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Starters the Nationals should target this winter · District Territory

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the District Territory Podcast. Eric Shellhouse, Shelly,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and Franny, Kevin Franzen, Spencer Nussbaum from The Athletic. Kevin
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: is down in Tampa Bay for the ALCS later today.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: We're going to be talking about some moves the Nationals
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: could be making, some starting pitching they could add to
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: potentially bolster their roster headed into next season. I'm going
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: to go ahead and lead things off. With my dream candidate,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Robbie Ray, he finished last season with a 13-8 record
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: between San Francisco and San Diego. He's entering his age
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: 35 season, and he was a 12th round pick by
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: the Nationals back in 2010. Brings a four-seam slider, change-up, sinker, curve, mix.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: I think he could be a nice left-handed piece for
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: the Nationals rotation. Kevin, he has been around the league
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: for a while. What could a veteran add to the
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Nationals rotation?
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: I mean, I played with Robbie when he was in...
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: 15 in Reno.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: I like it.
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think we got to understand, like, where
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: the Nats are as far as, like, truly what they
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: really need, right? Like, as far as I think there's
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: more specific guys than just, like, well, we got to
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: get veteran guys, like a specific left-hander, a specific why.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: Is he the right guy for leading a group of
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: younger guys? Is he a perfect fit on that? I
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: don't know. And probably, and, and the part that you're
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: trying to get away from is walking guys and doing that.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: We saw him, you know, his, his walk totals exponentially
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: go up when he was in San Diego this year.
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: That's always going to be the case. The stuff is
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: there when it comes to swing and miss, we get that.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: It's an interesting one. I think, I think if they
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: got to the backend of, of building the roster and,
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: They still needed it. I wonder if he'd be around
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: that they would take that chance. Yeah.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: And that one, that one was curious to me too,
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: because that, that almost like snuck into my brain a
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: little bit. Cause I'm usually a stuff over command sort
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: of guy. And so that one, as I was kind
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: of sorting through whole, I might want Robbie Ray definitely
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: came to mind at the end of the day. Again,
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: the walk totals are high and that second half really
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: kind of scared me off. You know, maybe he figures
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: it out. uh, in DC. But I, I, um, I,
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: I think it's an interesting pick. It's, it's probably like
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: just on the bubble of like who I would have
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: had in my top five, but he, he just didn't
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: make the cut.
• 2:30
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Well, if he can get the walk rate under control,
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: I would like to think that he could be a
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: solvent addition.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: But that's the thing is that he's never had back-to-back
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: years where you've seen the walk total go down. He's
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: had years where they go down, but then next year
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: they go drastically up again. And it's like, it, it,
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: That's the part that's always weird about Robbie. His swing
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: and miss is insane. But it's like if he could
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: ever corral it and ever get in the zone just enough,
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: it's a totally different beast. And being able to control
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: everything and go there. Is it a different look? Hell yeah,
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: it's a different look. I like it if we think
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: in totality of it to finish up a rotation. You
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: know what I mean? When it comes down to it.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Spencer, who have you got on your list in terms
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: of some guys you'd like the Nationals to bring in?
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think the first name I had circled was
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: Clay Holmes, right? And that's a deal where if you
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: bring him in, you have to think about a lot
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: that comes with it. First of all, that's probably going
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: to be a pretty expensive deal. One that I think
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: the Nationals are, or I should say should be in
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: position to make maybe like a 370 sort of deal.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: But also if you have Clay Holmes on your roster,
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: this is the most obvious thing in baseball. You need
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: good infield defense behind him. I am relatively bullish on
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: the Nationals' 20-27 defense. When you think about potentially Nas
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: back there, you think about an improved Seaver King, an
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: improved C.J. Abrams. But more than that, I mean, ground
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: balls and dependability is kind of the name of the
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: game with him. It's not crazy velo. He's throwing 93.
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: The location's pretty good, not crazy. But you look year
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: after year after year. It's just ground balls, ground balls,
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: ground balls. And so if you're buying in on the
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: nationals defense, you're buying in on Clay Holmes as a,
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: you know, set it and forget it. Number three starter
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: in October, at least in my mind. Again, you could
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: quibble with that a little bit, but I really liked
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: the idea of someone who's just, you know, we're done
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: playing the games with risk. We're done doing that. And
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: let's say, Hey, this is a guy who might not
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: be your number one, your ACE, but it's in the
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: timeline of maybe what the nationals are trying to do.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: We talk too often about the data side and, of things,
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: but I think about the infrastructure of the infield part, right?
