Category Archives: Nationals

Review The Drew – Stephen Drew Returns To Washington

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Thursday the Washington Nationals announced they had agreed to terms with veteran infielder Stephen Drew on a 1-year contract worth $3.5 million, along with another $1.2 million in potential incentives.  Drew was a pleasant surprise for the Nationals in 2016, batting .266/.339/.524 with 8 home runs in 143 at-bats, while seeing time defensively at second base, shortstop and the hot corner.  An unfortunate bout with vertigo caused him to miss nearly two months of the season, but that issue seems resolved as he returned to the roster in September.

The 33-year-old Drew has spent 11 seasons in the major leagues, with a career batting line of .252/.318/.424 with 122 home runs.  A left-handed hitter, Drew possesses impressive power for a middle infielder, along with a strong .771 career OPS against right-handed pitching.  Of note, Drew showed a knack for pinch hitting last season, hitting .231 with 3 home runs in 26 at-bats.  The metrics also rate him as both a decent defender and baserunner.  At this point in his career, Drew would be overextended as a starter, but profiles well in a utility infielder role.

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In conclusion this was a smart signing for the Nationals and immediately improves their 25-man roster.  Drew provides Washington a proven major league hitter, a popular figure in the clubhouse and a dramatic upgrade to the bench.  My only minor quibble is considering the number of free agents still available, I thought Washington could sign Drew (or another player) at a lower financial guarantee.  The money is reasonable, but I worry this could hinder the front office from acquiring a much-needed late-inning relief pitcher or upgrading from Clint Robinson.  Nonetheless, this is a relatively low-risk deal and the Nationals have a much deeper, versatile roster with Stephen Drew, making this a quality move for Washington.

NatsGM Grade ->             B

THE NatsGM Show #88 – Guest Mike O’Connor

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THE NatsGM Show Episode #88 has dropped and we are proud to welcome former Major League Pitcher and Washington Nationals player Mike O’Connor.

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Thank you to Mike for joining us and candidly answering so many questions we as fans always want to ask a major league player.  Please consider Rating, Reviewing & Subscribing to the show on iTunes – Thank you for listening!

From The Desk Of NatsGM – Sign Trevor Plouffe

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One major lesson I have learned in the past several years is the value of waiting out the early stages of the Hot Stove season and seeking bargains after New Year’s Day.  Just last offseason, Washington signed free agents Matt Belisle, Stephen Drew and Daniel Murphy after January 1st, three major contributors to last season’s team.

Rumors have tied Washington recently with bigger-name free agents Greg Holland, Brandon Moss and Matt Wieters in recent weeks.  And without dismissing those individuals, I want to spotlight one free agent Washington should specifically target, Trevor Plouffe.

After four consecutive quality seasons from 2012-2015, Plouffe struggled through an injury-riddled season in 2016, limiting him to only 84 games played.  Plouffe hit .260/.303/.420 with 12 home runs and 26 extra base hits in his 319 at-bats last season.  During his 7-year major league career, Plouffe has hit .247/.308/.420 with 96 home runs and 254 extra base hits in 723 games played.  In particular he has shown an aptitude against left-handed pitching with a career .809 OPS.  He does not draw many walks (only 7.5% walk rate career) and strikes out at a 20% career rate, but his impressive right-handed power makes him an asset offensively.

Defensively the 30-year-old has experience at each position besides catcher and center field, although he has been limited to the infield corners in recent seasons.  Plouffe is not a base stealer but has reasonable foot speed and decent athleticism, along with a strong throwing arm.  Defensive metrics traditionally rate him as below-average to fringe-average at both first and third base; in addition, his arm and athleticism should allow him to be passable as a corner outfielder in an emergency scenario.
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Even coming off a subpar 2016, Plouffe is still likely seeking a starting position at the hot corner and a multiyear commitment.  However, considering we are mere weeks away from spring training, Plouffe might need to lower his demands to find a home.

