A Restoration Project: The Washington Nationals

[TavesSoul]

So, early this week, my computer crashed, and when I reloaded everything, including OOTPX I was given the opportunity to start with a fresh slate. And I thought to my self, "Self, why not take the opportunity to try your hand at a dynasty report? I mean, you enjoy writing, you enjoy OOTPX. Just seems natural, doesn't it?" Well, that was enough to convince me, so I'm trying my hand at my first dynasty report. To those that venture into here and read along with me, I ask for your patience, as this is my first crack at this sort of thing. Please do feel free to comment. I will be painting the first three months in pretty broad strokes, as this afternoon I played through them as it was Canada Day. After I get caught up, I'll consider whether to continue with the broad strokes, or narrow it down. If you wish to know how certain teams or players are performing along the way, feel free to ask. Hopefully you all enjoy this as much as I hopefully will writing it.

[TavesSoul]

Our protagonist was sitting on his couch one day in early April, writing a ten-page essay, when the phone rang. Little did he know that answering that call would change his life.

"Hello," our protagonist said into the receiver.
"Hello, sir. Would this be Gregory Taves I am speaking to?" asked the voice of a man on the other end of the line, brutally mispronouncing his last name. Greg thought about hanging up, as he knew this had to be a telemarketer. He didn't recognize the area code at all, and mispronuanciation of his last name always signified telemarket. It was his built in defense against unwanted calls. Still, today he was feeling generous. He really didn't want to get back to writing his paper, and this telemarketer could serve as a fresh distraction.
"Yes, this would be him," Greg said coyly. "May I ask who's calling?"
"Thisis Ted Lerner. I own this baseball team called the Washington Nationals. I don't know if you've heard of us."
Greg instantly sat up. The Nationals? Weren't they a MLB team. Granted, a terrible MLB team, but still a MLB team all the same. Why the heck would the owner of a MLB team be calling him for. He was just a university student, from Canada no less.
"Listen Greg, my teams in real trouble here. We're the laughing stock of the league, and we're probably not going to be much better this year. Our General Manager just quit, and nobody is willing to work for us. I even interviewed a Frontier League GM for the position, and when I told him he got the job, he laughed in my face. I've decided that the best option was to let a computer randomly pick a phone number from around the world, and your the fifth person we've called today to offer the job too. So, will you take the job as GM for the Nationals?"
Greg was stunned. This must be some sort of prank. No one would be this desperate that they'd call up a canuck who knowledge of baseball was only from fantasy baseball leagues, and attending Blue Jays games. Still, what if this was true? The salary alone was worth it, and he'd always thought being a sports GM was cool. School wasn't import when he could be getting paid to run a team. Really what did he have to lose?
"Sir, if your telling me the truth, then I'd be glad to run your Nationals for you. When would I start?"
Mr. Lerner's voice was awash with relief in his reply. "Thank you, Mr. Taves. You'll probably regret it, but thank you all the same. You start today! Just give me your address and I'll arrange for a taxi to get you and a plan to be waiting at the airport to bring you to DC."

[TavesSoul]

Greg got to the office that evening, and pored over the roster of his new team. He spent the night reading the scouting reports from his new Scouting Director, Bill Massey. He'd hired Massey because he was told good things about his abilities, and if that was true, what Massey had to say about his team was worrisome. They seemed to be a team of under-achievers who were over-paid in some cases. Greg knew he had his work cut out for him, starting with his Pitching Staff.

SP John Lannan
24 Yrs Old; Velocity 87-89 MPH
2008 Stats: 9-15, 3.91 ERA, 72 BB, 117 K
1-yr, $424,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: You know there's a big problem when this guy is the ace of the team you're inheriting. A glance at his stats and age gives me some hope for his future as a middle-rotation guy, but my SD informs me he's a back of the rotation guy.

SP Shairon Martis
22 Yrs Old; Velocity 90-92 MPH
2008 Stats: 1-3, 5.66 ERA, 12 BB, 23 K
1-yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Despite his terrible stats last year, I have some hope for Martis. He's young, and has good movement on his four pitches. He could be a middle rotation guy eventually too, but due to my lack of depth, he's the number two guy here.

SP Scott Olson
25 Yrs Old; Velocity 87-89 MPH
2008 Stats: 8-11, 4.20 ERA, 69 BB, 113 K
1-yr, $2,800,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: This guys change-up means he'll help a bit this year, but I don't know how long he'll be on the team, if I can get us even some mildly better pitching help. My SD says he's just a fill in guy.

SP Daniel Cabrera
27 Yrs Old; Velocity 92-94 MPH
2008 Stats: 8-10, 5.25 ERA, 90 BB, 96 K
1-yr, $2,600,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: I remember when this kid was a legit prospect. Now, he's merely filler till I can deal him or get someone better. Too bad. He's still farely young.

SP Julian Tavarez
35 Yrs Old; Velocity 89-90 MPH
2008 Stats: 1-5, 5.10 ERA, 28 BB, 51 K
1-yr, $500,000
Comments: This guy is too old, and too ineffective to be here. I'll be actively shopping him right away.

[TavesSoul]

MR Joe Beimel
31 Yrs Old; Velocity 86-88 MPH
2008 Stats: 5-1, 2.02 ERA, 21 BB, 32 K
1-yr, $2,000,000
Comments: I'm not sure what to make of this guy. He's a little aged, but he's put up good numbers the last three years, and his salary isn't too bad. My scout on the other hand thinks this guy is nothing better then a minor leaguer. We'll see how he pitches the first month or so.

