Bowden Redux

My friend sent me a link to this Nats Journal post with the comment "it's enough to make you hate baseball."

Now initially, I assumed he meant the idea of another pointless "Guess the 25-man" post.  Man, those things are the low-hanging fruit of the blog world.  They're only a notch or two above cat pictures. (Awwww!  Isn't Mr. Franklin super cute???)  They're especially annoying because they make it seem like spring's actually a competition.  Contract status makes 23/25 of those decisions.  It's only with the Mike Morses of the world (and his lack of options) that force a team to make a decision.  And, really, besides his friends and family, who gives a flying shit about Mike Morse?

But instead of starting down that road... when I asked, my friend said that it wasn't that, but the deadbeats on the roster: Scott Olsen, Eric Bruntlett, Wil Nieves, etc.  This is our roster? The team we're supposed to be jazzed about.  Sweet jesus.

It's been interesting skimming some blogs and message boards and their reaction to the offseason the team's had.  Rizzo can apparently pee a fine vintage merlot, at least I think I read that somewhere.  What's frustrating about that analysis is that the accompanying analysis usually doesn't have Rizzoid's actions stand on their own; they're always in comparison to Cap'n Leatherpants.  He's not being judged on how he's doing, but by who he's not.

That's the same sort of thing that happened with Nyjer Morgan.  While he had a damn good stretch before his injury, he looked all the better compared to the stumbling, unmotivated dufus who wandered around center before him.

The offseason isn't over yet, but the early January claims that Rizzo was having a fabulous offseason were fare too premature.

Here's where we stand: Jason Marquis is our 'ace'.

Read that again.

That's what's been frustrating for me about the offseason.  The Nats haven't taken any risks at all.  Everything they've done has been measured and calm.  Marquis is a medium risk, medium reward pitcher.  In his best seasons, he's going to be a bit better than league average.  There's not much upside there.  And while that's lightyears better than some of the crap we've seen lob balls in the vicinity of Potomac Ave., that doesn't mean that that's a success.

The market had 3 or 4 high risk, high reward options out there: Harden, Bedard, Sheets and Chapman.  The Nats kicked the tires on two, so there's that.  But those are the kinds of players that would really make a difference, and all they'd cost is a little bit of Uncle Teddy's depression-era cash.  

Instead we got Marquis.  Could've done worse, for sure.  Better than Bowden's attempt at Cabrera, yes.  But the Nats in 2010 won't be judged against the record of a hypothetical Leatherpanted team, but by what they do with Ws and Ls.

Same goes for the other signings.  Pudge?  Meh.  Call that Medium Risk, Low Reward?  Dude's been washed up for a few seasons.

Brian Bruney?  Sweet Jesus.  I love that the PR staff always shoehorns his name in the lists of key pickups as if Brian Feckin' Bruney is anything more than a generic middle reliever.

They didn't take any risks anywhere.  Why not?  Is that Rizzo's nature?  (If so, that's a problem going forward).  Financial issues?  (I don't think I've said "CHEAP!!!" since my 'return')

We'll see going forward, perhaps.  But as you look at these moves, and you contemplate a roster with Miguel Batista and Wily Taveras, just think about the reaction that Bowden would get if he brought those guys in.