Nationals Succeed at Securing #1 Pick
The Nationals broke into the new Nationals Park with a story book ending game winning home run from Zimmerman. Although no one thought the Nationals would contend for a playoff berth this year, the hope was to follow up on a previous season without as many injuries and questions about pitching. As the season progressed, starters were barely able to make it into the seventh inning let alone log a complete game with any consistency. The starting pitchers and Acta created a tired bullpen staff.
With the team in need of a top pitcher and a cleanup hitter to protect Zimmerman, Guzman, and Dukes, how will the Nationals be able to sign what is hopefully Stephen Strasburg when the Nats couldn't even sign this year's top pick? To make matters more interesting, Scott Boras appears to be advising Strasburg Nats Possible Pick. This offseason will tell the future of how the current ownership runs the team.
Stan Kasten has done a fabulous job at restoring the scouting and farm system and Bowden does a better job than anyone else at going bargain shopping, but will ownership step up to the plate and stabilize the organization with some top talent or watch and wait year after year to only spend when it looks like a great year? DC has been starving for baseball for so long and to endure more mediocre years would be more than disappointing to say the least. Fans are looking for ownership to green light Bowden and Kasten to no longer look in the five dollar video bins at Wall Mart and sign some top players.
Stay tuned for featured articles evaluating ownership over the next couple of weeks.
Comments
Unless you are stating that "bargain shopping" is a bad way, I totally disagree with your assessment of Bowden. Teams are built with a solid farm system and good free agency pick ups. For the past two seasons, we haven't had decent pitching from either the rotation or the bullpen. Given the Chief's injury problems, and his overall drop in skill, a good setup man/backup closer should have been found or developed. Instead, we got "lucky" with Rausch.
Granted, the farm system will need another couple of years, but signings like LoDuca are a detriment to the team. Milledge and Dukes appear to be servicable, but that is a major step down from Soriano. I would have been happy for a baby step drop as you can't replace a Soriano, but not a drop from a cliff like those were.
Posted by: Big Money Tony![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.thedcsportspage.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 08:06 AM