MR Wilfredo Ledezma
28 Yrs Old; Velocity 91-93 MPH
2008 Stats: 0-2, 4.17 ERA, 41 BB, 53 K
1-yr, $620,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: I doubt Wilfredo will be around here long. If I can find a taker, he'll be shipped out, and if I can't, he may go on waivers.

MR Saul Rivera
31 Yrs Old; Velocity 87-89 MPH
2008 Stats: 5-6, 3.96 ERA, 35 BB, 65 K
1-yr, $475,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Well he may not be the best reliever in the league, Rivera is the best reliever on this team, current. He'll get quite a few innings with this team, until I can improve the bullpen.

MR Steven Shell
26 Yrs Old; Velocity 89-90 MPH
2008 Stats: 2-2, 2.16 ERA, 20 BB, 41 K
1-yr, $425,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: My scout is sold on this guy being a decent reliever, but I'll have have to see it to believe it. He's got three good pitches, and one terrible one.

MR Jorge Sosa
31 Yrs Old; Velocity 91-93 MPH
2008 Stats: 4-1, 7.06 ERA, 11 BB, 12 K
1-yr, $850,000
Comments: How this guy earned four wins last year is beyond me. His walk to k ratio is terrible, and hopefully he won't be around here too long.

MR Ryan Wagner
26 Yrs Old; Velocity 84-86 MPH
2008 Stats: n/a
1-yr, $400,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: Shouldn't be in a big league bullpen, but we're a little bit desperate in DC, so he's in ours.

CL Joel Hanrahan
27 Yrs Old; Velocity 93-95 MPH
2008 Stats: 6-3, 3.95 ERA, 42 BB, 93 K
1-yr, $420,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Not exactly the best closer to have at the moment, but I have some hope that with his potential he may establish himself as worthy of the title.

[TavesSoul]

I think this is the strength of this weak team. There is some hope here, and with a couple trades of some of these players, I might be able to acquire some pitching, and some prospects. I'm also hoping to help increase the defense in some spots. Clearly, I'll have to clear out the glut of outfielders.

C Jesus Flores
24 Yrs Old; RHB
2008 Stats: .256, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 0 SB
1-yr, $411,500 (auto renewed)
Comments: Flores is young enough, and plays decent defense, and my scout seems to think he has some potential to him. He's the starter, and I'll see if he grows, or if a prospect is needed down the road.

C Josh Bard
31 Yrs Old; Switch
2008 Stats: .202, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 0 SB
1-yr, $600,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: Bard is the back-up for now, and despite his numbers last season, he's not a bad hitter. Still, he's not good defensively, which is what I want from my back-up catcher.

1B Nick Johnson
30 Yrs Old; LHB
2008 Stats: .220, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 0 SB
1-yr, $5,500,000
Comments: Johnson is a pretty good offensive option, though he has been over-valued, and his defense is greatly lacking. If I can move him, I probably will.

2B Willie Harris
30 Yrs Old; LHB
2008 Stats: .251, 13 HR, 43 RBI, 13 SB
2-yrs, $3,000,000
Comments: Mediocre defender, who's a decent all-around hitter with speed. Won't blow anyone's socks off, but won't hurt you either. I'd like him to be a better defender. Still, a nice, cheap option, who might fill left field as well.

2B Ron Belliard
33 Yrs Old; RHB
2008 Stats: .287, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 3 SB
1-yr, $1,900,000
Comments: Abysmal defence at second, but could be a good 1B option. Hits for some power, and is consistent and cheap, two things the Nationals need.

3B Ryan Zimmerman
24 Yrs Old; RHB
2008 Stats: .283, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 1 SB
5-yr, $45,000,000
Comments: This guy is one of the cornerstones of this team. He's one of the few players that gives me hope for the future. Great defender at third, good all-around hitter, with some power. The only thing he can't do is steal, which is fine for a 3B.

SS Cristian Guzman
31 Yrs Old; Switch
2008 Stats: .316, 9 HR, 55 RBI, 6 SB
2-yr, $16,000,000
Comments: Hits for a good average, this team needs a hitter like him. Of course, his high salary and his only decent level of defense at SS mean I'm likely to be pursuing an upgrade shortly. Yet, for now, Guzman will continue to help stoke my offense.

LF Josh Willingham
30 Yrs Old; RHB
2008 Stats: .254, 15 HR, 51 RBI, 3 SB
1-yr, $2,500,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: Josh carries a big bat, and is a decent, but not prolific hitter otherwise. His speed and defense are also nothing to get excited about. Probably a movable asset at this point.

LF Adam Dunn
29 Yrs Old; LHB
2008 Stats: .236, 40 HR, 100 RBI, 2 SB
2-yrs, $20,000,000
Comments: My head scout is in love with Adam, and with his big bat, and good eye, it's easy to see why. Still, in a non-DH league, Dunn's horrible defense and his bad batting average hurt more then they help. If I can find a team willing to accept his big salary, I'll move him.

CF Lastings Milledge
23 Yrs Old; RHB
2008 Stats: .268, 14 HR, 61 RBI, 24 SB
1-yr, $452,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: This kid has cost other GMs a lot of heart ache. He's got the potential to be a speedy, powerful hitter, with a high BA. At the same time, he's clearly had issues that have slowed his progress, though at his price, I'm willing to take some time and hope he comes around. His defense needs work.

CF Elijah Dukes
24 Yrs Old; RHB
2008 Stats: .264, 13 HR, 44 RBI, 13 SB
1-yr, $411,500 (auto renewed)
Comments: This guys, like Milledge, is a dream. The problem is, like Milledge, his work ethic doesn't match his potential, and he's not guaranteed to be the player everyone hopes he will be. Still, with his five tool package, I'd love to keep him, and put him in LF.

