SB Nation - Cristian Guzman

Washington Nationals: Winter Meetings Wrap.

Ed Chigliak — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:28:33 -0000

More photos » by Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP

Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo found the catcher he wanted at the Winter Meetings, now the Nationals need to add some pitching. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

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Before the Winter Meetings, the Washington Nationals made clear that they did not think it was absolutely essential that they add the pitching help they need from the top of the free agent class or within the three-day span of the Indianapolis Winter Meetings, as DC GM Mike Rizzo explained to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, who wrote in a 12/2/09 article entitled, "Pitching the focus for Nats at Meetings", that fans shouldn't, "...look for the the Nationals to attempt to break the bank," in pursuit of free agent help, as they did last Winter in their pursuit of Mark Teixeira, who we've been told, time and again, was seen as a once-in-a-generation talent, but instead should accept the fact that it's more, "...likely that Rizzo will make trades."

(cont.)...

BACKPAGE:

• The LIST.

• Oh...AND LIVAN HERNANDEZ!

• Guzman To Second, Desmond At Short?

• Bally To The Bullpen? WT...

BACKPAGE:

• The LIST as the DC Faithful are calling it, (ed. note - "No one is calling it that."), that Rizzo gave to Washington Post writer Chico Harlan for an article entitled, "Reading Material, Shopping Lists", of pitchers that the Nationals were interested in this winter, started with 14 names, but as the Winter Meetings officially end following tomorrow's Rule 5 Draft, the list has been shortened some, from, "Jason Marquis, Randy Wolf, John Lackey, Cliff Lee, Jon Garland, Kevin Millwood, Tim Hudson, Brad Penny, Joel Piñeiro, Braden Looper, Jarrod Washburn, Brandon Webb, Brett Myers, John Smoltz and more..." to, as the Post's Chico Harlan wrote in two Nationals Journal posts entitled, "The starting pitching shopping list", and "The starting pitching, Pt. II":

"(Jon Garland and)...almost every established free agent starting pitcher except the A-lister, John Lackey. So, the Nats would entertain the possibility of Jarrod Washburn, Joel Pineiro, Vicente Padilla, Jason Marquis, and John Smoltz."

• Oh...AND LIVAN HERNANDEZ!

After Washington Post writer Dave Sheinin wrote about Elijah Dukes' winter, he added a note to the end of an article entitled, "Nationals notes: Dukes, L. Hernandez", about the Washington Nationals making contract with the agent for Mr. National Himself, Livan Hernandez, the original Nationals' Ace, who has openly expressed his desire to return to the nation's capital since the end of the '09 season. Mr. Sheinin writes that Hernandez's agent, "(Barry) Praver would not characterize the talks", but in the Washington Post writer's opinion it would take, "...a one-year contract with a low base and ample performance incentives."

-- (ed. note - "Do you want to see Livan Hernandez return to the Nationals? From what I've read in the comments, it's pretty much split amongst the DC Faithful...Should the Nationals let Livan teach Strasburg the eephus?")

• Guzman To Second, Desmond At Short?

MLB.com's Bill Ladson was Twittering throughout the Winter Meetings, letting Nationals' fans know what was going on long before it went into print (as were the Washington Times' writers), and the biggest revelation out of the final day in Indianapolis was that the Nationals had made up their minds about what to do with their twenty-ten middle infield:

"It appears the Nats will take a chance with Cristian Guzman at second base. That means Orlando Hudson is not coming to DC."

Does that mean that Ian Desmond is officially a "Go!" at short? Are the Nationals still going to try to find another option at short?

• Bally To The Bullpen? WT...

The other interesting thing that MLB.com's Bill Ladson Twittered was the idea that:

"The Nats may rely on some of their youngsters in the bullpen. Luis Atilano, Collin Balester and Craig Stammen are candidates."

As the Nationals' system produces more pitching, some of the older starters who haven't established themselves are going to have to make the move to the pen to make room for the next wave of pitchers. Is Balester on that list in your mind? (ed. note - "Not mine.")...What about J.D. Martin? Shairon Martis? Atilano? Stammen? Ross Detwiler? Is this Washington's way of saying why sign relievers when we have all these arms under contract?

Should the Washington Nationals Spend $20 Million This Winter Just Because They Have It?

Dave at Nats News Network — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:52:50 -0000

More photos » by Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP

4 months ago: FILE - In this July 13, 2009 file photo, Washington Nationals vice president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo, left, and president Stan Kasten, speak during a news conference discussing the team's managerial situation in Washington. After 5 1/2 months of doing the work of the Washington Nationals' general manager, Mike Rizzo is getting the title, too, sources in Major League Baseball familiar with the Nationals' plans said Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

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There are plenty in the Natosphere that want Mike Rizzo and the Washington Nationals to make a big splash and sign a bunch of free agents this winter to improve the product on the field.

After two-straight 100-loss seasons, I'm sure Rizzo is tempted to make a run at Matt Holliday, John Lackey, etc. But prudence, rather than exuberance, should rule the day.

If you take a good look at the Nats 2010 lineup, the hitters are credible enough to imitate a wild card caliber team.

But should the brass spend $20 million this winter just because they have it?

The answer, after the jump...

If Nyjer Morgan can replicate his season from last year (minus the season-ending injury) and Cristian Guzman has one .300-hitting season left in him, those are decent enough table setters in front of All-Star 3B Ryan Zimmerman and sluggers Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham.

