So...how about those Nats?

Sir_Monk · Post by **Sir_Monk** » Fri May 01, 2009 7:50 pm

I can't wait for this series with the Cardnials to end. I got to work this morning and found 15 e-mails from co-workers making fun of the Nats..... :roll:

MDSKINSFAN · Post by **MDSKINSFAN** » Fri May 01, 2009 8:01 pm

The Nats have actually been playing pretty well lately they just can't find ways to finish games.

CanesSkins26 · Post by **CanesSkins26** » Mon May 04, 2009 9:38 pm

Awesome news...now they just have to find a way to sign him.

The Washington Nationals are primed to select San Diego State star pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the No. 1 overall pick in next month's draft, sources said.

The Nationals will not be scared off by the high price tag expected to be set by the rightander Strasburg, which is believed to be $50 million-plus, a Nationals source said. Asked whether there was any chance they'd take someone else, a team official answered, "No chance I know of.''

Acting Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo wouldn't guarantee who he's taking, but said regarding Strasburg when reached by phone, "It's fair to say, going into it, he's the No. 1 player on our board.

"We can say it. There's not anybody who can jump ahead of us,'' Rizzo added. "He's an outstanding talent. He's got all the tools to be a great player.''

Rizzo wouldn't absolutely commit since the draft is a month away. But he did say, "As of now, he's the top guy.'' The Mariners and Padres pick second and third, behind Washington.

The Nationals remain one of basbeall's worst teams, but young pitchers Shairon Martis and Jordan Zimmerman are giving the Nats hope in their rotation. A Nationals official said "it would be nice'' for Strasburg to join the rotation by July. Strasburg is a rare collegiate pitcher seen as major-league ready.

Baseball executives say the dropoff between Strasburg and the next best players is stark. Dustin Ackley, a first baseman at North Carolina who's expected to play center field professionally, plus pitchers Alex White of North Carolina and Kyle Gibson of the University of Missouri, are considered the next best prospects available in the draft. This is not considered an especially deep draft.

Strasburg, a San Diego product, is considered among the best American amateur prospects ever, and is expected to top the previous highest signing bonuses for draft choices, which were in the $10 million range (Mark Prior is the record holder at $10.5 million, with Mark Teixeira second at $9.5 million).

Executives believe Strasburg, who is 10-0 with 147 strikeouts and 15 walks for San Diego State this season, will seek a six-year MLB deal for at least $50 million. He is being advised by Scott Boras, who is expected to try to draw a parallel between Strasburg and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who signed for $52 million over six years after the Red Sox paid a $51 million posting fee for his rights.

Nationals president Stan Kasten has said they will take the best available player, while always suggesting there's precedent for what the top draft choices get. By all indications, Strasburg hopes and expects to be a precedent-setting case. There may be extra pressure on the Nationals to sign their top pick as they failed to sign pitcher Aaron Crow, their No. 1 pick, last year. The Nats also have the No. 10 pick, which is compensation for that failure.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/05/03/nats.strasburg/index.html

MDSKINSFAN · Post by **MDSKINSFAN** » Tue May 05, 2009 12:07 pm

CanesSkins26 wrote:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/05/03/nats.strasburg/index.html

Sweet. I hope he is signed and in the rotation by July so we can get a look at what this rotation with Lannan, Zimmerman, Martis, and Strasburg will look like in the years to come.

thedcnative · Post by **thedcnative** » Sat May 09, 2009 11:31 pm

The Nats win again! We're in double digits as far as wins are concerned. We're not pennant contenders yet, but this is good.

MDSKINSFAN · Post by **MDSKINSFAN** » Sun May 10, 2009 9:58 am

thedcnative wrote:The Nats win again! We're in double digits as far as wins are concerned. We're not pennant contenders yet, but this is good.

The Nats are going to be fun to watch in a couple of years. Recently our hitting has been doing well and it looks like we have a good pitching rotation coming. I'm looking forward to Strasburg, Lannan, Martis, and Zimmerman.

Strasburg threw a no hitter a couple of nights ago with 17 K's. I can't wait to draft him, sign him, and then get him in the rotation.

thedcnative · Post by **thedcnative** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:42 pm

Quick up date: The Nats are still terrible :-(

Sir_Monk · Post by **Sir_Monk** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:07 pm

thedcnative wrote:Quick up date: The Nats are still terrible

I'm not really the biggest baseball fan but I do check their scores every morning on ESPN.com. With the start the team has had, if things keep up it seems like they must be on pace to be one of the worst teams in MLB history?

langleyparkjoe · Post by **langleyparkjoe** » Thu May 21, 2009 12:15 pm

..So how about those nats?..

Quite irritating, as the weather gets warmer we're sure to see many of them popping up. It puts a strain on cookout relations because we're always gonna be swiping at them and even worse if they get in the corner of our eyes.

Ohhh.. you said Nats as in nationals???.. my bad, I prefer the Gnats at the cookouts over our baseball team

:lol:

thedcnative · Post by **thedcnative** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:52 pm

HHHHHHHHHHARDY har, har, langleyparkjoe. :-)

welch · Post by **welch** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:33 pm

This Nationals team is the worst I have ever seen, and I can remember games back to about 1952. Mickey Grasso, Mickey Vernon, Eddie Yost, Pete Runnels, Gil Coan (who was traded to Baltimore for the first rookie-of the-year, our hero, Roy Sievers).

thedcnative · Post by **thedcnative** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:42 pm

Update: The Nationals still suck.

Oh well, at least we have baseball back in D.C.

RedskinsFreak · Post by **RedskinsFreak** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:58 pm

The future of the Nats holds more promise than the future of the Redskins.

welch · Post by **welch** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 6:07 pm

Being a realist about the New New Nats:

- the team can hit some. They need to sign Dunn to a longer contract, but Willingham, Dunn, Zimmerman, and Guzman are good hitters. Morgan looks good, and a .260-hitting 2B is OK.

- the fielding is shabby, but it improved after Riggleman took over

- move Guzman to 2B and sign a SS who can field. Maybe Desmond is the next Derek Jeter, but I wouldn't bet the team on it

- Lannan is OK, and Hernandez ought to be signed. Beyond those two, the team has no starters. Sign at least one good starter. Doesn;t have to be anyone's ace, but a solid pitcher. The young pitchers, like Detwiler and Stammen, are at least a year and maybe two years away from contributing

- Sign a pair of relief pitchers.

- Select a hitter in the draft.

Maybe, just maybe, the team can be respectable next year.