Comments on: Nats Claim RHP Enrique Gonzalez

By: Louis J.

Louis J. — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:48:03 +0000

I have faith in Rizzo’s opinion BUT Gonzalez is a 5′11″ RHP who looks like the second coming of Ramon Ortiz. If they can make this guy into a productive major league starter, I’m ready to bestow sainthood on Rizzo and company.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:00:34 +0000

I know this season isn’t quite over for the parent club, but, MAN, I can’t wait for next spring. There’s nothing like having good young pitching to look forward to.

By: Louis J.

Louis J. — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:45:51 +0000

Kyle
Me too! BUT, remember the Nats still have some pitching concerns. Patterson (???), Hill and Bergmann were injured during the year. Can Redding pitch well enough next year? Can those 4 stay healthy AND can they pitch 180-200 innings?? Who knows about Simontacchi?? Chico and Lannan are young and have not established that they are durable enough to go 180 innings. Balester still has command problems and is not durable enough to go 180 innings. Detwiler still needs development and will probably open in Potomac. Bacsik and Bowie are not starters!! Boy, Livan Hernandez and his rubber arm and 225 innings would help. The Nats will still be going to that “barrel” to find pitchers for next year. BUT, 2009 and thereafter look brighter!!

By: Benji

Benji — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:59:24 +0000

The Nationals may be stockplieing pitchers for a bigger trade to come?
Maybe instead of signing a free agent pitcher they may trade for one

By: Nate

Nate — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 23:37:20 +0000

Maybe instead of signing a free agent pitcher they may trade for one.

Not unless Adam Dunn develops a good sinking fastball and a servicable change-up over the winter.

By: Louis J.

Louis J. — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:38:17 +0000

Nate

I too thought that Bowden would be interested in signing Adam Dunn as a free agent BUT the following road-blocks keep getting in the way:
1. Kasten will not approve any expensive long-term contract at this time
while the Nats are in their “building phase”
2. Where would they play Dunn. If LF, where would they move Wily Mo
who needs to play. If 1B, what do you do with a good hitter and
defensive player like Nick Johnson (if healthy)
3. Where does that leave Dmitri Young

BUT, the thought of Zimmerman, Dunn, Wily Mo, Johnson & Kearns in the lineup sound interesting. Anyhow, I believe Benji may have the right idea and that is with Kasten’s aversion to long-term free agent contracts, the Nats could put together a trade package for a young pitcher.

By: EdDC

EdDC — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:48:35 +0000

The Gonzalez pickup seems like a nice move. Maybe you could consider it a “trade” for Emiliano Fruto, another hard thrower who needs pitch refinement. If so, then the Nats get WMP for free.

This is the kind of “small ball GM” move that helps build a team. It may mean nothing over time, but following the O’s all those years, the O’s never paid attention to details like this.

By: A DC Wonk

A DC Wonk — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:54:29 +0000

Enrique Gonzalez: his ERA was 5+ last year for Ariz; and this year 5+ for Arizona AAA. So, what’s going to be, or why do we expect things to be, different next year?

By: Louis J.

Louis J. — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:46:37 +0000

DC Wonk

While I may agree with you about Gonzalez, Rizzo mentioned “tweaking his delivery”; therefore, I assume that RIzzo thinks that Arizona has not done what they had to do to develop him and that the Nats can better work on this delivery problem. He is suppose to have a strong arm (FB mid 90’s) and some good secondary pitches. Time will tell.

By: EdDC

EdDC — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:50:36 +0000

Wonk:

You are right, of course. You can't really expect much of anything from Gonzalez.

Fruto in 2007 at Columbus for the Nats had a 5.26 ERA, and he netted WMP.

A lot of these guys are sought because of tools, not results, with the thought that you can sometimes get results if you refine the tools. A longshot to be sure, but sometimes long shots go in (sorry for the cross-sports metaphor).

By: Basil

Basil — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 14:29:14 +0000

That certainly seems to be the belief, but we’ll have to see it in action. Last offseason, the Nats were saying a similar sort of thing about the Mariners’ handling of Fruto, but they couldn’t harness his potential in the rotation.

Bottom line is we rightly put a lot of trust in the Nats’ scouting and player development program, but we shouldn’t also place too much trust in their ability to fix other teams’ problems. I don’t see any evidence yet that our guys are much better than the other teams’ guys in that regard, in other words.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 01:49:23 +0000

Did they send Gonzo to the instructional leagues so they could get to know him?