The six-seven-eight hitters are going to be a combination of Elijah Dukes in right field, Jesus Flores (once healthy) at catcher, and Ian Desmond at shortstop.

Solid at the plate, and somewhat better in the field with Desmond replacing Guzman at short, and the Guz sliding over to second base.

And as long as "Running" Jim Riggleman doesn't call for a suicide squeeze every other game they should score enough runs to field a fairly competitive offense, just like last season.

Combine that with the prospect of having a couple of really decent trade chips at this year's deadline (Dunn, Willingham), and some of the minor league talent starting to show (Espinosa, Norris), the Nats have a reason to feel somewhat optimistic about the future of the lineup.

The problem is pitching, both starting and relieving.

Rizzo went on record last summer stating a preference for finding two starters to take some of the pressure of youngsters John Lannan, Ross Detwiler, Garrett Mock, Collin Balester, J.D. Martin, Craig Stammen at the major league level, while not rushing the more highly regarded prospects still in the minors, such as Stephen Strasburg, Aaron Thompson, Brad Meyers, et al.

And there's even more talent in the lower minors, with '09 draftees Trevor Holder and A.J. Morris just coming into their first full season as professionals.

Should the Nats spend $20 million this off-season, just because they have it?

Already one of the lower payrolls in the big leagues, the Nats see at least that much coming off the books this season, as the contracts of Dmitri Young, Ronnie Belliard, Nick Johnson, and Austin Kearns all either expired, were traded, or bought out.

They could even afford to offer Scott Olsen arbitration, get stuck with a 25-year old lefty recovering from shoulder surgery, and still have monopoly money to throw around.

But again, should they?

There are two "Type A" free agent starters available this season, John Lackey and Randy Wolf. Signing either would require the Nats to surrender their second round draft pick in the 2010 draft.

For a club whose best players are still several years from their prime, this doesn't seem to be prudent to me.

There are a bunch of "Type B" starters available that might be interesting, costing the Nats a little less, a second round pick. But most of these players are either injury cases (Erik Bedard, Justin Duchscherer, Rich Harden, Carl Pavano), old (Randy Johnson, Andy Pettitte), of questionable pedigree (Doug Davis, Braden Looper, Jason Marquis, Joel Piniero), or just bat-guano crazy (Vicente Padilla).

Do the Nats give up a chunk of the future to acquire any of these gentlemen? There's not a name in there that doesn't scare me to one degree or another.

And if the Type B's frighten, you can imagine what the rest of the list looks like. Reclamation projects, one-hit wonders, and former Nats (Odalis Perez or Daniel Cabrera, anyone?).

My advice to Rizzo? If you want to take a chance rolling the dice on Doug Davis, Joel Piniero or Jarrod Washburn, and can do it reasonably, via con dios.

Otherwise, let the stable of young guys that you have fight it out again this season, bolster your bullpen with the rest, wait for Jordan Zimmermann to recover from Tommy John surgery and Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen to arrive next season, THEN supplement with a veteran starter.

Just because you have $20 million to spend, doesn't mean you should.

Poll

Should the Nats spend a lot of money this off-season on players that won't be around when their core of young players are in their prime?

Yes, we still have to watch (and pay for) these games!

69 votes

No, I'm willing to stay the course until the young talent is ready.

62 votes

131 votes | Poll has closed

Washington Nationals: Shortstop Watch...Adam Everett?

Ed Chigliak — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:35:36 -0000

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Detroit Tigers' shortstop Adam Everett (4) is one of the few SS options linked to the Nationals this winter...(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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There is actually a lot of free agent talk going on out there, it's just that none of it involves the Washington Nationals. You can look and see that the Red Sox, having lost SS Alex Gonzalez to the Toronto Blue Jays, are left with,"...virtually no choice but to sign Marco Scutaro," as FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi pointed out in an update of their article entitled, "Latest buzz from the MLB offseason", narrowing the field of available free agent infielders even further as DC GM Mike Rizzo searches for the player the Nationals intend to replace Cristian Guzman with, if they decide Ian Desmond needs a full year at Triple-A...

Mr.'s Rosenthal and Morosi also provide the reasons the Red Sox have for looking at Scutaro alone, as the FOXSports' writers critique the other remaining free agents:

"...Orlando Cabrera's defense has declined, and many clubs believe that Miguel Tejada needs to move off short. Adam Everett is a terrific defender, but an even weaker hitter than (Alex) Gonzalez."

Everett, one of two SS's Mr.'s Rosenthal and Morosi identified as the Nationals' targets at short earlier this offseason, (alongside Gonzalez), hit just .238 with a .288 OBP, .325 SLG, 21 doubles, 4 HR's and 44 RBI's in 118 games over which he posted a .969 fielding percentage (5th best in the AL), committed 14 errors (6th most in AL) and helped turn 67 DP's for the Tigers. Everett's 13.6 UZR/150 ranks as the second best rating amongst shortstops in the American League, behind only the Orioles' Cesar Itzuris, (14.1 UZR/150) and third overall in baseball behind Itzuris and Jack Wilson (20.4) another light-hitting free agent SS who already signed elsewhere...Will the Nationals go after Everett, the solid defender to play behind their young pitchers, thinking they have enough offense up front? Is Everett an improvement over Cristian Guzman? (Guzman in '09 - .284 AVG, .306 OBP, .390 SLG, .696 OPS, .962 fielding percentage, (-2.6) UZR/150, 20 E's, 65 DP's.)