RF Austin Kearns
28 Yrs Old; RHB
2008 Stats: .217, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 2 SB
2-yrs, $18,000,000
Comments: Kearns is a decent left-fielder, from a hitting and defense perspective. Can be productive, although his salary is way too high for me. If I can find a trade partner, I'll move him.

[TavesSoul]

After poring over his major league scouting reports, and compiling his own thoughts on his woeful Major League roster, the young GM thought he might get more hope from his farm system. Hope was not to be found there though, as the Nationals ranked 25th when it came to farm systems. Still, Greg had hope that for a few of the prospects.

SP Ross Detwiler along with SP Jordan Zimmermann are both considered top 100 prospects at the moment, and both should have some Major League future as starters. LF Roger Bernadina and RF Justin Maxwell at both hitting their mid-20s, and can contribute to the team right now, once I clear some space for them. My scout thinks highly of them, though I expect a little less then he does.

LF Chris Marrero, 1B Stephen Lombardozzi, LF J.P. Ramirez, 2B Dan Nelson, RF Michael Burgess, C Derek Norris, and C Sean Rooney all have potentially bright futures down the road, and I maybe able to package a couple to help more the over-priced veterns for some pitching. Mostly though, I'll be looking to add depth to this bunch, not more them.

The Nationals farm system needs an over-haul at this point, and some fresh prospects, and I know that is the priority for this team, as Major League success won't be accomplished till I can really stock this system.

[TavesSoul]

In the short offseason before Opening Day came around, the inexperienced GM Greg Taves knew after reviewing his roster that he had some moves he needed to make. Not being that knowledgeable in the baseball world yet, he knew that he'd be relying on his Head Scout, Bill Massey, in any deal he made. Greg went down to Bill's office down the hall in the aptly named Nationals Park. As he wandered down the hall, he was reminded of just how different this team has been since it was the Expos when he was a child. Greg walked into Bill's office, where Bill was seated behind his desk on his phone with one of the team's very few scouts. Greg waited until Bill was done.

"Hey Boss? What can I do for ya?" asked Bill, ever his polite self. Bill was happy to have the opportunity to be a head scout again, and while he had initially been offered the GM job in Washington, he had no desire to have his name being the one that took the fall when this team got destroyed this year. He was glad enough to take the Head Scout role, and help to influence the thoughts of this rookie Canadian GM, who knew next to nothing about baseball that wasn't the Jays.
"Hey Bill. Look, I was reading over those scouting reports you gave me, and I think we're in some trouble. We need to get ourselves another young arm for this year and the next, and a couple young arms for the minors. Do you think you could make some calls for me, and see who's interested in what? I know you have connections to teams that I don't, and I'd appreciate if you could do some fishing for me, and get me a list of prospects and young, but not extremely talented arms, on each team, so I don't sound like an idiot when I call."
"Sure, boss, no problem. I'll get right on that," Bill said. He was mildly impressed. It seems that maybe this Taves kid wasn't as dumb as he thought. He clearly was smart enough to realize that pitching was the clubs greatest weakness all around, and that they would need a young arms if they were ever going to succeed. Bill started to make some calls to his contacts in the front offices around the league, to see what it would take to get a couple of the young arms he had in mind.

[TavesSoul]

Washington Makes a Flurry of Moves to End Offseason
April 5th, 2009

The Washington Nationals rookie GM Gregory Taves made four moves over the last two days which he says "will help prepare Washington for a brighter future, while relieving some of the pressure on our offense." Only time will tell if Taves accomplished what he thinks he has, but the early analysis is that the Nats got younger, although not necessarily better.

The first of the four moves was to sign SP Ben Sheets to a minor league option, while releasing 2B O. Castro and S. Bynum. Sheets is out for 4-5 months, although he should be available to pitch a few games to end the season, and the Nats hope that this will open the door to them potentially signing him long-term after the season and rehab. Castro and Bynum were two 2B that the team termed expendable, and were released from their minor league deals. Their release helped clear the way for one of the teams later deals.

The second move was probably the biggest, as far as it's impact on the opening day roster goes. The Nats shipped SP Julian Tavarez, MR Jorge Sosa and SS Alberto Gonzalez to the Oakland Athletics. Tavarez is expected to be the fifth starter in Oakland, while Sosa is expected to help work in the bullpen. Gonzalez, who in Washington would have been an injury call up now will be a key back-up in Oakland's infield.
In return, Washington receives SP Dallas Braden. Braden will start the year as the Nats fourth starter, and is younger and cheaper then Tavarez. He'll probably never be better then a fourth starter, but he'll man that post well for years.

The Nats third move saw them send a package of prospects to the Baltimore Orioles for SP Jake Arrieta. Arrieta is a good young prospect, ranked #39 overall by Baseball America among prospects. He'll start the year in AA, after pitching well in A last year.
In the deal, the Orioles acquire SP Terrence Engles, MR David Slovak and C Adrian Nieto. While Engles and Slovak and nice young arms, it is Nieto that makes this deal for the Orioles. The former 5th round pick gives them a 19 year old catcher to groom, and he has the tools to be a solid major leaguer one day, with exceptional defensive skills.

