Should the Nationals sit Bryce Harper?

Bryce Harper was sent home from Miami to receive further tests on an injured hip, the latest injury on a laundry list of ailments he has suffered in 2013. With only 20 games remaining in the Nationals’ season, should the Nationals sit Harper for the remainder of the season?

Many analysts are asking that question today, but it strikes me as a bit hasty. The mere fact that Harper was sent home shows that the injury is not nothing, but we still do not know exactly how serious it is. It would be a mistake for the team to prematurely shut him down only for a doctor to declare that there is nothing significantly wrong.

Being the competitor that he is, Harper obviously will not like being shut down for any period of time. He will take issue if he feels he can play but is forced to sit.

The Nationals also want to be careful about developing a reputation. With last year’s shutdown of Stephen Strasburg, if the team were to shutdown Harper they may start to be seen around the league as overprotective.

The fact that the Nationals want to protect their players is great, but being overprotective could be detrimental.  Older players could be hesitant to sign if they have an injury history and eager young players could worry about being held back for a title run that may never come.

The Nationals may not be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but they trail Cincinnati by eight games with only 20 remaining. There will be no postseason baseball in DC. Playing it safe with Harper is smart, but only if he risks further injury.

Let’s wait to see what the doctors say before we start screaming for Harper to sit. No point in angering one of the team’s young stars or developing a reputation before we even know how serious this injury is.

For the latest DC sports news, check out CSNWashington.com and follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy

Too little too late for the Nationals?

Just when the season seemed lost, the Washington Nationals have finally started winning. The Nationals have won eight of their last ten games and face a very favorable schedule to close out the season. But is there enough time for them to climb back into the playoff race?

All season long amidst the Nationals’ struggles, we have heard the same refrain over and over again: all they need is a win streak. The baseball season is full of ups and downs, and every team goes on a run. Once the Nationals hit theirs, they would be fine.

It was that mentality that perhaps got them into this predicament.

The Nationals refused to panic as the team continued to play .500 ball, feeling everything would be ok when they hit the inevitable run that never came. Suddenly, it was August, the Nationals still hovered around .500, and the Braves were firmly entrenched in the top of the division.

Whether the Nationals finally realized the season was slipping away or no longer played under the pressure they felt to start the season, the team is suddenly hot.

Just to keep things in perspective, the playoffs are still a long shot. The Nationals trail Atlanta by a whopping 14 games in the division despite being in second place and they trail Cincinnati for the final wild card spot by 6.5 games.

They are not going to catch the Braves. That leaves the wild card. The Reds are on pace for 90 wins. To match that, the Nationals would have to win 22 of their remaining 28 games. That’s a tall order.

It is good to see the Nationals finally string some wins together in an attempt to make things interesting. If they can continue then perhaps they will play some meaningful games in September as they fight for the playoffs. For a team with such high hopes, it is hard to see this season ending in anything other than disappointment. There is still enough time though to make it a little interesting.

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Nats' bats going silent

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. The Nationals get great pitching from their starter, hold the opposing team to two or three runs, and still lose.

Sound familiar?

The Nationals have been unable to replicate their offensive success from last season, despite the addition of Denard Span and continued development of Bryce Harper. Last season, the Nationals had the ninth best batting average in the MLB. This year, they are currently ranked 28^th. They are also 28^th in runs scored, 29^th in hits, and 23^rd in home runs.

The fact that the Nationals have a .500 record is a testament to how good the pitching (except from poor Dan Haren) has been. With that sort of offensive futility, their record could easily be worse.

Obviously the team's injuries have taken their toll on the offense. Harper is still recovering from running into the wall in Los Angeles and Werth has returned to the lineup only recently.

Danny Espinosa was pretty much a guaranteed out every time he stepped up to the plate. He has been dealing with a torn rotator cuff and fractured wrist, though he stated neither injury was contributing to his struggles at the plate. With a .158 batting average, however, I think you can safely assume it was affecting him more than he was letting on.

The Nationals also continue to struggle with leadoff hitting. Span teased fans with what he could contribute at the start the season, but he has since struggled to get on base. He currently has an OBP of only .307. Not only is that low among other leadoff hitters, its low among the Nationals. He’s behind Harper, Werth, Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, and Ian Desmond. It is hard to score runs if your leadoff hitter cannot even get on base.

Pinch-hitting is an often-overlooked aspect of the game unless you are not getting any production. Clearly that is the case for the Nationals. Steve Lombardozzi leads the reserve corps with a .227 batting average. Chad Tracy was a major weapon last season and he is hitting only .149 with 5 RBIs. Tyler Moore struggled so much that he was optioned to AAA Syracuse. There just has not been enough production to help out the starting nine.

There is still hope for the Nationals. Harper is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday or Thursday and will likely return one or two weeks after that. Desmond has returned to all-star form as well and has been unstoppable of late and Rendon has played very well in place of Espinosa. Harper’s return will make this lineup much deeper than it has been all season.

As of now, the Nationals are one game over .500 despite being one of the worst offensive teams in the league. They currently sit five games behind the Braves, by no means an insurmountable hole. Even if they get average offensive production for the rest of the season, they should shoot up the standings.

There is still time for the Nationals to wake up some offense and plenty of reasons to expect them to do so.

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Nationals’ injuries hampering their championship hopes

It has been a rough year for the Nationals. The days when they were declaring “world series or bust” now seem like a lifetime ago. The Nationals currently ‘boast’ a record of 29-29, 7.5 games behind Atlanta for the division lead.

Not the start most people had in mind.

Bad fielding and a weak bullpen have unquestionably played a role in the team’s struggles, but the biggest reason is the laundry list of injuries they have suffered.

Danny Espinosa was added to the DL on Tuesday, joining Bryce Harper, Wilson Ramos, Ross Detwiler, and Ryan Mattheus. Stephen Strasburg was placed on the DL today after the team initially hoped he would not have to miss a start.

