The catcher’s spot in the Nats’ batting order has been a black hole from which little offense escaped the past two years, and so upgrading the position has definitely been a priority this offseason.
Many among the Nats faithful would like to seem them pursue a trade for J.T. Realmuto, but the cost would be exorbitant, requiring pieces such as Victor Robles that’ll be necessary when Bryce Harper signs elsewhere this off-season.
Suzuki punished the Nats over the past couple years, and he comes cheap at $10M total for two seasons; on the other hand, he’s 35, and so really can’t be counted on to catch more than 100 games or so, so he’s only a partial solution to the problem.
Rizzo’s been busy so far, picking up Kyle Barraclough, Trevor Rosenthal, and now this, all at a cost that doesn’t preclude a big splash, but that splash will almost certainly be a starting pitcher, not a re-signing of Harper. Starting pitching is the chief need for this team, along with a left-handed first baseman (Justin Bour? Matt Adams?), more bullpen arms, and maybe a utility guy. I like the fact that the Nats aren’t sitting around waiting for Scott Boras to play king-maker here.
Fan Interference 
Kurt was really good for us, but I can’t lie. It would get me murdered on Braves Twitter but I hope Tyler Flowers goes, too, and we can pick up Martin Maldonado if we’re unable to secure the services of Mr. Realmuto.
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I mostly don’t remember most of the Twins catchers since their last name stopped being Mauer, but I do remember Suzuki as being one of the better ones. Good luck bro.
BTW it’s going down to 6 here tonight, but my son will not suffer that in tent city. I was able to finally get him out of there and into the hospital last Wednesday and today would have been the last day of the temporary hold that was placed on him. This afternoon I learned that our mental health authorities are going to require him to remain in treatment for as long as it takes to become rationally lucid. I’m crying. I don’t know if it’s out of joy or sorrow, but it feels good.
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Good news, happy. May better things come in the future.
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It’s probably both joy and sorrow, but concentrate on the joy for now! My best to your family!
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I suspect Realmuto will not be the only disappointed one. True, he wants out of the AAA Feesh as soon as he can get himself out, but it looks to me like Suzuki’s not very effective anymore managing the baserunners or even pitch calling. Though he might be an offensive upgrade over Wieters (as who wouldn’t be? Lewis Brinson doesn’t catch), his declining defensive stats might mean he’s going to give much of it back.
The noise down here has been the Feesh don’t want Realmuto going to another team in the division, and Houston or the Dodgers seem to have what passes for an inside track anyway.
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What about a me like see ball go far moron league team trying to climb beyond the fading mistake by the lake team with a good hitting catcher that has Super Joe money to spend on an extension.
Good for you and good for me? Word is the wanna be wunderkinds here are thinking about it.
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Yeah, despite Suzuki’s relative resurgence offensively the last couple of years, I don’t see him as the answer at catcher. He’s more like the question, to which the answer is, “Maybe as part of a platoon with another serviceable guy”.
If the Nats are counting on Suzuki being anything better than the weakest link in their batting order (the competition for that ‘award’ right now is second base) then they’re going to have to figure out a way to win a lot of low-scoring games if they want to really compete in 2019.
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Matt Wieters (271 plate appearances): BA .238 OBP .330 SLG .374 OPS+ 86
James McCann (457 plate appearance) BA .220 OBP .267 SLG .314 OPS+ 58
There’s your answer.
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/cries
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I expect Houston to make a play for Realmuto. They have a few needs: 1. A #1 catcher 2. Left field, or even better, CF 3. Starting pitching depth. But catcher is the glaring deficiency. They may pay dearly to fix it.
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There was a report here that the Astros were looking at Nick Castellanos at the deadline this season and there may still be some interest. He’s defensively deficient but the theory is that since LF in Houston is relatively small he could be closer to adequate and could also rotate into the DH rotation. Any rumors like that in Houston (please please please)?
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Just why did the ‘Stros go from three catchers to zero so fast?
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I understand why teams would be reluctant to part with a high-upside EYP but let’s face it, if you have a glaring need at a position and there’s a young, still controllable all-star available to fill it, why put all your chips on the unproven prospect when you can have a proven young veteran for him?
I mean, look at what happened with The Bust last season. The Feesh unloaded an MVP for a high-upside EYP who crapped the plate all season long. Not just crapped it, but crapped it in near-all time record downside terms. True, Brinson is still young and may yet find his batter’s eye but boy, was his debutante campaign a stinker or what? I won’t even give you his evisceration line here because typing it out will give me the same vertigo I experience when looking down an empty mineshaft.
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I think Lewis should remember what Jeeets did to him this year, leaving him out there to twist in the wind. (On the bright side, almost no one knew he was sucking.) Any other team would’ve sent him back to AAA where he should’ve been for now.
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A lot of us felt the same way. But Mike Hill, architect of the Feesh’s famous “lockdown boolpen” a few seasons back which was one of the worst in the league, said he had nothing more to learn in the minors. Not to put too fine a point on it but when The Bust was injured midway through the season and went down to Nowlins for two weeks to rehab, he came back and put together his best couple of weeks of the year.
Brinson himself, I suspect, would be grateful to Jeter for giving him such an extended opportunity to prove himself.
Ah well.
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Belted was a disappointment with the LAD for years. His nickname was “great potential”. He had one MONSTER season but it was his last, Dodgers were not about to pay him free agent cash. He did not show greatness again until he was over 30 in Texas. There, he exploded into a highly productive annual MVP candidate and his next stop is the Hall Of Fame. Sometimes you have to let them go for them to realize their potential, just like kids.
Oh shit, did I write “kids”? Sorry Gator, I meant, um, something else.
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