The final move of the Nats offseason came when they moved one of their top prospects to the Texas Rangers along with another young arm, for a package of prospects. The Rangers gave up 2B Jose Vallejo, SP Kennil Gomez and young prospect CF Engel Beltre to the Nats. Washington GM Taves was said to be high on Vallejo and Gomez, and when he inquired as to their availability, the Rangers requested a package of SP Ross Detwiler and SP Justin Jones.Taves was added Beltre to his counter offer, and was pleased at the Rangers acceptance of the deal.
"Anytime you trade a top prospect like Detwiler, you want to make sure you get something of value back, and we feel we did in this deal," Taves said. "We feel Vallejo can be our starting 2B in a couple years, and that Gomez has future closer potential. Getting Beltre in the deal made it easier to do, as we feel that his combination of defense and speed can help us in a few years as well. Getting Arrieta earlier in the day takes away the sting of losing a top young arm like Detwiler."
Texas is said to have been overjoyed to have acquired the #45 ranked prospect in Detwiler. They feel he can be a starter next year for the club. The addition of Jones in the package gives them an additional young arm to groom.

Rumors are abound that the majority of these deals were orchestrated by Bill Massey, Washington's Head Scout, although he denied it when asked. The basis of these rumors seems to be based on the idea that the Mr. Taves, a completely unknown with no prior baseball experience on any level, could not possible have the contacts to sing deals yet, especially since none of them seems to be a swindling of the Nats. "Plus, he's a Canadian, and we all know they just live in igloos, play hockey, and hunt polar bears," said one scout when asked.

[TavesSoul]

Washington Nationals GM Greg Taves had a lot to be happy about this month, as his team finished the month with a 12-10 record. Most teams wouldn't be as excited to be just over .500 at this point, but Taves is expected to be ecstatic about his teams achievement, as it's exceeded the expectations of most experts.
"I'm glad that we've performed up to my expectations this month. Hopefully we can improve upon our record last month. Yet, I realize that we've been lucky with injuries, only losing one man off our major league roster. Hopefully that luck continues," was the statement released by the GM after their final game of the month.

April's Hot Players
SP Scott Olsen - 3-1, 3.26 ERA, 3.29 K/BB
MR Wilfredo Ledezma - 1-0, 2.19 ERA, 12.1 IP
3B Ryan Zimmerman - .355, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 1 SB

April's Cold Players
SP Daniel Cabrera - 0-2, 10.45 ERA, 1.00 K/BB
MR Steven Shell - 0-0, 9.82 ERA, 3.2 IP
1B Nick Johnson - .233, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB

April's Injuries
The Nats were extremely lucky this month, and only lost one player to injury. Unfortunately, that player was OF Lastings Milledge, who was hitting .344 at the time of his injury. He's out two weeks with a Latissumus Dorsi Strain (arm/shoulder). No player was called up in his absence.

April's Transactions
The Nats made one move this month, which was to pick up 3B Andy Marte off of waivers on the 30th, from the Cleveland Indians. "When I saw his name on there, at a cheap salary, I thought I should take the chance on him," said GM Taves. "He can offer Zimms some rest from time to time, and we may try him at first a couple of games along the way."

April Prospect Report
It was a good first month for the farm system. Most of the teams young prospects staid healthy and performed well, with a rumours abound of promotions. Here's the reports on the top Pitching and Hitting prospects at each level.

AAA
SP Collin Balester - 3-0, 4.28 ERA, 2.03 K/BB
SS Anderson Hernandez - .350, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 0 SB

AACL Adam Carr - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 SVs
RF Edgardo Baez - .310, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 1 SB

A
SP Cole Kimball - 2-0, 1.48 ERA, 22 Ks
1B Stephen Lombardozzi - .304, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 1 SB

[TavesSoul]

May was a crazy month for the Washington Nationals, as rookie GM Greg Taves swung some big deals this month, hoping to tweak a team that was fading, with his eye predominately on the future. There was also some big injuries that the team had to endure. "Well, it's not like I didn't tell you guys those were coming!" said Taves. "We were lucky that only Milledge was hurt last month, and this month, things got real." Due to injuries and trades this month, the Nats spent the majority of the month in a four man rotation.

May's Hot Players
SP Dallas Braden - 2-3, 4.00 ERA, 2.50 K/BB
MR Saul Rivera - 1-2, 3.57 ERA, 17.2 IP
SS Cristian Guzman - .380, 0 HR, 19 RBI, 2 SB

May's Cold Players
SP Scott Olsen - 2-2, 6.16 ERA, 3.80 K/BB
MR Joe Beimel - 0-0, 12.21 ERA, 14.0 IP
1B Dmitri Young - .192, 0 Hr, 4 RBI, 0 SB

May's Injuries
This month was a brutal month for injuries, as the team was hit with some key players suffering major injuries that will keep them out a long while. First CF Elijah Dukes went down with a Torn Labrum (Shoulder), and will be out 4 months. Next, 2B Ron Belliard tore ankle ligaments on a seemingly routine play, and it was revealed he'd miss 3 months for the Nats. Then SP John Lannan fell to a strained Achilles tendon, and was out two weeks, and right when it seemed that they were going to finally get out of this cursed month, SS Cristian Guzman strained an oblique, and will sit out the next two weeks.

May's Transactions
The GM was busy this month, making waiver pick-ups and trades to try to fill this year's team, while stockpiling for the future. To start the month, Tampa Bay Rays GM Andrew Friedman began calling Taves repeated, offering RF Gabe Kapler in return for various packages. One of the players he was after was SP Daniel Cabrera, and Taves was more then happy to unload the underachieving former prospect. Tampa also got minor-league 1B Robert Jacobsen in the deal, as well as $1.7 in cash. In addition to Kapler, Taves acquired some mid-level prospects in LF Ty Morrison, who'll spend the year in A ball, and 1B Michael Sheridan.