With all these injuries, the Nationals have held players out a day or two in the hopes that they would not have to be put on the DL. That, more than anything else, is what makes these injuries so troubling. Every team gets hit with injuries; some teams get hit harder than others. The Nationals have had their share of injuries, but have they made things worse on themselves by not shutting down players immediately?

Harper was placed on the DL due to knee bursitis. The Washington Post reports he first injured it in Atlanta about a month ago. Of course, running full speed into the wall in Los Angeles likely made things worse. Harper was not placed on the DL after that game, however. In fact, he appeared in nine more games before he was finally shutdown.

Detwiler was not expected to go on the DL after being pulled May 15 against the Dodgers. The team decided to hold him out of his next start, but he continued throwing and ended up aggravating the injury.

Do you see a pattern developing here?

Espinosa came into the season declaring he had a torn rotator cuff, but that he would be able to play through it. Guess what happened. He did not allow himself to heal by continuing to play and has looked awful all season long.

Why are players being allowed to talk their way out of the DL only to end up on it later?

When players do not allow injuries to heal, they can often get worse or at least fail to get better. That is especially true in a sport like baseball with so many games almost every day. It is up to the manager and training staff to determine when a player needs to sit.

The Nationals had no problem with this last year when they sat a seemingly healthy Strasburg once he reached his innings limit. Yet, this season they have not exercised the same amount of discretion.

Harper pinch-hit two days after running into the wall in Los Angeles. Where was the caution? Why not sit him a few more days? He may have said he was fine, but that’s what players do. Heck, Harper tried to convince Johnson he could stay in that game in Los Angeles. Why not give arguably your best player a couple extra days off to make sure he is ok or immediately place him on the DL?

The Nationals mercifully put Espinosa out of his misery Tuesday by placing him on the DL. His season has been a disaster from the word go. He announced before the season that he had a torn rotator cuff, but that he would play through it. He was terrible. Then it came out on May 24 that he was also dealing with a fractured right wrist.

Espinosa has insisted his injuries were not affecting his play. I sure hope they were because it would explain why he has been one of the worst hitters in the league. That’s no exaggeration; he has literally been one of the worst hitters in MLB this season with a .158 average and a .193 OBP.

Why the Nationals allowed this train-wreck to continue for as long as they did is baffling. The highest Espinosa’s average has been this season is .200. He reached it once on April 10 and again on May 8. His average has been below .200 for the rest of the season.

Even if you argue that Espinosa is one of the best defensive players on the team, which both Johnson and Rizzo believe, you cannot afford to carry this hole in your lineup for over two months. How could they not see that Espinosa trying to play through his injuries just wasn’t working? How could the Nationals have made this same mistake multiple times this season?

The only reason I can think of is desperation. This team has pushed all the chips into the middle and gone all-in. They declared openly this spring that they were the team to beat. With the team already struggling they suddenly faced decisions on whether to put Harper, Epsinosa, Ramos, Detwiler, and Strasburg on the DL. Hoping everyone just ‘plays through it’ and then deciding whether to put them on the DL is a terrible strategy. Had the Nationals been cautious with their star players from the start, had they listened to the doctors and trainers instead of the players and the standings, then I think we would be a lot closer to seeing the full lineup than we are right now.

Hopefully the Nationals did not gamble their season along with the health of their players.

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Does Bryce Harper need to change the way he plays?

Last Monday at Dodger Stadium, Bryce Harper showed just how hard he plays the game when he collided full-speed into the outfield wall while chasing a fly ball. Luckily he did not suffer a concussion, but the violent hit left him hurting in many other areas.

"Both legs, (left) shoulder, ribs, hand, wrist, chin of course," Harper told the media. He has been day-to-day since then, missing a few games over the course of the week.

While it appears Harper will be none the worse for wear, the incident has sparked an interesting debate over whether Harper will have to change the way he plays or risk serious injuries that could potentially shorten his career.

Since the injury, people have described Harper as ‘negligent’, a ‘daredevil’, ‘irresponsible’, etc. The vast majority of this criticism is overblown. I took much greater issue when Harper hit the wall with a bat and it bounced back and hit him in the head. In that case, he let his emotions get the best of him and it led to an easily avoidable injury. In LA, Harper was just trying to make a play.

With a 162 game season and 27 outs per game, is it smart for Harper to play so hard for each and every out? Perhaps not, but determining when making a play is not worth it is a very grey area as a manager cannot tell his players in the outfield not to play hard to make every catch. Let’s not forget what it was like to watch Barry Bonds in the outfield. When he was not sleeping in the grass or picking flowers, he was trotting after balls like he was just playing catch in his backyard. Nobody wants to see that.

I feel with all this ‘daredevil’rhetoric, people are missing the problem with what happened in LA; Harper misplayed the ball.

When playing the outfield, players need to realize when they can and cannot make a catch so they can position themselves to quickly grab the ball when it hits the ground or the wall. Harper was close to the ball, but as it began to fall he needed to realize he was too close to the wall and would not make the catch. What he should have done was stop and position himself to grab the ball off the wall.

Harper is not being irresponsible in his play. It would be more irrseponsible for him to not try and put himself before the team. What he is guilty of is not knowing where he was on the field. Yes, there is a warning track, but remember that the setup of every MLB field is different. Even with the warning track, it is easy to understand how a 20 year-old can get lost in an unfamiliar park. Field awareness is something Harper will continue to learn.

Harper plays the game hard and he should be commended for that, not criticized. The incident in LA is the result of him playing at 100% and losing track of where he was on the field. Harper is not a daredevil or irresponsible, he’s a young competitor who is still learning to play the outfield. And if you remain unconvinced and still think Harper needs to do more to protect himself, that’s an easy fix. All Davey Johnson needs to do is sit him down and point out the time he misses when he does get injured. If playing means so much to you, don’t hit yourself in the head with a bat or you’ll miss time. Don’t hit the wall or you’ll miss time. With how much Harper loves to play each and every night, he’ll get the message.

