The Nationals enter tonight’s NLCS Game 4 up 3-0 on St. Louis and turning the ball over to Patrick Corbin as they look to complete the sweep. Seeing as only one team has ever blown a 3-0 series lead in MLB history, it’s little surprise Nats’ managing principal owner Mark Lerner is happy with his team’s position. Lerner talked with reporters (including Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post and Mark Zuckerman of MASN) about his club’s “very special” position and fielded questions about the team’s manager and best player.
Interestingly, Lerner told reporters that firing manager Dave Martinez “never crossed (his) mind,” even amidst the club’s nightmarish start. Despite entering the year with high expectations, Washington started the season 19-31, leading to some speculation about Martinez’s future. After all, the Nationals have something of a reputation for being quick to pull the plug on managers. Martinez’s predecessor, Dusty Baker, wasn’t offered a contract extension after the 2017 season despite overseeing a division winner that year, with general manager Mike Rizzo saying at the time that “winning a lot of regular season games and winning divisions is not enough.” It stood to reason that Martinez could’ve been in some hot water after the club missed the playoffs in 2018 and got off to a slow start, so it’s interesting to hear that ownership was never considering a change.
Certainly, any speculation about Martinez’s job status has gone up in flames over the past few months. Washington’s spectacular second half got them to 93 wins regardless, and Martinez’s club is now on the doorstep of the franchise’s first pennant. That’s in no small part to the efforts of Anthony Rendon. The superstar third baseman put up borderline MVP numbers in the regular season, slashing .319/.412/.598 (154 wRC+) with his trademark elite defense at the hot corner. He’s picked up where he left off in the postseason, pairing with Juan Soto to form a two-man wrecking crew in the middle of the Nats’ order.
With Rendon a few weeks from becoming baseball’s most coveted position player free agent, Lerner predictably reiterated that the Nationals would love to keep him in D.C. “We certainly want to keep him. That’s 110 percent,” Lerner said of Rendon. “It’s really in Tony’s and his family’s hands at this point. They have to decide what they want to do. He’s earned that right as a free agent. It couldn’t happen to a better guy. We love him to death.”
“Good team wants to keep its best player” is hardly eye-popping news, and we know the Nats already floated an extension offer to the 29 year-old in the range of $210-215MM, although it’s possible deferrals could’ve held the contract’s actual value a bit below that figure. As Lerner acknowledged, though, there’s little reason for Rendon and his family not to explore their options in free agency at this point.
That’s not to say Rendon’s certainly leaving Washington; he’ll just assuredly speak with other teams as he and his family attempt to find their best fit. Lerner didn’t discuss specifically to what extent the organization would be willing to go to retain Rendon- in all likelihood, even the Nationals don’t know what their exact breaking point would be just yet- but it seems the club will be in the familiar position of lurking in the background while the face of their franchise tests the open market.
Lerner dodged a bullet with Harper, he better bite it with Rendon or he’ll dearly regret it. 8 Years, $250M. Done.
From what I’ve heard this week, it sounds like Rendon wants a shorter term, higher AAV deal. Something like 5/$180M or 6/$210M
Please. They are in this position because they allowed someone else to overpay for last years high priced FA. Let Rendon walk.
Yeah but rendon is actually good and worth keeping.
Depends on AAV. One thing teams need to learn from Boston is a key area could old awfully quickly. I’m not comparing the rotation but a team that builds today has to leave room for a contingency plan. This Nats team has won on a core of 7 players. Three starters, two relievers and two hot hitters. Great formula to win a title but is it sustainable? Might be if the starters stay healthy. To me a decision on Strasburg assuming he opts out is the first thing to do. Should he leave or stay, that new contract AAV needs to be considered. Will there be room for the normal salary increases, both Strasburg assuming he stays, Rendon and still have a contingency plan? To be clear, I’m not suggesting the team let him just walk but whomever any team signs going forward given the dollars, you have to plan ahead as well.
Yea but he won’t be when he’s 36 and making $32m. See Pujols Cabrera etc.
They had a replacement for Harper. No replacement for Rendon
There it is. I was looking for this comment, which is spot on. Kieboom would be the only logical in house replacement but he’s not a true 3rd baseman. Nats should get under the Lux Tax this year which should reset the penalties. They can afford to go over
Phillies will steal Rendon just to F*** with the Nats and their loser fanbase.
Oh lil Phillies fan starting to realize that #3 is nothing but a strike out machine. Who’s their manager? Oh that guy who got fired. 12 more years of you crying! Say hi to Ryan Howard for me. Enjoy The World Series! You’ll be dead by the time the Phillies ever get there! GO NAT’s!!!!
Damn you just went home off
If Phils focus on anything but pitching they’ll finish 4th again in NLEast. Or quite possibly 5th if/as Marlins overtake them.
8 years straight missing the playoffs. The Redskins haven’t even had that bad of a stretch. Congrats Matt
And miss the playoffs again?
Slight diff: they didn’t want Harp and they absolutely desire to retain Rendon. Let Anthony decide if he wants yrs or max AAV, then get it done! And keep Stras happy too.