Next, Taves worked a deal with his hometown Blue Jays. Initially rumours had it that he was attempting to secure either SP Ricky Romero or SP Marc Rzepczynski, but instead the Nationals walked away with SP Brett Cecil. In return, Toronto wrangled SP Garrett Mock, MR Jack Spradlin, 2B Dan Nelson and CF Destin Hood. All were very solid prospects for the Nats, especially Nelson and Hood. "Does it hurt to lose those guys?" asked Taves. "Yes, of course it does. But we needed to make a trade for a young pitcher who could step up and pitch some games in the majors this season, and Cecil can do that for us, once he gets a couple games in at the AAA level for us. Did we pay too much to get him? Maybe some people think so, but we don't."

Then came the biggest trade in baseball this year, so far. Taves finally found a trade partner for a expensive RF Austin Kearns. The Boston Red Sox were looking to move LF Jason Bay and his salary in return for some depth. In the end, the Red Sox left the discussion acquiring Kearns, LF Josh Willingham, CF Lastings Milledge, MR Josh Towers and prospect LF Christopher Blackwood. Kearns is a DH in waiting for the Red Sox, but Willingham and himself will take the field in the outfield every-other-day for the Sox. Milledge gives the Sox a good young CF who has unlimited potential. In return, the Nationals got Bay, as well 19-year prospect, SP Casey Kelly. Kelly has some great upside as a pitcher, and also has the skills to be a good shortstop prospect as well. Taves was quoted saying "look, this trade clearly cost us a lot. We gave up three good outfielders and a decent young prospect. Losing Milledge especially was not something we wanted, but to make this deal and free up some space in our outfield for Kapler, we had to make some sacrifices. We also happened to free up $3 million in cap room, get a pretty good left-fielder in Jason, and a heck of a young prospect in Casey."

Next the Nats claimed MR Livan Hernandez off of waivers. The club desperately needed some bullpen help, and Hernandez was a cheap option. To finish things off, a week later, they acquired MR Jason Hammel off of waivers as well, from the Colorado Rockies.

May Prospect Report
May saw the addition of a couple key prospects to the system, and they keyed things up right away. Washington, due to what most scouts think is the work of Head Scout Bill Massey rather then GM Greg Taves, has started to restock a fairly bare cupboard through some seeming risky trades. Here again, are the top pitching and hitting prospects at each level.

AAA
SP Craig Stammen - 0-0, 2.93 ERA, 2.00 K/BB
1B Brad Eldred - .257, 13 HR, 29 RBI, 0 SB

AA
MR Luis Atilano - 0-0, 1.32 ERA, 13.2 IP
CF Brandon Whiting - .275, 10 HR, 24 RBI, 1 SB

A
SP Josh Smoker - 0-0, 1.86 ERA, 3.40 K/BB
2B Danny Espinosa - .320, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 5 SB

[TavesSoul]

(First a note: starting next season, the draft coverage will be expanded, as my feeder leagues will be up and running by then, and I can give more info on the top prospects. I'll probably do a more lengthy preview section before the draft, as well as a more informative draft page. For this season, though, I won't be able to offer quite the same coverage.)

The 2009 MLB Draft Preview
June 15th, 2009

Going into the draft, Baseball U.S. had released it's top prospects list, and it looked like follows:

1. CF Dustin Ackerley 21 yr old/college
2. SP Ze Ratinho 17 yr old/high school
3. SP Stephen Strasburg 20 yr old/college
4. CF Maurice Meadows 17 yr old/high school
5. SS Clyde McGee 18 yr old/high school
6. SP Cisco Sanchez 22 yr old/college
7. SP Bekele Koude 19 yr old/high school
8. 2B Jaime Ramirez 17 yr old/high school
9. RF Ed Palmer 22 yr old/college
10. SP Max Iribar 21 yr old/college

Rumours are abound as to just what Washington Nationals GM and his staff will do. The latest rumour has them divided over CF Dustin Ackerley, SP Stephen Strasburg and SS Clyde McGee. We should know shortly who exactly will be their pick.

[TavesSoul]

Greg Taves and Bill Massey sat in the teams war room, with a few of the team's scouts, the hour before the draft. They had been in here all night, after discussing for the last three weeks who the best pick was. Massey, the team's head scout, had started to realize that control the rookie GM's actions was no where near as easy as he'd thought it'd be. While Taves was still prone to listen to his advice, and giving it some account, there were times that he made moves in spite of his advice. This really rared it's head with the massive 7 player swap last month. Bill cringed when he thought of the talent they had traded away, to acquire an over-rated outfielder and an over-hyped pitching prospect in his opinion. He understood that money was part of the motive for the trade, as it freed up some salary space, but the loss of Willingham and Dukes haunted him. Up until that trade, Taves had usually followed his advice on which prospects to acquire in deals. The other glaring exception was the trade for SP Brett Cecil. Massey had him down as a 2 star prospect, and Taves had dealt two 4 star prospects away to get him, but at least he understood that the team needed a young arm for the rotation desperately, and knew that the price for arms was always over the top.
Now, Bill was running again into what he was coming to think of as Taves' trade-mark stubbornness. Whenever his boss thought himself right, even if there was seemingly very little facts that backed him, he pursued it. Taves had thought Cecil a potential #3 starter, and it was Taves that thought that Casey Kelly, the young arm, was destined for greatness. Now, he was sure that the team needed to take Stephen Strasburg. Massey understood why Taves liked Strasburg so much, but he looked at the teams depth, and say the need to explore either Dustin Ackley or lesser hyped SS Irving Kantaka. They desperately needed a young SS or CF prospect to build around, as the team lacked prospects in those areas. Yet Taves argued that they needed the young arm of Strasburg now. The battle of wills was nearing it's end, as within 15 minutes, the draft would be starting.

