Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dunn Gone

Around 5pm the White Sox closed on a deal with Adam Dunn that will pay the slugger $56 million dollars over 4 years. Cue the violins and paper bags in NatsTown.

Done yet?

K. Good. Now lets look at what exactly this means for the Nats; good and bad.

Bad:
- The Nats lose a huge left-handed bat, a bat that hit 76 home runs in 2 years as a Nats; which places him 2nd overall in Nationals team history... in 2 years...
- Lose an on-base-machine. (.398 and .356 OBP in the past 2 years)
- Lose a clubhouse leader.
- Lose one of the best 3-4-5 lineups in baseball.
- Makes Zim sad.

Good
- 2 compensation draft picks; the 23rd overall, and then one in the compensation round right after the first round.
- Regardless of who is picked, a better defender. They will make Desi, Zim, and Espinosa better.
- Don't have to pay, or play, a 36 year-old 1B in a 40 year-old's body.

I think everyone in NatsTown knows by now that the home team won't be contending this year, and, most likely, not next year. The 2011 MLB Draft is a lot deeper than the 2010 Draft was and, with Rizzo's penchant for scouting, having 3 top 40 draft picks can pay quick dividends.

A big bat is not something that a last place team needs, its a luxury. Dunn was brought in because we lost out on Teixeira and we needed to find someone healthy to replace Nick Johnson. It was a need based situation. Once again, losing teams do not need sluggers; those that think otherwise need to simply look at our projected rotation for next year, where our need truly lies.

Adam Dunn was a fantastic National. I loved watching hit shots over the bullpen into the 2nd and 3rd deck. I will most certainly miss his goofy attitude and the pink gum hanging out of his mouth after every hit. It sucks that he is gone.

Defense and pitching build contenders and Dunn just doesn't fit into that mold; at least not in the National League.

2 comments:

  1. your reasoned arguments annoy me...LOUD NOISES...SKY FALLING...

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  2. Your analysis makes sense, and I hope you're right. I'll admit, I was disspirited when they let Alfonso Soriano get away, but that has proved to have been the right move. So I hope things similarly work out here, with the draft picks and defense making up for the home runs and the fan popularity. Rizzo has compiled a pretty good record so far as GM, so we can only hope he knows what he's doing. There still seems to be a whiff of tone-deafness and incomprehension on the part of the Lerners that part of this business-unlike with the shopping mall business-is pumping up the fans, a small circle of fanatics like us and a larger circle of casual fans out for a good time on a summer evening. Fans like to see booming home runs. Not many fans will turn out in 2011 to see a small-ball team that might get to within a few games of .500 if they're lucky. That's okay...assuming that's the price we have to pay to win in 2012 and beyond. I just hope the fans stay interested long enough to see that happen, if it ever does.

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