Saw a report that he really wants to come to Atlanta and the braves really like him. AA plans on offering him either a 5 or 6 year deal averaging $32.5 million a year. Is what the report said and he is likely to accept that offer since there were no deferrals. So 5/162 or 6/195. Enjoy your best player leaving after he wins y’all a World Series nats fans. As much as I hate the nats I really hope they win it all especially since Bryce Harper just left and he couldn’t lead them as far as rendon and Soto have
I think both of those are a little light on AAV for a shorter deal. Probably will take upwards of $35-37M/year
@WAH1447 Where did you hear/read that? I would be very interested in that article. Especially when I could see Rendon completely boycotting ATL because he felt disrespected when he was originally drafted by ATL. He wanted to sign with them then out of high school but the Braves were not willing to meet his demands financially. So he went unsigned by Atl.
google.com/amp/s/www.mlb.com/amp/news/anthony-rend…
The Braves could have had Rendon for 750k. Yes Rendon grew up a Chipper Jones fan and therefore a Braves fan…but this could POSSIBLY be a sore spot and keep him from wanting to sign in ATL.
He will not go to the Braves because they will not offer him the most money. He deserves the money, the Braves don’t deserve him. Why would he want to go to an organization that will finish in 3rd or 4th place when he is used to winning with the Nats?
Finish in 3rd or 4th with Acuña, Freeman, Rendon & Albies? Good luck with that. Even Luke Jackson couldn’t blow that.
The Braves don’t have pitching. That is a big difference. When Faulty and Teheran are your 2-3, you are in trouble. I know I know, Teheran is more of a #4 and Fried is a #3, but that does not help matters since Fried is not very good himself. Add the fact that this team will depend on a rookie in the 5th spot, puts them further behind. Speaking of rookies, Wright, Wilson, Touki, nor Anderson took a step forward this year.
The offseason is headed in the right direction when they decline Teheran’s option.
A 17-game winner and 2.9 WAR in his rookie year – “not very good”. Ok, keep talking.
Anderson and his 2.68 ERA over 111 IP and 147 K is a baby step forward from his elite status. Wilson and Wright can’t do much worse than what they have shown. ATL has a unique ability to revive careers for pitching (Anibal Sanchez) and hitting (Donaldson). Why would guys wanna be around that?
Fried is a mid-rotation arm with a very small ceiling. I like the kid but I don’t want to head into 2020 if he is the second-best arm in the rotation. That is my point. When you couple him with Faulty, Teheran, and a rookie, you have a problem.
Troll, moron or a moron troll.
Anderson went into AAA and walked the world. That has always been his problem and that will be his roadblock to the majors if he does not learn to throw strikes.
and that is the same response I got when I said the Nats are better than the Braves. I personally don’t care if my points are “moronic” or trollish to you.” Until the Braves win the NLDS with the moves that need to be made, I’m not wrong.
why would any player want to go to the Braves. back to back div. winner, 12 in a row in the 90s all those HOF on 1 team BUT ONLY 1 W/S. And I think that was vs Cleveland. And the most racist crowd in the USA. STOP THE CHOP
It was 14 in a row get it right before you start talking crap
Racist crowds…lol. Natives have been protesting for decades, but one rival rookie reliever that just completed his Ancestry.com profile and wants a sound bite during the playoffs and STOP THE PRESSES!
uh, no.
cards and red sox say hi, when concerning racist crowds.
braves would have to draw a crowd first (and good luck keeping fans going when the team explodes down the road).
Hey Bum, I’m beginning to think you are John Coppolella… another person similar to your negative posts hasn’t posted in a while… new account same crying of jealousy?
Can someone ban this troll’s new account already?
metfan4ever
FWIW, I said the same thing about Jason Bay when he joined you guys. Why would anyone want to leave the RS to join the NYM, hit in a pitchers’ park, and never see the post-season again?
Are you stomping your feet as you say that?
Why would he want to play for a LOSER like AA and the Atlanta “ Cheap Scapes”. Nobody in their right mind would go there to be a first round loser year after year. That statement is laughable he would want to go there.
In b4 someone says Josh Donaldson even though the only reason he came to Atlanta was to reestablish his value. He would have gone to the Tigers if they offered him the most money. Same applies to DK.
Add the fact that the Braves are bending over for the SJWs regarding the chop also spells bad news for the team.
Get WOKE, go Broke!
Yes, you can reestablish your value in that park. Miggy, what a steal.
Wait…so the CHEAP team offered two of the top FA’s the MOST money? Hmm…
Miggy was a steal when he was acquired. He also has performed well until the last couple of years. Says he’s going to work on conditioning this winter. Let’s hope so. He can maintain that .300 BA for a few more years.
Mike I . thumbed his nose at the rest of the league, realizing he could not take it with him, hence the ridiculous extension.
Has not been a 1-WAR player since 2016, with another 4 years left on the deal (6, if by some miracle it vests).
One thing for sure, The Rays aren’t only teaching players to “play the game the right way” but the coaches coming out of that school are something special as well.
