Washington Nationals: Doesn't Anyone Want To Play Here?
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As the Washington Nationals move into the future, they struggle with their past. How do they breakthrough and become a destination team?
The Washington Nationals failed to land a big fish his year in free agency. Not for lack of trying.
Despite large offers to Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon, they—along with Aroldis Chapman—signed elsewhere this offseason. After getting fans expectations raised before the Winter Meetings, the team limped away in the public eye. Sure, they traded for Adam Eaton from the Chicago White Sox, but the team believed they had Chris Sale too.
A ballyhooed trade for Pittsburgh Pirates’ All-Star Andrew McCutchen fell flat, leaving the Buccos explaining to fans why they tried to move the face of the franchise. For Nats fans, the thought of raiding the minors for trades did not sit well. By the end of the meetings at nearby National Harbor, leaks came out saying Bryce Harper’s long-term demands were too high for the team.
For Harper and agent Scott Boras, it was news to them as they admitted to only discussing 2017 with Washington and nothing further. As with October, December has turned into a forgettable month.
What you cannot say, though, is the Nats are not complacent. The offer made to Jansen topped his deal to stay with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although they were not tops on the Melancon bid, the team truly believed they had the goods to land both Sale and McCutchen. If they do not negotiate in good faith with Harper in the future, there will be damage to the fan base.
That is if Harper wants to stay.
Despite the highest payroll in the National League East and the second-best record in the league, why does the team struggle to get names to sign? A simple question with a complex answer.
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MAXED OUT MONEY
It is clear to anyone that pays attention that the Nationals have a payroll ceiling of around $170 million next year and the foreseeable future.
Part of that comes with the bad television deal they have. Although they have both an ownership stake and a rights fee from MASN, the partnership with the Baltimore Orioles is not equal. Unless Major League Baseball steps in, it never will be. As teams venture into cable network ownership or new megadeals, the Nats are stuck with the deal brought from Montreal.
To get around that, and keep Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg happy, future contract money is deferred. Yes, it is wonderful players want to do that, but it hurts the future bottom line when you are paying contracts for players who retired years ago. The New York Mets are STILL paying for Bobby Bonilla.
Not all players will take money later to play now. With more money on the table, it is easier to opt-out after a year or two and try again. If you can get $30 million guaranteed next year compared to a $20-10 solution, you are taking the money now, not in 2030.
That reality leaves the Nats in a no-win situation.
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NOT A BASEBALL CITY
Despite three division-winning teams in five seasons, the Nats failed to sell one million tickets last year. Despite a generational slump by the NFL’s Washington Redskins, the MLB Nationals have yet to establish a foothold with casual fans. Compared to Los Angeles, Boston, and New York, you bet that hurts.
St. Louis and Chicago are solid baseball towns too. Washington is a company town, the United States Government. You remember, the place no one likes and everyone wants to change. (At least every two years, anyway.)
This is the third MLB franchise to call Washington home. The original Nationals or Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961. The expansion Senators to Texas 10 years later. “First in war. First in peace and last in the American League,” was an old saying haunting the team for decades.
Unless you are a Walter Johnson buff, the glory days of baseball in DC are forgotten. Even with all the recent success, most think of October failures and not August wins. Although not as painful or regular as the annual NHL Washington Capitals’ swoon, those failures add up.
The only folks who want to be in DC are tourists and those in power. The District has so much to offer, but competes with a bad perception about the baseball past.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
NATIONALS YET TO FIND IDENTITY
It may be hard to understand, considering how far the Nats have come in their short time in DC, but the squad is still in transition from their days in Montreal.
Yes, the ownership and management care. The fans who go to Nationals Park are good and the team is a success on the field. Yet, they have not been fully embraced by the city or prospective players. It becomes a catch-22. You do not want to go to a new team unless you think they can win it all.
But they cannot win it all until they get the right players. And they will remain gun shy until they think they can win. A cruel circle, for sure. Although they are so far ahead of where the franchise was in Quebec following the 1994 strike, they have gone as far as they can without reaching the next level.
For the Nats future, this is a World Series trip. Yes, even making the NL Championship Series boosts the faithful toward the team, but in the clutter of everyday life, the team has to break into that top level.
The Washington Nationals are the lone MLB team to never win a pennant. Since leaving Washington, the Twins won three and the Rangers two.
Once the Nats break through, it will become easier. Until it happens, the road remains rocky.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
HOW TO BREAK THE SPELL
Either the Nats make the World Series or convince Bryce Harper they need him for the long-haul.
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If Harper wants to stay—and Washington comes close to matching what he wants on the open market—his extension opens the door down the road. We can quibble whether they can afford him. You can ask if he is worth all those millions. The bottom line is this if he commits to Washington long-term then it is a major win for the franchise.
The other path is the one the team is pushing now. Take the chance of trading future prospects to win now. If the Adam Eaton trade said anything, the Nats are rolling the dice to force the issue. Mike Rizzo’s job is on the line over how the next two years play out. He has papered over a wall of warts, but the team is in position to win.
Perhaps coming so close is the difference in keeping Harper. With a truckload of superstars hitting free agency after the 2018 season, a close call might attract another big name if Harper leaves. The hope is, he stays. Fans want it and, deep down, the team does too.
Washington is a wonderful city. When the Nats grab that flag, everything will change about the perception of the city as a baseball town and where the team is headed. Until then, they must continue pressing to find a big player
A generation ago, the NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White stunned the sports world by leaving the Philadelphia Eagles to sign with the Green Bay Packers. That bold move of faith restored the title to “Titletown.”
Today, the Nats need a Reggie White.
