Daniel Murphy has a career 3 Slash of .288/.331/.424. The Nats signed him to a 3 YR deal worth $37.5 MIL – that will also cost the Nationals the 17th overall pick in the 2016 Draft next year. Some say that pick is worth $8 to $10 MIL. If this is the case, why wouldn’t the Nats just have kept Yunel Escobar for $7 MIL over the next 2 years, and then sign Denard Span to the 3 Year deal that Murphy just signed. The Nats are better off today than they were yesterday, but I have to ask the question whether or not they did the right moves.

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The Nats finally got their First Baseman they needed in the upcoming year with a 3 YRS/$37.5 MIL deal with former Met Daniel Murphy.  It will cost the cash, plus the 17th overall pick in the 2016 as compensation for signing him.

It has been an offseason that has seen GM Mike Rizzo obtain several Bullpen pieces for the roster next year.

In the end here, I am not sure Washington wouldn’t have been better off just keeping Yunel Escobar, and signing Denard Span for the same deal that Murphy just got.

So I guess Anthony Rendon will leadoff for the Nationals in 2016?

New Manager Dusty Baker will probably see Bryce Harper move into the Starting Centerfielder position, play Jayson Werth in Left Field, and then use Clint Robinson and Michael Taylor as a platoon in RF. 

Taylor could also play CF, with Harper in Right, but the idea is have the reigning NL MVP not have to crash into fences down the foul pole line. Read the rest of this entry →