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Nationals Are Banking On A Trio Of Players To Have Comeback Seasons In 2016
The Nationals have made the playoffs in 2 of the last 4 years with 2012 and 2014 being sandwiched between poor 2013 and 2015 campaigns of failed expectations. With 2 .300 hitters fleeing the club this past winter, coupled with the loss of Ian Desmond to Free Agency, this club needs Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon healthy and on the field in 2016. If they struggle in production or health, the efforts of reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper will not matter.
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Bryce Harper fashioned one of the greatest years we have ever seen by a 22 year old, and the Washington Nationals still only finished with a 83 – 79 record – and plenty of victories behind the NL Playoff Bar.
Harper took home the MVP efforts, and has to be wondering if his supporting cast has his back for the 2016 campaign – if he can make it safely to base at least 300 times again like he did in 2015.
Perhaps the biggest factor Washington struggled down the stretch was injury. Ryan Zimmerman couldn’t stay on the field – despite racking up a productive 74 RBI on 346 PA.
Denard Span missed 101 games, which is definitely too bad considering the squad was 36 – 25 in games he was featured in.
Jayson Werth never got on track after injuries plagued him early and often – and had his worst year in a decade – after finishing with top 18 votes for MVP in the previous two seasons.
2014 stalwart Anthony Rendon only mustered a half a season of injury riddled play at a .707 OPS after putting forth a Silver Slugger campaign – with a top 5 MVP vote the previous year.
Ian Desmond also had added a horrible 1st half of the year, before he corrected his problems at the plate, and stopped booting the ball around in the second half. Read the rest of this entry
Do It Cashman/Rizzo: Strasburg For Andrew Miller And Brett Gardner!
As good as Stephen Strasburg was in the 2nd half of the 2015 year, ( 6 – 2 with a 1.90 ERA post ALL – Star), he will be a Free Agent after 2016. The Nats need a leadoff man, and a lockdown Closer- after they potentially trade attitude problem Jonathan Papelbon. It makes for both clubs to pull the deal off. There will also not be any recourse action as they are all set to switch leagues. The trade would see the Yankees flip leadoff OF man Brett Gardner and Closer Andrew Miller in return. Both of those 2 Yankees have 3 years left on their current deals.
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After seeing the trade go down for Alex Hicks, I then saw the trade proposal of Andrew Miller and Brett Gardner for Stephen Strasburg. This was inferred by MLB.com columnist Richard Justice. Here are my thoughts on it.
This would be a phenomenal deal for both clubs. The Yankees can clear some salary to sign another Starting Pitcher in addition to Strasburg coming in, and the Nats would get their new leadoff man and shutdown Closer.
Although there are some things to consider….It looks like the club will go forward with Bryce Harper at CF then. This would mean that Gardner and Jayson Werth would round out the Outfield.
I also think the Nationals should include Jonathan Papelbon in this deal – or flip him in another deal to clear a spot for Miller to Close.
Straburg will make from $11 – $13 MIL for the 2016 season in his last year of Arbitration before hitting Free Agency – which would equal out Gardner’s salary. Andrew Miller is set to make $9 MIL a year for the next 3 seasons.
New York will need to replace Miller in some capacity for sure. Whether that is another late inning arm to set up Dellin Betances – or even sign another Closer would have to be the idea. Miller and Betances were the two best pitchers for the club in 2015.
The team would be well served to land the services of Joakim Soria.
For the record, Papelbon only makes $11 MIL in 2016 before becoming an outright Free Agent in 2017. Read the rest of this entry
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