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: Because you're going to get those ground balls. And I agree.
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: I think that we did see some huge improvements on
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: the infield side, Spence, this year that it makes sense.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: Like those guys feel like they're more in play, right?
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: The ground ball guys. Where before, like a huge reason
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: why I was all in on Jose Ferrer being traded
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: was was because of the infield defense and not knowing
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: where we were going to be. And I think that's
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: the part that really stands out for me personally is
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: seeing a guy like Clay Holmes come in and be
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: able to utilize that infield defense with Nas, with Brady,
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: whoever's going to be at third, whoever's going to be
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: at second, whatever it may be, but utilize them. Do
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: you have the right guys, the right fit? Yes. Yes.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: Check mark, check mark, check mark on all those. So, Um,
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: I like that. I like that fit. Um, it, I
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: do wonder what his price is going to be though. Yeah. Yeah.
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: I think it's going to be a lot. And this
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: is like kind of a larger point on this free
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: agent class, like throw out Google cause they're not going
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: to end. But even that kind of top range of pitchers, um,
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: who probably profile as number threes in a rotation, um,
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: there are so many of them, very few of them
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: are dependable. And so like, you're going to probably have
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: to outbid a team that's far more motivated than you are.
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: on some of these names. Clay Holmes is like the
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: top end of what I was looking at in a
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: free agent market, as we'll see with my next few names.
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: But I just think the Nationals are, if they're going
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: into next year with a $ 45 million payroll, like you
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: have the capacity to add some people. So I think
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: they'd probably be outbid on a Clay Holmes, but that's
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: one that I felt was semi-reasonable.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: It's one that you think they would at least have
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: to investigate and go after with how much available payroll
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: that they have. Let's take a quick break. Spencer, when
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: we come back, jump into some more of those pitching
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: options that you have that the Nationals are able to
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: go after.
• 6:53
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• 7:56
  Speaker 1: Spencer, after Clay Holmes, who else starts to come up
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: on your list that the Nationals can look at?
• 8:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah, a couple names, maybe lower tier. tier, or maybe
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: lower cost, although Tyler Malley is one of them. I
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: might be mispronouncing that. Again, you're assuming some risk there,
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: but there's a good bit of upside when you think
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: about that second half he just had. Again, like a
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: lot of these guys on my list, sits 93, isn't
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: necessarily going to blow you away, but he really looks
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: like a different pitcher after he kind of upped that
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: splitter usage in the second half with Atlanta. And I
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: see him as someone where You know, he's dealt with
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: injuries throughout the course of his career. This stuff is
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: not crazy good. And so like, yeah, maybe am I
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: talking myself out of this a little bit? But if
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: we're going to boil it down to a couple of things,
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: postseason pedigree, that second half, I'm a big believer in.
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: And he gets better every time through the order. And
• 8:53
  Speaker 3: when I think about what the Nationals struggled with at
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: times this season, it is guys who were maybe able
• 9:00
  Speaker 3: to go one or two times through the order, needed
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: an opener. This is a guy who puts less strain
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: on your bullpen, and he gained even a tick of
• 9:09
  Speaker 3: velocity this year from 2025. And so I wonder, hey,
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: is he someone where he has another tick of veto
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: in him, that splitter usage stays up, and the Nationals
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: pitching coaches figure out some other fix, and all of
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: a sudden he's looking like an upside number two, although
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: you do have the risk of injury and some past performance.
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think you saw what he did in October, too,
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: and that definitely excites you a lot, what he was
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: able to do in the couple of outings for the
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: Braves there. It would be an exciting addition for the Nationals.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, I mean, it's one that you look
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: at very almost, you don't want to say similar to
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: a Kevin Gosman, but, I mean, the trajectory of where
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: we saw Gosman go from, you know, uh baltimore i
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: think it was was it baltimore the reds or uh
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: reds and then to the braves and the braves kind
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: of unlock some and their r & d department unlocks
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: up and more with that split um kind of similar
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: versions of what you're looking at right here with uh
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: tyler molly and i i just against i there, there's
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: some hesitancy there and there's, there's going to be hesitancy
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: on a lot. I think that's what, uh, Nat's ownership, um,
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: you know, front office has got to, to be able
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: to get over the top of is what having the hesitancy,
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: hesitancy to try to figure it out. And hopefully it's
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: a risk. It's a good risk. It's a, it, you know,
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: like all these, all these free agent guys, um, would be.
