The Clock is Ticking for the Nationals

After a promising start to the season, the Nationals went into the all star break in the familiar position of last place. Compared to the last two seasons this is actually an improvement, as the Nationals do not have the worst record in baseball and are on pace to win 71 games. Still, this is not where many hoped the team would be when Ted Lerner took over the team in 2006 and brought in Stan Kasten as team president to rebuild. Now, with many promising pieces coming together for this team, the Nationals are on the clock. This team needs to be a competitive team before Stephen Strasburg's contract expires or the core may fall apart.

The reason I set this goal for the team is because it will be VERY important to make sure Strasburg stays in DC and because this is not an unrealistic or unreasonable goal. Strasburg was one of the most hyped players coming out of the draft of all time. So far, he has lived up to expectations. In his seven major league games he has 61 strike outs and a 2.32 ERA. Yet, he has a 3-2 record. He will play a full season next year and, assuming a sophomore slump, I think Strasburg will be one of the best pitchers in the league in 3 years, if not the best. He is that good. Why, if you are that talented, would you continue to stay on a .500 team? Loyalty to the team that drafted you? Perhaps, but for big time players who want to win sometimes loyalty is not enough (Lebron James). Strasburg was born in Santee, California. He played college ball at San Diego State. When his contract expires, he may well consider moving back west. The Nationals MUST give him a reason to stay here. Sure, maybe he will decide he likes DC and will want to stay. I hope so. But the Nationals did not just draft Strasburg to fill seats, they drafted him to win games and help this team get better. The best way they can convince him to stay is to show him how good this team has been and will continue to be with him. A 71 win season does not do that.

Saying that this team needs to be a playoff team in 3 or 4 years is not unreasonable at all. The National's best season was their inaugural season in 2005 when they finished with a .500 record. Since then, they have been bottom dwellers. Now, the team is beginning to bring in a solid core. Pitching, the Achilles' heel of the Nationals for years, has been much better this season with the addition of Strasburg, Matt Capps, and the return of Livan Hernandez. Bryce Harper, if he can behave, will be a major asset to this team playing along side Ryan Zimmerman. The pieces are there, but the rebuilding needs to start showing more than just minor results. Besides, after five sub .500 seasons, is it really that unreasonable to want to see major improvement? When the Nationals first came to DC, games were always packed. Now, the seats are empty every night Strasburg is not playing. How much longer are DC fans suppposed to wait?

I think the first step for this team will be to re-sign Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham who will both be free agents at the end of the season. The two have hit a combined 37 home runs this season and with Zimmerman batting fourth, they make a formidable 4, 5, 6 batting lineup. Dunn actually leads the National League with 22 home runs. With the Nationals struggling at the plate this season (ranked 25th in runs, 20th in hits, 24th in RBIs, and 18th in batting average) you would like to see them keep two of their best hitters. I have had enough of this notion of "patience" and the idea that prospects will solve all of your problems. That time has passed. Do not let pieces of the puzzle walk because you are ok with setting the team back another two or three years so you can have more prospects develop. By the end of the 2010 season, barring a major comeback, the Nationals will have had five consecutive seasons with a sub .500 record. That is long enough. It is time to make a move up the standings.

Say what you want about Steinbrenner and the Yankees, but he did have one thing right. Every season you do not win the World Series is a failure. Plain and simple. Granted, some failures are worse than others, but that is the goal for each team each and every season, the Nationals included. In a few years, the Nationals are going to have to start convincing all those prospects that they tried to build the team with to stay in DC. That means the rebuild is taking too long. If not soon, at what point are you planning on bringing a playoff team to Washington? Now, you are on the clock to turn this around soon, or start all over.