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Is Zimmermann the best pitcher on the Nationals?

Expectations were high for the Nationals’ rotation heading into the season. The team boasts three ace-caliber pitchers and, based on their performance last year, starting pitching was thought of as a strength. With no innings-limit hovering over Stephen Strasburg’s head and Gio Gonzalez coming off a 21 win season, it was not hard to imagine a pitcher establishing himself as a Cy Young contender.

Thirty-five games into the season, one pitcher has indeed established himself, but not the one you may have thought.

Jordan Zimmermann is the often-overlooked star of this rotation. He has been the most consistent pitcher by far this season and is arguably responsible for bringing the Nationals out of their recent slump.

That’s quite an accomplishment for a player who only plays once every five games.

Zimmermann was drafted by the Nationals in 2007 and made his major league debut April 20, 2009. In August of that year, however, he underwent Tommy John surgery and thus fell under the radar.

Zimmermann returned on August 26, 2010, but his return was also over-shadowed. On that same day, the Nationals learned that their new phenom, Strasburg, would be undergoing Tommy John surgery as well.

The return of a relatively unknown pitcher did not seem to matter.

Since that time, however, Zimmermann has established himself as one of the league’s best pitchers.

With no innings limit, Strasburg was expected to pitch like the ace we all know he can be. In his seven starts this season, he has a 1-4 record with a 3.45 ERA and five homeruns allowed.

Gio has struggled even more than Strasburg. He has gotten better run support than Strasburg, helping him reach a 3-2 record, but he has a 4.97 ERA and has also allowed five homeruns.

Zimmermann on the other hand, continues to dominate. He leads the team with a 6-1 record and a 1.59 ERA. He has allowed only two homeruns and a WHIP of 0.82. He pitched eight scoreless innings in Atlanta to help the Nationals earn their first win of the season against their divisional rivals. Since that game, the Nationals have won five of their next six, pulling the team out of its slump.

Strasburg is one of the best pitching talents in the league and I have no doubt he will play better as the season goes along. Likewise, I expect Gio to rebound as well. But the Nationals currently have a record of 20-15. Imagine where they would be without Zimmermann.

Zimmermann is eligible for arbitration in 2015. It will be hard for the Nationals to keep him, as it is hard to pay three aces to remain in your rotation. He is arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now and he is third in this rotation.

The point is that with Strasburg and Gio, it appeared Zimmermann would be expendable and too expensive to keep. No doubt it will be hard to pay him what he is worth while keeping him at third in the rotation, but do not dismiss how important he is to this team right now. He may not be as expendable as many have assumed.

Haren struggles early, but seems likely to improve

With the departure of Edwin Jackson, the Nationals had a hole in their rotation to fill heading into the offseason. Jackson was the least dependable starter for the Nationals, so the team had the opportunity to bolster their already dominant rotation.

So far, Dan Haren has not lived up to the expectations of a World Series contending team.

Through two starts, Haren has done his best Chien-Ming Wang impression, racking up a 9.00 ERA. In 9.0 innings pitched, he’s allowed 19 hits, nine runs, and four homeruns. As there were several question marks surrounding Haren coming into this season, this kind of start has already made Nats’ fans very nervous.

Haren has been plagued by back and hip problems for the past two seasons. He missed a few starts last season for the Angels and his ERA bumped up to 4.33 on the season, his highest since 2004 when he was a late-season call-up. If he could put those issues behind him, based on his past success he would undoubtedly be an upgrade from Jackson. If his first start against Cincinnati was any indication, Haren still has a ways to go.

It is far too early to judge him just yet, however. Two games is an absurdly small sample size. It is important to remember that Haren’s struggles will be magnified by the fact that he plays for a team with four other very good starters, three of whom could be aces on most MLB teams. The expectations fans have for the Nationals are going to lead many to over react to Haren’s struggles, but I think there’s reason to be hopeful Haren will improve.

Haren’s first game was a disaster, there’s no way to sugarcoat it. In four innings, he gave up nine hits, six runs, and four homeruns. The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, however, is known as a hitter’s park, partly explaining some of the homeruns he gave up. Haren’s performance also was vastly improved in his second game against the White Sox where he gave up only three runs and no homeruns in five innings. He has thrown ten strikeouts and no walks showing he has had control of his pitches. That leaves me confident that he will be able to turn things around.

Haren may have struggled to start the season, but there is plenty of time to return to form. It is definitely not time to panic Nats’ fans, Haren will be fine.

Nationals Preview: Can the Nationals handle the expectations?

The Nationals came into last season declaring that the rebuild was over, that they were going to raise eyebrows around the league. Few expected them to be the best team in baseball.

Despite all their success however, their season came to an end in devastating fashion as they gave up a massive lead to St. Louis to lose in game five. This year, they are a little older, a little wiser, and a lot better. They boast what many believe to be the best roster in the MLB. Given last season’s success and the players acquired in the offseason, the expectations for this team have skyrocketed.

The Nationals will open the season Monday against the Miami Marlins. Here are the questions facing this team headed into what many believe could be a World Series season.

Will the Nationals’ rotation remain as dominant on the mound?

The Nationals are returning four of their five starters from last season’s rotation with Edwin Jackson the only defector. Jackson was the weakest link in what was arguably the best rotation in baseball. Dan Haren was brought in to replace him, but he has struggled this spring giving up an ERA of 6.39 in only six games. You cannot read too much into spring training, but his inability to control his pitches and his injury history definitely are causes for concern.

Still, Haren is expected to be the team’s fifth starter so even if he does not play well he will not drag the team down too far. The team’s plan last year was for Chien Ming-Wang to be the team’s fifth starter and it would be hard for Haren to do much worse. If Haren can return to form, he can be an upgrade from Jackson.

