The Nationals may have lost out on acquiring Teixeira, but they shouldn't rest on their laurels or assume that the relationship between Dunn and Bowden is strong enough for him to sign with the Nationals over contender ready teams strapped with cash to spend. With other teams in a far more attractive position to court Dunn, the Nationals need to move more quickly to ensure that a trend of coming up short this offseason doesn't leave ownership and fans out in the cold.
If the Nationals are able to capitalize on the momentum gained by the serious offer to Teixeira, they may just land some key acquisitions this offseason. Should the Nats be able to bolster the batting order by adding such players as Dunn and Fielder, it would provide protection and stability for Guzman, Milledge, and Zimmerman. A signing of Dunn to the OF would improve the depth to the group that already has Dukes, Milledge, Harris, Willingham, and Kearns. Thomas Boswell already reported in the Washington Post that if the organization had started to sign key free agents sooner than Teixeira may not have dismissed the Nationals fair offer so easily because they would have already been closer to the end of the rebuilding process. It's now time for the franchise to continue to press forward by signing some key veterans in the prime of their career.
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While hitters are nice, it would be better if the Nats could garner 3 starters and 2 arms for the bullpen. So far it seems only Daniel Cabrera and Scott Olsen. The rest of the current pitching roster are those from last season or from the farm. We've even lost or released some from last season, so it's looking bleak. A better than average hitting lineup won't matter when the arms give up 9 runs a game.
There's no doubt that improvement in just about every position is warrented, but by your accounts you would fall into the trap that Boswell suggested.
There's no sense in over paying for mediocre talent. It's about sending wisely and accordingly. There's no magic pitcher out there, but the obvious wholes have been hitting.
At the start of the season I had said there'd be streaks of pitching and no hitting and hitting without pitching as well as no hitting and no pitching with a few streaks where the planets were aligned. The Nats learned from their huge spring training with countless pitching invitations that if the hitting and fielding can hold up the pitching will come as the farm system is rebuilt.
Dunn and Fielder are two huge bats that would help solidify the middle of the lineup and bring balance to the batting order. It would allow the pitching staff time to evolve and build back up. Would it be nice to add a Sheets, sure but it is one pitcher going to bring a championship to DC in the next three years? No, but the two bats I mentioned would then allow the team to address other needs and build from within. Dunn and Fielder are both under 30 address the batting problems so that the team can focus on the pitching side and farm system rather then just making splashes with a haphazard strategy of spending.
I do not disagree with you that one pitcher is not going to drastically improve the team. That's why I said they need 3 starters and 2 relievers. The point is, I don't believe a single starter from last season, save maybe the couple of arms brought up from the minors, should start this season. The bullpen? All the decent ones traded to playoff contenders.
For arguments sake, the Nats can keep one starter and one reliever from last season. Doesn't matter who. They needed to acquire arms over multiple seasons, otherwise they'll be in the same position next season...no pitchers. What if the free agent market runs like this one? A couple of great arms, a # 2 starter or so, and the rest #3's? Why spend money on bad talent.
Go after one or two good pitchers this season. When there is some respect, next season, the better free agents will take a longer look. Maybe they have arms in the farm, but as the Cubs know from Prior & Woods, that's no guarantee.
Hitters are always available. I'm not saying lay off Dunn and Fielder, but Dunn looks like he'll go to the Dodgers or the Cubs. Go after a pitcher.
The right hitters are not always available. If you believe arms are what's needed then name them. You can't have everything all at once but fixing the hitting and protecting Zimmerman is a good start.
Although it's true that the Nationals again hurt their bullpen because starters couldn't pitch deep into a game, but the Nats were one of the lowest scoring teams in the league....again. It's difficult to win winnable games with no run support.
Derek Lowe. Oliver Perez. Both better than any Nats pitcher from last season. You can also look at ESPN's Hot Stove page. 4 pitchers still avaiable in the top ten as of 1:45 ET. All four I would say better than any veteran Nats pitcher. Lowe is the oldest, so I can say we can lay off of him, since he won't be around when the Nats can really contend. But the other three, the oldest is 33, so I think they are fair game.
Your argument is correct that we can't win with no run support. I'll argue that without decent pitching, you'll have to score 10 runs a game. That's why I said go after both and right now, all I see is the Nats going after hitting.
The issue is that this isn't fantasy baseball and players have to want to sign here and fit in with an overall strategy.
Perez seems the most plausible solution, but that would be one arm and why would he want to sign here when he has a shot at winning in NY?
The bottom line is that one free agent isn't enough no matter where you place them, but sign two that can help one another and there's a sound strategy. Overall there's no Santana to attempt to sign in Washington and to ask a #3 starter to fill out the top of the rotation with no run support will yield similar results to this past season. It's not realistic to expect any of these pitchers to be perfect with perfect fielding and no run support. They would have to win several games 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and it doesn't seem realistic. At the end of the season that would almost be more disasterous because more money would have been spent and the franchise would be viewed in even worse condition with moral and the general perception sinking even lower as the losses rivaled this past year.
If the Nats can ink Dunn & Fielder and not Bradley (who plays in a hitter friendly ball park and would only join a crowded OF where no one hits more than 30 HRs) they can take some of the pressure off of the pitching and out hit some opponents. It's progress to help the rest of the organization catch up.
The best players on the big board are hitters that are available via free agency and trades. The Nats need help everywhere but this year the team can move forward with hitting. Bowden knows how to find bargain relievers and starters to complete a season. If all goes well hitting will be addressed this year and the soon to be closer in waiting from the minors and the farm system kick in the following year with free agent pitching signings.
We will have to agree to disagree. Given that it's unlikely Dunn is going to sign with the Nats, since his top teams right now are the Cubs and Dodgers, and Fielder wants big money, though he does not exactly have the resume, IMHO, I'm saying go after them AND pitchers. I've said that in each of my responses. OK, I didn't say that in my initial comment.
Cabrera is one of those pitchers who may pan out, but he's only on a one year deal, so he'll come at a cost in 2010 if he is kept. Or he'll suck and they keep him anyways.
Bowden is another story. I want to say he is in the last year of his contract. I think Stan kasten might look for another GM come end of 2009.
As JWjr would say - smile :)
I'm glad you spend the Lerner's money and pay for four or five players all this year like the Yankees. That seems highly unrealistic.
Having a Guzman, Zimmerman, Fielder, Dunn, and Dukes in the 6th spot would be a nice batting order to fill out. That's progress. Things don't happen overnight. Considering the level of the other teams in the division it will take a while, but initial steps must be made.
The Nationals shouldn't let the market form around Dunn. They should move quickly on Dunn as stated before and not let others into the bidding. If its over a few million over the total contract the Nationals should consider that savings and lock out the compitition by signing Dunn NOW. The price next year will be even more. Contracts don't go down in free agency they go up.
I simply said to pursue pitchers. If they go after 5 and only get 2 or 3, that's not bad. If they go after 2 (Dunn & Fielder in your example), and get neither they save money, but at a cost of not improving the team.
I do smile, I just don't understand why you are only concentrating on Dunn & Fielder. Go for pitching, or lose games 10-5 all season long. Bad pitching will give up more runs than good hitting can support.
None of the pitchers you've listed will make a difference on this team as it stands. It would be wasted money and more deflating to a team that still loses when it spends money. They'd be able to win more games by out hitting some teams 6-5 etc.