More and more DC fans are expressing the feeling that it's going to be the "in-house" candidate, Ian Desmond, at short when the season begins...

Washington Nationals: SS Search Update.

Ed Chigliak — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:43:14 -0000

More photos » by Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP

about 1 month ago: Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo announces the appointment of Jim Riggleman to the position of team manager, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

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You have to like the confidence DC GM Mike Rizzo had in Washington Post writer Chico Harlan's early September Nationals Journal post entitled, "Reading Material, Shopping Lists", where he provided a list of pitchers-and-shortstops-of-interest on the market this winter, and then told Mr. Harlan, "'We're going to get one of them,'" or when he told USA Today sports writer Seth Livingstone, in an article last week entitled, "Organizational report: Nats' young talent provides hope", that the franchise was open for business, or as he put it himself:

"We have pieces that are attractive to other teams," general manager Mike Rizzo says. "We're leaving all avenues open. We're going to do what's best for the ballclub in the long term. We have several needs, and we're going to try to fill them by free agency, by trade or by waiver claim — any way we can."

Back in Mr. Harlan's article, before the season had even ended, Mr. Rizzo identified the team's offseason needs as, in Mr. Harlan's words, "A shortstop. A decent reliever. (Though probably not a top-of-the-line closer type; why waste the money?) At least one free agent starter. Maybe two, if Livo returns." Two of the shortstops on the list provided in that article, Alex Gonzalez and Jack Wilson, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, respectively, and in announcing Gonzalez's signing with the Jays, The Globe and Mail.com writer Jeff Blair revealed, in an article entitled, "Jays GM decides on defense", the asking price for a third SS candidate on Mr. Rizzo's initial list, Orlando Cabrera, who's said to be seeking a, "2-year, $12-million minimum deal...", from any team interested in his services.

Alex Gonzalez, was, you'll remember, one of two free agent shortstops the Nationals were said to be interested in according to FOXSports.com writers Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, who quoted "major league sources" in mid-November in their continually updated article entitled, "MLB Offseason buzz", who said the Nationals were looking at, "Alex Gonzalez, who still could re-sign with the Red Sox (and) Adam Everett, who still could re-sign with the Tigers," as they attempted to fill a need at short created by their decision to move Cristian Guzman to second. MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported earlier in November in an article entitled, "Nats show interest in DeRosa, Gonzalez", that Washington was looking at IF Mark DeRosa. Ian Desmond, the Nationals' 24-year-old "in-house" SS candidate, who hit for a combined .330 AVG with a .401 OBP, .477 SLG and an .878 OPS at two stops in Class-AA and AAA in '09, and went on to hit .280 with a .318 OBP, .561 SLG and an .879 OPS in 21 MLB games over which he collected 7 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR's and 12 RBI's, according to Mr.'s Rosenthal and Morosi, "...probably needs more time at Class AAA."

Links:

• Will Washington's Willie Harris' friendship with Orlando Hudson lead him to join the Nationals, MLB.com's Bill Ladson couldn't help but ask. - MLB.com's Bill Ladson's, "Harris, Hudson form bond off the field".

• Washington Times' writer Ben Goessling stoked the Hot Stove in a live chat on Wednesday that might have been lost in the pre-holiday hustle, but it's worth a read as Mr. Goessling answers questions from a few names you might recognize like Brian from the Nationals Farm Authority; Hendo, aka Mike Henderson from Nationals Pride; Miss Chatter and yours truly, Ed Chigliak of Federal Baseball. I asked Mr. Goessling a question about the Rule 5 draft but when a few questions in a row covered the same territory, he answered my second query, which was simply, "Who debuts first, Storen or Strasburg?" to which he responded:

"I think it's Storen, simply because he's already been through a half-season in the minors and the Nats' response to the Strasburg hype will probably be to put him in the minors for a month or two, unless he's so good in spring training that they add him to the roster. But I think Storen has a great shot to make the team out of camp."

Mr. Goessling also talks about the 2010 rotation, the bullpen, just about everything. Great stuff...

• Twitterers...In case you missed the earlier notes, DC pitcher Collin Balester is now on Twitter. Drew Storen's been tweeting for a while now. The Washington Times' writers do as well...

• "Washington Nationals: Desperatley Seeking Shorstop" an early story about the Nationals' SS search here at Federal Baseball.com.

Washington Nationals' Elijah Dukes Gets Ejected...+ Rumorville.

Ed Chigliak — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:33:32 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

After homering in his first DWL game last night, Elijah Dukes K'd three times and got ejected yesterday in his second game with the Tigres del Licey. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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Day 2 In The DWL For Dukes...

• Elijah Dukes had three at bats to try to make sense of the junk that veteran MLB lefty John Halama was throwing this afternoon in the Sunday Tigres del Licey v Aguilas Cibaenas Dominican Winter League matchup. Dukes never did figure out Halama's offspeed and breaking balls, and after the third straight K, this one backwards, he got himself tossed for arguing about where the bottom of the strike zone was with home plate umpire Justin Vogel. The Nationals' 25-year-old cannon-armed outfielder's down in the DWL to learn how to hit the sort of stuff Halama was throwing. In his first DWL game last night, Dukes hit a two-run HR in his second AB with the Tigres, but today, Halama and a few questionable strikes got the best of the enigmatic outfielder...