There is no reason to doubt that Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwieler will not be able to pick up where they left off last season. Strasburg will also be entering this season with no limitations. As unbelievable as it may seem, this rotation could actually be better than last year.

The wildcard of course is injuries. The rotation was remarkably healthy last year as none of their five starters missed a single start due to injury. Statistically speaking, that is not likely to happen again, but if they can stay healthy they will continue to frustrate batters around the league.

How will the new additions fit into the team?

In addition to Haren, the Nationals also added OF Denard Span and closer Rafael Soriano. Span will be the leadoff hitter the team desperately missed last season. While his acquisition ultimately led to the trade of Michael Morse, the Nationals needed a leadoff hitter more than they needed Morse’s power. Span fills one of the few holes that still remained from last season’s team.

Soriano was an unexpected, but welcome addition. The Nationals did not have a single designated closer last season choosing instead to have more of a closer by committee approach and as a result were sent packing when they needed a save the most. Drew Storen is a good pitcher, but it will take a long time for Nationals’ fans to forget last season’s game five collapse.

It was with that game in mind no doubt that led Rizzo to sign Soriano.

Soriano has 132 career saves, while Storen has only 52. He is an established closer who can finish games in pressure situations. With a deep playoff run being the goal, a strong closer could be an invaluable addition to the team.

How good will Bryce Harper be?

It is important to remember that Spring Training stats do not matter and do not always indicate what will happen in the regular season. Having said that, if Harper hits anything close to what he’s done this spring, he will be one of the most dangerous hitters in the MLB.

Harper has a .478 AVG, .500 OBP, .716 SLG, and 1.216 OPS this spring. Those are some impressive numbers, especially when you consider the fact that he is still 20 years old.

It will be interesting to see how pitchers pitch to him this year. The normal progression for young batters is that pitchers through a lot of fast balls at them to start. Once they adjust to the speed of the majors, pitchers begin using off-speed pitches instead. Once they adjust to that, pitchers usually will have a blueprint of where batters struggle the most.

Harper has already gone through this progression with pitchers and he’s still getting better. I’ve heard a lot of analysts say he should be an MVP candidate this season and why not? Mike Trout was a legitimate MVP candidate last year when he was 20. Harper certainly has the skill set to be a dynamic player.

Perhaps that is expecting a bit too much from Harper and not giving enough credit to Trout’s remarkable season, but I think it would be a disappointment to both fans and Harper himself if he was not the Nationals’ best player this season.

Is the lack of left-handed relievers a cause for concern?

The Nationals have said they are comfortable with their relievers’ abilities against left-handed batters, but I am skeptical.

Teams are going to throw every lefty pinch hitter they have in the dugout in every tight, late game situation and force the Nationals to justify their faith in their bullpen.

The good news is that we will know in a month or so whether there’s a problem. If the team has struggled against lefties, Rizzo will undoubtedly seek out a trade. He has shown that he is all in on this season and will do what he can to make this team playoff-ready.

Even with the bullpen the team has, they will remain the best team in the league. The problem is what happens in the playoffs when the stakes are higher, and the Nationals have no left-handed relievers?

This is the only real weakness I see on this team and I hope it does not end of hurting them when it matters most.

Predictions?

The Nationals were the best team in baseball last season and they got even better in the offseason. The Braves improved considerably as well, but the Nationals are still the front-runners in the NL East leading into the season.

The only thing that makes me nervous is that history tells you the best team on paper frequently does not turn out to be the best team on the field. Injuries could pop up as the Nationals remained remarkably healthy last year and the strength of the bullpen is a question mark.

Sometimes, good teams just do not live up to expectations. The mental strain of being the best team may get the best of the Nats, but that’s why having Davey Johnson at the helm for one more year is crucial. If anyone can keep tabs on the Nationals’ mentality, it’s him.

The Braves will be good, but not as good as the Nationals who will end up winning the division. If they do not, it will be a huge disappointment.

But this season will not be about regular season accolades, it will be about the playoffs. The Nationals appear to be capable of winning the World Series and probably anything short of an NL pennant will be looked at as a failure.

The only weakness this team may potentially have is the bullpen, but the addition of Soriano allows for greater flexibility and if need be, Rizzo will add a left-handed reliever some time during the season. I believe the Nationals will win the division and the NL pennant, but will come up short in the World Series.

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Gio Gonzalez's Future Clouded by PED Connection

Gio Gonzalez reported to camp in Viera, Florida this week and again denied any connection to the Biogenesis clinic now under investigation for supplying performance-enhancing drugs to MLB players. He declared to reporters that it was time to “move on”.

 

This story, however, is far from over.

 

A recent article in the Miami New Times reported that Gonzalez and five other MLB players were listed in the notebook of Tony Bosch, founder of the Biogenesis clinic. Gonzalez’s name is listed five times next to several substances, though, as reported by Mark Zuckerman, only one contains a banned substance. The MLB has opened an investigation and Gonzalez told reporters he has already spoken to investigators. Though Gonzalez has never tested positive for any type of banned substance, he still faces a suspension based on whatever the MLB may find in its investigation.

 

Should he and Nationals’ fans be worried?

 

It’s too early to say definitively at the moment, but there are certainly factors working against him.

 

Common sense says that when there’s smoke, there’s fire. Multiple reporters have now seen Bosch’s notes and have confirmed Gonzalez’s name appears. There has to be a reason why his name is in those notes and it is probably not because Gonzalez was his favorite pitcher.

 

Gonzalez did offer an explanation. Max Gonzalez, Gio’s father, was a patient of the clinic and Gonzalez claimed it was possible his father’s bragging may have caught Bosch’s attention. Otherwise, there was no direct connection between himself and Bosch.

 

I suppose this could be plausible and it is certainly better than denying any connection whatsoever, but it is still a bit of a stretch. Your father bragged about you so much that Bosch felt the need to write your name down five times in his notes and one time next to a substance that included testosterone? Why? Just as a suggestion? Sure, we do not know exactly what Bosch was thinking, but it does not make much sense for a person to continue noting someone he has had no contact with.

