Free Agents! Seven Nationals have filed for free agency. As a very
Here's the list: Tony Armas Jr., Carlos Baerga, Gary Bennett, Esteban Loaiza, Preston Wilson, Joey Eischen, and Deivi Cruz. I don't have much to say about any of these guys that wouldn't violate the editorial policies I instituted when I became pro-everything, but the Nats are going to be fine even without all of them. There is one exception, and his name should have stood out to you even if it weren't figuratively draped in the Mexican flag. Loaiza was really good this year, and I'd have known it all along if only I'd had my change of heart nine months ago. Now he wants three years at $7 million per, and that's a bit rich for my blood. While his ability to soak up innings is important, especially on a pitching staff that was looking a little thin at the end of the year, RFK made him look a lot better than he actually was -- that 2.86/4.77 home/road ERA split is pretty ugly. Bowden's offered him two years at $4 million per. That would be great, and I can't think of many free agents the Nats have a shot at signing who would help us more. I'd be willing to go a little higher than that, and I'd rather give in on money than on years. Please bear in mind, though, that I have conclusively proven that I don't know a damn thing about Esteban Loaiza.
I used to complain about Baseball Prospectus all the time. Not even just about Will Carroll and Dayn Perry, either -- pretty much everyone on the staff wormed his way onto my list at one time or another. But now that my glass is half-full -- of something delicious! -- I've gained a new appreciation of BP. Say you're looking for news and opinion about the Nationals. There are about ninety blogs out there, a couple news aggregators, the incomparable Barry Svrluga, and if that stuff is too much for your reading level, Thomas Boswell. There's just too much, and the pressure to read it all and evaluate hundreds of pounds -- literally -- of opinion can take all the fun out of reading about your favorite team. Sometimes you want to curl up with something unchallenging -- not too many intimidating new ideas or boring research or any of that. Even the snootiest gourmand likes a little Kraft Cheese 'n' Macaroni once in a while, right? Prospectus was kind enough to apply milk to powdered cheese product and come up with some tasty Nats info last week. Here's a sample:
If we estimate that every marginal win is worth $2 million, it’s a no-brainer for the Nats to exercise the $4 million option for Jose Guillen, who’s been worth five wins above replacement level for each of the past two years. Guillen still hasn’t conquered his poor plate discipline, but he’s emerged as a right-handed, slightly more strikeout-prone version of Garret Anderson.Aah -- it's like a warm bubble bath. I do agree, by the way, the Nats should rush to excercise the option on Guillen before time runs out.
Meanwhile, non-sarcastic website praise.
- Brian at Nationals Farm Report scored an interview with pitching prospect Shawn Hill, who comes off as a pretty intelligent guy.
- Just a Nats Fan is the place to go for ownership issues, which I'm too lazy/depressed to look into very deeply.
- Acronym contest!
- That Angels fan is still a retard.
- Basil is all over Preston Wilson like strikeouts on Preston Wilson.
- On the Damian Jackson/Bernie Castro signings I ignored: Needham likes, Brian and Harper don't.
- DM at the Nats Blog grades Frank in five categories. I would have given him A/B+/B/A+/A, but we're all about differences of opinion here in the Natospheric Natscape.
- The mysterious geniuses at Yark Work aren't taking the winter off -- they're straight taking it to the hoop, Shaq-Fu style! Go read Hard Wood.
2 comments:
There are about ninety blogs out there, a couple news aggregators, the incomparable Barry Svrluga, and if that stuff is too much for your reading level, Thomas Boswell.
Brilliant.
How can you give such good grades to Frank? C'Mon, man, be objective!
CYA,
DC Nats at Bat
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