• In what, at times, felt like an franchise-history-spanning intra-squad game between current and former Washington Nationals with Dukes, Halama, Wily Mo Pena, Bernie Castro, Daniel Cabrera, Emilio Bonifacio, Anderson Hernandez, Kory Casto and pitching prospect Atahualpa Severino all seeing action, the Tigres took and then immediately blew a 2-1 lead when Bernie Castro hit a two-run triple in the top of the fifth, followed quickly by Aguilas' first baseman Kevin Barker's RBI single and second baseman Hector Luna's three-run HR that made it 5-2 Aguilas after the home-half of the frame...

• Final Score - Tigres del Licey 2, Aguilas Cibaenas 8. MLB.com Box.

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• Rumorville (A Suburb Of NatsTown™): Trading The Untradeable.

BACKPAGE:

• Rumorville (A Suburb Of NatsTown™): Trading The Untradeable.

In MLB.com's Bill Ladson's latest, "Inbox: Riggleman right man for job?", Mr. Ladson talks to several readers with ideas about how the Nationals can improve their middle infield, (Ronnie Belliard? Jamey Carroll?), and then entertains a question from a fan who wants to know if the DC fans should just expect an Ian Desmond/Cristian Guzman middle infield combo this season, with Mr. Ladson responding that he finds it hard to imagine the Nationals going with an Adam Dunn/Cristian Guzman right side of the infield, leading him to believe, in his own words:

"...that the Nationals will try to trade Guzman. It will be hard, because he will make $8 million next year.

As far as Desmond goes, I'm getting mixed signals. I know that Riggleman likes him, but there are other people in the organization who believe he needs more seasoning in the Minor Leagues."

Mr. Ladson quoted Jim Riggleman, in an article entitlted, "Riggleman: Guzman a second baseman" after Riggleman was promoted to full-time skipper, saying that in his opinion and Mr. Ladson's words, "...he wouldn't mind going into the season with Desmond at (short)", though the 24-year-old infielder will have to earn it, and Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell addressed the complaints about Guzman's defensive play and the possibility that someone out there will take an $8 million dollar deal off the Nationals' hands in a chat with readers back on September 24, 2009 entitled, "Ask Boswell: Redskins, Nats, Orioles and More", where Mr. Boswell responded to another Nats fan who brought up Jamey Carroll as an option before suggesting that Guzman's, "...poor on base percentage, marginal range and lack of power," should lead the Nationals to trade the soon-to-be 32-year-old outfielder, "...even if they have to eat half his contract," by stating that:

"Critism of Guzman's fielding is overdone. He has a strong arm, remains agile and WILL be part of the Nats middle infield next year, almost certainly. His $8-million contract makes him semi-untradeable. He's not worth that much. But he is worth having. Almost every SS who has moved to 2nd base has immediately been perceived as a much-improved fielder. Every great defender is put at SS. Those who aren't good enough move to 2nd. So, Guzman's competition is easier. Good Lord, Dan Uggla plays 2nd. Also, almost every play is easier at 2nd. Going left or right (especially left), you can leave your feet and slide to make a stop and still have time to throw out the hitter a high percentage of the time."

Another important consideration Mr. Boswell points out is the fact that Guzman's playing for his next contract this season, which is all the more motivation for Guzman to stay healthy and productive while projecting the image of a team player who's willing to do what's necessary for the good of the ballclub. The year before Guzman signed with Washington, the then-Minnesota Twins' infielder parlayed a .274 AVG, .309 OBP, .384 SLG, 31 doubles, 8 HR's and 46 RBI's into a 4-year deal with Washington worth $16.8 million dollars, (ed. note - "BOWDEN!!"), and after hitting .219 with a .260 OBP in 2005, missing all of 2006, hitting over .300 in 46 games in 2007 and posting a .316 AVG, .345 OBP, .440 SLG, 35 doubles and 55 RBI's in 2008, Guzman inked a two-year extension with the Nationals (in July of '08) for the $8 million he made last year and the $8M he's due in 2010...(ed. note - "BOWDEN!!") Should DC fans expect a lucrative bounce-back campaign from the Guz...?

(ed. note - "Guzman better be solid at second if he stays in DC and switches to the other side of the infield, because Adam Dunn, in the opinion of one Fangraphs.com writer, is the worst defensive player in the Majors. Fangraphs.com writer Matthew Carruth posted an article last Friday entitled, "Highs and Lows of UZR 2007-9: Dunn", in which Mr. Carruth looks, "...at the best and worst defensive performers over the last three seasons combined," and concludes that DC 1st baseman Adam Dunn has cost him team (-108.1) "runs against average" over the last three seasons...granted, most of the Dunn stats examined in this article would have been for him as an OFer, and there's little or no chance he's going back out there any time soon...")

New Washington Nationals' Manager Jim Riggleman Talks To Internet...

