Washington Nationals: The State Of The Franchise
Starting 2017, where are the Washington Nationals headed? The team is in better shape than imagined, largely because of you the fans.
My fellow Washington Nationals fans, the state of the franchise is strong.
As we start headlong into the 2017 season, all the hand wringing from this offseason is both good and misplaced.
It is good because it means that you care. You want to win. This team cannot win without out you. Why? You are the ones who buy the tickets, eat the food, watch Bob and F.P. on a hot summer night while wearing the lucky hat.
Misplaced in the sense the Nats remain the odds-on favorites to repeat as National League East champions and contend for their first ever pennant. Is everything perfect? No.
Yet the questions Washington faces heading into this year’s marathon are view from the outset. They may have addressed one with the trade for Derek Norris. The closer question is legit, a solution remained shrouded in mystery for now.
Still, this team remains largely intact from last year’s 95-win division championships. Yes, Wilson Ramos is missed. Stephen Drew’s return is not assured and Danny Espinosa can frustrate Orange County with his slick fielding and strikeouts.
Make no mistake, the roster is loaded. The team is healthy and the Nationals are clear the time to win is right now. Within reason, they will make it happen.
Why should you be optimistic? Your hearts are healing from last fall. Playoff defeat becomes bitter over time and you are tired of reading why you should be thrilled by making the playoffs. What makes this season any different?
Let’s break down where things stand a few weeks ahead of Spring Training. Sure, there are holes but, as far as the road ahead, this team is ready for the marathon ahead.
STATE OF THE OFFENSE
Although the perceived price for Adam Eaton is high, the difference with him in the lineup matched with a full season of Trea Turner tops the loss of Ramos to the Tampa Bay Rays and Espinosa west. At worst, the strikeout rate will drop.
With Eaton, you get a triples machine. He led the American League with three-baggers two of the last three seasons. Paired with Turner, they are a constant threat to steal bases.
Bryce Harper enters 2017 with a boulder on his shoulder. His slump last year picked apart by the press and the fans. With the added burden of playing to his potential, we should see a batter closer to his 2015 MVP status backed in the lineup by Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon.
Run scoring is not a problem this team faces. Even with the loss of Ramos’ and Espinosa’s power, Harper, Turner and Eaton can equal it. You do not send highly touted pitching prospects away without some risk. Over the next 162 games, the potential reward outweighs the dangers.
Last season, Washington produced more runs than any other team in franchise history over a full season. This includes every season the team played in Montreal except 1981 and 1994, the strike years.
The state of the offense is strong, bordering on historic.
STATE OF PITCHING
Okay, if there is one point where the concern is legitimate as we focus on Spring Training, it is here.
Three weeks from West Palm Beach, we have no idea who will close for the Nationals. Yes, that is a problem. The focus in-house shifts from Shawn Kelley to Sammy Solis with Blake Treinen thrown in. Mark Melancon departed for the San Francisco Giants while Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman teased, but went elsewhere.
Greg Holland remains a free agent, but the Nats hope as the days tick by that his demands drop. It is a game of chicken.
Outside of that, the starting rotation is among the game’s elite. With Stephen Strasburg recovered from his flexor mass strain and Max Scherzer coming off a freak stress fracture in his pitching ring finger, the front four for Washington matches with the Chicago Cubs.
Tanner Roark might be the most underrated starter in the NL. Remember, his ERA was lower than Scherzer’s in 2016.
Although Gio Gonzalez is no longer a threat to win 20, if he can get you six innings a start as the fifth starter, you are in great shape. Granted depth is an issue if the injury bug hits, but you can say that for any team.
The state of the staff could be better, but the starters can go deep most nights. If the bullpen is not overtaxed, it will survive as the closer issue sorts itself out.
STATE OF MANAGEMENT
General Manager Mike Rizzo threw the gauntlet down when they snatched Eaton from the Chicago White Sox. After a Winter Meetings most of you want to forget, the front office replaced Ramos at catcher and moved Turner to short.
Yes, closer, closer, closer, but the Nationals achieved two out of three goals from the end of the last season. Tired of ending the season before the NL Championship Series, the team changed their planning. Washington senses they can win now and, after a few bad starts, made the move that will make or break Rizzo’s season.
Along the way, they improved their international scouting department and made clear they want to keep Dusty Baker in the dugout. By giving Harper over $13 million, they hope perhaps there is a road to avoid the slugger hitting free agency too.
With Baker and his staff, the Nats played relaxed, professional baseball last year. Whatever stresses that rocked the clubhouse stayed quiet. The focus was on the field, not bickering in the press.
As the Nats remain successful, their draft slots creep closer to the back end of every round. Keeping the farm system stocked with potential gets harder every year. The hiring of De Jon Watson will help with that and international players.
With a modern facility now in West Palm Beach, the Nats have all the current bells and whistles at their disposal to get the long training process off right.
The state of the coaching staff is outstanding while the reasoning behind the front office is solid. But, a drop off in results changes everything.
STATE OF YOU, THE FANS
For the first time since the Nationals started on this five-year run of contending, we get the sense from you that there is disappointment and frustration from the playoff losses.
There are expectations of higher things from the Nationals and making the playoffs is not enough. In the strongest sense of the word that is tremendous.
The Nationals are on the verge of season 13, and you are tired of hearing about settling into the city, casual fans and anything to do with Montreal and the Expos. It matters that you now hold the team and ownership responsible for the product on the field. Remember, Washington holds the highest payroll in the division. They are trying.
There is nothing wrong with passion. Social media can take things too far at times, but wanting better results is not. It has been a generation since the Washington Redskins captured a Super Bowl. We are still waiting for the Caps and Wizards to make their leap to the next level.
The Nationals have a chance to grip this city and region like no other since those Redskin teams or the glory years of Georgetown basketball. This team is streamlined for October and you know it.
Keep the faith. Patience, especially when tested, gets rewarded. This year is a test. Remember, you the fan matter.
IN CONCLUSION
This has the chance to be a remarkable season. Yes, you have heard it before. But, it is true.
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The offense is poised to give opposing pitchers nightmares. The starting pitching is elite, right there with the New York Mets and the AL tag team of the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. The bullpen showed against the Los Angeles Dodgers how good they can be. Although we are not clear what roles they will fill, thy can do the job.
Yes, the rest of the division is not as weak as last. Those Chicago Cubs are still the favorites. The layoffs are more of a lottery, rewarding the hot team and not always the best over 162 games. And, that elusive closer remains troubling.
With all that said, this team is run well. Has multiple candidates for MVP, the Cy Young Award and should be well represented come July at Miami’s All-Star party.
Washington drew over 2.4 million through the turnstiles last year, a number destined to increase in 2017. The expectations that go with their passion is real.
It will be a test. Every season is and, come November, what did not go as planned will be clear as day, things we can only worry about now.
Nothing in baseball is easy. There is a virtual graveyard of teams with high expectations never reaching them. This team gives you the vibe they are different.
As stated at the start, my friends, the state of the Washington Nationals is indeed strong.