Comments on: Nationals sign Dan Haren to one-year, $13 million contract

By: mplsjoe

mplsjoe — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 03:39:46 +0000

The Twins were never connected to Haren, so I seriously doubt they made a play. Haren for $13MM is much better than Kevin Corriea for 2 years. Of course there’s no guarantee that Haren would have accepted an offer from the Twins, but it would have been nice to find out.

By: mplsjoe

mplsjoe — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 03:37:23 +0000

Not the Twins way.

By: memorexbanana

memorexbanana — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 02:53:03 +0000

The only reason they shut him down was because of the Tommy Johnson surgery the year before. No reason to do the same this next season. Plz don’t make dumb statement.

By: fanofevilempire

fanofevilempire — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:36:26 +0000

Nats spending money like crazy, are the owners for real or will they pull a fast one like the Marlins in the next couple years, I hope not they do draft well. I like Davey from his Met days, remember when Marge Schott fired him for shacking up with his lady friend.

By: dlambrecht

dlambrecht — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:12:16 +0000

I don’t entirely disagree with your complaint, but I don’t think the Twins have much of a chance to compete for the next 2 years either way. If that’s the case, then spending $13MM on a pitcher who likely won’t be worth that much in 3 years isn’t necessarily a great move.

Additionally, who’s to know if TR didn’t bid on him. Perhaps he offered $14MM to him. If you’re Dan Haren and you get a $13MM offer from the Nats and a $14MM offer from the Twins, all on top of the $3.5MM from the Angels, what would you do? No question I’d go with the Nats and a realistic post-season oppty, rather than the Twins.

By: 78mu

78mu — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:09:02 +0000

natstowngreg:

As of today, Haren has as many innings as Madson did in 2012. As a matter of fact, every pitcher, starter or reliever, has as many innings as Madson did. Even Madson has matched his 2012 numbers.

So yeah, I guess I really wasn’t going out on a limb there. Good catch.

By: fasteddy415

fasteddy415 — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:42:34 +0000

Reg season stats and match ups don’t matter. The end result matters. Nat’s pitching failed in the first round while the Giants posted back to back shut outs in the World Series. A feat only 2 teams ever accomplished.

By: natsattack

natsattack — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:36:52 +0000

13 + 3.5 = 16.5, not 15.5.

By: kkolchak

kkolchak — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:55:40 +0000

The Nats feasted on that rotation during head to head matchups last year. It’s just too bad they didn’t get another crack at them in the NLCS.

By: kkolchak

kkolchak — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:54:09 +0000

Better? Zero.

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:30:07 +0000

Not really going out on a limb, since Haren is a starter and Madson is a reliever. To have the same number of innings, Haren would have to miss most of the season.

By: nolanwiffle

nolanwiffle — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:17:47 +0000

Thank you for that! Why is it that people believe that Washingtonians just somehow discovered the game of baseball when the Nats became contenders? Most of us have had televisions for years and even had access to newspapers since the Senators left town for the final time in 1971.

We know who Dan Haren is, thanks.

By: fasteddy415

fasteddy415 — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:10:37 +0000

Best rotation in the Majors belongs to the Giants hands down!

2 championships in 3 years is what u put up against it…

By: dcfan4life

dcfan4life — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:57:29 +0000

Haren will be put into the 4th spot, ahead of detweiler. The order is expected to go Strasburg, Gio, Zimmermann, Haren, Detweiler. That being said your argument he is a 2-3 starter has plenty of merrit but that all depends on how each individual pitches. This is the way the pitching rotation will most likely begin, putting him as the number 4 guy. All 5 guys tho are easily #3 and above on most rosters.

By: dcfan4life

dcfan4life — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:53:48 +0000

Because Lannan isnt a number 5. Hes what they used him for last season, an instant call up in unique situations who may pitch decent enough to win a few games.

By: natslady

natslady — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:43:40 +0000

Healthier, maybe. Better, no. Rizzo is a high-risk, high-ceiling kinda guy. Look at his drafts, Rendon, Giolito, etc.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:19:37 +0000

Odds that Lannan has a better/healthier 2012 at less than 1/2 the price?

By: natslady

natslady — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:19:17 +0000

Jayson Werth is our resident genius. Davey said so.

By: 78mu

78mu — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:17:45 +0000

Health concerns are an issue but I predict he will pitch more innings than Madson did for the Reds.

This is a great signing for the Nats. It’s hard to find many #4s with his talent if he is healthy.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:17:25 +0000

Last year’s “off-season best rotation in the Majors” was the Angels, who added Greinke mid-season and still finished 14 in the Majors in starter ERA with a pitching friendly home park. Their rankings were much worse in terms of FIP, xFIP, or WAR (in which park factors are included).

By: randyjackson197

randyjackson197 — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:13:58 +0000

He should add power to the Nationals lineup. He was batting .400 with the DBacks a couple of years ago.

By: kkolchak

kkolchak — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 18:08:26 +0000

Another tiresome comment from someone who apparently hasn’t had an original thought since the Clinton administration.

By: runyetirun

runyetirun — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:52:33 +0000

It’s spelled Strasburg and Zimmermann you sanctimonious dweeb.

By: willclarkgameface

willclarkgameface — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:51:33 +0000

Good luck with that 88mph no-sense-of-control fastball Nats fans, especially when he is subbing for Strasburg when he is being held back for one reason or another by resident genius Mike Rizzo.

By: dodger88

dodger88 — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:43:13 +0000

This is why I like the signing. If healthy, there is a strong argument that Haren is a #2 or 3 type in the rotation. If he lines up at the backend, all the better for the Nats.

By: Todd Boss

Todd Boss — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:33:27 +0000

There you go. fixed it. Now I appear as myself.

By: Todd Boss

Todd Boss — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:32:53 +0000

I’m not sure that’s entirely fair to the Nats approach. 3 of their 5 rotation members are drafted and developed (Strasburg, Detwiler, Zimmermann) and the 4th was acquired by trading other drafted/developed prospects to acquire him. Yes, they’ve taken to one-year contracts in both 2012 and 2013 to fill out the rotation, but that’s mostly because the natural candidates to take that spot internally have all been traded away in the last two years (Milone, Peacock, Meyers).

Well, that and the fact that our GM clearly didn’t rate John Lannan as a worthy #5 starter.

By: fenianblastard

fenianblastard — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:30:37 +0000

Haren is not the 5th Starter, he is more of a 2-3 especially when healthy.. Understanding most Nats fans became Baseball Fans in 2012, prior to pitching in Anaheim, Haren Pitched in Arizona for 4-5 seasons and was the #1 there after Webb went down.. If Healthy, the Nats have a top rotation, that said, while Strausburg has potential to be a STUD, until he throws over 200 innings, please hold back saying how great he is, Gio Gonzalez has more of a resume then SS does.. Zimmerman too has great potential… That said Ill still take Halladay, Lee, Hamels until I see Doc is cooked, I wont give up on him yet..

Lastly, I fully expect the Nats to win the NL East again in 2013, they are younger and more stacked w players coming into prime w Zim and Harper, Morse, Desmond they are set for a run !

By: akismet-e6748cca3a16ea6e8283008d25583adc

akismet-e6748cca3a16ea6e8283008d25583adc — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:25:09 +0000

That was the default wordpress username … I guess I could figure out how to change it

By: dodger88

dodger88 — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:22:40 +0000

Good signing. Sure there’s some risk but that is a given with any pitcher. With this, Greinke just lost a suitor.