Why 2021 will be better than 2020

Why 2021 will be better than 2020
You already know this, but 2020 was a pretty awful year. Not that many folks didn't experience some legitimately positive moments, but in the big picture this was among the worst years in most everybody's lives. Now, you have to be awfully naïve to believe that the world is suddenly going to change for the better just because we're all opening up a new calendar today. Nothing is inherently different today compared to yesterday, other than an arbitrary number someone a long time ago chose...

Notes on Stevenson, Turner and Scherzer

Notes on Stevenson, Turner and Scherzer
One bright spot at the end of the abbreviated 2020 season was watching Andrew Stevenson crush baseballs for the final few weeks. The outfielder hit .417 in September, with seven doubles, one triple, two homers and 12 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .488. With Michael A. Taylor given the option to look for another team - and eventually signing a deal with the Royals - it was obvious the door was open for Stevenson to officially take on the role as the club's fourth outfielder going forward....

Nationals finished with seventh-highest payroll in 2020

Nationals finished with seventh-highest payroll in 2020
The Nationals finished the 2020 season with the seventh-largest payroll in Major League Baseball, down three slots from their position during their World Series run the previous year but still leaving them among the sport's biggest spenders. The Nats paid out a grand total of $76.2 million to all players on their 40-man roster this season, according to figures obtained and published by the Associated Press on Saturday evening. That ranked seventh in the majors, behind the World Series champion...

Rizzo: Big bat is No. 1 priority, owners willing to pay for it

Rizzo: Big bat is No. 1 priority, owners willing to pay for it
The Nationals have a clear No. 1 priority this winter: Acquire a big bat to complement Trea Turner and Juan Soto in the heart of their lineup. And Mike Rizzo says ownership has assured him he'll have the resources to acquire that kind of big-ticket item. "It's no secret we're a pitching-oriented team," the Nats general manager said during a Zoom session with reporters today, his first since late September. "We've got three great strong starting pitchers coming back. We've got a bullpen...

Nats' 2019 roster could be a distant memory come 2021

Nats' 2019 roster could be a distant memory come 2021
Nothing lasts forever in baseball. Change is inevitable. No roster, good or bad, stays intact from year to year. So this isn't unusual. But it's still somewhat striking when you pause to think about it: More than half of the Nationals' 2019 World Series roster isn't going to be part of their 2021 roster. At the moment, only 11 of the 25 players who were in uniform for Game 7 in Houston a mere 13 1/2 months ago remain employed by the Nationals. Only four of those 11 are position players:...

Juan Soto honored as All-MLB first-team outfielder

Juan Soto honored as All-MLB first-team outfielder
Had there been a 2020 All-Star Game, Juan Soto and Trea Turner almost certainly would've found their way to Dodger Stadium to join the rest of baseball's best for a couple of days. But with no Midsummer Classic during a 60-game season that didn't even begin until late July, Soto and Turner are left to be honored in a different fashion for their standout performances this season: Soto was named tonight as a 2020 All-MLB first-team outfielder, while Turner was recognized as one of three...

Nationals tender 2021 contracts to Soto, Turner

Nationals tender 2021 contracts to Soto, Turner
The Nationals tonight tendered contracts to Juan Soto and Trea Turner, their only remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible players, in a couple of entirely expected-but-required transactions. All Major League Baseball clubs had until 8 p.m. Eastern time to either offer 2021 contracts to their players who are eligible for arbitration this winter (generally those with more than three but fewer than six years of big league service time) or non-tender them and let them become free agents. There was...

With easy tender decisions, Nats will be watching other clubs

With easy tender decisions, Nats will be watching other clubs
The Nationals typically go into baseball's non-tender deadline day with some decisions to make. One year ago, they chose not to offer a contract to Javy Guerra (who later re-signed on a minor league deal), were prepared to do the same with Koda Glover before the oft-injured reliever instead announced his retirement, and after some internal discussion chose to retain Roenis Elías, Hunter Strickland and Michael A. Taylor. (None of those three players, it should be noted, remain in the...

Doubles can turn into homers as minor leaguers move to majors

Doubles can turn into homers as minor leaguers move to majors
One way to track the potential of a young star becoming a power hitter in the major leagues is to monitor doubles hit through their minor league career. Let's start with a couple of elite players - Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon - and their minor league statistics. Turner spent 69 games in the minors in 2014 and hit 16 doubles, which is one double every 4.3 games. That number stayed about the same in 2015, when Turner hit 24 doubles in 116 games, which was one double every 4.8 games. Turner...

Even in 2020, much to be thankful for today

Even in 2020, much to be thankful for today
This traditionally is a day to take a step back and appreciate what we have in our lives, big and small, and give thanks for it. But this year? What are we supposed to be thankful for in November 2020? Actually, there's a lot. Though this certainly has been among the most trying years any of has ever experienced, there have been some silver linings. Block out the big ugly things, if you can, and think about the little things we were treated to this year. We got to watch a baseball season. No,...

Should a leadoff hitter be on the Nats' shopping list?

Should a leadoff hitter be on the Nats' shopping list?
It's way too soon to start penciling in potential Nationals lineups for 2021, because there is so much that still needs to be determined before pitchers and catchers report a mere three months from now. But there is one fairly important question that probably needs to be asked right now, because the answer isn't entirely clear. Do the Nats need a new leadoff hitter? They haven't needed one in quite some time. Whether it's been Davey Martinez managing the last three seasons or Dusty Baker...

The current state of the Nationals' depth chart

The current state of the Nationals' depth chart
The Nationals haven't added anyone new yet this offseason, but they have dropped quite a few members of the 2020 club over the last month-plus. In fact, their 40-man roster includes only 30 players at this moment, underscoring just how much work they still have ahead of them this winter. We've talked plenty already about the various holes on the roster and tried to identify some free agents who might interest the Nats. But as we begin another week in what continues to look like a very slow...

Nats' lack of award candidates in 2020 was telling

Nats' lack of award candidates in 2020 was telling
Not that you need any reminders about how disappointing 2020 was for the Nationals, but here's one more just for the sake of it: They didn't have any finalists for any of the four major end-of-season awards. Nope, nobody from the Nats finished in the top three in voting for National League MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year or Manager of the Year. That's not something that has happened around these parts in quite some time. The last time the Nationals didn't have a top-three finisher for any...

Soto finishes fifth, Turner is seventh in MVP voting

Soto finishes fifth, Turner is seventh in MVP voting
Juan Soto finished fifth and Trea Turner finished seventh in voting for National League MVP released tonight, garnering recognition for a season in which the Nationals as a team disappointed but their two biggest offensive stars produced as well as they have in their respective careers. Soto led the league in a host of offensive categories but didn't play as much as most of his competitors due to a positive coronavirus test and a sore elbow. Turner put together elite offensive numbers to...

Time to view Turner as run producer instead of table setter?

Time to view Turner as run producer instead of table setter?
Our offseason player review series continues today with Trea Turner, who developed into one of the league's most complete offensive players this season. PLAYER REVIEW: TREA TURNER Age on opening day 2021: 27 How acquired: Traded from Padres with Joe Ross for Steven Souza Jr. and Travis Ott, who went to Rays in three-team deal, December 2014 MLB service time: 4 years, 135 days 2020 salary: $7.45 million (prorated $2,759,259) Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2021, free agent in 2023 2020...

Already among best in game, Soto still seeks to improve

Already among best in game, Soto still seeks to improve
Our offseason player review series begins today with Juan Soto, who produced historic offensive numbers despite playing in only 47 of the Nationals' 60 games. PLAYER REVIEW: JUAN SOTO Age on opening day 2021: 22 How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2015 MLB service time: 2 year, 134 days 2020 salary: $629,400 (prorated $233,111) Contract status: Possibly Super Two arbitration-eligible in 2021, free agent in 2025 2020 stats: 47 G, 196 PA, 154 AB, 39 R, 54 H, 14 2B, 0 3B, 13...

A fast start in 2021 imperative for Martinez and Nats

A fast start in 2021 imperative for Martinez and Nats
The Nationals had high expectations in 2018, hoping to put it all together for a shot at the postseason after 2017 ended in the National League Division Series against the Cubs. But the Nats ended up at just 82-80, eight games back of the Braves for the NL East crown. There were some parallels to that disappointing ending to a campaign in 2020. The Nats were fresh off an incredible run to the 2019 World Series title as they got ready for an abbreviated 2020 regular season. With most of that...

Revisiting our 2020 season predictions

Revisiting our 2020 season predictions
The 2020 Major League Baseball season was, to put it mildly, unlike any we've ever experienced. We knew that going into it, and we knew that probably meant some unexpected things would happen along the way. That was especially true for the Nationals, whose season didn't go anything like anyone expected. For the most part. Despite the unusual nature of this year, we still published our annual Nats season predictions on opening day. And though we were horribly wrong about a lot of things, we...

Turner makes jump forward at plate, now wants to sharpen defense

Turner makes jump forward at plate, now wants to sharpen defense
One Nationals player who stayed consistent on offense and made good contact throughout the season was shortstop Trea Turner. Regardless of where manager Davey Martinez hit Turner in the lineup, he delivered. Batting first in the lineup, Turner hit .340. Batting second, he hit .323. And for the four games he hit third, the former N.C. State infielder batted .333. Against left-handed pitching, Turner hit .375, and against right-handers, he hit .322. That is consistency. Turner said he got off to...

After a joyless season, Nationals realize change is coming

After a joyless season, Nationals realize change is coming
From the moment the Nationals took the field on opening night, one thing was obvious: The 2020 season was going to be different. Really, really different. By the time it ended Sunday evening, perhaps some aspects of what took place out there were starting to feel normal. We got used to the sight of managers, coaches and umpires wearing masks. We got used to the sight of empty stands and the sounds of artificial crowd noise. We even got used to the designated hitter in National League games,...