Recent developments/acquire Gorzelanny

[Jollay]

A few developments at Nats Park since the season.

--The Nats received a waiver for Bryce Harper to play Arizona Fall League, he looked okay.

--The Nats will unveil new (I think just home) unis next Wednesday at a fashion show at Nats Park. Autograph signings the next day at the Park.

--Jesus Flores is finally playing baseball, down in Venezuela.

--The Nats declined their option on Adam Kennedy for two million dollars. Not entirely surprising, but I thought the Nats might bring him back at that price despite his generally poor year.

--Pat Listach went to the Cubs as their bench coach. Bo Porter replaces him. Hard to believe, but Listach was actually a serious candidate for some head managing jobs this offseason.

--The Nats released Tyler Walker. Also, seriously, they sent me a Tyler Walker (now old home) jersey in the mail as a thank you for season tickets. Walker did good last year (3.57 ERA) but underwent season-ending labrum surgery and was considering retirement.

And now free agency starts tonight with Willie Harris, Kevin Mench, Adam Dunn, and Miguel Batista. Nats wouldn't mind bringing back Batista and Harris, but it would be at very reasonable costs if they did.

We all know what's up with Dunn. The Nats will likely lose him and take the Type A compensation picks. Love to see Adam LaRoche here as his replacement, but he may want more years than the Nats are willing to give as well...

[Jollay]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eeqgHLWSlQ[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3hj3GvJsuI&NR=1[/youtube]

I like the new uniforms better, but I don't like the new patch on the arm.

[Jollay]

I should mention also that the Nats got rid of Scott Olsen, which was no surprise. He had run out of chances and the Nats are going to sign a marginal to good free agent starter.

Nats did sign Marlins reliever Tim Wood to a minor-league deal. Rizzo has had much success with those type of deals lately for relievers (Peralta, Batista, Slaten).

[Jollay]

Still quiet on the free agent scene. Nats are definitely chasing pitching and a position player. With Morse able to play first, the Nats can chase a first baseman or an outfielder.

Bryce Harper did well in the Arizona Fall League. .343 in 35 at bats.

[Jollay]

Wil Nieves, Mien Wang, and Joel Peralta were non-tendered, meaning they are free agents.

Nieves was expendable with Pudge, Ramos, and Flores finally playing. Wang was a disaster signing from day one.

Peralta was surprising, as he had about a 2.00 ERA after being called up, and did whatever the Nats asked of him.

He wanted a two-year deal and the Nats would only give one. Nats have not shown they are willing to give an extra year to anyone--Dunn, Peralta, etc.

Pudge is the only example of giving an extra year that I can think of to land a guy. It's a smart way to run a team, but the Nats don't even have 50 million tied up right now in salaries--they have to spend some money this offseason for the fans.

Bargain basement Adam Kennedy-type shopping won't cut it.

[Rafael122]

Nats sign Jayson Werth to a 7 yr/$126 million deal. HOLY GOD.

In my offseason plan, I said they should have targeted Werth and Crawford, but I didn't think they had a chance of getting either of them. WOW.

This team needs to sign Pena.

[Jollay]

7 years 126 million.

So, why can't we justify Dunn for four, but giving Jayson Werth, a 31-year old, seven years, is cool?

Scott Boras owns this team. (Strasburg/Harper/Werth)

Still, its hard to fault the Nats. They had to make a big splash and did...

[Rafael122]

Dunn is a DH faking as a first basemen. You don't sign someone for $50 mil to play DH. His defense will be just as bad.

If they can get Pena, you won't see me complaining. Pena is better defensively, and just as good with the bat.

[Jollay]

Dunn is a DH faking as a first basemen. You don't sign someone for $50 mil to play DH. His defense will be just as bad.

If they can get Pena, you won't see me complaining. Pena is better defensively, and just as good with the bat.

True, true. they need a lefty bat now, definitely. I would assume they will get LaRoche or Pena on a two-year deal.

I would also assume they might trade Willingham now and put Bernadina in left, supposedly his best position.

[Rafael122]

I'd keep Willingham to be honest. This team needs all the power it can get. We're gonna be winning games 8-7, 9-8 next year. We don't have the horses right now.