Ed Chigliak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:45:05 -0000

More photos » by Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP

On Friday afternoon, the Washington Nationals made their new manager, Jim Riggleman, available to online writers who follow the Nationals... (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

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The newly-promoted Washington Nationals' manager Jim Riggleman made himself available this afternoon to the online press who follow the nation's capital's favorite MLB team, answering questions about his promotion to full-time skipper and discussing his plans for the twenty-ten Nats, who are looking to recover from back-to-back 100-loss seasons. It got off to a rocky start as he first hung up on the conference call, (he's probably still learning how to use all the electronic equiptment the Washington Times reported that he'd received), but Mr. Riggleman quickly returned, (humorously) blaming a member of the Nationals' front office for the technical difficulties, and from then on he was straightforward and willing to entertain all of our questions...

Mr. Riggleman was reluctant to say what it was he thought made the Nationals decide that he was the best choice as the full-time manager, telling those on the conference call that, "The criteria that the job is based on is in somebody else's hands," but he was, in his own words, "...confident that I'm going to be able to do this job," saying that he, "...has 16-years of experience to draw from when I'm managing a game." As far as putting together his coaching staff, Mr. Riggleman said, "We are in the process of doing that, we don't have anything to announce right now," but, Mr. Riggleman continued, "...there will be a couple of changes on the staff...if we were doing this call two days from now I'd probably have a final list for you." •(ed. note - "Washington Times' writers Ben Goessling and Mark Zuckerman quoted "club sources" in their 11/4/09 article entitled, "Riggleman could stay with Nationals", who said that, "Riggleman has identified potential staff members, who, combined with holdovers from last season, could fill out a coaching staff relatively soon.")

Asked about the possibility of adding free agents to the roster, Mr. Riggleman would only say that he doesn't want to add offensive players who can't play their positions, and when I followed up on the potential free agent targets, and asked specifically how you would convince free agents to join a team coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons, Mr. Riggleman responded by saying, "Surprisingly ballplayers are looking for opportunities...sometimes it's not just a matter of where you are in the standings,":

"For some guys it’s where they're going to fit on the ball club? How bad you need that position that they play or pitch. If they are a closer, if they can come in and be the closer, instead of being a set-up guy. There are different reasons for guys to go places. They may want to be the closer, like I said...they may want to know they are coming in as the regular shortstop...or you're offering them the chance to be our catcher rather than go somewhere else and not be the regular guy, they can come here and be the regular catcher..." **

Any possibility of Drew Storen or Stephen Strasburg, who are currently playing in the Arizona Fall League, seeing time in DC this season? Mr. Riggleman pointed out that, "...a higher percentage of those guys chosen to play in that league end up in the big leagues, so that is a great path to go on, if you're respected by your organization enough to be invited to that league...", (ed. note - An AFL fan told me the 'higher percentage' was around 60%...") and on Drew Storen in particular, Mr. Riggleman offered that, though he thought, "Decisions like this are tough to talk about right now," before the team is anywhere near Spring Training, "Drew signed quickly last year and that's a great thing...his path to the big leagues is definitely sped up...", and as far as Storen's role, should he make the team, "...the role would probably be somewhere in the middle, not a long man by any chance but somewhere in the middle." No word on Strasburg...

The Nationals would have liked to try Cristian Guzman out at second last September, but he was injured and shut down right when the opportunity arose...Mr. Riggleman thinks that in the post-steroid-era, teams will get back to speed and athleticism and you'll see more stolen bases...The Nationals need to get Jesus Flores healthy and back in the lineup, and there's a decision to be made when it comes to Scott Olsen...Mr. Riggleman knows there's a great deal of work to be done before Spring Training, but before that there are the Winter Meetings and that gives DC GM Mike Rizzo a few months to shape the roster much the way he has reshaped the Nationals' front office and with Mr. Riggleman in place on the bench and his coaching staff soon to follow, Washington's once again rolling out a new plan for success...

(ed. note - " ** = I didn't have anything to record this conversation, so I checked the full translation that SBF at Nats320 posted to clean up the notes I made and more accurately represent Mr. Riggleman's answers...")

Washington Nationals: Desperately Seeking Shortstop?

Ed Chigliak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:50:14 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Not...enough...range... (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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Back in early September, long before yesterday's announcement of Jim Riggleman's promotion to full-time status on the bench in Washington, the Nationals' then-interim manager told Washington Post writer Chico Harlan, in an article entitled, "Seven Things To Know About the SS/2B situation", that the decision on whether or not Cristian Guzman would switch over to second in twenty-ten wasn't Guzman's:

"'As far as him being open to it,' Riggleman said, 'that's really not even a factor. We'll make a call on that the player doesn't make the call on that... It's a pretty natural thing. A lot of times we think, 'Oh, heaven forbid, we don't want to ruffle any feathers with a ballplayer.'"

Yep, that's the new manager, an old-timey feather ruffler...(ed. note - "Hey Frank didn't coddle and I always liked him..."). DC GM Mike Rizzo was quoted in the same article stating that though Guzman was originally, "...taken by surprise [by the suggested position change]", but after Mr. Rizzo recited what he referred to as a "laundry list" of players who had successfully switched from short to second, "...it kind of sunk in, and made some sense," to Guzman.

(cont.)...