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: Well, here's a, here's an interesting segue is Gosman, your guy,
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: or who's, who's kind of first on your list for.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: Any, Gosman's my guy I would love uh but again
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: he's gonna want to go to somewhere I I feel
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: more established as far as do they have a chance
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: to win you know and and I think I would
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: that would say a lot and I love I love
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: Kevin Gosman I think what he's been able to do
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: last couple years stuff hasn't dropped um I think it
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: would be it'd be huge to have another veteran presence
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: in there um I think what's interesting, too, is that
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: you look at the home road splits that he had
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: this year. I mean, the Rogers Center is a good
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: place to hit. And he had significantly better numbers at
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: home than he did on the road. So, again, it
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: wouldn't be my number one to go after. That's more
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: of a hopefully when you go for it. My number
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: one would be a risk-adverse– kind of situation with Chris Bubich.
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: Oh yeah. Yeah.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: He was on my, I think to me, uh, number one,
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: he grew up where Ani grew up in Cupertino. Uh,
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: he's a Bay area kid. Uh, he went to Archbishop Middy,
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: which is one of, you know, Paul Tavoni and my rivals. Uh,
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: we don't even call them rivals, but they're, they're there. Uh, fantastic, uh,
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: pedigree as far as the, the number of alumni they have. Um,
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: but his, his year over year, injuries that we've seen
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: are real. Now, the thing that separates him for me
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: is what? There's some serious production when he's healthy, and
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: especially after he moved from the pen back into the rotation,
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: became an all-star. The Dodgers traded for him this year,
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: and look, he's pitching in the postseason. It hasn't been
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: great in his one outing, but I'm bullish on him.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: Bullish on him.
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: I would love to see that addition.
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: That one was just on the edge. I was going
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: to say, this is what smart teams do, right? They
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: take risks on guys who have been injury-prone because that
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: stuff isn't always super predictable. The only thing that scared
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: me off was you look at the innings by year.
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: It's 16-30, 116-55. He hasn't put together a full season
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: since 2022 yet. All that being said, I mean, it's
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: exactly what Franny was saying. He banks basically everything you
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: would want out of a guy. I think it would
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: come at a fair price point, too. I couldn't exactly
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: get there with the innings log, but he was number
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: six on my list. That's a great pull.
• 13:25
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: There's one guy that I want to jump over to.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: We've talked about before on this show, the three fastball mix,
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: the cutter, Which way is it going to dive? The cutter,
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: the two-seam sink away, and then just a straight four-seam fastball.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: And a guy that I had that met that profile
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: is Walker Bueller. He uses the cutter, four-seam sinker, also
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: likes to mix in some off-speed, curve, change-up, sweeper, slider.
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: He's a two-time World Series champion and has 97.2 postseason innings.
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: Underneath his belt.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: Seems like the kind of postseason pedigree that could help
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: the Nationals if they were to get there later in
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: the season.
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think the reason that Buehler intrigues you... Sorry.
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: Go ahead.
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: No, we're probably on the same page on it.
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: Lay this down on me, Spencer.
• 14:23
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think Buehler intrigues you because of the postseason experience.
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: I think the stuff is also... It's been up and
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: down over the years, but when it's good, it's quite good. Um,
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: I just, it's, for me, it's been a bit too
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: long since I've seen him be like a bonafide set
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: it and forget it guy, as we kind of talk about,
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: not that any of these guys are set and forget it. Um,
• 14:44
  Speaker 3: but you look at 2024, it's an era in the fives, 2025,
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: it's high fours this year, again, kind of mid to
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: high fours. Um, I like the idea of them having
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: like a bounce back candidate, but I don't love it. Um,
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: you know, maybe there's something on the margins, um, that,
• 15:04
  Speaker 3: that you can see there. But when I'm just kind
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: of like in my view of the nationals roster, Bueller
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: would have fit last year. To me, I look for
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: dependability and I just, I don't necessarily think he's there,
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: but also, you know, 150 innings this year, I could
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: definitely see it.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: Same, same on that. I think ultimately he would be
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: an upgrade from Zach Littell and Miles Michaelis, right? but
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: that would have been for, I think the, the, the
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: past year you got to like, if he was available
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: mid season and they were in that on the cusp
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: of maybe doing something, you know, getting into the post
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: season and, you know, on the fringe of that, maybe
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: I would think about a trade for it, but yeah, that's,
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: that's where I'm at with him. Well, because Eric, you also.