[TavesSoul]

2009 Draft Recap
June 15th, 2009

The First-Year Player Draft took place this Monday, with some surprising picks in the first round. The draft started with new Washington Nationals GM Greg Taves on the clock, and he was quick to take SP Stephen Strasburg. "We think Strasburg could pitch some games for us this year, so hopefully we can get him signed," said Taves after the pick was revealed. With the second pick, the Mariners went off the board with 1B Matt Wright, while the Padres also went off the board with SS Irving Kantaka. Number one prospect CF Dustin Ackley fell into the Pittsburgh Pirates laps, and GM Neal Huntington was said to be ecstatic. Rounding out the top five was Baltimore's pick of CF Maurice Meadows. #2 prospect SP Ze Ratinho fell to the Braves at 16, as many teams thought he was over-hyped. The Toronto Blue Jays selected explosive MR Diego Garcia with the 19th pick.

Washington Nationals Draft Picks

First Round - 1st Overall
SP Stephen Strasburg - 20 Yrs Old; RHP
Strasburg could be a top three starter for the Nationals right now. His fastball has been clocked as high as 101 MPH, and he has three solid pitches and a killer work ethic. He may only end up being my number three or four down the road if things don't work out for the best, but he's got Ace written all over him. Will start his career in Triple A, but could earn a promotion to the majors shortly.

Second Round - 31st Overall
CF Natsu Kouno - 21 Yrs Old; RHB
Kouno is already a great defender, and has unparalleled speed, but he needs to work on his offensive side. He has potential though, to be the Nats starting CF in a couple years. The Nats will wait on his offense to develop, but it shouldn't take too long.

Third Round - 61st Overall
CL Rafael Nieves - 17 Yrs Old; RHP
His fastball tops out at 94 MPH, but his sinker and changeup are his real out pitches. Nieves will spend a little time to develop, having come out of high school, but the Nats will have to be patient with him. His pitches really move though, and he works hard.

Fourth Round - 91st Overall
MR Kane Silver - 17 Yrs Old; RHP
Silver projects as a bullpen whiz in the majors, and his 92 MPH fastball and curveball should help him get there eventually. Their is some concern that he's a selfish player, as his former teammates have come out against him, but there is hope that the Nats can groom him. Will likely take the hardest road possible.

Fifth Round - 121st Overall
C Cesar Escobar - 17 Yrs Old; RHB
Escobar is a solid young hitter, who plays the position fairly well defensively. With some patience, he could reach the majors and be a decent contributor, though he will never be a power hitter. Still, the Nats think he could eventually be a solid catcher.

6th (151st Overall) - 1B Jorge Franco
7th (181st Overall) - SP Fernando Ruiz
8th (211th Overall) - 1B Anibal Ibanez
9th (241st Overall) - MR Bill Lewis
10th (271st Overall) - SS Kendrick Crouch

[TavesSoul]

Well things calmed down for Washington Nationals and their GM this month, the team continued to perform under the GM's expectations, going 11-15 this month, after their 11-18 record last month. One bright spot emerged for the team, as the First-Year Player Draft occurred this month, and they added top pitching prospect SP Stephen Strasburg to the team. "Look," said GM Greg Taves at a press conference, "we've completely underperformed to the expectations I have for this team. Yet, I think we're close to turning a corner. It's just going to take patience, on behalf of our fans. We'd love to be a good team this year, but the team I inherited was a mess, and I'm doing my best to sort it out. Things might get a little worse, before they can get better. Yet, I feel that thanks to the moves we've made, we're in a great position to start to excel next year and for many years after."

June's Hot Players
SP Shairon Martis - 1-2, 3.94 ERA, 2.5 K/BB
CL Joel Hanrahan - 1-0, 2.13 ERA, 6 SVs
3B Ryan Zimmerman - .330, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 1 SB

June's Cold Players
SP Dallas Braden - 0-4, 8.26 ERA, 2.3 K/BB
MR Livan Hernandez - 0-1, 4.00 ERA, 9.0 IP
RF Gabe Kapler - .172, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB

June's Injuries
Despite what you might think due to the Nationals record, June was a good month for them injury-wise. No one got hurt, and MR Terrell Young, SP John Lannan and SS Cristian Guzman all came off of the DL this month.

June's Transactions
June was a quiet month for the Nationals, with their GM absorbed in the Draft. The team made no moves, outside of their draft picks. It seems the team is fairly content at this point to see how things play out.

June Prospect Report
With this months draft, new prospects were brought into the system, which GM Greg Taves is said to be extremely excited about. "We've added some future all-stars with this draft class," claimed Taves. "With some patience, a couple of these guys are going to eventually tear up the majors. And Strasburg especially will help sooner, rather then later."

AAA
SP Collin Balester - 2-0, 2.96 ERA, 7.3 K/BB
RF Jorge Padilla - .387, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 3 SB

AA
MR Luis Atilano - 0-0, 2.45 ERA, 1 SV
LF Chris Marrero - .339, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB

A
CL Carlos B. Martinez - 1-0, 0.84 ERA, 7 SVs
CF Francisco Plasencia - .292, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 1 SB

Short A
SP Jamie Lehman - 1-0, 0.79 ERA, 11.1 IP
3B Steven Souza - .469, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 0 SB

R
SP Kane Silver - 0-0, 1.64 ERA, 3.05 K/BB
LF Derrick Phillips - .370, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB

[spider_monkey_b]

Are you playing with scouting turned on?