 

Being linked to Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera also does not help.  After the story broke, Yahoo Sports also linked Ryan Braun’s name to the clinic.  All three have been linked to banned substances in the past.

 

In fact, the whole history of PED use in baseball is working against Gonzalez. Players are guilty until proven innocent after so many players have been caught lying. Even if Gonzalez is not suspended, he may never be able to recover his reputation as a clean player.

 

Should Gonzalez be suspended, it could be a significant loss to the Nationals to start the season. The team was able to seamlessly transition during Stephen Strasburg’s shutdown last season because they were able to plug the former ace, John Lannan, into the rotation. Lannan, however, is no longer on the team. The Nationals instead would turn to either Zach Duke or Christian Garcia. Duke has more starting experience, but Garcia seems more likely as Duke is the only left-hander left in the bullpen.  Either way, losing Gonzalez for Duke or Garcia would certainly be a step down for the rotation.

 

With no positive tests and only a few scattered notes to go on, however, the MLB does not have enough evidence to suspend Gonzalez. It all depends on what Bosch himself tells investigators regarding their relationship, but I doubt Gonzalez will miss any time. The story may follow him throughout the season, but the Nationals’ rotation will remain intact.

What's the Hold-up on LaRoche?

Adam LaRoche is coming off a career year and wants to return to the Nationals. He was undoubtedly the best player on the team last season and the Nationals want him back. Sounds like a done deal.

So what’s the hold-up?

The main sticking point between the two sides is the contract length. LaRoche wants a three-year deal, but the Nationals are only willing to give him two.

LaRoche had the best season of his career in 2012, winning his first Golden Glove and Silver Slugger awards. A three-year contract would be a huge risk for the Nationals. Injuries have been an issue for LaRoche his entire career. Sure, he looked great last year, but his 154 at bats were the most he’s ever had in a single season. What we saw in 2012 may be what LaRoche is capable of when he stays healthy, but at 33, his physical decline will begin sooner rather than later. Is it worth it to give him three years for diminishing stats and possibly shortened seasons?

The fact is, the Nationals just are not desperate enough to offer him three years guaranteed. With a crowded outfield, the Nationals could move Michael Morse to first base if LaRoche went elsewhere. The team has no reason to risk three years.

As a free agent, LaRoche could certainly look somewhere else for a better deal, but as of yet no one has offered him the three years he was seeking.

When Josh Hamilton signed with the Angels, it was widely reported that Texas would pursue. While he is no Josh Hamilton, the Rangers desperately need hitting to replace their former slugger. If they were not willing to offer him three years, it’s hard to imagine anyone else would.

The only hope for LaRoche right now seems to be Boston. The Red Sox are currently trying to rework a deal with Mike Napoli after discovering a previously undisclosed hip condition. If they are unable to come to terms, the Red Sox would reportedly look at LaRoche. According to MLB.com's Peter Gammons, however, Boston isn't willing to give LaRoche a three-year deal either.

If no one will give him three years, then it may be time for a reality check for LaRoche if he wants to sign before spring training. If it continues to be a sticking point, the Nationals could offer him a team option for a third year in an attempt to placate him, but that is essentially the same thing as a two-year deal.

The Nationals would like him back, but they don’t need him. Even among the teams who do need him, he isn’t worth two years. Now it’s a question of how long LaRoche is willing to wait.

DC Sports 2012 Year in Review

For the Redskins, 2012 was the year of RG3.  In March, the team decided to go all-in on Robert Griffin III, trading three first round picks and a second round pick to St. Louis in order to move up to number two in the draft.

Additionally, the NFL fined the Redskins $36 million in cap space because of contract structures during the uncapped season.  With less cap space and no top draft picks for the next two seasons, Griffin’s success became paramount for the Redskins to become competitive in the near future.

He did not disappoint.

Griffin finished with 3,200 yards, a 65.6 completion percentage, and 27 total touchdowns. He also threw for only five interceptions, displaying accuracy and decision making capabilities well beyond his years. Both he and surprise running back Alfred Morris transformed the offense this season and everyone bought in on the feeling that this team had the makings of something special.

The season did not start out as many had hoped, as the team dropped to 3-6 heading into the bye week. Mike Shanahan then made his now famous comments about how it was time to evaluate his players to determine who would remain in the years to come, making everyone believe he had given up hope on the season.

The team, however, did not. They returned from the bye and proceeded to win the remaining seven games on the schedule, including a 28-18 win over Dallas in the season finale to earn their first NFC East division championship since 1999.

The Redskins now prepare for a wildcard matchup with Seattle as they hope to extend their storybook season.

New Year’s Resolution:  Keep RG3 healthy and get defensive personnel to match the talent on offense.

The Nationals also saw their team carried into the postseason by their young talent. After a much improved 2011 season in which the team finished with a 80-81 record, the Nationals compiled a roster with the expectations of competing for the division in 2012.

In addition to the return of ace Stephen Strasburg, the team also debuted a rotation featuring Gio Gonzalez, mainstay Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson, and the surprising Ross Detwiler. The rotation quickly became the most dominant in the MLB.

Though the Nationals were hoping to further develop Bryce Harper in AAA, injuries forced him into the lineup and he made his MLB debut on April 28 against the Dodgers. Did he prove he belonged in the majors?  “That’s a clown question, bro.”

The Nationals compiled a record of 98-64, finishing with their first ever NL East division title.  In addition, Davey Johnson was named NL manager of the year and Harper was named NL rookie of the year.  Strasburg, Gonzalez, Harper, and Ian Desmond were all named NL All-Stars, the most since the team moved to DC.

The Nationals met the St. Louis Cardinals in the divisional series, where Jayson Werth provided perhaps the biggest moment in the history of the Nationals, a walk-off homerun in game four to force a decisive game five.