• 15:55
  Speaker 3: Had, you had showed on your list, right? Like that
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: was one that really, Intrigued me. I'm curious why you
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: wanted to why that was one that was on your radar.
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: I think he is a guy that has never pitched
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: outside of Chicago in the MLB. It'll be the first
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: time we maybe see him in different colors. And his
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: control of the strike zone is something that I really like.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: And I honestly, I just would like to see the
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: Nationals bring in some foreign pitchers to the rotation. I
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: feel like that's something that we have not seen a
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: lot of with the Nationals before. And he has been
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: quite good since he's come over to the MLB, 35
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: and 21 in three seasons in the MLB. But I
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: think he brings some experience, he brings control, and he
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: brings stability to the rotation.
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that that last piece in particular is
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: what I was looking at. And his profile is so interesting, right?
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: Because so many of the guys you look at who
• 16:51
  Speaker 3: are free agents don't get a lot of whiff. It's
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: a lot of like, Ground balls, low walks, figured out
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: from there. He only throws 91. So you go like, oh,
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: how is he getting whiff? Like it's fastball top of
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: the zone. One of the best whiff rates in baseball.
• 17:07
  Speaker 3: As you said, he doesn't walk anyone. And a lot
• 17:11
  Speaker 3: of times, you know, smart front offices look at, you know,
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: plenty of things on the margins. If you're looking at
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: one big number, it's strikeout rate minus walk rate. His
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: is fantastic. He has all the peripherals you want. The
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: only worry is all those home runs. Um, but I
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: don't think it's like a Michaelis or Latel sort of situation. Um,
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: he's been uber dependable and, um, frankly just gets with that.
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: The nationals do not have, um, kind of in the
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: rotation right now outside of Cavalli.
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: Um, I like showed up.
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: He's perfect.
• 17:44
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: He, I think he's perfect. I think, but I also,
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: the biggest, my biggest, uh, you know, it's not a gripe,
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: but my biggest, uh, against it is there's not a,
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: you know, Shinozaki was our only Japanese pitcher before. And
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: so like, will the Japanese pitcher feel comfortable in DC
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: in doing that? And, and there's no, there's no road
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: paved before him. You know what I mean? Like, and that's,
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: that's something that, that worries me is making sure that,
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: you know, guys have, uh, You know, stuff that has
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: happened before where they know that they're going to be
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: set up for success there. That's it. I mean, it's
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: nothing about pitcher-wise. It's just hopefully that he would, you know,
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: enjoy it.
• 18:33
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: I wonder if they would be willing to bring in
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: any other players from Japan to sort of make him
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: feel more comfortable.
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, give me Sato and we're in. We're in. Yes.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: Let's see.
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: Is there anyone else we want to talk about in
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: this episode that the Nationals could go after? There is
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: one older veteran on the books that I would love
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: to bring home for a reunion, finish his career in D.C.
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: That's Max Scherzer entering his age 42 season. Dealt with
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: some injuries last season, but he did finish strong in
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: his final seven starts. Went 3-8-6 ERA, 3-3 record with
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: 36 strikeouts over 39 and two-thirds innings. And of course,
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: seven seasons with the Nationals, two Cy Youngs, and a
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: 92-47 record, probably the best pitcher to do it in
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: Nationals history. Would this make sense for a reunion to
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: finish his career in D.C.? Yes.
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: Why not? You need some butts in the seats. Let's go.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: I know people would show up to see Max Scherzer pitch,
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: and I think he still has it. At age 42,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: I really think he does. He has to swing and
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: miss he can rip pull back rip and rip.
