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Mark P
5:26
The Nats have a long way to go in the NL East alone, let alone competing with the rest of the NL for a wild card spot.  The roster has too many holes and too much uncertainty to see them as realistic contenders even if they did make some free agent splashes
JCA
5:27
Bigger contributor to a respectable team in the near term - innings eater to complement 3 young arms, or corner OF bat?
Mark P
5:27
At this point I'd say innings eater, because the Nats have so much uncertainty in their rotation
ARoid
5:27
How much of a leash will Rizzo be given to turn things around
Mark P
5:29
Depends on the new owner, since as noted, Rizzo is only under contract through 2023.  

I would guess that Rizzo's pitch to ownership would be "I know this organization as well as anyone, I've overseen a rebuild in the past, and it led to years of success and a World Series title."  So in that sense, 2023 would be Rizzo's audition to show that the rebuild is heading in the right direction.
Joshua
5:30
Any viable controllable starting pitchers on the market you could see the Nats going after and having a chance of actually trading for (for example, I can't see them winning a trade bidding war for someone like Pablo Lopez)? They desperately need starting pitching.
Mark P
5:31
Zach Plesac immediately comes to mind, given the speculation that the Guardians are frustrated with his off-the-field errors.  Cleveland would still want a good return for a pitcher with three years of control, and the Nats might be optimistic that they can get things turned around before those three years are up.
5:33
btw, shoutout to Joshua, who I think has asked at least a couple of Nats questions in every weekend chat for the last year.  One nice plus of these team-focused offseason chat is that they give the superfans a nice big dose of specific discussion about their favorite team
TxDude
5:33
Any chance the team can get out from under the Strasburg or Corbin contracts?
Mark P
5:34
Very unlikely.  Corbin is the likelier of the two just because a new team can at least be confident that Corbin can pitch in 2023, but Strasburg is a complete wild card at this point
Austin
5:34
What are other potential trade chips for the Nats?
Mark P
5:35
Voit, Robles, obviously Corbin or Strasburg if any teams show any interest whatsoever
There's also a chance Voit or Robles are non-tendered, but Robles is at least an inexpensive fourth outfielder if retained.  Voit is pricier but if he can regain his old Yankees form, the Nats can flip him for a higher price at the deadline.
KMN
5:36
Would the Nats consider Paul DeJong as an option at third if the Cards picked up halfish of his salary?
Mark P
5:37
DeJong is an interesting option for that purpose, sure.
Duffy Scliff
5:37
What is Keibert Ruiz’s ceiling?
Mark P
5:38
Quality everyday regular seems like a distinct possibility, and maybe even All-Star.  Ruiz is another player who had a lot of prospect buzz, and he's not the type of player the Dodgers wouldn't have dealt if a) Scherzer and Turner weren't on offer and b) if LA didn't already have Will Smith
Brendan
5:39
Rizzo kept saying “reboot” instead of “rebuild” but we are likely looking at 4 or 5 straight losing seasons at a minimum. How long is too long? Broad competition among teams is critical to league success.
Mark P
5:40
I don't know if this is a marketing thing or what, but it feels like executives are now loath to describe a rebuild as a "rebuild," as if it's a dirty word among fans, or basically a signal to the fans that they can stop paying attention for a couple of years.
5:41
Whether it's a reset, a reboot, a reimagining, a reload, a step back, a re-examination....whatever you want to call it, a rose by any other name smells just like cutting payroll and replacing veterans with youngsters
Ken
5:42
True/False: Stephen Strasburg has made his last start in major league baseball
Mark P
5:42
False
KMN
5:44
Any chance the Rangers would be interested in Patrick Corbin if they fail to land other FA pitchers?
Mark P
5:44
Probably not, since Corbin at this point isn't an upgrade over the Rangers' in-house options
AOL Ted
5:45
Jake Alu and Carter Kieboom tandem to start at 3b next season? or will they go with vargas or a vet on a minor league deal
Mark P
5:47
Vargas made a good case to be retained, and the Nats might prefer to keep a familiar face rather than get another Vargas-esque player anyway.  

If I had to guess, the season begins with Kieboom and Vargas, but Alu will certainly become a factor soon if he keeps ripping it up at Triple-A.  Alu doesn't have a ton of Triple-A experience just yet, but if May rolls around and he's still hitting well, the Nats may feel Alu has nothing left to prove in the minors
5:49
btw, I don't know if it's ironic or what that the Nationals chat is running at the same time as an iconic Bryce Harper playoff moment
Can we trade Strasburg?
5:49
Is there ANY way we can trade Strasburg by taking in another bad salary? If not, do you have any faith that he will ever help the team in a meaningful way?
Mark P
5:51
Strasburg has a full no-trade clause, for one.  

Secondly, even if you're another team and you have your own undesirable contract on the books, why target Strasburg?  It's an open question as to how much he'll even be able to pitch, and there's also the added complication of wading through all the deferred money.
New Owner
5:52
How much will all the deferrals affect future payrolls and a new owner?
Mark P
5:52
Good question, and I'm not really sure of a specific answer.  Obviously any new owner is aware of the deferrals going in, and that may well be factored into the sale price or some other kind of arrangement can be made
human
5:53
Whats the read on the 3 young starters (gray, gore, Cavalli)  do they actually have a competitive crop of young starters?
Mark P
5:53
If they can stay healthy, there's plenty of potential there.
Brendan
5:53
You think Fedde stays in rotation next year? We do not have a lot of great options.
Mark P
5:54
He might end up remaining with the team due to lack of options, but overall, it seems like Fedde's time in DC is just about over
Drew
5:54
Eovaldi on a two year deal make sense for The Nats?
Mark P
5:55
Maybe, but Eovaldi is sure to find at least a two-year deal with a team in better position to contend
Evan F
5:56
Will the nationals be interested in JD Martinez to eat up at-bats at DH and then flip him at the deadline?
Mark P
5:57
Speaking of Red Sox free agents, Martinez is more plausible than Eovaldi (though maybe only more plausible if Voit is let go or if Meneses was traded).
Mark P
5:57
As a fellow canuck, do you wish the Nationals would acknowledge a little bit more of their Montreal Expos heritage?
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