I would like to say Hey Cardinals,
Bend over, the Nationals are ****ing with you!
Their defense did that themselves
They shouldn’t be in the NLCS or in the playoffs at all. The Braves gave them the series. The Nationals are the second-best team in the NL and the playoffs. They deserve to win and hopefully, they do win. With that being said, the fact that the Nats are about to sweep the series makes it even worse on the Braves. They completely blew it when they had a legit chance this year to make the WS. That would have been an actual step forward, not winning a the pointless division again
Where is themed he is quiet
You sure do like to talk about bending over, don’t you?
So you’re a braves fan and your hoping the Nats win World Series ….makes sense …let me guess your from Virginia or somewhere near the state of Georgia lol
I’m rooting for the Nationals because they were my pick to win the division this year. They are a better team than the Braves and the postseason results prove it. Besides, I will never root for the Cardinals out of bitterness and the fact that I hate Molina and their manager.
I live in NY!
funny, you live in new york, but you whine like a southern republican.
let me guess, you paint yourself orange so you can look like your lord and savior, reich?
What?
GO PHILS
May be last time to see the final Molina brother in a playoff game, going back to the start of the century with Bengie and Jose.
Ya, the Nats better sign Rendon…..they didn’t sign Harper, and looked what happened to them……
They had a competent replacement for Harper. Good luck replacing Rendon.
Donaldson? Oh wait, the Nationals are a smart organization. They know JD is not a smart investment, no different from Harper.
Harper not a smart investment. Sure….
Oh, Mike Rizzo’s a pretty sharp dude; he’ll find an inventive way to replace Rendon.
And that’s no knock on Rendon, easily one of the more under-rated guys around. But tying up 30M a year for 5?6?7? years is counter-productive. With the Mets and Phillies being basically three-ring circuses, the division just isn’t that tough.
All that being said, I think they sign Rendon and renegotiate with Strasburg. Lerner’s going to like sitting in the owners’ suites at the World Series, especially after all these years of fans (myself included) saying “WHAT”S WRONG WITH THOSE GUYS!!!!”.
Funny how last year people were predicting more than $35 million a year for more than 10 years for Harper and Machado. Now with those two having merely ok years, people see Rendon maybe having to settle for what may be a disappointing amount — even though he’s a huge reason the Nats are about to go to the WS. And Rendon could be the best of the three.
Tony 2 bags is a superior player to Bryce Harper. A guy who actually worth giving 30 million bucks a year. Obviously there’s a point where it doesn’t make sense financially but this guy is far more valuable to that team than Harper. That’s not really a huge knock on Harper either. It’s that Rendon is an absolute stud.
Agreed about better things to do than give out $200+ mill to a 30 year old. (Well, to two 30yo’s: there is Strasburg, too.)
Moustakas at 3/$40m
Didi at 4/$60m
Or both.
Even Donaldson at 3/$80m or 4/$100.
60 million bucks to Didi to play 3B? That’s horrible. What’s the difference between giving Donaldson at 34 100 million bucks at a 25 AAV versus giving Rendon at 30 a slightly higher one? I think it’s far more likely Rendon holds up through An entire 5 or 6 year contract than Donaldson. Who may be a 1B like Ryan Zimmerman in a year.
Yep. Can Carter Kieboom handle third? If Kieboom is destined to be a middle infielder then perhaps they’ll feel a lot of pressure to resign Rendon, especially with Rendon helping them get close to a WS title.
They don’t have a second baseman either. I get the inkling that if they win the WS Kendrick is going to call a career. Even if he doesn’t; the glove is gone there and I don’t think I’d bet on another insane offensive season.
Yeah good points. I agree they should re-sign Rendon, especially if he continues to be a stud in the WS. But most likely they will get competition for Rendon from teams like the Dodgers and maybe the Yankees.
Who is the only team to blow a 3 – 0 lead? Must have been some real losers.
The Yankees blew it
The Yankees? I see why Franco decided not to mention that fact. It would upset the mlbtr base.
That statement about never thinking of firing the manager is the most blatant lie I’ve heard in MLB in quite some time.
I wonder if little Bryce was watching tonight?
He’s enjoying being a father you classless hack.
First of all, you’re the classless fool. Second of all, how the F*** would you know what Harper is enjoying?
clown question, bro (joking)
Two new Phillies uniforms hanging in empty lockers at Citizens Bank Park.
Rendon and Gerrit Cole.
First 300 million payroll
Maybe Rendon but there’s no way Cole signs with the Phillies.
Harper was the Nationals Achilles heel. I think its funny. Harper got greedy wanted more money and he only got 3 more years and 10aav per.year added. He wasnt very smart. I blame scott Boras. he’s the greedy slimy little leech agents
Hatper was also really dumb not getting any opt outs. By year 6 or 7 he’ll ask to get traded..
Not really Harper’s fault. The Nates just realized they didn’t need him with Soto and Robles on the way.
Nats can handle paying rendon with Zimm’s $ coming off the books.
Kieboom will play 2nd with Dozier leaving.
Nats need SP and C prospects.