Game five of course had a very different outcome.  After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, the Nationals watched as the Cardinals chipped away until finally taking the lead with a four-run ninth inning. It was a bitter end to a fantastic season.

Perhaps the biggest story of all for the Nationals did not even take place on the field.  General Manager Mike Rizzo adamantly declared that Strasburg would be kept on an innings limit after returning from Tommy John surgery.  Rizzo was mostly ignored as no one expected the Nationals to be a legitimate World Series contender, but his decision sparked weeks of debate as the shutdown approached and the team sat atop the standings.  In the end, Rizzo stuck to his guns and Strasburg was pulled.

Clearly hoping for another postseason run, the Nationals brought in Denard Span and Dan Haren. They are also continuing their negotiations with Adam LaRoche in the hopes of retaining him.

New Year’s Resolution: Sign LaRoche, repeat as NL East champs, play Strasburg for a full season including postseason, and make a deep playoff run.

While 2012 featured dream seasons for the Redskins and Nationals, the Wizards year has been a nightmare.

The end of the 2011-2012 season saw the Wizards in yet another lottery season, but Ernie Grunfeld decided not to wait until the offseason to address some of the team’s problems. In a three team trade, Grunfeld sent off locker room headaches JaVale McGee and Nick Young and brought in Nene and Brian Cook. The move seemed to work as the Wizards finished the season winning six straight.

In July, the team also released Andray Blatche and brought in Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza in a trade for Rashard Lewis.  The organization declared loudly that they were no longer a lottery team, largely based on the team’s assumption that Wall would be playing.

In September, the team announced that Wall had suffered a stress injury to his knee and he would not be able to start the season.  Without the key player the team had been built around, the Wizards didn’t stand a chance and finished out 2012 with the worst record in the NBA at 4-24.

New Year’s Resolution: Get Wall back, avoid the worst record in NBA history, bring in talent in the offseason.

The Wizards might not be having a good season, but the Capitals haven’t had any season at all. The NHL lockout has now stretched on at ridiculous length, forcing the cancellation of all games from October through December and into January.

As slow as things may be now, the beginning of 2012 was very eventful. The Caps found themselves struggling to transition from an offensive mentality to a defensive one under new coach Dale Hunter. The team did manage to claw its way to a seventh place finish and a matchup with Boston.  Thanks to the emergence of young Braden Holtby in goal, the Caps and Bruins played the closest playoff series in NHL history.  Game seven went to overtime where Joel Ward knocked in a rebound in one of the most exciting games in the history of the organization.

The Caps met an even tougher matchup in round two against the New York Rangers and Ward went from hero to goat.  In game five with the series tied at two and the Caps holding onto a two-goal lead, Ward was called for a double-minor high sticking penalty.  The Rangers scored on both, including the game-tying goal with 6.1 seconds left, and won in overtime.  The Caps forced a game seven yet again, but fell in Madison Square Garden.

At the end of the season, Hunter decided to return to Ontario, so the reins were passed to another former Caps’ captain, Adam Oates, who by now must be dying to prove himself.

New Year’s Resolution: PLAY!!!

In another mad dash to the playoffs, DC United suddenly found themselves in dire straits as leading scorer Dwayne De Rosario went down with a knee injury. United led by head coach Ben Olsen, however, did not lose again for the rest of the season and clinched their first playoff berth in five years. After a thrilling victory over rival New York, United’s season came to an end in the conference finals against Houston.

New Year’s Resolution: Find consistency and return to the playoffs.

For the latest DC sports news, follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy

Nationals Bring in Span, Still have Decisions to Make

The Nationals made their first big move in the offseason, addressing their need for a leadoff hitter.

The team announced Thursday that they had traded pitching prospect Alex Meyer to Minnesota in exchange for center fielder Denard Span.  With a .284 batting average and a .357 on-base percentage, Span looks to be the leadoff hitter the Nationals sorely needed.

Not only did the Nationals add a key piece to their lineup, they also gained some flexibility regarding Adam LaRoche and Michael Morse.  Heading into the offseason, it seemed unlikely the Nationals would keep both.  Now it's all but certain.

LaRoche is coming off arguably the best season of his career, with 33 home runs and 100 RBIs.  He won both a Golden Glove and a Silver Slugger and was undoubtedly the team MVP in 2012.

The problem is that he is a free agent.  While he has expressed interest in returning to Washington, he also has reportedly asked for a three-year deal.  At 33 years old, the Nationals are reluctant to lock him up for so long at what will undoubtedly be a hefty price tag.

Morse, on the other hand, is still under contract and younger at 30.  Injuries, however, are a major concern as they have hindered the power-hitter for much of his career.

If the Nationals don’t re-sign LaRoche, Morse would move to first base, but the Nationals would be taking a huge risk with Morse’s durability.  They would also be losing LaRoche for nothing.  Trading Morse will at least get them something in return.

The Nationals put together a winning roster in 2012 and I would be reluctant to let the biggest reason for that, the team MVP, walk away for nothing.  Yes, you take the risk of his numbers declining because of his age, but no more of a risk than you take with Morse's health.

The Nationals also find themselves in need of a starting pitcher this offseason.  The biggest name available is of course Zack Grienke, but I would be shocked if the Nationals had any serious interest in him.

Grienke would reportedly cost around $100 million.  With Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez already in the rotation, Grienke would be third at the very least, maybe even fourth behind Jordan Zimmermann.  Don’t hold your breath for this blockbuster signing in DC.

In addition to a starter, the Nationals will also look for a left-handed reliever.  With the decision to non-tender Tom Gorzelanny, the Nationals have no left-handed relievers on the roster.  They could re-sign Sean Burnett or Michael Gonzalez, but I would not be surprised to see them bring in a new name as well.

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National's Dream Season Has Nightmare Ending

The Nationals were one strike away from their first every playoff series win.  One more strike would send them to the NLCS.  Then it all came crashing down.

