Mr.Dumberton
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Oops, saw your update right after I posted.
Just saw that Komatsu got DFA'd
Not sure that the AL West is a weak division, considering the AL champ has come from there two years in a row, but I agree with the premise of the article that LaRoche has been great so far this season. I think those contracts for Pujols and Fielder will be albatrosses for Angels and Tigers for years. And I love the defensive abilities of our infield.
Remember, Lannan is likely destined for AAA as soon as Wang is ready to go. This keeps Detwiler from transitioning back and forth. I would not be shocked to see Detwiler move to the rotation when Strasburg gets shut down.
TheNatsBlog Well then, here's hoping he has a limited role! Although I can see a scenario where we are in a pennant race and he is called on due to injury to step into a full-time role, either at 3rd, or at 2nd if one of our middle infielders go down and Lombardozzi isn't ale to step in at an adequate level.
Very much in agreement. Except I think the timeline on Rendon is sooner rather than later. He is a 3 year college player and should at least get a cup of coffee by this September and in the starting lineup by 2013 (unless, as you say, he doesn't produce as he is expected to).
WillyYoder I would like to think that Bryce will fall in love with DC and the Nationals and be willing to sign a long-term extension here, but the cynical side of me thinks that he will one day wear pinstripes.
To me the issue is not the arbitration money he will get as a Super Two, it is losing a year of team control when he becomes a free agent in 2017 instead 0f 2018. We would be trading a few weeks of 19 year old Bryce Harper for 1 year of the 25 year old version. I am unclear when he can come up and avoid accruing a full year, maybe someone else understands all the rules. I think it is at least 11 days. To avoid Super Two he needs to stay down for about three months.
#1 - I think the Morse can be an excellent 1st baseman. Give him some more time at the position. He came up as a short stop, so he obviously has fielding skills. Defensively I think he is better at 1st than in the OF. Plus he is nice and tall with a big wingspan for scooping off-target throws.
#2 - Zimmerman is a gold glove 3rd baseman. Let's not be too quick to cast him aside to a position that doesn't maximize his value to us.
#3 - If we are going to make one of our regulars into trade bait and/or a utility guy, I would rather it be Desmond instead of the guy who had a .910 OPS last year.
If Rendon can play 2nd, I think our best solution is Morse, Rendon, Espinsosa, Zim in the infield with Harper, high OBP CF, and Werth in the outfield. If Morse turns out to be a flash in the pan, then I would look at keeping our middle infield intact by opening the space at 3rd for Rendon. Maybe Zim to 1st works and he wins the gold glove there as well.
The issue is, you can't keep Morse, Harper and Werth in the OF long term, that is, unless Harper could learn to play center. He seems to have the speed and athleticism, but the lack of experience, plus increased risk of injury make it unlikely.
Aaron Somers Agreed. I am not suggesting that they will or should rush him, but clearly his is a different situation from Harper's (drafted at 17, played one year of JUCO). Look at Zimmerman, he was a three year starter (similar to Rendon) at UVA before being drafted #4. He actually signed immediately and was called up by the following September, full-time the next season. I suppose that Zimmerman is more the exception, but his profile is much closer to Rendon's.
The team is also not the same. Zimmerman was replacing Vinnie Castilla, Rendon (if he moves to second) would be potentially replacing Desmond or Espinosa, both guys that the team highly values. Meaning that there is less pressure to move him up.
Bottom line - with Harper and Rendon in the pipeline, I think it is a good time to be a Nats fan!
One big difference is that Rendon is two years older than Bryce. It makes it much more likely that he will be fast-tracked. Plus he will not be making as drastic a defensive switch as Harper.
As far as I am concerned, Morse should be their starting first baseman for the next 5 years. The money on LaRoche is already spent, and he was only ever a fill-in. See if you can move him over the winter. Marrero seems like a good prospect, but there is nothing to indicate that he will become what Morse already is, an elite offensive first baseman with plus fielding. I don't see a dilemma here.