One of the great joys of covering Major League Baseball is the opportunity to hang out with big league scouts. Most have played professionally, if not in the majors, and all have played a role in re-educating me on how to watch the game.
I’m not talking about fantasy stats here; I refer to the parts of the game that they’re watching, the real nuts-and-bolts of strategy and player personnel. It’s why I’ve said so many times that the stuff I thought was true in 1980, I know now is just not the case.
With the 2010 season now history, I’ve asked a few scouts for their takes on some Nationals-related issues. They agreed to be quoted as long as I didn’t reveal their names or affiliations — other than stating that none of them work for the Nats.
Did the Nationals underachieve or overachieve in 2010?
“I had them pegged as a 70-win team, so I guess they slightly underachieved. I didn’t like their rotation from the get-go.”
“I saw the winning somewhere in the mid-70’s, so they underachieved in my book. Too many defensive holes.”
Who/What was the biggest surprise on the roster?
“Mike Morse never looked to me like an everyday player, but he looks like a legit middle-of-the-order bat now.”
“Sean Burnett increased his value tremendously. I still don’t believe how good [Joel] Peralta was. Their bullpen was a hundred times better than it was in ’09.”
“I still can’t believe that Minnesota gave up [Wilson] Ramos for Matt Capps. [GM Mike] Rizzo must’ve used a gun and a mask for that hold-up.”
What are the ballclub’s biggest question marks for 2011?
“Replacing Dunn’s power stats will be difficult, but he piled up a lot of those in less-than-clutch situations. He’s slow afoot and he’ll never be much of a first baseman. All they need is a stand-in for a couple of years until the kid from Potomac [Tyler Moore] is ready to play.”
“I’ve got to believe that they see Jordan Zimmermann as a genuine top-of-rotation guy, and I want to see [Yunesky] Maya for a full year.”
“Two huge ifs: If [Ian] Desmond can halve his errors and [Danny] Espinosa learns a little plate discipline, Washington will be strong up-the-middle for many moons. But still just ifs”
Any thoughts on management of the franchise?
“Given the inherent weaknesses on the roster, [Jim] Riggleman had them playing competitively. They had a winning record at home and were ultimately let down by below average defense, clutch hitting and starting pitching. Not his fault.”
“[Riggleman] is a lot like Bobby Cox in terms of makeup.”
“Their long-range prospectus is very positive. Rizzo hired some real solid guys last winter, and there should be a payoff in a couple of years.”
“The [Stephen] Strasburg injury was a shame, but not a catastrophe. They can recover if they’re luckier in free agency than they were with [Jason] Marquis.”
Overall, more plusses than minuses. But ultimately, just opinions, however educated they may be.
Examiner columnist Phil Wood is a contributor to Nats Xtra on MASN. Contact him at [email protected].