I'm curious because I'm about to start a dynasty, most likely with the Jays, and am interested what your take on how scouting adds/subtracts to the game?

I'm leaning towards leaving it on but putting it to very high accuracy.

[TavesSoul]

Originally Posted by spider_monkey_b

Are you playing with scouting turned on?

I'm curious because I'm about to start a dynasty, most likely with the Jays, and am interested what your take on how scouting adds/subtracts to the game?

I'm leaning towards leaving it on but putting it to very high accuracy.

Yes, I am in fact playing with scouting on. I have it set to High now, and it seems to be pretty helpful to me. I've used it on high in every game I've started, and most times it helps, especially with some of the prospects I don't know. The only thing I will say is in my opinion, more often then not a highly thought of reliever by my scout isn't really that great. And he will miss on some prospects (like Casey Kelly, who is tearing up A ball right now). But, for me, that adds to the realism of it, as scouts are wrong more often then people think, especially when it comes to pitchers. Helps to have a second opinion, since I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable when it comes to baseball prospects.

Hopefully that answers your question.

[TavesSoul]

Things just keep getting worse for this years edition of the Washington Nationals, as GM Greg Taves asserted that they might last month. The team and it's fans suffered through an absolutely brutal 7-19 month, as it's injuries in the infield continue to haunt the team. "Just terrible," said Taves. "I'd like to apologize to all our fans out there for this past month. We're reducing ticket prices as a reward for suffering through it with us." Rumours are abound that if things don't turn around this month, the only resort left for Taves might be firing Manager Manny Acta. The sole bright spot was how well Joel Hanrahan has been pitching this month.

July's Hot Players
SP Scott Olsen - 1-3, 4.18 ERA, 1.70 K/BB
CL Joel Hanrahan - 2-0, 0.00, 2 SVs
RF Justin Maxwell - .276, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 3 SB

July's Cold Players
SP Shairon Martis - 0-5, 11.28 ERA, 1.93 k/BB
MR Wilfredo Ledezma - 0-0, 7.94 ERA, 11.1 IP
SS Cristian Guzman - .217, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB

July's Injuries
With CF Elijah Dukes and 2B Ron Belliard absences already hurting the team, another blow was suffered when the key to the team fell to a herniated disk. That's right, 3B Ryan Zimmerman was felled on the third of the month, and it was declared that he'd miss 4 weeks of the season. Two weeks later the team got more bad news when it was announced that Zimmerman had suffered a set back, and would miss an additional 3-4 weeks. MR Livan Hernandez was also injured this month, and will miss 2 months with an elbow injury. Could things get worse for the Nationals?

July's Transactions
The team was suffering along when vetern 2B Willie Harris got sick of losing, and requested a trade on the 21st. The front office would have preferred to keep Harris, but they went ahead and started to test the waters. They received an offer from Atlanta of Harris straight up for CL Rafael Soriano, but countered with Harris and minor-league 1B Joel Guzman in return for Soriano and prospect 1B Freddie Freeman, which the Braves quickly accepted. Harris gives Atlanta some solid defensive depth for cheap, while Washington gets a solid closer to help improve their record, with an expiring salary, and a solid 1B prospect.

With two weeks to go to the trade deadline, Colorado was looking to move SP Brad Penny and his expiring contract. They saw Washington's need for a pitcher to solidify their rotation, and every day sent Washington a new offer to give them Penny for a couple of players. After a week Dan O'Dowd calling him everyday, Washington GM Taves finally heard an offer he could live with. In the deal, Washington gave up middling A prospect SP Jack McGeary. Washington's pitching has underperformed this year, and Penny helps to solidify it, while his expiring contract ensures more room next season. Colorado gets a young arm, and saves themselves some money.

July Prospect Report
At least Washington looks to have a bright future. Their prospects performed well this month, and the addition of 1B Freddie Freeman gives them another solid prospect to work with. Here again is the run down on Washington's top performing prospects at each level.

AAA
CL Mike Hinckley - 1-0, 1.64 ERA, 5 SVs
1B Brad Eldred - .279, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB

AA
SP Jordan Zimmermann - 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9.00 K/BB
1B Bill Rhinehart - .360, 9 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB

A
SP Colton Willems - 4-2, 1.59 ERA, 4.98 K/BB
C Derek Norris - .333, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB

Short A
MR Ryan Harrison - 1-2, 2.84 ERA, 25.1 IP
3B Steven Souza - .319, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 4 SB

R
MR Tom Haley - 1-0, 2.10 ERA, 25.2 IP
C Wilfri Pena - .467, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB

[TavesSoul]

Well August was another sore month, the return of SP Ben Sheets to the line-up means that the Nationals are starting to turn things around. Rumour has it that Sheets would like to resign with the team, although GM Greg Taves is said to be considering the budget repercussions of such a move. The team went 10-19, dropping their overall record to 51-81. "I really hoped we'd be a .500 team, but clearly there was more work to be done then I had though. Hopefully we can finish strong to reward our loyal fans, and show something for next season," said Taves. There are rumours abound that SP Stephen Strasburg could get the call up to show his skills.