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: It yeah I mean he's a what's the wording you
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: used earlier this year MF-er he's you know yeah you
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: want to MF-er in that room that's your guy you
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: want to put butts in the seats he's your guy
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: again I don't know what he'll demand what his priorities
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: are if he even you know plans to still pitch
• 20:07
  Speaker 3: I'm actually not totally sure he clarified that maybe he
• 20:09
  Speaker 3: did Um, but you know, it would be a fascinating
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: ad and I, fans would eat it up. Um, I'm
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: sure there are people in the organization who would eat
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: it up. Um, you know, was he dependable last year? No,
• 20:23
  Speaker 3: he was hurt. That's what happens when you're 42 and
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: still pitching in the big leagues. But, um, I know the,
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: the guys in that Blue Jays clubhouse, um, learned a
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: lot from him. So yeah, that's, that's definitely an interesting one.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: You just want to believe that there's something left in
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: the tank for Mad Max, and to do it in D.C.
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: to finish it out here would just be the perfect
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: way to do it, in my opinion. And as you said, Kevin,
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: every fifth day, seats would be filled at the ballpark.
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: People would be popping out for Mad Max. I think
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: it's a reunion that makes perfect sense at the end
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: of the day.
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: You would think so. You would think so. My last one,
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: I like the Flyers, especially because of the Bubich one,
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: but To me, Zach Gallen would be a great fit.
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: I also had him on my list. Try to figure
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: it out. We've been trying to say this for a
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: long time. Sometimes you do need a new change of
• 21:18
  Speaker 2: scenery type thing. Zach being from South Jersey, it's not
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: that far away. Why not? I don't think he got
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: the qualifying offer this year. I think there's going to
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: be some forward-thinking teams that are at the you know,
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: the level of like the Dodgers that, that might look
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: at him. Like, honestly, I feel like he's a guy
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: that teams are, you know, you wonder, I think a
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: team that I'm going to be here with in Tampa
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: is going to be all over just because I feel
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: like they'll have something to be like, look, we'll figure
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: it out. We got them. I would look at him
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: as a possible, a guy for, for the Nats to
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: look at.
• 21:57
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: Yeah. It's, I mean, This is like a, you know,
• 22:02
  Speaker 3: smooth brain take. It's a lot of blue on the
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: baseball savant page. So like it's a, it's a true flyer.
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: The peripherals weren't great. The strikeout numbers were low, but
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: you have however many years before that six, five, however
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: many it is of him either being an average or
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: above average pitcher. I just, I, I worry about, you know,
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: kind of that 2026 season, but, if it's a low cost, um,
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: definitely do not hate the idea of bringing them in. Yeah.
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: I think because of the struggles last season, it could
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: be a little bit of a cost effective deal for
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: the nationals and they can get him at a good rate.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: But this is a guy that has three top 10
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: Cy Young finishes in the course of his career. So
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: you'd like to think that he could get back to
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: that somehow.
• 22:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Um, I'll, I'll throw like three more quick ones out. Um,
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: you know, in varying degrees of, um, reliability, isn't the
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: right word, but, um, possibility, I should say Matthew Boyd, um,
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: you know, strikes me as there are only so many true,
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: like clubhouse culture guys in baseball. My understanding is he's
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: one of them.
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: Um, this stuff is pretty good.
• 23:16
  Speaker 3: The location is great. Um, bringing a guy like that
• 23:19
  Speaker 3: in on a two year deal, um, would definitely intrigue me. um, has,
• 23:25
  Speaker 3: has been dependable in his career. I don't know if
• 23:28
  Speaker 3: he's a game three starter, although he started in Chicago, obviously. Um,
• 23:32
  Speaker 3: but you know, could definitely get there. Um, other two,
• 23:36
  Speaker 3: I would just throw out quickly via trade, um, because
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: I don't think, and we've talked about this a little
• 23:41
  Speaker 3: bit and for agency, it takes two to tango and
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: it'd be really hard for me to see one of
• 23:47
  Speaker 3: those like tier one or even high tier two pitchers
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: wanting to come to DC. Um, Getting like a Ryan
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: Weathers or Logan Gilbert in a trade. I don't want
• 23:56
  Speaker 3: to throw that out there casually, right? Because those two
• 23:59
  Speaker 3: would be very difficult to get. It would probably have
• 24:02
  Speaker 3: to come in like a C.J. Abrams package or a, hey,
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: we think we're way further than the public thinks we
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: are sort of situation. Those are kind of like dream
• 24:11
  Speaker 3: scenarios I don't think will happen.
