The future is now at Nationals Park!
In trading four prospects, 3 of whom were among our top 10 according to Baseball America, for 2011 All Star Gio Gonzalez GM Mike Rizzo in NOT looking towards 2013. In the suddenly competitive NL East Rizzo clearly thinks - as does Manager Davey Johnson - that the Nats can compete with the pitching-rich Phillies, the young Braves, and the renamed and restocked Miami Marlins.
The real loss in that trade is losing prospects - and pitchers - like Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole. Peacock was the Nats' minor league pitcher of the year last season, and in 12 big league innings only gave up one run. Tom Milone also looked good during a late season call up. But the move reflects both a desire to get better now, and the fact that Washington has quite a bit of pitching depth in the minors.
In an end of the season interview with the Washington Post Johnson went so far as to say the Nats were only one player away from contending for a playoff spot in 2012. Most folks thought Johnson meant a center fielder or legit lead off hitter.
We'll see if a 26-year old All Star who won 31 games, in the tough American League, in the last two years while pitching in the gargantuan Oakland Coliseum - who now is our number 2 or 3 starter after Strasburg and Zimmerman - is that 'one player.'
A few Nats Notes:
- It will be - at least look like - a big league rotation next year, with Strasburg, Zimmermann, Gonzalez, Chien Ming Wang and John Lannan.
- Lannan was our number one starter in 2009 and 2010; now he's number 5. Bad for Lannan but proof of progress in our pitching staff, right?
- The two other off season moves the Nats have made also fit the 'contending team' model. Veterans like Mike Cameron, our new back up outfielder, and Mark DeRosa, who can play everywhere, are the kind of bench players contending teams feature. Then again, you could probably say the same thing about Jerry Hairston last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment