Three days before pitchers and catchers report and we’re still, essentially, the same (awful) team we were in September 2008. While I’m delighted that baseball begins soon, the offseason was not nearly long enough to forget how bad we are…
Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, on the Nats:
First impression: What’s that saying about lipstick on a pig? Well, this is Washington, so it’s probably not the best term to use, though it’s appropriate. The Nationals bolstered themselves with a player who had been released (Daniel Cabrera), another with a checkered past (Scott Olsen) and a third with back issues (Josh Willingham). There’s still time to salvage the offseason and bolster their future if they can convince Adam Dunn and/or Orlando Hudson to sign anything more than a one-year deal. Still, it won’t provide any sort of salvation. That’s a long way off for the worst team in baseball – likely two years’ running.
Competition: For a team that is quite dreadful, an awful lot of its positions are set. Anderson Hernandez will try to hold off Ronnie Belliard at second base and Joel Hanrahan takes over at closer with Saul Rivera and Steven Shell (.194 batting average against) ready to sub.
Hot seat: Bravo, Jim Bowden, for the ability to keep your job after a 102-loss season during which you were interviewed by the FBI about possible skimming of bonuses from Latin American players. Teflon Jim is in his fifth year as Nationals GM.
Next: All the talk of building a great farm system has been just that: a lot of talk. Jordan Zimmermann, the Nationals’ top prospect, could join the rotation this season alongside Shairon Martis, who threw a seven-inning no-hitter against Panama in the first World Baseball Classic. Otherwise, the cupboard isn’t exactly overflowing.
How’s that for a cold splash of water…
Entries (RSS)
February 10th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Jeff Passan is so on target. Let’s get back to reality, all the sugarcoating during the NatsFest was “putting lipstick on pig”.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Teflon Jim. That’s good.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Sorry to be so depressing, but I’m just having a hard time accepting that this is our team in ‘09, to love and to cherish through 100 more losses…Ugh!!!
I guess my Harris Teeter doesn’t sell the Kool-Aid.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
if Dunn won’t sign, maybe we could get Griffey, Jr to go to first base for a season. At least it would put a recognizable name on the field, and maybe a few extra butts in the seats
February 11th, 2009 at 6:44 am
I don’t think any kind of worst-to-first fairytale is going to happen, but I do NOT see this as the worst team in baseball again. Even without better breaks on injuries our pitching will be better, Zimmerman, Dukes, Milledge, and Flores will have another year of experience, and there may well be more moves before opening day. Get a grip people, it’s SPRING TRAINING time!
February 11th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Re. the 2009 team, check out the latest Nationals Journal entry.