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: But I wanted to.
• 24:14
  Speaker 3: Throw those two out because those are two teams with
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: surpluses of starting pitching. Not that such a thing really exists.
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: And the fact that I don't think you're getting number
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: two in a rotation another way this winter. Again, super unrealistic,
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: but really like the stuff on those two. And think
• 24:33
  Speaker 3: if you're envisioning what a dream production scenario is for
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: the Nationals this winter, maybe that's it.
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: The Nats were in year four when Max signed, right?
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: Like as far as 12, 13, 14. two division titles,
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: two postseason runs that off season, they finally get, you know,
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: they land him. How many, how many years do you
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: think they need truly to show these free agents that they're,
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: that they're right. Not only is it about the money
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: I get that part, but as far as the play
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: on the field.
• 25:05
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's two probably. I think you need
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: to see two either postseason, you know, seasons or like
• 25:12
  Speaker 3: right on the cusp, like the, I don't know, Diamondbacks
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: have had recently, although even they have the advantage of
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: like spring training facilities right there.
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: So I'm interested in like the White Sox, right? Like
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: and like how because I feel like they're you don't
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: want to say they're on similar paths because it's so
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: different as far as the teams. But they go to
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: the postseason this year after being, you know, 121 lost
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: team a couple of years ago, 100 lost team last
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: year here. what does that off season look like for them?
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: What can they attract? You know what I mean? Like that's,
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: that's the one I wonder if you get to the
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: post season because the reds didn't do a whole lot. Right.
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: From the previous year.
• 25:49
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: I just keep on going. I just keep on thinking
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: about like where teams are in their, in their build
• 25:56
  Speaker 2: when they make the post season and how, how do
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: they go about it? Like, how are they, how are
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: they attractive to others?
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: I mean, I'd probably have to look at what the
• 26:05
  Speaker 3: brewers did after those first couple of years because they
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: might be a, similar comp although you know there's no
• 26:12
  Speaker 3: one-to-one per se right um you know but yeah it's
• 26:16
  Speaker 3: it's probably it's definitely not a one-year situation and um
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: if anything this was year zero right like teams don't
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: necessarily you know jump out of bed saying i want
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: to sign with the 77 win team that looks like
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: it's going in the right direction right they do that
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: more than they sign with the 66 win team that
• 26:31
  Speaker 3: doesn't look like it's going much of anywhere um but
• 26:34
  Speaker 3: i wonder what's the bellwether that we say hey maybe
• 26:38
  Speaker 3: maybe guys will.
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: Start to come here Right. Yeah. Interesting.
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: We'll see how many wins the Nationals finish with in 2027.
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: So we wrap up. I'm going to remind all of
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: our listeners and viewers to subscribe to the District Territory podcast.
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: Follow us along on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, wherever you
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: get your shows. You do not want to miss the
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Eli Willits signed Bowman first baseball card giveaway when that
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: day comes. We are going to wrap it up for today. Kevin,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: enjoy the ALCS down in Tampa Bay. You got any
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: predictions for game one today? I just hope Foster shoves.
• 27:14
  Speaker 4: All right.
• 27:14
  Speaker 3: Is that a prediction or is that a hope?
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: No, it's a hope. It's a hope. Well, here's the
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: one thing. I was deep diving on the Rays, and
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: one thing they have, they've seen more fastballs, whether it's fastball, sinker, cutter,
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: versus lefties than anybody. They have one of the lowest
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: hard hit rates in the game against lefties. Can he
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: suppress the hard contact against them? If he misses middle...
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: We were hoping when the Nats went to Tampa earlier
• 27:43
  Speaker 2: this year that he was pitching, and he did not.
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: And that kind of sucked. It would have been nice
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: to have. Yeah.
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: Well, get to see you tonight. You got the Brewers
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: and the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS 2.
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: Brewers took Game 1 last night in the Nailbiter. We'll
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: be back later in the week with another episode and
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: throughout the rest of the offseason.
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: Peace.