We've got Zimmerman, Lannan, and Marquis as our 3 top guys.

[SJSF]

Philly fan here. Werth is a nice player. But please don't get your hype up too much on Werth. He will be another Sorinao or Vernon Wells. He is great defensively. But he will probably go 20hr 75 rbis and bat 270 this year. When the pressure was on him this year when we had injuries, he wilted offensively. But congrats.

[Jollay]

According to Riggleman, Morgan will go into next year as the starting CF. No shock, considering his cheap pricetag and the team loves his speed and defense.

If the Nats sign Pena or LaRoche, having Bernadina and Morse as the first two options off the bench would be awesome.

I would bet they trade Willy though. They love Bernadina in left and he's got significantly more range than Josh. Plus a few teams are interested in Willingham.

In theory Mike Morse replaces Willingham (power wise) against lefties in that scenerio, spelling at first or in the outfield. Willingham had 16 homers in 370 AB, Morse had 15 in a 100 less at-bats...

[Rafael122]

Morgan is dreadful. He and Willie Harris need to go.

[Jollay]

Morgan is dreadful. He and Willie Harris need to go.

Yeah, but those guys talk to us more in the stands than anyone else!

Anyway, there's been some speculation recently that the Nats are actually contenders to land another big fish. A CBS sports guy writes the Nats have contacted KC in the Zack Greinke sweepstakes, and Rizzo has been in touch with Cliff Lee's agent multiple times recently.

The Nats have the prospects/young starters to get a Greinke deal done without giving up Harper, but I wouldn't count on it--the Royals are asking for a ton, and Rizzo covets farm depth. But the flip side of that is Greinke wouldn't cost a ton initially.

Cliff Lee-who knows? But its hard to imagine the Nats would burden themselves with approximately 40 million a year with Werth/Lee over the next seven years.

Now if Lee was a Boras guy...

[craig01]

7 years 126 million.

So, why can't we justify Dunn for four, but giving Jayson Werth, a 31-year old, seven years, is cool?

Scott Boras owns this team. (Strasburg/Harper/Werth)

Still, its hard to fault the Nats. They had to make a big splash and did...

Werth is a nice player now, but the Nats seriously overpaid and over-committed (7 years) for JW.

[Rafael122]

But they had to do it to bring him here. He won't be worth it the last 2 years of his contract, but if they can afford it and swallow the pill, why not?

As for Greinke, do we really have the talent in the system to trade for him? I always thought our farm system was paper thin.

Pena is off the board. I think we should target Andy LaRoche, we need a left handed hitter.

[Jollay]

But they had to do it to bring him here. He won't be worth it the last 2 years of his contract, but if they can afford it and swallow the pill, why not?

As for Greinke, do we really have the talent in the system to trade for him? I always thought our farm system was paper thin.

Pena is off the board. I think we should target Andy LaRoche, we need a left handed hitter.

I would be surprised if LaRoche didn't come. It makes perfect sense and the Nats can afford him.

He would be perfect for a two-year contract, with Tyler Moore and Chris Marrero ready to push for a job there by 2012 or 2013 certainly...

Looks like the Nats are targeting LaRoche, a backup middle-infielder (David Eckstein, Brandan Ryan-type), and pitching. To hear Riggleman tell it on 106.7 the other day, they are focusing on pitching, preferably a starter, but if they can't do that, their bullpen (even though its already pretty strong).

Carl Pavano has been linked to the Nats, as well as the Brewers. Both seem to (wisely) be offering no more than two years.

[Rafael122]

Interesting to read the contract details on Werth. He's making the majority of his money on the back end of the contract.

You would think because of his age they would frontload it as much as possible.

[Jollay]

Nats signed Matt Stairs today. Certainly could make the team as a pinch hitter, and I guess he qualifies as one of the "less costly" options Rizzo was supposedly looking at to possibly platoon with Morse at first.

Move certainly doesn't preclude still signing LaRoche or someone else. Pirates did take Lyle Overbay off the board today, who would have been a decent good fielding option as well.

[Rafael122]

The market for LaRoche seems to be in the $6 mil per year range. I would give him a 2 yr/$12 million contract and see if he bites.