Aside from the closer role, Washington’s most pressing need currently is a quality backup for veteran first baseman Ryan Zimmerman.  Zimmerman has struggled the past two seasons with injuries and subpar performance, making him a major question heading into this year.  Clint Robinson has served in this role the past two seasons, but he posted a woeful .637 OPS in 2016 and did not have an extra base hit after the All-Star break.  This is unacceptable and Washington must upgrade.

If Plouffe is willing to serve in a reserve capacity, I could easily see him starting 30-40 games at first base, 10-15 at third and 5-10 as the designated hitter, even with excellent seasons and perfect health from Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon.  Unfortunately both players have struggled with past injuries, making it likely he would see additional playing time during the year.  Not to mention pinch hitting opportunities nearly every game, giving him another 50-100 at-bats. Plouffe could see easily have 300+ at-bats without injuries to others and the potential for significantly more if they do, making this a very important role for the Nationals in 2017.

Washington should take advantage of the hefty supply of corner infielders on the market, plus the calendar saying January, and aggressively target Trevor Plouffe to provide insurance behind Zimmerman and Rendon.

Danny Espinosa Takes His Talents To Anaheim

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Saturday evening the Washington Nationals traded infielder Danny Espinosa to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for minor league pitchers Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin.  Earlier in the day, reports surfaced Espinosa had skipped the team’s WinterFest this weekend due to his displeasure following the Adam Eaton trade.  Expected to play a reserve role in Washington, Espinosa immediately becomes the projected starter at second base for Anaheim.

Drafted in the 3rd round in 2008 from Long Beach State, Espinosa has spent his entire career with Washington, playing 779 games for the Nationals over seven seasons.  Last year the switch-hitting Espinosa batted .209/.306/.378 with 24 home runs and 9 stolen bases while acting as the starting shortstop.  For his career, Espinosa has a .226/.302/.388 batting line while playing multiple defensive positions.  An outstanding defender with a cannon-like arm, Espinosa is one of the better defensive middle infielders in baseball.  Sadly, the 29-year-old has always struggled making contact, as evidenced by his career 28.1 K%, which limits his overall value.  Espinosa is under salary arbitration for one final season and is projected to make $5.3 million in 2017.

In return Washington receives two 25-year-old right-handed pitchers, Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin.  Drafted in the 8th round in 2012 from the University of South Florida, Adams was added to Anaheim’s 40-man roster this winter after a successful 2016 spent primarily in Double-A.  Last season Adams threw 41.1 innings with a 3.05 ERA and 61 strikeouts against 24 walks and 29 hits allowed.

According to scouts, Adams possesses a lively 93-96mph fastball that touches the upper-90s along with a devastating slider.  Unfortunately Adams struggles with his location and command, as shown by his 6.4 BB/9 career ratio.  He did trim his walks allowed last season and if he cuts his walks allowed closer to 4.0 per 9, he could be an asset in a setup capacity.  He is unlikely to see major improvements at his age, but it is a low-risk gamble to bet on a change-of-scenery for an obviously talented arm.

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Due to organizational need following the departure of Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, McGowin will likely remain as a starter next season.  However, his long-term role is likely in the bullpen, which could allow his stuff to “play up” and help him stay healthy.

The bottom line on this deal is Washington understood Espinosa would not accept a bench role in 2017, so the team decided to swiftly part with the disgruntled infielder for salary relief and two depth arms.  Washington made the correct decision to trade Espinosa and showed tremendous class sending him back to the west coast.  Those are all positives, yet I am still left feeling utterly unimpressed with the players coming back to Washington.

For all his flaws, Espinosa is a tremendous defensive infielder with power and should provide Anaheim with 1.5-2.0 WAR next season for a reasonable $5.3 million salary.  Certainly I have no way of knowing what, if any, other offers were made, but this package feels underwhelming for a starting-caliber player.  I would have preferred Washington wait for more attractive offers later this winter or during spring training rather than settle for this offer.  It feels like Washington preferred a quick resolution to this situation, rather than maximizing the potential value of their asset.  I can understand the rationale behind this decision, but cannot support the conclusion the organization ultimately reached.

NatsGM Grade ->             D