you start hearing that a deal goes "beyond money," that is not a good sign. Teams should be trying to get value in a deal, not make a statement.

Not always. Hell, I'd rather them give Zimmerman a few more bucks now than see him in a Yankees uniform a few years from now. Also sends a message that the Nats will take care of their homegrown guys. That kinda means something for the Nats since most of their homegrown talent is pretty damn good.

No Nats fan that I've talked to has one problem with the Zimmerman deal. He's the face of the franchise. Oh, and he's a pretty good baseball player, too. Whether he's worth an 6-100 or 6-90. Doesn't matter. With the way Rizzo has done business the last two years, saying Zimmerman got too much is nothing more than picking nits. The ONLY questionable thing he's done thus far is the Werth deal, and we're only in year two of that.

Let's not start acting like the Nats are just throwing around money willy nilly. OHHH. TWO 100 MILLION CONTRACTS!!!! They passed on Tex. They passed on Fielder. They've made great business decisions under Rizzo. The Zimmerman contract is one of those.

How many perennial last-place teams do you know that have more than one triple-digit contract?

And they passed on Teixeira? That's funny. He would never have gone there.

 

[JackReacher]

They've had more than one tripe-digit contract for about 3 days now. Had you said that two years ago, it would have made sense. Now, not so much?

And the Tex thing, fine. The point still stands. Rizzo isn't Dan Snyder.

 

[Moderator1]

Teixeira is from near here, I believe? They were very much in it on him, though the pull of the Yankees and the team's history were two obstacles that couldn't be overcome. Now? I think they'd get him.

 

[JackReacher]

That's the beauty. The Nats, while they've been in on a handful of big-time free agents, haven't had to go out and sign the big stars as free agents to get good. They draft well. They've developed the top farm system in the minors. They make smart trades (Dunn, Morse, hopefully Gio) and they spend relatively wisely. WERTH WERTH WERTH!!!!

Rizzo is the man.

Edit: Here's a good breakdown of Zimmerman's contract through 2020. http://www.natsinsider.com/2012/02/more-details-on-zimmermans-contract.html#more

He won't make more than $14 million until 2019. Certainly not outrageous.

 

[Moderator1]

I believe Dunn was a free agent. Otherwise your list is valid.

 

[JackReacher]

Right. My bad. So add "knows when to re-sign and when NOT to re-sign players" to the list.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

At the time Teixeira was a free agent, and Boston was really charging at him, the reports here discussed the Orioles as a potential rival for his services, but never the Nats.

 

[JC]

That's the beauty. The Nats, while they've been in on a handful of big-time free agents, haven't had to go out and sign the big stars as free agents to get good. They draft well. They've developed the top farm system in the minors. They make smart trades (Dunn, Morse, hopefully Gio) and they spend relatively wisely. WERTH WERTH WERTH!!!!

Rizzo is the man.

Edit: Here's a good breakdown of Zimmerman's contract through 2020. http://www.natsinsider.com/2012/02/more-details-on-zimmermans-contract.html#more

He won't make more than $14 million until 2019. Certainly not outrageous.

You cannot minimize the albatross that Werth contract will be.

 

[Moderator1]

I'll have to go look when I have time, but I believe Teix said at his PC something to the effect of, "Washington was in it for a long time" but the situation there wasn't as "win ready" yet as it needed to be.
I don't know that I'd ever call it close. I do not think it was just dismissed out of hand.

 

[JackReacher]

That's the beauty. The Nats, while they've been in on a handful of big-time free agents, haven't had to go out and sign the big stars as free agents to get good. They draft well. They've developed the top farm system in the minors. They make smart trades (Dunn, Morse, hopefully Gio) and they spend relatively wisely. WERTH WERTH WERTH!!!!

Rizzo is the man.

Edit: Here's a good breakdown of Zimmerman's contract through 2020. http://www.natsinsider.com/2012/02/more-details-on-zimmermans-contract.html#more

He won't make more than $14 million until 2019. Certainly not outrageous.

You cannot minimize the albatross that Werth contract will be.

Which is why I said "relatively." But while you're at it, which lottery numbers should I pick for this weekend?

 

[JC]

That's the beauty. The Nats, while they've been in on a handful of big-time free agents, haven't had to go out and sign the big stars as free agents to get good. They draft well. They've developed the top farm system in the minors. They make smart trades (Dunn, Morse, hopefully Gio) and they spend relatively wisely. WERTH WERTH WERTH!!!!

Rizzo is the man.

Edit: Here's a good breakdown of Zimmerman's contract through 2020. http://www.natsinsider.com/2012/02/more-details-on-zimmermans-contract.html#more

He won't make more than $14 million until 2019. Certainly not outrageous.

You cannot minimize the albatross that Werth contract will be.

Which is why I said "relatively." But while you're at it, which lottery numbers should I pick for this weekend?

This is your reply? Do your feelings get hurt if someone questions the hometown team?

Can you show me anybody that is not a Nats fanboy who does not thing the Werth contract is asinine? Unless you believe they are free spenders like the Yankees and Red Sox, contracts like that will hurt them or any team down the road.

 

[JackReacher]

Oh, relax. I was kidding.

 

[JackReacher]

Oh, relax. I was kidding.

You still want my numbers though?

Hell yeah. Gotta be better than the ones I pick.

 

[JC]

Oh, relax. I was kidding.

You still want my numbers though?

Hell yeah. Gotta be better than the ones I pick.

I never win a damn thing!

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Moddy, I'm sure you're right. Of course, all media reporting here on Teixeira was presented in classic Yankees vs. Red Sox style. Other teams were barely mentioned, so it could well be Washington was reported as a possible contender, and I didn't notice it down in paragraph 12.