Of course, as late in the season as September 28th, MLB.com's Bill Ladson, in a blog post tellingly entitled, "Guzman not sure he will play second base", wrote that the Nationals' soon-to-be 32-year-old infielder had, "...talked to (his) agent Stanley King, about the situation, but will not talk about his plans until after the season." In 135 games, all played at short, Guzman hit .284 in '09 with a .306 OBP (25 walks? the first of which didn't come until May 18th...aka game #38), a .390 SLG, and a .696 OPS, 24 doubles, 7 triples, 6 HR's, 52 RBI's, and a (-2.6) UZR/150 rating (ed. note - "...which is actually an improvement over the two previous season's in defiance of what everyone sees...or were we all complaining about Guzman's defense back then too...probably...right?").

But as Mr. Riggleman made clear again today, the decision is not Guzman's...MLB.com's Bill Ladson followed up on the position-switch-story today, in an article entitled, "Riggleman: Guzman a second baseman", where he quoted the now-permanent field manager saying that the Nationals' brass had already made a decision:

"We were talking to our staff -- [general manager] Mike Rizzo and everybody -- and we all came to the conclusion that [Guzman's] future is going to be at second base. If a person on the ballclub doesn't allow us to do that, then put him at short."

The "person on the ballclub" that would allow the Nationals to move Guzman to second, is obviously Ian Desmond, who's currently plying his trade in the Dominican League with the Tigres del Licey, but not everyone is convinced Desmond's ready for the Majors right now, with even Mr. Riggleman telling MLB.com's Mr. Ladson, "'I don't if Desmond will be the shortstop...but as I stand here right now, I would be happy with it, because I know what kind of effort I'm going to get." FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, however, are reporting that the Nationals aren't taking for granted that Desmond will be ready, writing in an article Thursday entitled, "Thurday's latest news and notes", that the Nationals, according to "major league sources", "...are interested in two slick-fielding free agent shortstops,":

"The first is Alex Gonzalez, who still could re-sign with the Red Sox. The second is Adam Everett, who still could re-sign with the Tigers."

Who's going to be the Nationals' starting shortstop on Opening Day? The in-house candidate, Ian Desmond? Alex Gonzalez? Danny Espinosa?(No, not yet!), Adam Everett? Or someone else from this list, which MLBTradeRumors.com has compiled? What do the two players the FOXSports.com writers mentioned have in common? Neither qualified for Type A or B free agent status, so they wouldn't cost DC any draft picks...? Orlando Cabrera?. Type A, with a caveat...(ed. note - "According to a Rotowire.com note on Yahoosports.com,"...(Cabrera's) current contract doesn't allow the Twins to offer him arbitration. As a result, his Type A status shouldn’t be an issue this offseason because no team will have to give up a draft pick to sign him.") Orlando Hudson? Type A...and no one on the MLBTraderumors' list is under 30-years-old...How does that fit in with a rebuilding (still) ballclub? Is Rizzo going to have to deal for an infielder?

The Bill James Handbook 2010 - Projections For The Washington Nationals' 2010 Infield.

Ed Chigliak — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:03:13 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

8 months ago: Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, is congratulated at home plate by left fielder Adam Dunn (44) and shortstop Cristian Guzman (15) after his two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning of a baseball game on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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Can Adam Dunn get back up to the 40 HR plateau? Will Ryan Zimmerman hit more than last-year's career high 33 HR's? If Cristian Guzman's going to be at short or second, what can DC fans expect from the soon-to-be 32-year-old infielder? With the help of the Hitter Projections contained in the soon-to-be-published twenty-ten edition of The Bill James Handbook 2010, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at what Nationals fans can expect from the Nationals' infield, which, barring the acquisition of another infielder, will most likely be composed of Ryan Zimmerman at third, Ian Desmond at short, Cristian Guzman at second and Adam Dunn at first base, though some argue that Desmond's not ready to play everday. (ed. note - "Bill James has Desmond playing in 145 games...Thanks to Mr. James and the book's publisher, Acta Sports, for making a preview of the Pitcher and Hitter Projections available.")

DC Infield Hitter Projections...After The Jump...

(ed. note - "Check out the Projections for the Nationals' 2010 Outfield HERE.")

The Bill James Handbook 2010 Hitter Projections For The Washington Nationals' Infield:

Ryan Zimmerman - 3B:

Zimmerman, Ryan	G	AB	H	2B	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
'09 Projections	145	576	167	42	22	87	.290	.351	.484
'09 Stats	157	610	178	37	33	106	.292	.364	.525
2010 Projections	149	593	171	42	28	98	.286	.358	.511

Ian Desmond - SS:

Desmond, Ian	G	AB	H	2B	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
'09 Projections	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
'09 Stats	21	82	23	7	4	12	.280	.318	.561
2010 Projections	145	518	146	33	13	52	.282	.336	.432

Cristian Guzman - 2B:

Guzman, Cristian	G	AB	H	2B	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
'09 Projections	137	496	145	26	7	45	.292	.329	.407
'09 Stats	135	531	151	24	6	52	.284	.306	.390
2010 Projections	136	550	155	26	7	49	.282	.313	.365

Adam Dunn - 1B:

Dunn, Adam	G	AB	H	2B	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
'09 Projections	159	562	137	30	42	103	.246	.386	.527
'09 Stats	159	546	146	29	38	105	.267	.398	.529
2010 Projections	159	562	141	30	40	103	.251	.389	.518

Jesus Flores - C:

Flores, Jesus	G	AB	H	2B	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG
'09 Projections	135	436	109	26	12	81	.250	.304	.397
'09 Stats	29	93	28	3	4	15	.301	.371	.505
2010 Projections	116	431	114	22	13	75	.265	.323	.415

• Notes on the #'s, ?'s Raised:

-- MLB.com's Bill Ladson wrote recently, in an article entitled, "Nats Inbox: What's in store for Storen", that, "...there is a question about [Ian Desmond's] defense. He made over 30 errors this past season," (34 total between Harrisburg, Syracuse and DC, I checked) and as a result, "...some members of the organization have some doubts," about whether Desmond is ready for an everyday role in the majors. If, as Mr. James predicts, Desmond's able to hit 33 doubles and 13 HR's with a .282 AVG, can the errors be overlooked? Or do the Nationals need to bring in a veteran infielder?

