District on Deck » Andy Linder

Potential Trade Partners for Michael Morse

Andy Linder — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:50:06 +0000

The deal is official. Adam “AdaMVP” LaRoche, 2012 Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award winner, is returning to the Nationals for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

With the infield and outfield set for April, Mike Rizzo will now turn his attention to bulking up the bullpen with left-handed relievers via trading Michael Morse. As DoD’s own Jared Book notes, there are a number of teams that have excess lefties to deal and would love a middle-of-the-lineup slugger like Morse: the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers, all of which have been previously linked to the 1B/OF this offseason. One name I’d like to add to that list is the Kansas City Royals. Let’s look at each option:

Tampa Bay Rays:

Before the Nationals signed Dan Haren earlier this offseason to a one year, $13 million deal, it became evident that both the Nationals and Rays were interested in a trade that would send a formidable, end-of-rotation starter to D.C. in exchange for some sort of package including Morse and potentially Danny Espinosa. When the Rays decided to send powerhouse pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis to Kansas City instead, the Nationals were forced to look elsewhere for a starter. Nevertheless, I personally believe the Rays would still love to have a guy like Morse in its lineup in 2013. He hit for a .291 average and 18 homeruns coming back from injury last season in 102 game appearances, and will only be making $7 million next year in salary–a reasonable price for thrifty Tampa Bay. A big upgrade from Carlos Pena, I’d say. What makes this possible deal so desirable for both teams is that the Rays have a number of lefties they could reasonably deal to the Nats in exchange for Morse. First and foremost, Jake McGee. McGee had a phenomenal season for Tampa Bay in 2012, going 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 0.8 WHIP in 69 relief appearances. Another guy the Nationals could grab from Tampa is Cesar Ramos, who has spent the last three seasons going back and forth between Triple-A and the major league squads of the Padres and Rays. He’s shown tremendous promise, especially having pitched very well this past September with the Rays and finishing 2012 with a commendable 2.10 ERA. This is the ideal option for the Nationals, in my opinion, mainly because of the top-notch McGee, who pitched even better than recently-linked-now-Dodger J.P Howell.

Seattle Mariners:

Another team that could certainly make a big play for Morse is the Seattle Mariners. Forgettably for Seattle fans, the M’s finished dead-last in the American League in hits, runs, RBIs, and batting average last season. It seems clear Michael Morse could and would boost those statistics in 2013. A couple of relievers the Nats could secure from the Mariners’ system include Charlie Furbush and Oliver Perez. Furbush is probably more desirable of the two, as the LSU product pitched extremely well in both August and September following a return from a triceps injury, ending 2012 with a 2.75 ERA in 49 game appearances with the major league squad. Perez is probably a safe bet to be traded as well if the Mariners acquire Morse, as he has shown tremendous durability as both a MLB starter and now reliever with Seattle last season. He gave up just seven runs in 29.2 innings for the M’s for a 2.12 ERA.

With Adam LaRoche now signed with the Nationals for the next two seasons, Michael Morse will most certainly be dealt for solid relief pitching as the Nats’ quest for a title continues in 2013.

Texas Rangers:

With Josh Hamilton destined for Hollywood and Los Angeles, the Rangers will now look to revamp their outfield as they will contend for yet another AL West division title this coming season. Unquestionably, they have plenty of money to spend and would absolutely love to have a slugger like Morse replace Hamilton in the middle of an already star-studded lineup. A couple names that come to mind for which the Nationals could trade are relievers Robbie Ross and Joe Ortiz. Though he struggled late in the season, Ross had a solid year for the Rangers in 2012. In just his first major league season, he finished with a 6-0 record and 2.22 ERA in 65 innings pitched. Shadowed by one of the best groups of starters in all of baseball, Ross certainly held his own and made a name for himself for years to come. While Ortiz has never played in the majors and just came into the Rangers’ farm system this offseason, his strong minor league numbers make him a potential early call-up in 2013. His 2.15 ERA in 62 innings should be commendably noted.

Kansas City Royals:

A final team that I’d like to add to this list of suitors for Morse is Kansas City. As aforementioned, the Royals recently traded one of the top prospects in all of baseball in Wil Myers for top-end starters James Shields and Wade Davis earlier this offseason. They clearly have a “win-now” attitude, and I believe that alone puts them in the market for Morse. Billy Butler seems to be destined as KC’s DH and Eric Hosmer struggled mightily as the Royals’ first baseman last season, making a play for Morse ideal. Tim Collins is a guy the Nationals could seek in such a deal, as his 3.36 ERA in 72 appearances is quite noteworthy. Donnie Joseph is another lefty prospect Rizzo could also covet in such a deal, although he is a career minor leaguer.

It will be very interesting to see where Michael Morse lands later this offseason, but for now, expect solid, playoff-ready lefties to come into D.C. to fill the gaps left by the departed Sean Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny, and Michael Gonzalez, on which the Nats relied heavily in its incredible 2012 campaign.

2012 Season Review: Ryan Zimmerman

Andy Linder — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:15:33 +0000

The 2012 season marked another incredible year for our longest tenured National, Mr. Ryan Zimmerman. After being held to just 101 game appearances and a 1.6 WAR in 2011, Zimmerman would come back strong for the Nats and post eye-popping numbers, especially mid-to-late season following a life-changing cortisone shot in his right shoulder on June 24.

