team heading into the upcoming 2010 season. Since becoming the Nationals in 2005, they have only been able to win 80-plus games once (81-81 in ’05). The Nationals have put together a very successful offseason and are in great position to compete in a very competitive NL East division. Let’s take a look at some of the moves the Nationals have made to better their ball club.Adam Dunn:
One of the goals going into the offseason was to bolster the defense, a defense that allowed a league-high 143 errors. The Nationals have decided to make Adam Dunn their full-time first baseman - where he always should have been - and replace him defensively in left field with Josh Willingham. Although Willingham is no Gold Glove outfielder, he certainly can cover more ground in the outfield than the slow-footed Adam Dunn who is 6’6”, 280-plus pounds.
Jason Marquis:
The Nationals have an extremely young pitching staff heading into the season and they needed to find a proven winner, and, more importantly, a veteran who can work with all of their young arms. Lets not go as far as saying that Marquis is a proven ace of a solid front-end starter, but he is a winner. He’s a guy who has always found himself pitching in postseason play for winning clubs. Marquis is also a very durable starter who usually pitches 190-plus innings. Look for Marquis to step in and try to lead this very young, inexperienced staff. He is coming off a very solid 2009 campaign with the Rockies where he went 15-3 with a 4.04 ERA.
The Bullpen:
The Nationals definitely bolstered their bullpen this offseason by adding some quality arms with the additions of Brian Bruney and Matt Capps, who will begin the season as the team’s closer. Both of these guys have experience pitching late in games and Bruney definitely brings big game experience after playing with the Yankees.
Ivan Rodriguez:
Pudge may be over-the-hill offensively, but that is not why the Nationals offered him a new two-year contract. As mentioned earlier, the Nationals have a very young, inexperienced rotation that is in desperate need of veteran leadership. Rodriguez will be responsible for handling this young staff and managing each and every game defensively from behind the dish. Rodriguez is one of the best defensive catchers to play this game and will instill confidence in each pitcher he catches this season.
Chin Ming Wang:
Wang missed the majority of the 2009 season after undergoing shoulder surgery last June. Wang was recently signed to a $2 million, one-year contract with incentives. This could turn out to be an excellent move for the Nationals this season. It may take some time for Wang to be ready for game action, but lets not forget he has won 19 games two times in his career. Over the past two seasons it has been very tough for Wang to stay on the field, but if he does return healthy, he and his sinker can prove to be a very effective weapon for the Nationals’ pitching staff.
Stephen Strasburg:
The most talked about number one pick in the last decade was drafted and signed by the Nationals earlier this year. He clearly will not be ready to pitch at the big league level to open the season, but should make an impact at some point throughout the year. If Strasburg and his 100-plus mph fastball can live up to all the hype surrounding him, he could potentially become the ace of a very young and promising rotation, with guys like John Lannan, Jordan Zimmermann and Scott Olsen.
The Nationals also added Adam Kennedy to play second base this season. Kennedy is another veteran who can step into a leadership role immediately alongside Ryan Zimmerman. The Nationals are looking to avoid the basement of the NL East this season and could very well find themselves winning between 82 and 85 games.