-- Aside from effect Adam Dunn had on the offense with his own contributions, can we agree that he clearly had an effect on the pitches Ryan Zimmerman saw this season? To what else would you attribute Zimmerman's increased offensive output? Is it just Zimmerman maturing and improving at the plate? When did you realize Dunn wouldn't hit 40 HR's? Will he get back there next year?

-- Are you ready for another 115-130 singles by Cristian Guzman? I know a lot of people are tired of his empty average and slow feet, but is there any way to move his $8M dollar contract?

-- 116 games for Jesus Flores? Let's hope so...Who'll be backing Flores up in 2010?

- Bill James' Projections:

• Wil Nieves:

- '09 Stats - 72 G, 58 for 224, .259 AVG, 6 2B, 1 HR, 26 RBI's, .313 OBP, .299 SLG.

- 2010 Projections - 74 G, 47 for 187, .251 AVG, 8 2B, 2 HR, 17 RBI's, .293 OBP, .337 SLG.

• Josh Bard:

- '09 Stats - 90 G, 63 for 274, .230 AVG, 18 2B, 6 HR's, 31 RBI's, .293 OBP, .361 SLG.

- 2010 Projections - 84 G, 56 for 232, .241 AVG, 15 2B, 4 HR's, 27 RBI's, .313 OBP, .358 SLG.

-- With Flores back in the lineup, (batting sixth?), behind, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham and Elijah Dukes, three to six, Nyjer Morgan and Cristian Guzman one and two, and either Ian Desmond, (Guzman?) or another infielder in the eight spot, do the Nationals stand a chance in the NL East in 2010?

All Ex-Twins Team, 2009

Jesse — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:09:33 -0000

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

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2008 Roster
2006 Roster

For the second year in a row I tried to put together a full 25-man roster, and while I made the cut this team has some pretty big holes. Generally it's old, which is surprising, and there's going to be some pretty bad defense in places, but if any of the three outfielders get hurt there's nobody to be a fourth outfielder. Luckily, none of the guys on this team have to play a single game.

Without further ado, your batting order:

Name	Pos	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	'09 Team	With Twins
Jason Bartlett	SS	.320	.389	.490	14	66	Rays	'04 - '07
Luis Castillo	2B	.302	.387	.346	1	40	Mets	'06 - '07
Garrett Jones	RF	.293	.372	.567	21	44	Pirates	2007
Torii Hunter	CF	.299	.366	.508	22	90	Angels	'97 - '07
Casey Blake	3B	.280	.363	.468	18	79	Dodgers	'00 - '02
Randy Ruiz	1B	.313	.385	.635	10	17	Blue Jays	2008
David Ortiz	DH	.238	.332	.462	28	99	Red Sox	'97 - '02
A.J. Pierzynski	C	.300	.331	.425	13	49	White Sox	'98 - '03
Craig Monroe	LF	.215	.287	.354	3	16	Pirates	2008

All in all that's not a bad offensive lineup. According to Baseball Musing's Lineup Analysis tool, this offense would blow last year's out of the water: 5.741 runs per game, or about 930 runs over the course of a full season. Even with Jones and Monroe being stone defenders in the outfield corners, those runs are going to make up the difference.

The tool also insists that all of the best lineups would have Monroe hitting 8th and Castillo 9th, while a vast majority of the best lineups still have Bartlett leading off, but they also have Ruiz batting cleanup with his massive OBP and SLG in limited time.

Your bench? Outfielder-less. Henry Blanco of the Pirates is your catcher, followed by a trio of infielders: Cristian Guzman (Nationals), Adam Everett (Tigers) and Juan Castro (Dodgers).

Next up? Your starting rotation:

Name	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	'09 Team	With Twins
Johan Santana	13-9	3.13	166.2	146	46	Mets	'00 - '07
Matt Garza	8-12	3.95	203.0	189	79	Rays	'06 - '07
Kyle Lohse	6-10	4.74	117.2	77	36	Cardinals	'01 - '06
Livan Hernandez	9-12	5.44	183.2	102	67	Mets/Nationals	2008
Sidney Ponson	1-7	7.36	58.2	32	25	Royals	2007

I want you to know that I seriously considered going with a three-man rotation, a three-man bench, and then having a nine-man bullpen, but the reality is that even the bullpen pickings get a little thin once you get six or seven deep. As far as other starters I could have considered, there aren't many guys out there right now. Carlos Silva? Absolutely not.

Last season saw Santana, Lohse and Garza as the top three in the rotation as well. Moving onto the bullpen, last year I had Balfour closing, but this season I'd probably tab Hawkins.

