With the signing of Ronnie Belliard to a two-year deal, and all the hot talk of re-signing Dmitri Young, the Nationals are apparently leaning toward, as GM Jim Bowden has been fond of saying lately: “We’re building up, not tearing down.”
Spurred by this, and by Barry Svrluga’s blog post of just a few hours ago, it gives me two thoughts simultaneously, both very exciting and equally horrifying:
1. The Nats are indeed building - and possibly quickly - for the future, and could have a really nice starting lineup as soon as next year’s opening day in the new stadium. (more below)
2. If the Nats are indeed looking to sign Young for 2 years, and to keep him and not trade him, what does that say about the health of Nick Johnson? Is he done?? Injured beyond repair!? Or is Dmitri just an insurance policy, or (thinking back to #1) - part of the future in the Nats’ OF, or off the bench?
Hoping that this potential signing is all about #1, let’s take the uber-positive look at what the Nats lineup might look like next year, if - and i’ll be honest here - A LOT of things break all the right way for the Nats:
1. Lopez — 2B
2. Guzman — SS
3. Zimmerman — 3B
4. Young — LF?
5. Torii Hunter? Andruuewue Jones?! — CF
6. Johnson? — 1B
7. Kearns — RF
8. Schneider — C
There are indeed A LOT of “ifs” there. MANY question marks. Will Nick come back, and be the Nick Johnson from 2006? Will Guzie return healthy, and be the Guzie of early 2007, as opposed to his evil twin, Sister Christian of 2005? Can Lopez turn into a real leadoff hitter, and get on base more than 1 out four times up? Can the Meathook play ANY defensive position, let alone one that requires him to run AND catch? And, if this all looks possible, if not likely, will the Nats go out and make a premier free-agent signing to fill the biggest hole on the roster (a starting CF), with an all-star caliber player.
But, thru the acquisition of essentially only ONE player (Hunter or Jones), the Nats lineup could potentially vault from one of also-ran to one of legitimate playoff contender in the NL. Look at that lineup, and what it COULD be. WOW.
I’d love to see some thoughts and discussion on this, as - unlike most other posts on this board (including my own) - this one actually applies to ALL of our current home-town team, and one which plays in a sport we all follow, at least to some extent. And, i would hope, it shouldn’t be contentious (like most of our basketball/college football/Sox-Yanks/etc/etc posts tend to be)!
5 Comments until now
Isn’t Guzman’s contract up at the end of this season, or are we “blessed” with another year of Sister and his injury-riddled self?
I would hope the Nats would address the SS position in the offseason, though there’s slim pickings on the free agent market. Juan Uribe looks like the best option.
But beyond the lineup, what of the starting rotation? Is there anyone to count on in 2008 that can really step up and go toe to toe with the other big guns in the NL East? There are some interesting guys, but no one that really inspires a lot of confidence. And I am not interested in throwing money around the FA market after a starting pitcher - rarely if ever does that seem to pan out the way a team hopes it will.
I think we’re looking at another cellar-dweller next year simply because there’s not instant relief in the form of pitching coming from the minors and that’s how this team is going to get better is through the minor leagues. I agree there are some nice parts, but they don’t come nearly close to completing the puzzle into making the Nats playoff contenders in ‘08.
I believe we are “blessed” with another season of Sister Christian.
To me, if we sign Young and/or Johnson returns, it comes down to two positions-Center field and starting pitching.
Center field (and the outfield in general) has been the rotating door of the Nats organization since arriving in DC. We are likely soon to be “blessed” with Alex Balsa wood Glascobar back in the lineup (but I’d put to over/under on his next injury at Labor Day…)
Pitching is where I think is hope, but I’m not sure its to the level we need to be competitive. It appear there is a lot of hope in the farm system from GCL to Columbus, but I have feeling it is going to take until ‘09 for that to really blossom into DC.
I agree David - ‘09 seems more likely the season we can look to as the year we want to see this team breaking .500 and possibly contending for the wild card. There’s just too many holes I see compared to the big teams in our division. The farm needs more time to produce and Kasten & Co. have already intimated that they don’t view free agency as the way to build a team, rather as the way to put the last piece or two in place once the team is already good.
Correct, Guz’s contract runs through 2008. (So until then, no other signing can possibly qualify for “worst deal made by Bowden”
The MLB.com story about Dmitri’s two-year signing says the team expects him to lose about 20 pounds before they’ll send him out as the everyday left fielder. If that works, that would leave a four-way competition between Church, Logan, Langerhans and Watson for center… unless the Lerners make a few extra ATM withdrawals to sign Kosuke Fukudome. (There are good reasons to do that on nickname potential alone.)
I think Logan is toast after this year, and possibly sooner. Consider it a failed experiment. Even Ladson hates him, and he’s the Nats’ puppet mouthpiece!
Watson will get a shot this August - if not sooner, if no deals are made sending Church or others away or gaining Dunn or others - and if Glasscobar ever regains health, he will get a shot at CF. The only way Langerhans has a shot of sticking around next year, is if we wind up making NO moves, and if Watson and/or Escobar don’t pan out. That’s my thought. Logan and Langerhans just can’t hit enough to play MLB OF, despite how much speed or defensive ability either might have.
Worst WORST case, IMO, is Nick doesn’t make it back (to start the season), Dmitri plays first, Church is still in LF, and then Watson/Langerhans/Escobar battle it out for 2 spots at the CF platoon/4th OF spot.
More likely, Nick is back at 1B, DaMeat tries it out in LF, and Church battles Escobar/Watson for CF/4th OF.
Add your Comment!