Washington fans were dealt another heartbreak last Friday as they witnessed one of the most spectacular collapses in sports history.  Up 6-0 in a series-clinching game five, the Nationals fell 9-7 after four allowed runs in the ninth inning.

The inevitable question being asked of course is if the Nationals could have won this series with Stephen Strasburg.  Strasburg would have pitched games one and five as the team’s ace.  Surely in a series that came down to game five, two games from Strasburg could have given the Nationals that one extra win?

I will say the same thing I said when Strasburg was shut down: we will never know.  All you pro-Strasburg critics do not have a crystal ball and have no idea how Strasburg would have pitched if given the chance.  Starting pitching was a major problem this series.  In two games, Gio Gonzalez walked 11 batters and gave up 5 runs.  Jordan Zimmermann allowed five runs and lasted only three innings in his one start.  Edwin Jackson, the only starter with postseason experience, lasted five innings while giving up five runs.  In fact, the only starter who did pitch well was the one who replaced Strasburg, Ross Detwiler.  While some would argue that adding Strasburg would have helped a rotation that struggled so much this series, there’s no guarantee he would not have struggled too.

Even if they had, it would not have mattered.  The Cardinals have been in pressure situations before.  After Friday’s win, the Cardinals have won six straight elimination games.  The Nationals, meanwhile, came into this series young and inexperienced.  If the Nationals learn one thing from this experience, it should be this: experience matters.

In June, the Nationals were one of the hottest teams in baseball.  The young team rode a six game winning streak into a series against the Yankees.  The series was the closest thing to a playoff atmosphere most of the players had experienced.  The Nationals were hot and the Yankees were the Yankees.  The national media and sold out crowds flocked to DC in anticipation.

The result?  The Nationals were swept.  Only one game was close, a marathon game that went 14 innings before the Yankees pulled away.  At that point it became clear; the Nationals were not yet ready for the playoffs.  They were not ready for that type of attention and pressure.

The Cardinals seemed like a good matchup when comparing rosters, but you cannot discount experience.  It takes a mentally strong team to battle back from a 6-0 deficit in the playoffs and an inexperienced one to lose it.

Heads up though, the future is bright in DC.  This team has a young core that will continue to grow and that Mike Rizzo can continue to build around.  Next season Strasburg will have no limitations, the team will have more experience, and the majority of the 98-game winning roster will return.  This one may hurt, but there are good times ahead for the Nationals.

For the latest DC sports news and updates you can follow me on Twitter @TheDC_Sportsguy

Nationals Win First Ever Playoff Game, Take Control of Series

Throughout the regular season, the Nationals compiled the best record in the MLB because of the combined effort of their star players and supporting cast.  Whenever the stars struggled, there was always someone there to step-up.  It was no different Sunday as the Nationals took their first ever playoff game thanks to Tyler Moore and the bullpen.

With the shutdown of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez was the clear ace.  Davey Johnson hoped for a strong outing from the starter to relieve the pressure off his inexperienced lineup, but Gio struggled to control his pitches.  In five innings, Gio allowed only one run, but gave up seven walks and a wild pitch that brought in the first run.  He settled down, but it was not the effort we have grown used to seeing this year.

The bullpen stepped up and held the Cardinals scoreless through the remaining four innings.  Craig Stammen came in to relieve Gio, followed by Ryan Mattheus who needed only two pitches to bail the Nationals out of a jam in the seventh.  The Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs thanks to an error by Adam LaRoche, a single, and Matt Holliday being hit by a pitch.  The Cardinals grounded into a force out at home, then grounded into a double play on the next pitch.  Tyler Clippard held the Cardinals at bay and Drew Storen came on in the ninth for the save.

While the bullpen bailed out a lackluster performance from Gio, it was Tyler Moore who stepped in to give the offense they needed.  Down 2-1 in the top of the eighth with runners on second and third, Johnson sent up Chad Tracy.  When the Cardinals responded with a call to the bullpen for lefty March Rzepcynski, Johnson rolled the dice and sent in Moore instead.  The gamble paid off.  Moore singled to right bringing in both runners and the Nationals took a 3-2 lead.

Taking the first in a series is always important, but for the Nationals it may well prove pivotal. It is important to start off on the right foot against the defending champions on their own field, especially with how inexperienced the Nationals are.  Now the first win is in the books, the jitters are gone; the players can get back into the rhythm of playing baseball.  Plus, with the ridiculous playoff format that awards the lower-seeded team the first two home games, it is crucial to steal one on the road.  Now, the Nationals need two wins in the remaining four games, and three of those four are in DC.

Lets not get carried away here.  This was only one win.  The Nationals still need two more and the Cardinals have won five straight games when facing elimination.  The defending champion are not a team that panics.  Still, it says a lot when a team as young as the Nationals can come back to win a game like this.  It is the ugly, unconventional games that prove the character of a team and the Nationals just passed a big test in St. Louis.

It was close, it was unconventional, and sometimes ugly, but the Nationals have their first ever playoff win and that’s all that matters.

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Things to Remember about Strasburg's Shutdown

At the beginning of the season, general manager Mike Rizzo was adamant: Stephen Strasburg would be kept on a strict innings limit.  At the time, it raised a few eyebrows, but he was largely dismissed.  The Nationals had never been in playoff contention, their best record was the .500 record they accumulated in 2005, who cared if they wanted to sit their best pitcher?

One hundred and twenty-two games later, the Nationals have the best record in baseball and are poised to make a World Series run.  Yet, Rizzo’s tune hasn’t changed.  When Strasburg hits his limit, he will be shut down.

By now, most people know both sides of the debate.  With the innings limit rapidly approaching, there are a few things fans should keep in mind.  First, this is going to happen.  Regardless of where you stand on this argument, regardless of how many former players, managers, analysts come out and say the Nationals are crazy, Strasburg is going to be shut down.  Rizzo has been adamant since the season began and he has not backed off of his comments.  The decision has been made.