Name	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	'09 Team	With Twins
LaTroy Hawkins	1-4	2.13	63.1	45	16	Astros	'95 - '03
Craig Breslow	7-5	2.60	55.1	44	18	Athletics	'08 - '09
J.C. Romero	0-0	2.70	16.2	12	13	Phillies	'99 - '05
Joe Beimel	1-6	3.58	55.1	35	19	Nationals/Rockies	2004
Grant Balfour	5-4	4.81	67.1	69	33	Rays	'01 - '04
Eddie Guardado	1-2	4.46	38.1	20	15	Rangers	'93 - '03, '08

Even in limited time, Romero is still managing to escape at least the appearance of damage in spite of some unnerving peripherals. Like the bench and the back of the rotation, this one of this team's weaker spots.

If injuries weren't a factor, how would this team fare over a season? Would an offense like this be able to keep this team afloat with the help of a strong 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation? Or would those unproven bats pair up with some older arms to bring the team's fortunes crashing to earth?

Guys who have made the team each of the three years: Pierzynski, Blake, Ortiz, Beimel, Romero and Hawkins.

Poll

How would this team fare?

They could compete for a division title

169 votes

Probably a .500 team

322 votes

Bottom dwellers, for sure

181 votes

672 votes | Poll has closed

Washington Nationals' Cristian Guzman To Have Shoulder Scoped, Throw From Second's Shorter...

Ed Chigliak — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:54:21 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

"Guz Using Dukes' Bat???" -- Washington Nationals Cristian Guzman connects for a two run double against the Atlanta Braves during the 10th inning of their baseball game Saturday Oct. 3, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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The first bit of Washington Nationals news this winter came out today, with reports at the Nationals Journal, the Times' Chatter blog and the Nationals' official site on Cristian Guzman's appointment to, "...have his right shoulder scoped... by Dr. Weimi Douoguih at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC", as the Washington Post's Chico Harlan wrote this afternoon in a post entitled, "Guzman, Norris* To Undergo Surgery". Washington Times' writer Mark Zuckerman speculated in his article entitled, "Surgery for Guzman, Norris**", that the second surgery on Guzman's shoulder in the past four years, "...might seal the deal as far as Guzman's move to second base goes," but MLB.com's Bill Ladson is done speculating, stating flatly, in his own Guzman article entitled, "Guzman to undergo shoulder surgery", that, "Once [Guzman] is healthy,":

"....Guzman more than likely will be the everyday second baseman, as his career as a shortstop with Washington is over. The team believes he no longer has enough range to play the position."

(cont.)...

Mr. Ladson wrote in an "All Nats All The Time", blog post from September 11, 2009 entitled, "Nats ask Guzman to play second base in 2010", about the slightly uncomfortable visit Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo and Interim Manager Jim Riggleman had with Cristian Guzman to discuss a potential move to the right side of the infield to make way for a SS, either from the system, (ahem, whispers, "Ian Desmond."), or the free agent market, (Orlando Cabrera's great, am i right?), with Mr. Ladson reporting that all did not exactly go well, "[Guzman]...did not give Rizzo and Riggleman an answer," and, apparently, "[Guzman] was in shock and told them he never played second base in his life."

DC GM Mike Rizzo talked about the meeting with Washington Post writer Chico Harlan in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "Seven things to know about the 2B/SS Situation", where he admitted that Guzman was, "taken by surprise by [the suggested position change]," but Mr. Rizzo responded by giving the 31-year-old infielder, "...a laundry list of great players who have continued their careers moving from shortstop to second base," while Mr. Riggleman assumed the role of bad cop, telling Mr. Harlan, "As far as [Guzman] being open [to the move to second]...that's really not even a factor. We'll make a call on that; the player doesn't make the call on that."

The only comments from Guzman since then came two weeks after the initial reports in a blog post by MLB.com's Bill Ladson entitled, "Guzman not sure he will play second base," where Mr. Ladson wrote, "Shortstop Cristian Guzman is still not sure if he wants to play second base in 2010,":

"He has talked to his agent, Stanley King, about the situation, but will not talk about his plans until after the season."

• ?'s For The DC Faithful...

-- Did you see enough from Ian Desmond to know that he's your 20-10 SS?

-- Will the new Nationals' Manager take the Frank Robinson no-nonsense approach and just tell Guzman where he's playing?

-- Didn't Mr. Riggleman do a good bad cop?

-- Do you really think Jim Riggleman's the man for the full-time gig?

-- Orlando Cabrera? Marco Scutaro? Orlando Hudson? Miguel Tejada? If it's not Desmond or Guzman, who's DC signing?

(ed. note - " * & ** = The Nationals' catching prospect, Derek Norris apparently broke the hamate bone in his left hand at the Florida Instructional league, and he's going to have surgery to remove the oft-broken bone. I'm officially taking a, "Zimmerman and Desmond both had the same surgery and they're fine" approach to the news...")

Further Reading:

• "Should Cristian Guzman Move To Second Like Mike Rizzo And Jim Riggleman Asked?" - Federal Baseball - Ed Chigliak

"During the recent Blogger's Day interview with DC GM Mike Rizzo and team President Stan Kasten, Steven from FJB asked Mr. Rizzo directly whether or not the Nationals were considering moving Cristian Guzman to second since there had been a notable decrease in the 31-year-old shortstop's range..."