BREAK UP THE F-ING NATIONALS

[gaaaaaaaaah]

im fully on board with trying to add a big bat, but cano's contract demands are absurd

signing him might increase the odds of a deep playoff run in 2014 or 2015 but how quickly will that contract turn disastrous? not worth it imo

[hutch]

im fully on board with trying to add a big bat, but cano's contract demands are absurd

signing him might increase the odds of a deep playoff run in 2014 or 2015 but how quickly will that contract turn disastrous? not worth it imo

what? he just turned 31 October 22... he has plenty of good years left...

nobody is going to give him 300 million...i doubt anybody will give him 9 years...

[gaaaaaaaaah]

maybe youre right, i just have a feeling that whoever signs him is gonna regret it in a few years, and i dont want a bad contract getting in the way of possible zimmermann/desmond/harper/strasburg extensions

i also think its telling that the yankees are balking at giving out a huge contract when they need the offense more than almost anyone.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

anyway ive read a few reactions to this trade and it seems like the overwhelming consensus is that its an absolute steal for the nats

also saw a comment that said this move could free up a bench spot for espinosa to become the new utility infielder. id like that for a lot of reasons (glove and power mostly) but i think espinosa needs a total change of scenery. really cant see him ever getting his swing back here

[HoyaSaxa03]

++++ for the Nats - I'm as excited as one can be for a reliable back-of-the-rotation guy.

[HoyaSaxa03]

Keith Law sums it up well:

A lefty reliever, a backup at second, and a non-top 100 prospect is just not a good return for two years of one of the top 30 starters in baseball.

[vansmack]

++++ for the Nats - I'm as excited as one can be for a reliable back-of-the-rotation guy.

It's definitely a helluva deal for the Nats.  Of course, they're left with no lefty in the pen, and the Tigers acquiring Krol means Smyly becomes the 5th starter and Krol the lefty specialist in the pen, but they're clearly shedding payroll as they attempt to extend the contracts of Scherzer and Miggy.

I'd have to think Detroit could have gotten more, but maybe they decided two guys that fill holes are better than more talented guys.  I don't know anything about the minor league kid.

[vansmack]

i dont want a bad contract getting in the way of possible zimmermann/desmond/harper/strasburg extensions

You mean the bad contracts, not extensions, for Strasburg and Harper, both of which are represented by Boras.

Unless you actually like your deals for Werth ($20m for 2014, $21m for 2015-2017) and the fact that you're paying a pre-arb Rendon almost $2m a season?

[gaaaaaaaaah]

i dont want a bad contract getting in the way of possible zimmermann/desmond/harper/strasburg extensions

You mean the bad contracts, not extensions, for Strasburg and Harper, both of which are represented by Boras.

Unless you actually like your deals for Werth ($20m for 2014, $21m for 2015-2017) and the fact that you're paying a pre-arb Rendon almost $2m a season?

fair point, though id use all that (especially werths contract) to further my opposition to the nats pursuing cano

[vansmack]

I don't know anything about the minor league kid.

Apparently, Robbie Ray was the "key to the deal."

[stevewizzle]

I don't know anything about the minor league kid.

Apparently, Robbie Ray was the "key to the deal."

you keep beating me to this.  considered a top 10 prospect for most clubs...

still, the nats time is now, not in 3 years.

[HoyaSaxa03]

I don't know anything about the minor league kid.

Apparently, Robbie Ray was the "key to the deal."

there's no such thing as a pitching prospect.

[HoyaSaxa03]

++++ for the Nats - I'm as excited as one can be for a reliable back-of-the-rotation guy.

It's definitely a helluva deal for the Nats.  Of course, they're left with no lefty in the pen, and the Tigers acquiring Krol means Smyly becomes the 5th starter and Krol the lefty specialist in the pen, but they're clearly shedding payroll as they attempt to extend the contracts of Scherzer and Miggy.

I'd have to think Detroit could have gotten more, but maybe they decided two guys that fill holes are better than more talented guys.  I don't know anything about the minor league kid.

The Nats had "no lefty in the pen" at the start of last year - Krol was found money, and I'm sure we can find someone else.

[Julian, Bespoke SEXPERT]

like this trade a lot. fister will play the exact role he played in detroit, and hes the kind of guy the back end of the rotation here needs.

I said it about my Tigers last year and I'll say it about the Nats this upcoming season: any pitching staff that has Doug Fister as their #4 is pretty frickin' formidable.

I like the Tigers general moves this off-season: getting Nathan and Krol to partner with Benoit for a formidable bullpen, shedding Prince, but I definitely feel like the Nats got Fister for dimes on the dollar (unless Ray becomes a fringe All-Star pitcher at some point down the road).

[stevewizzle]

like this trade a lot. fister will play the exact role he played in detroit, and hes the kind of guy the back end of the rotation here needs.

I said it about my Tigers last year and I'll say it about the Nats this upcoming season: any pitching staff that has Doug Fister as their #4 is pretty frickin' formidable.

I like the Tigers general moves this off-season: getting Nathan and Krol to partner with Benoit for a formidable bullpen, shedding Prince, but I definitely feel like the Nats got Fister for dimes on the dollar (unless Ray becomes a fringe All-Star pitcher at some point down the road).

seems a bit reactionary to me, in a bad way. sure, prince struggled with personal issues in detroit, and the bullpen was below average. they resolved those issues by weakening their biggest strengths:  baseballs best one through four rotation and losing cabrera's protection completely changes this teams dynamic.