August's Hot Players
SP Brad Penny - 2-2, 3.57 ERA, 2.9 K/BB
MR Ryan Wagner - 1-0, 0.61 ERA, 14.2 IP
LF Adam Dunn - .222, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB

August's Cold Players
SP Scott Olsen - 0-5, 6.21 ERA, 1.5 K/BB
MR Saul Rivera - 0-2, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP
RF Justin Maxwell - .167, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 SB

August's Injuries
August saw the return of three key players for Washington from the DL. First was 3B Ryan Zimmerman, followed by SP Ben Sheets and 2B Ron Belliard. All three of these returns at the halfway point of the month helped to save this month, and bode well for the future. Unfortunately, the team endure a couple of other injuries that affected their record. RF Justin Maxwell strained his back, and was out 2-3 weeks. Then a slew of prospects in the AAA system, including SP Stephen Strasburg, went down.

August's Transactions
With the trade deadline passing last month, the team's transactions died down, although it did make what GM Greg Taves said were "significant pick-ups, not only for the team now, but going forward" off the waiver wire. First, they picked up SS Bobby Crosby off of waivers from Oakland. He's expected to give the team infield depth, and the team is rumoured to be trying to secure a renewed contract with him. Next, the team picked up young MR Steven Register off of waivers from Colorado. Register saw some time with the big club, but was optioned to AAA to get some more control. He's got excellent potential. The team also released some older prospect to secure some more playing time for it's younger bunch.

August Prospect Report
Most of the team's prospects continue to advance under a couple of new coaches in the minors. The teams been especially impressed with how 1B Brad Eldred has performed this year, and is hoping to squeeze him in a couple reward games in the majors. Here's a report on the top performers at each level.

AAA
SP Matt Chico - 3-1, 1.83 ERA, 3.8 K/BB
1B Brad Eldred - .304, 12 HR, 29 RBI, 1 SB

AA
MR Matt Avery - 3-0, 1.23 ERA, 2 SV
RF Michael Burgess - .352, 10 HR, 33 RBI, 1 SB

A
SP Casey Kelly - 4-1, 1.69 ERA, 2.5 K/BB
1B Stephen Lombardozzi - .288, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 2 SB

Short A
SP Carlos Peralta - 2-1, 0.57 ERA, 6.0 K/BB
LF Derrick Phillips - .293, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 8 SB

R
SP Kane Silver - 4-1, 4.34 ERA, 1.7 K/BB
SS Chuck Joule - .395, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 1 SB

[TavesSoul]

The 2009 Washington Nationals were finally put out of their misery, as the season came to a close. A 10-20 close to the season led to Washington finishing the year with a 61-101 record, one win better then last year. In a statement released at the end of the season, GM Greg Taves said "I cannot state how disappointed I am at the outcome of this year. I truly thought we'd have been at least a .500 team, despite what everyone was saying. Our pitching and hitting really underperformed this year, and injuries hurt us as well. I truly believe though that the moves made this year will help this team to be a much, much better team next year. Maybe even a playoff team." Bold words from the rookie GM, who in his first year barely improved upon the previous management team. Many critics point to Taves' unwillingness to fire Manager Manny Acta as to why the team continued to spiral, but Taves stuck by the Manager. Will Acta be axed now that the season is over?

September's Hot Players
SP John Lannan - 3-0, 3.60 ERA, 3.7 K/BB
CL Rafael Soriano - 0-2, 3.72 ERA, 5 SVs
3B Ryan Zimmerman - .298, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB

September's Cold Players
SP Trevor Cahill - 0-4, 9.25 ERA, 0.8 K/BB
MR Ryan Wagner - 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 5.2 IP
LF Jason Bay - .156, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB

September's Injuries
Elijah Dukes finally came off the DL, but too late to help his team improve. Then SP Dallas Braden strained his hamstring, as was pronounced out for 2-3 weeks. Ten days later, Braden suffered a setback, and would miss another 2 weeks. Still, things could have been worse.

September's Transactions
Washington made one move this month, picking up SP Trevor Cahill off of waivers from the Oakland A's. Cahill was the #21 prospect coming into the season, and Taves was shocked to see him on the waiver wire. He pitched some games with the big club once claimed, but underwhelmed. Still, his addition is part of why Washington is viewed as having a future, six months after being declared a desolate wasteland.

September Prospect Report
September is a slow month in the minors, although some prospects did play a few games, and performed admirably. Here's a look at the months top performers by level.

AAA
SP Jason Bergmann - 2-0, 2.77 ERA, 2.3 K/BB
3B Andy Marte - .304, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB

AA
SP Craig Stammen - 1-0, 2.57 ERA, 5.7 K/BB
RF Michael Burgess - .400, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB

A
SP Erik Arnesen - 2-0, 1.17 ERA, 7.00 K/BB
2B Marcos Yepez - .357, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB

Short A
MR Johan Figuereo - 0-0, 0.90 ERA, 2 SVs
3B Vic Cegles - .341, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 2 SB

[TavesSoul]

2009 Season Ends with a Whimper
October 31st

The season is over in the MLB, and it was an exciting one, up until a disappointing finish. New York Mets fans were excited about their teams chances of winning it all, after they dominated in the regular season with 103 wins, 12 wins more then anybody else. Washington and Kansas City fans were humiliated this season with their teams finishing 1 and 2 at the bottom of the league, with 101 and 97 loses respectively. The playoffs started with the Mets as the NL favourite, and the Oakland A's as the AL favourite. But neither team would fulfill it's destiny, as Oakland lost in five in the first round to the New York Yankees, and the Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves in six in the NLCS. The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox in 7 in a nail-bitter in the ALCS, and what looked to be a great World Series was set-up. But Atlanta was injured and worn down, and the Yankees walked away with the trophy in 5 quick games.