Why not hold Strasburg out at the beginning of the season and save him for the playoffs?  No one knew the Nationals were going to be the best team in baseball.  There would be no point in saving him for the last half of another .500 season.  Why didn’t the Nationals play a six-man rotation or shut him down midway through the season when it became apparent the Nationals were going to be a playoff contender?  The Nationals wanted Strasburg to acclimate fully to a normal rotation.  They wanted him to play on four days rest and they wanted him used to a regular MLB workload.  You can agree or disagree with their reasoning, but that’s how they’ve approached this season.

Even if Rizzo wanted to change his mind, at this point it would probably be too late.  He would be going against the mountain of medical evidence he has pushed to the media in order to justify his decision, meaning if anything were to happen to Strasburg ever, the blame would be placed solely on Rizzo’s door.

He would also be snubbing Strasburg’s agent, Scott Boras.  Boras strongly supported the Nationals’ decision and has made his support known among the various media outlets.  Boras is the most powerful agent in the MLB and also represents Danny Espinosa, Bryce Harper, Edwin Jackson, Xavier Nady, and Jayson Werth on the Nationals, as well as several other MLB stars.  If the Nationals were to publicly humiliate him and potentially endanger the career of one of his most prominent clients, why would he encourage any of his clients to play for the Nationals ever again?  The Nationals cannot make decisions based solely on the opinions of an agent, but it does not hurt to have a good relationship with him.

We will never know if shutting down Strasburg was the right move or not.  Jason Stark of ESPN went into great detail on this in his article and he is absolutely correct.  Whatever may happen to Strasburg in the future, we will never know for sure if shutting him down ultimately helped or hurt him.  The medical community may applaud the decision, but they can never definitively determine if this helped him.

We also will never know if shutting down Strasburg hurt the team in the playoffs.  If the Nationals collapse in the postseason, many will speculate that it was because of the absence of their ace, but there is no way to prove that.  The Nationals would have to figure out a way to win without him even if he does pitch.  Strasburg is a pitcher, not an everyday player.  In a best of seven series, the Nationals can only count on their ace for two games.  Some teams try to push their best pitcher in a game seven on three days rest, but if the Nationals are considering sitting him when nothing appears to be wrong, then they won’t risk pitching him on three days rest.  So in a best of seven series, Strasburg would only pitch twice and neither of those games is a guaranteed win.  Of course having your best pitcher on the mound helps, but the Nationals would still need offense and strong outings from the rest of their rotation in order to win.  Strasburg’s absence may not be the major loss everyone has made it out to be.

The biggest hurdle for the Nationals may perhaps be mental.  There are some who would interpret Strasburg’s shutdown as a sign that management does not believe in their chances to win this year.  This may be a valid criticism, but the Nationals did the same thing with Jordan Zimmermann last season and have been consistent on their feelings on Strasburg since day one.  Whether they had the best record or worst record in baseball, they were going to sit him.

Among the heated debate and harsh criticisms coming from all over the nation, much of this debate is moot because Strasburg will be shut down.  The important thing to remember is that there are many reasons to shut him down apart from the medical debate.  Free agents will see that this team takes care of their players and Boras and other agents will be more open to working with the Nationals in the future.  The team has a fantastic rotation even without Strasburg and his absence will be felt only twice a series.  One final thing to keep in mind, Strasburg has never pitched a full MLB season in his career.  He was brought up from the minors in 2010, went down with the injury, and returned late in 2011.  If medical evidence suggests it would be better he not pitch a full season, does it behoove the Nationals to push him through a full MLB season and the playoffs?  Not to me and not to Mike Rizzo.

Nationals Looking Good Going into the All-Star Break

We have reached the midway point of another MLB season, but things feel remarkably different in DC.  The Nationals have the best record in the National League and is sending three players to the all-star game.  The team has not been in this position since 2005, but while most felt that team was destined to fall, now the team has its sights on a strong finish and their first playoff berth in the Nation’s Capital.

“I mean, we should make the playoffs. There’s no doubt in my mind,” said manager Davey Johnson.  With a four game lead in the division, the Nationals are not looking at merely being a wild card team, but division champions; no small feat for a team that has never finished with a winning record.  But the Nationals currently find themselves atop the standings with a four game lead in a division that includes perennial powerhouse Philadelphia, consistently formidable Atlanta, the surprisingly resilient Mets, and the high-spending Florida Marlins.  So far, against the stiff NL East competition, the Nationals are the only team surpassing their own expectations.

How have the Nationals managed such an impressive turnaround?  One need look no further than the team’s all-star representatives for the answer:  homegrown young talent, and formidable pitching.  Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were both drafted by the Nationals and are making a splash in the majors.  Strasburg is quickly becoming one of the best pitchers in the MLB and Harper the most electrifying.  Gio Gonzalez was brought in during the offseason, as well as Edwin Jackson, to help the rotation along, but it’s hard to deny how well the Nationals have drafted.

Amid all the losing seasons, the Nationals did their homework and brought in the best prospects out there.  Now, we are beginning to see the results.  The Nationals drafted Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler, all currently part of the Nationals’ dominant rotation.  In addition, the Nationals drafted position players Harper, Jesus Flores, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Tyler Moore, Ryan Zimmerman, and Stephen Lombardozzi.  Any of these guys sound familiar?  They should, they all play on DC’s NL-leading roster and only one, Desmond, was drafted before the team moved to DC.  The Nationals have built this team into a contender with young talent, meaning they are only going to get better.

This year, while watching the all-star game in Kansas City, you will see the Nationals’ players in the spotlight with the other stars, rather than dismissed as merely token representatives of their struggling franchise.  Even with Strasburg’s looming innings count, there is a lot to be optimistic about.  Will this team finish better than the 2005 team that yielded first place and fell to a .500?

That’s a clown question, bro.