Age: Just A Number?

The Nationals are getting older. That is silly to say, in that, time only moves forward and every player on every team is always getting older. But when you look at the Nationals signings, and the players they were "in on" its clear to see that they are getting older, and aren't too worried about it. Mike Cameron, Roy Oswalt, Mark Buehrle, Jason Michaels, Greg Dobbs, Mark DeRosa, Jeff Fulchino...not a spring chicken among them. Should we be worried? Not yet. Centerfield not withstanding, the Nats moves are based on three things, improving the bench by adding power, (because its what Davey Johnson wants), versatility (because its what Davey Johnson needs), and improving the back end of the rotation.

Mike Cameron (38), Rick Ankiel(32) and Mark DeRosa(36) are three signings that are very interesting to me. Mike Cameron adds a ton on the bench, good power, and good defense. 6 of his top 9 years slugging were in the NL, and the other 3 were spent in Seattle, a spacious park, not known to be hitter friendly, so a return to the NL could provide a boost, similar to what he enjoyed in Miami at the end of 2011. He can play all 3 outfield spots and provides a wealth of baseball knowledge for the clubhouse.

Rick Ankiel is his mirror. But only if you don't know anything about baseball. Statistically and in terms of perception, perhaps similar. But Rick is different. While Cameron has been an outfielder and batter for over 20 years, Rick has had only 6 years as a full-time outfielder and batter. So he is still learning the ins and outs of every day baseball. He has been surviving on raw skill since he broke back into baseball as an outfielder and if he were to learn to approach hitting the way a pitcher approaches a start (i.e. a game plan, based on tendencies, strengths and weaknesses, etc.) he could take off. He has all the tools, watch him throw from right-center to third base or watch his swing on a long bomb to right and tell me he doesn't.

Mark DeRosa has played every position but Pitcher, Catcher, and Centerfield in his Major League career. In 3344 career ABs, he has 610 Ks. For reference, Mark Reynolds has 963 Ks in just over 2500 ABs. DeRosa is a super-utility guy who puts the ball in play and will help... well pretty much every position player on the Nats roster develop as a person and ballplayer. Danny Espinosa is still young, as is Ian Desmond, and Ryan Zimmerman has had a few Non-Ripkensian seasons. So a veteran backup would not be a bad idea.

These are all guys Davey Johnson likes because they add offense off the bench. But the best part about each of these players is the versatility they provide. Davey Johnson has not managed in the National League since 1995, is 68 years old and an Earl Weaver disciple. He needs the security blanket these players provide. It turns late inning PH situations into a simple left/right decision while affording Davey the ability to pinch-hit for almost any fielder in the line-up without creating a gaping hole in the field.

These guys are back-ups and "clubhouse guys"; the in-case guys. Given the make up of the Nats roster, getting older in that area is not a bad thing. The Nats are young in all the right areas, Starting Pitching and up the middle. Signing a Roy Oswalt or a Mark Buehrle to anchor a young rotation is not a good idea. Carlos Beltran as opening day CF would not be a good idea (it hasn't even been mentioned, I am just using him as a for instance). Rizzo needs to stick with the plan, young starting pitching, and cornerstone players in the middle of the field, and don't panic, or listen to the Weaverese that Davey Johnson is whispering in his ears.

Now just solve the CF problem and the Nats might go 162-0.

A Few Good Men: 25 - Ankiel

Rick Ankiel - Age 32 - 8+ Years of MLB Service

How he became a Nat: Signed a 1-year, $1.5 Million contract in December.

The Raw Numbers:
AVG - .239
OPS - .659
HR - 9
RBI - 37
WAR - 1.4

Key Stat: 17 Total Zone Runs. What this stat essentially breaks down is exactly how many runs above an average OF that Rick Ankiel was worth, based on the number of plays made. 17 is a fantastic number and it placed Ank as the 4th best of all NL Outfielders.

Best Game: Going out on a limb here and saying August 28th vs the Reds. Against type, we picked a game that the Nationals lost - but it would've happened much earlier had Rick Ankiel not done this. You may remember seeing this throw, but here is a little background. Tie game in the bottom of the 9th with 1 out, Dave Sappelt hits a rocket off the wall but gets gunned out a third from the track on a 1-hopper at 3rd by Ankiel. One of the most amazing throws I have ever seen. The Nats ended up losing on a 14th inning walk-off by Joey Votto, but Ankiel did his part with 3 hits and this amazing outfield assist.

Worst Game: August 19th against Philly. Once again going against type, the Nationals ended up winning this game 8-4 - despite Rick Ankiel's performance. You may remember this game as the Zimmerman walk-off against Madson, but you might have forgotten that Ankiel was up right before Zimmerman in the 9th - only to strike out. That strikeout was his 4th strikeout of the day. Ouch.

CapBall Grade: C. Ankiel was signed to be a power hitting outfielder - making up for his deficiencies in the field with his power at the plate. What happened was exactly the opposite. 37 RBIs for a full-time "power bat" is not great by any stretch of the imagination. However, Rick Ankiel's defense was nothing short of stellar - providing some consistency in center, which is something the Nats (still) aren't very accustomed to.

2012 Nats Status: I would say that the only chance that Rick Ankiel returns to the Nationals is if he signs a similar contract (around $1-1.5 million) to return to the club as a 4th outfielder/defensive replacement. He simply can't hit well enough to have a starting job in DC. If he wants to start, he will most likely sign with a non-contending team. With Boras as his agent, one would think that he will take the money and run.

Rick Ankiel: The Man We've Been Waiting For?

Wanted: Athletic, Defensively Skilled, On-Base Machine. Two out of three ain’t bad? The single biggest hole on the Nats roster is Centerfield/Lead-off batter. Now, there are free agents out there, in-house candidates, and the entire Nats camp that have their fingers crossed - waiting for Bryce Harper to come and save us all. But what if the right man was right in front of us all along…he was just wearing glasses and weird clothes. That’s right, I’m talking about Rick Ankiel.

The current book on Rick: Athletic, Mega-Super-Awesome Arm (that’s just the term scouts use), can hit the ball a mile if you leave it over the plate, can’t hit lefties or off speed stuff, strikes out WAY too much. The description doesn’t quite fit the personal ad the Nats are sending out. However, recently he has shown flashes of dropping some of those OBP anchors. Take his RBI double Tuesday night, how many times have we see Rick actively going the opposite way? It’s pretty rare. If he can expand on that, shorten his swing, and look to go the other way in the right situations, his average and On-Base Percentage would go up.

Rick Ankiel is going to strike out. Every major league player does it. It’s a part of today’s game. But if he could work on his approach at the plate and lay off a few of those breaking balls in the dirt, he could turn some of those K’s into BBs, or at least more fastball counts.

Now I know, I know, this is a big if, but Rick’s story and history in baseball show that he has the desire to succeed in Baseball, no matter what, and has the ability to make any adjustments necessary. It also means that from the time he was a high school All-American at Port Saint Lucie High School right up until he decided to switch from pitching to outfield in March 2005, he focused all his energies on the art of pitching. So, realistically he is only a few years into his career as a hitter and still has a ton of room to grow and refine his approach at the plate.

The last thing he could do to turn himself into an OBP machine and the answer to Mike Rizzo’s prayers? Take the off-season, and perfect the art of bunting. All of you Davey Johnson/AL-minded fans must be saying, “dude can jack a HR at any time, why take the bat out of his hands!?” Well its simple statistics. In his career he has struck out 425 times, and hit 64 home-runs. So it’s not as if you are asking The Babe to lay one down with RISP. But with Rick’s athleticism, and the fact that he is left-handed and therefore closer to first base, he could parlay drag bunting into 10-15 hits a year. And the threat of the bunt changes the way pitchers and defenses approach you, changing the game in your favor.

Ok. Do I really think Rick Ankiel will be the singular answer to the Nats centerfield/lead off problems? No, not really. But it's fun to think about. And in a few paragraphs I’ve made a reasonable argument that he could be the answer with a few (big) adjustments. So, Rick Ankiel if you are reading this… take a few pitches and practice your bunting!!

Thoughts on my wide-eyed optimism? You know where to go!

Missing The Shark? Rick Ankiel Isn't...

On July 29th, Rick Ankiel took over CF and leadoff responsibilities for the Nationals, and Roger "The Shark" Bernadina was sent down to make room for Chien-Ming Wang's first MLB start in more than 2 years. It was ultimately an extremely bizarre weekend in NatsTown that consisted of weird pitching performances, to veterans traded, and no real roster moves of note before the non-waiver trade deadline.

One person who didn't care much about all the trade hype was Rick Ankiel. With Bernie gone, he's made good work of the opportunities awarded to him. In the 4 games since Roger was sent down to Syracuse, Ankiel has driven in 8 runs and netted 5 hits in 17 at-bats. All of this peaked when Ankiel crushed a grand slam against Derek Lowe and the Braves on Tuesday night to deep, deep center field. The hit total during this stretch aren't stellar, but the RBIs are nice, even from a leadoff man.

Ankiel's range in CF continues to be above average, and his arm is well... that of a former star pitcher. Meanwhile, in Triple-A Syracuse, Bernie is doing just fine. He's only played in 2 games since being sent down, but he's already 4 for 8 with a home run, 3 walks, and 2 stolen bases.

Now, by no means is Ankiel a long-term solution in CF, or in the leadoff spot, but for now, he can fill the role while the Nats figure out what they're going to do. Bernie will probably come back up before the season is out, and Ankiel is probably not a member of this team's 25-man roster in April 2012. But I'll be damned if he hasn't been fun to watch over the last 4 days.

Stairs Expendable Upon Ankiel's Return

Since Roger Bernadina has taken over outfield duties and become the lead off man of our dreams, there is one inevitable question that has to be answered. What happens to Bernie when Rick Ankiel comes off the 15-day disabled list, possibly in the next week or so?

I am a firm proponent that a player shouldn't lose his starting roster spot because of injury. Ankiel wasn't exactly lighting up the competition at the plate (.221/.302/.288), but he's been playing the outfield solidly and has a cannon for an arm in center field. He's certainly not an ideal 2-hole hitter, but it's hard to argue with his defensive credentials.

Unfortunately for someone on the 25-man roster, when Ankiel returns, someone will need to be sent down or released. Jim Riggleman has said, pretty firmly, that Bernadina is basically the only viable lead off man at this point, and he's absolutely right. So what does that do for the rest of the outfield? Most likely, it puts Ankiel back in CF because of his laser arm, and Roger will end up in LF. Werth isn't going anywhere in right.

These moves will leave Michael Morse and Laynce Nix as power hitting bench players most of the time, which makes one guy very, very expendable: Matt Stairs. You could (pretty easily) argue that Stairs is already expendable with his .095 batting average, absolutely zero extra-base hits, and 8 strikeouts. For comparison, Jason Marquis is hitting .333 with just 4 strikeouts and a double. They both have 21 at-bats, and Marquis is a pitcher.

I know that the Marquis comparison may not be the most solid, but it's fun to point out just how bad Matt Stairs has been while eating up a precious 25-man roster spot. That spot is going to become even more precious when Ankiel returns, and Riggleman has to find some way to keep Bernadina in the lineup. With Nix and Morse providing power from both sides of the plate from the bench, and they're both able to play the field, and they can both actually run the bases, it's easy to see Matt Stairs getting his walking papers in the next few weeks.

What say you, CapBallers? Is Stairs on borrowed time, and how overdue is it?

25 in 25: Rick Ankiel (#17)

In 9 days, all the Nationals diehards will be preparing to head to Nationals Park on Opening Day. Until then, we're going to predict the 25 man roster. With one catch. We're going to do it one day at a time. This way, we can provide more in depth thoughts on who we think is going to make the roster, why we think so, and what to expect from them in 2011. On the morning of Opening Day, we'll post the real 25-man compared with what we predicted.

Today, we'll cover yet another new Nats player to make the team: Rick Ankiel.

Why?: The Rick Ankiel story is one that's well known throughout baseball, and we've actually covered Ankiel's story briefly when we were discussing Collin Balester's control issues last season. But Ankiel isn't throwing off a mound anymore. I would pay money to see that happen again, but I digress. Ankiel is a player that's turned into a great hitter and an outfielder with a gun for an arm. He may not be able to hit home plate from the mount, but I'll be damned if he can't hit it from 400 feet away at the center field wall.

The Nats have plenty of youth on their club now, but they do need to have some tangible experience from some true veterans. Sure, Zimmerman is probably a "veteran" of the league now after 5 seasons as a starter. But with the additions of Werth, LaRoche, and Ankiel, the Nats will add well-respected veterans that will help as the team develops.

What to expect?: We seriously think there's a possibility that Ankiel will be the Nationals starting center fielder at some point this season, maybe even on Opening Day. Nyjer hasn't done a whole lot in order to re-earn that spot this season.

We'd love to see even more pop in the Nationals offense, and Ankiel can certainly provide that. Add him to the equation of Zimmerman, Werth, LaRoche, and Morse, and all of a sudden the team has an unbelievably intimidating 5 guys in the line up. We'll see if it plays out this way, but it sure would be fun to see.