Though both the Braves and Nationals collapsed over the last few months of the season, Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution still feels Washington is in the better position going forward. The Nats will lose some big pieces in free agency this winter but they “can fix a lot with a manager who can take charge of the clubhouse and a few leaders on the roster. They have more proven major-league talent than the Braves,” Schultz writes. Here’s some more from around the division…
- Bryce Harper wasn’t in the Nationals’ lineup on Monday, an absence GM Mike Rizzo confirmed was due to the outfielder’s part in the dugout fracas with Jonathan Papelbon during Sunday’s game. Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post has quotes from both Rizzo and Harper about the situation, and she also expresses some incredulity that Harper was punished for essentially acting in self-defense.
- The Papelbon incident doesn’t exactly help the Nationals’ chances of keeping Harper on a long-term contract, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes. Boswell’s piece examines the many changes that will come to the Nats this winter due to free agent departures and other moves, leaving remaining veterans like Ryan Zimmerman dismayed that the likes of Ian Desmond or Jordan Zimmermann could depart, though Zimmerman is still optimistic. “Sometimes, shaking things up is what’s necessary. If every single person from this team came back, would I like our chances if we did it all again next year? Yes. But that’s not going to happen….But some really, really good things are coming to this team. ‘Mix up’ could be positive,” Zimmerman said.
- The Marlins have played well in September, a performance MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro attributes to the clubhouse putting the season’s discord and drama behind them. “Basically, the players united together. They were tired of losing. Tired of the internal bickering….So they responded by staying loose, having fun, and the wins followed,” Frisaro writes. The leadership of Martin Prado and Jeff Mathis played a big part in this attitude shift, and Mathis’ teammates would love to see the veteran catcher brought back in free agency this winter. Frisaro thinks the Marlins need to build on this, rather than create even more distrust by having another roster shakeup.
- In other NL East news on MLBTR, check out this collection of Phillies Notes from earlier today.
lol my god when will this Nationals bias end? Every single year we hear “the nationals are poised…the nationals are in a better situation… the national….” the nationals suck. The sooner pundits accept it the sooner we can all move on lol. Every year “theyre going to win the EAST!!!!” and every year theyre in second or third
In all fairness, their performance this year is pretty inexplicable. They were a powerhouse on paper
I don’t think it’s “bias” when they keep going into seasons with one of the best on-paper teams
Read the article from an Atlanta writer, who sides in all categories with the Nats. That’s bias. Schultz does not even point out the high-end talent of WSH or factor in much of the high-end talent coming from ATL’s top-ranked farms. Both teams are in such fluctuation that this article is so unnecessary, I don’t understand the point unless filling a writing quota.
He cites that having Zimmerman (who can’t throw 90-feet & is at a position he’s still learning at) and Werth (who misses more time than he makes) are positives. I’m more baffled that Harper has managed to not miss time from running into a wall.
You think maybe it’s cause they always look head and shoulders above everyone else? and they don’t finish second or third every year, that’s just historical fact.
Oops my dear, your slip is showing. The fact that the Nats were NLEast champs in 2012 and 2014 is irrelevant. What is important is that the experts and the media were totally wrong in their projections for this year. Hopefully, they will contain their “bias” or enthusiasm for the Nats going into 2016. It would please this old lady a great deal if the Nats were projected for 2nd or 3rd in the standings for 2016 and then let the games begin.
It’s not so much that they had great teams from 2012-present. They were playing in a crappy division! The braves were their only rival, excluding this year. They’re basically full of talent and a lot of hot air. Their high expectations, combined with their youth, likely contributes to their ridiculous amount of errors…and strikeouts. They need a more veteran presence, sans the hotheads, in that clubhouse. Chemistry matters more than talent.
You are absolutely correct. Go Cubs !!
There’s no way to report comments anymore? Shame.
Even with the amount of turmoil they’ve had, the number of players who underperformed, and having a clueless in-game manager, they’ll still end the season (probably) above .500. There are plenty of teams who would love to ‘suck’ that much.
Papelbon definitely shouldn’t be choking people but Harper should be running out fly balls and shouldn’t be slamming his teammates in the press. Papelbon actions were a lot worse but its not like Harper is model teammate either.
Cute. Harper did run out the play. Every slugger EVER yells at his bat on a just missed it pop up then takes off to first. Saying he should run it out is a joke that got old three years ago. Harper has been the team, single handidly making that lineup not suck. Saying he’s in the wrong is a joke. I don’t care about baseball’s unwritten rules.
First, Pap shouldn’t throw at someone’s skull at all. That’s solely lacking in humanitarianism.
Second, Harper’s right, don’t do that sh*t plus who are the O’s gonna hit in retaliation? Harper.
Pap is a moron, shouldn’t be payed 11 Mil to run his mouth, Harper protected himself. In all fascists of life that was assualt and Pap should face charges, re-up on your anti-Harper stuff. Your argument is lacking with it’s passed age, man. It’s not like Harper is a supreme special talent we’re lucky to watch or anything like that, he’s totally lacking and sucks at baseball cause he didn’t run a 3-30 down the first base line and deserved to be attacked. Genius.
The issue isn’t that Harper said something its that he said it to the press instead of keeping it in house. Everyone knows that Papelbon’s reputation and going to the press was just asking for trouble.
This shouldn’t be hushed. Headhunting is completely stupid. I would agree if Pap threw at Machado’s backside or something less dangerous. You don’t go ending careers, period.
Let’s not exaggerate. Manchado got hit in the arm. That’s at the top of the strike zone. I agree, between the knee and belt is much better.
I agree with you about the head hunting. All I am saying is he should have went to Papelbon in the clubhouse and told him to knock it the F off instead of going to the press and running his mouth.
We already know the anti-Harper crowd. You guys find a reason to complain about everything he does.
He sprints around and dives head first, he’s hot-dogging…he jogs, he’s lazy….he talks to the media about things, he’s not keeping it in the clubhouse, he doesn’t talk to the media about it, he’s a prima donna that needs to realize his job. …he puts up 4 WAR, he’s a bust….he puts up 10 WAR, he’s not a team player.
The anti-Harper crowd seems to be his own teammates who think he can be a jerk.
I’m not anti-Harper. I just think it was stupid of him to call out Papelbon to the press when you know he has a reputation for being a hot head. He should have known that Papelbon would do something stupid like this.
That’s like choosing not to go to a certain grocery store because you know you’re ex is going to be there. Harper shouldn’t have to avoid making a correct assessment in public, just because he’s got a teammate who is a loose cannon.
He said what most people were thinking already.
No. He didn’t run that ball out
Harper didn’t run out the play.
Say it with me now….Harper was standing on first base when the ball was caught.
Harper did nothing different on this pop-out than every player you love. Go watch the video. If Papelbon worked half as hard as Harper does at baseball, he’d probably be a decent closer
Papelpon was more than a decent closer in his 20’s. There is a reason he signed the largest contract ever for a reliever. Hopefully Harper will age better.
He should have been standing on second, but I have no problem with that. When you think you can criticize your teammates in the media instead of in person, bad things happen.
Harper’s actions were not of a model teammate? He’s mad with flying out and did not assualt or put his hands on anyone. Pap defends the unwritten rules of the game and his pride more than he backs his own team. Put Pap into pinch-hit after he beans someone and let justice be served.
A model teammate doesn’t go to the press when he has a problem with another teammate. They talk it out face to face behind closed doors. To be fair to Papelbon I think in his own stupid way he thought he was sticking up for Max Scherzer after he thought Machado showed him up by watching the home run.
We don’t know how much gets said behind closed doors. For all we know, Pap could have had a hundred “inside these four walls” discussions that went nowhere.
Still doesn’t make it okay for him to go to the press about it. If he did say something to Papelbon and it happened again he should have taken it to upper management and let them handle it.
Then that report gets leaked, and you’re on here saying he’s a baby because he had to go “tell” on Papelbon. You’ll say I’m wrong, but you know it’s right. Your mind is already made up about Harper and you’re going to spin anything he does as negative.
Some advice, quit trying to act like Papelbon and think you need to decide who is good and bad….just enjoy the best offensive player we’ve seen since Bonds.
Hmm Schultz, WSH having 2 former #1 prospects that have made good (including this year’s MVP), 2 more $100 million players (Zimmerman, Werth) and one $200 million pitcher (Scherzer) and you picked them — whowouldathunkit? Of course they’re in a better place — they didn’t blow-up their line-up.
What does going forward mean? 2016? Well of course the Nationals are probably going to be better than a 60 win team in 2016. If you are talking the next 5 years It is much closer than you’d think, I’d still give a slight edge to the Nationals simply because they will have Harper for 4 of those 5 years guaranteed and probably 3 more good years out of Scherzer.
Punished for acting in self-defense? Come on, who really believes he didn’t say something douchey to Papelbon to trigger that? Not defending Papelbon’s actions, but let’s not be so one-sided.
Matt Williams has shown to be in way over his head. I wouldn’t try to read into any decision he makes