| Christopher Reina. 2nd April, 2010 - 6:15 pm
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The Nationals have been so bad in each of the past two seasons (118 total wins) that it is easy to forget that they were .500 in their first season post-Montreal. I was one of the minority that really appreciated the Expos, so it was a little bittersweet to begin to see baseball in D.C. at the expense of Quebec. Washington has been a weird baseball town that has failed multiple times, but I do hope it eventually works this time, which I think it will once they get a playoff berth, or even a pennant race.
2009 Opsera Finish: 28th
What Happened In The Winter
This was the type of offseason to make you ask Mike Rizzo either 'who does he think he is?' or 'what kind of team does he think he possibly has?' The Nationals are nowhere near capable of competing with the Marlins, but they pursued veterans like Jason Marquis and Ivan Rodriguez to fairly considerable money contracts as though a playoff slot is possible in 2010.
Rizzo did a better job of buying cheap on Matt Capps to close, as well as taking a chance on Chien-Ming Wang, the latter of which was a signing the Mets should have made. Adam Kennedy was also signed to be a stopgap at second.
It is hard to argue with keeping Scott Olsen, who should be better in 2010. I also liked the acquisition of Brian Bruney for Jamie Hoffman.
The sudden release of Elijah Dukes was interesting, mostly because of the explanation that it was baseball related. Has there been anything involving Dukes that is ever baseball related?
If I became GM of the Nationals tomorrow, I would take the opposite approach of trading anyone with a pulse over 30 for as many high upside prospects as possible, but they apparently are okay being stuck in the kind of limbo that is a familiar plague for smaller market teams.
Nationals Offensive Preview
Washington was actually pretty good offensively in 2009 with the 8th best OPS in the NL. The infusion of Adam Dunn and a healthy and actually productive Ryan Zimmerman made a huge difference to the middle of the Nationals' lineup. Dunn will continue to be the high OPS, two result hitter he's always been, but it will be intriguing to see if Zimmerman can edge up his proaction just a little bit more from .888 mark of 2009. He had a .969 OPS in the second half and also played an excellent defensive third base.
Josh Willingham will bat behind Dunn and he remains one of the more consistent under the radar hitters in the game. He had an .863 OPS, which was the fourth consecutive season his OPS has been between .827 and .870.
Nyjer Morgan had good success after coming over from Pittsburgh, but his .396 OBP appears unsustainable. He has great speed and the Nats would settle for even a mark around .360 as their leadoff hitter. Morgan also plays a very good defensive center.
Ian Desmond has won the starting shortstop job and he had an impressive .879 OPS with four homers and seven doubles in 89 plate appearances in 2009. We'll need to see him sustain that kind of success throughout a 162 while playing an incredibly demanding position.
Willie Harris will replace Dukes in right, but he of course isn't a longterm option.
Nationals Pitching Preview
Very clearly, Stephen Strasburg can't make his debut in Washington quickly enough. He was the best pitcher in their camp, but they are wisely waiting to start his service clock and let him get a little more experience against non-amateur hitters in Triple-A. I'd be surprised if he isn't in the nation's capitol by the fourth of July.
Southpaw John Lannan will get the opening day start for Washington. He had a respectable 3.88 ERA, but it is sobered by his 4.70 FIP and pedestrian 3.88 K/9 rate.
Marquis had a 4.04 ERA with Colorado in 2009, but it is difficult to see what is really gained by signing him except to be a veteran influence on a young staff.
Jordan Zimmermann is the pitcher that has the best chance of being Strasburg's number two. He had a 4.63 ERA, but a 3.59 FIP mark and a 9.07 K/9 rate. He was the victim of bad defense and a .339 BAbip. He will begin the season on the DL along with Wang.
Olsen, Garrett Mock and Craig Stammen will take the mound to begin the season, largely as temps.
The Washington bullpen looks a lot different than it did in 2009, with newcomers Capps, Bruney and Tyler Walker becoming their late inning relievers. They each have some overachievement in them and they will be serviceable for a team that won't win 70 games.
What Are Their 2010 Chances?
No matter what anyone thinks or says about the Mets and the possibility of finishing fourth, winning 70 games has to be the goal for the 2010 Nationals.
While the Nationals will someday soon have Strasburg pitching every fifth day, the remainder of the system is rather weak, which is the opposite of how those Expos teams managed to stay at least partially relevant. Even if Strasburg is twice as good as the hype, he won't go 35-0.
The Nationals have an owner who is unafraid to spend some money, but it mostly seems like an exercise in futility until multiple pieces of this franchise are remade.
For now, Washington will be owned by the Redskins and Ovechkin.
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