2012 Prediction (ZiPS): .283/.354/.476, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 134 games, 515 AB
2012 Actual: .282/.346/.478, 25 HR, 95 RBI, 145 games, 578 AB

Statistics projected for Zimmerman were pretty spot-on given a shortened season for the Nationals’ superstar 3rd baseman in 2011. Zimmerman would start off slow for the Nats, as right shoulder tenderness inhibited a strong hitting performance from the 28-year-old throughout April and May and into June. Zimmerman even missed 13 games between April 21-May 6 due to shoulder soreness, but while his numbers increased slightly following an early May comeback, the true Ryan Zimmerman we know and love would officially return following his third cortisone injection of the season in late June.

Oct 8, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) throws out St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese (not pictured) from his knees during the third inning of the 2012 NLDS at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 12-4. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

After posting a sub-par .234 batting average in the first three months of the season, Zimm went on a tear in July, as he would bat a whopping .366 with 10 homeruns and 24 RBIs in the month alone. His numbers were just as good in August and even better during a Nationals’ West Coast road-trip in which he slaughtered Astros, Giants, and D-Backs pitching. Key games included a 3-5, 2 run night on August 13 in which the Nationals handedly beat the Giants 14-2, and a matchup against the Astros on August 6 in which Washington beat Houston 5-4 in extras behind a 2-4, 2 RBI performance from Zimmerman. As you might have guessed, Zimm’s batting average went up an insane .050 between the end of June and start of September.

Unlike some of the Nationals’ other superstar hitters, Zimmerman played extremely well in the playoffs and certainly added his two cents to the postseason run. He grabbed at least one hit in every game of the NLDS against the Cardinals, and finished with a postseason batting average of .381 with two homeruns and a 1.078 OPS.

As reported by the Washington Times’ Amanda Comak, Zimmerman underwent successful arthroscopic shoulder surgery on October 25 and should be ready to go for Spring Training. The Nats look to improve upon a tremendous 2012, and as all fans realize, Ryan Zimmerman will be one of if not the most important piece of the puzzle in 2013. Zimm is under contract through 2020 and will make $14 million next season.

Previous Reviews:
Xavier Nady
Chien Ming Wang
Mark DeRosa
Henry Rodriguez
Carlos Maldonado
Brad Lidge
Ryan Mattheus
Ryan Perry
Rick Ankiel
Jesus Flores
Sandy Leon
Corey Brown
Christian Garcia
Jhonatan Solano
Mike Morse
Zach Duke
Tom Gorzelanny
Chad Tracy
Mike Gonzalez
John Lannan
Kurt Suzuki
Drew Storen
Wilson Ramos
Tyler Moore
Steve Lombardozzi
Jayson Werth
Craig Stammen
Tyler Clippard
Roger Bernadina
Sean Burnett
Ross Detwiler
Adam LaRoche
Edwin Jackson
Danny Espinosa
Ryan Zimmerman
Jordan Zimmermann
Stephen Strasburg
Bryce Harper
Gio Gonzalez

2012 Season Review: Roger Bernadina

Andy Linder — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:00:02 +0000

It was definitely an up-and-down year for Roger Bernadina in 2012, but overall, the great moments certainly outweighed the bad. While the man we now know as the “Shark” was officially booted from the Nationals’ starting lineup, Bernadina would serve as a valuable pinch hitter and defensive weapon when called upon by Davey Johnson and co. this season.

2012 Prediction (ZiPS): .240/.302/.374, 10 HR, 30 RBI, 118 games, 404 AB

2012 Actual: .291/.372/.405, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 129 games, 227 AB

As indicated by the stats above, Bernadina certainly performed well in the average categories but lacked in homeruns and RBIs. In fact, his batting average was the highest of his 5-year career by a whopping .041! The lack of extra-base hits (16) can be accounted for by the fact that Bernadina was no longer needed as an everyday starter. Bryce Harper perfectly executed his role in center field, and a combination of outfielders Michael Morse, Steve Lombardozzi, Jayson Werth, and Tyler Moore all performed well enough to earn starting jobs over the Shark. As a result, the 2012 season marked Bernadina’s lowest at-bat total since 2009, in which he only played in three total games.

July 29, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Roger Bernadina (2) during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Bernadina would start the majority of games in April and May for the Nationals, but would earn fewer and fewer starts as the year wore on. Nevertheless, the Shark continued to be a fan favorite throughout the season despite limited playing time. He made the most of every appearance, and even went 14-33 in August to earn a .424 batting average for that month.

Notable games this season include a 4-6, 3 RBI night in San Francisco in which the Nats won 14-2 on August 14, and a game against the Brewers on July 29 in which the Shark blasted an 8th-inning 2-run homerun to help the Nats win an 11-10 slugfest.

Bernadina is eligible for arbitration this offseason for the first time in his career, but a ccording to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, he is expected to make roughly $1.1 million in 2013. Look for the Shark to continue to come off the bench for the Nats next season and provide the spark fans never cease to appreciate from the ever-consistent outfielder we love to love.

Season Highlight: While on August 7 Roger Bernadina was a disappointing 0-2 at the plate against the Houston Astros, he’d make arguably one of the best catches of all-time to end a ballgame. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th with two men aboard, Houston’s Brett Wallace thought he was bound for a walk-off triple. Take a look: