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Nationals Chat
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Mark P
5:01
Since everyone loves a rhyme, should we call this the Nat Chat?  Let's open up the queue...
KMN
5:01
Any chance the Nationals trade for Jo Adell?  Or sign deGrom?  With those two questions covered, we should have a productive chat.
Mark P
5:02
No, and no.  Okay, with those two chat running gags addressed, we can....
B
5:02
Bees?
Mark P
5:02
Beads?!

Ok, NOW we can move onto the Nationals questions
Alex
5:02
How big of a concern is Hassell’s injury?
Mark P
5:03
Not a huge concern.  Assuming it's a normal hamate surgery, he'll be recovered in 6-8 weeks
Ken
5:03
What's the timeline for contention for the Nats, with the Braves having locked in a young core for years to come, the Mets spending money and spending it more intelligently than they have in the past, and the Phillies having a lot of good pieces, too.
Mark P
5:04
They've already been pretty aggressive in moving star players for blue-chip prospects, so some hoped-for building blocks are in place.  The x-factor is the ownership change, since if Ted Leonsis or whomever takes over is willing to spend, the front office might get an early green light to start augmenting this core with bigger pieces.
5:05
However, the Nats seem like they're going to be in the woods for at least two more years.  I can see Mike Rizzo approaching this like his initial rebuild of the team in the late 00's
Stormy
5:05
As it stands today when is Washington back in contention?  26?27?
Mark P
5:05
I read this as "2627" and was like geez, I'm pretty sure they're going to contend sometime in the next 600 years
Thanos
5:06
Is CJ Abrams projectable as a solid everyday SS? Maybe an all star?
Mark P
5:07
Abrams was a consensus top 10-15 prospect, and those kinds of blue-chippers carry an All-Star ceiling.  The potential is certainly there for Abrams to be at least a regular, and fans shouldn't feel let down if he is "only" an everyday player and not a star.
Brendan
5:07
You think Martinez and Rizzo are both in DC on opening day?
Mark P
5:08
Yeah.  A new owner might not even have control of the team by Opening Day, and even if so, they're not going to suddenly fire everyone in Spring Training or something
Now, since both Rizzo and Martinez are only signed through 2023, it's a fair question to wonder about Opening Day 2024
Kirk
5:09
Should the team sell high on Joey Meneses? Since they found lightning in a bottle it could be worth exploring.
Mark P
5:10
The Nats would definitely be open to offers on Meneses.  As good as he was last year, his .371 BABIP gives pause, and naturally it's just pretty rare for a guy to suddenly break out as a star out of nowhere.
5:11
If they can land a good young player back in a trade, that's a deal D.C. should be considering
GreggyT
5:11
I still think there rebuild is about pitching.  The elite teams develop it and the Nats have not.  What do we have to do to increase our pitching depth.
Mark P
5:12
Rizzo has spoken about his dissatisfaction with the team's developmental system as a whole, and we've seen a lot of overhaul in the Nats front office and scouting ranks in the last year or so.  No doubt part of this in due to the relative lack of development for both young pitchers and young position players.

So the problem is at least being identified and addressed, though obviously the jury is still out on whether or not this overhaul bears fruit
Scott H
5:13
Will the Nats do anything of real consequence this off-season as long as this pending sale looms?
Mark P
5:13
It didn't really seem like they were going to make any big moves anyway, part from probably lower-cost one-year deals
Joshua
5:14
Re: Possible Joey Meneses trade. Who says no.....Nats send Meneses to the Guardians for Gavin Williams?
Mark P
5:15
Cleveland says no.  Williams is a top 40ish kind of pitching prospect, and not the kind of player the Guardians would give up for a lottery ticket like Meneses
James
5:16
Will new ownership solve the MASN mess and how will that change the two teams' spending?
Mark P
5:18
If Ted Leonsis does buy the team, he also owns an NBC Sports station in Washington, and would presumably look to the move Nats games over to his own network.  

It would be pretty ironic if the next round of Nats/Orioles disputes come over the Nats trying to leave MASN, but I don't know the length of the Nats' broadcast rights deals
Brad
5:18
Would the Nats consider signing Trea Turner? He's good, still young, and Nats fans all love him. Team has the money to get him. Think he'd go great with young rising stars.
Mark P
5:19
I don't see the Nats making a splashy signing like Turner, nor do I see Turner joining a team that isn't positioned to contend immediately
Guest
5:19
Would Kim Ng move Elieser for Meneses?
Mark P
5:20
This would be an interesting move, as while Elieser had a rough 2022, he's still a young and controllable pitcher.  

Ultimately I don't think either team would make the swap, maybe with the division-rival factor playing a part
R. D.
5:20
Chances Rizzo signs another vet with the hopes of returning mid-level prospects at the deadline? I know it didn’t work out with Cruz, but maybe someone like Conforto?
Joshua
5:20
Does Michael Conforto on a bounce back 1 year deal make sense?
Mark P
5:21
Conforto makes a good deal of sense for Washington.  His asking price will be reduced after a year off, and the Nats can offer him a rebound opportunity and regular playing time.  (Plus, an implicit promise that he'd be flipped to a contender at the deadline.)
Carter Kieboom
5:21
Do I have any role to play in the Nats' future? Or is it time to take me off the depth chart?
Mark P
5:22
Kieboom is still only 25, and his injury (while a big setback) also in a way gave him a mulligan on the season.  If he doesn't start to produce in 2023, that's when the Nats will probably start thinking about moving on
Atkins Plan
5:23
Is Washington one of the few teams I will not be offering one of my three catchers to this off season?
Mark P
5:24
Ross Atkins = Jays GM

The Nats aren't exactly going to hang up the phone if the Jays came calling with an interesting offer involving Kirk or Moreno, but yeah, D.C. is one of the relatively few teams that wouldn't have a huge need for catching.
Hugh Sezno
5:25
Low cost one year signings didn't work last year, why would it work this year?  Seems spending and trying for a wild card should be a reasonable option now? No?
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