Today’s District Daily features stories on the impact a new starter could have on the Washington Nationals’ rotation and the team’s best moments from 2015.
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, Patrick Reddington of Federal Baseball discusses the implications that adding a new starter could have on the Nationals’ rotation. As Reddington writes in his article, the Nationals are rumored to be searching for a starting pitcher this offseason, and if they do, it could force Tanner Roark or Joe Ross out of a spot in the rotation in 2016.
Earlier today we wrote about right-hander Ian Kennedy, who is one of several free agent options the Nationals could consider if they want to add a starter this offseason. The team could also consider former Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen or other options in the trade and free agent markets.
Of course, the Nationals don’t necessarily need to add a starter to be successful in 2016. Roark and Ross have both seen great success as starters, and a rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Roark, Ross and Gio Gonzalez should be good enough to help the Nationals compete with anyone.
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The team should also think twice before tying itself to a starter with any kind of long-term deal. The Nationals already have money committed to Scherzer for most of the next decade and they could also try to sign Strasburg to an extension before he hits free agency next season. The team also has plenty of starting pitching talent making its way up the minor league system.
As Reddington notes in his article, the Nationals have several different paths they could take regarding the rotation this offseason. They don’t need to make any additions to maintain a strong rotation next season, but as we’ve seen several times over the last few years, the Nationals aren’t afraid to add to to a position of strength — even if it means forcing a player (or two) into a lesser role.
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes looks back at some of the Nationals’ best moments from 2015.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Washington Nationals Rumors: Will rotation addition push Joe Ross or Tanner Roark out?
(Patrick Reddington, Federal Baseball)
Asked about the Washington Nationals‘ rumored pursuit of starting pitchers this winter, GM Mike Rizzo told reporters last month that the interest was “tepid”, though rumors have persisted that the Nats remain in the market. So what does that mean for the arms at the back end of the rotation?
“It’s not a necessity for us right now,” Rizzo explained, “but we’re always in the market to improve the ballclub in any way we can. If we have to strengthen a strength or try to refine a weakness, there are different levels and different strategies that are going on all the time.” Read full article here.
Throwback Thursday: the best of the Nationals in 2015
(Chelsea Janes, Washington Post)
The baseball year doesn’t end on New Year’s Eve, nor does it begin on New Year’s Day. The baseball year begins with light games of catch in mid-February, and ends with heavy throws sometime in autumn, when World Series hopes have chilled for most, left with no choice but to thaw them over the winter.
For the 2015 Washington Nationals, the season’s end came too soon by all accounts — for fans hopeful for a title, for the analysts who chose the Nationals as the World Series favorites, for anyone who bet them that way, too. Read full article here.