They say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well..

[Ed Wood]

They don't say it about the Nationals. Of course people have tended not to say very much about any of the various baseball franchises that have based themselves in our nation's capital over the years. "First in war, first in peace, last in the American [National]" league they'd say. That is, of course, if they weren't all talking about the Redskins instead anyway.

This forum isn't exactly bustling with activity either, so we're stuck on party games until people learn each other's names and a near death experience provides the romantic spark we need, or we turn out to be twins, separated at birth (that would preferably be before the life or death experience) and we start TALKING just a little bit.

Anyway, here's another:

The Nationals suck, it's more than fair to say that the team is inadequate at all aspects of the game. Offensively the team was committed to starting Christian Guzman and Nook Logan, and was presumably aware that, by doing so, it would be required that they take turns trying that hitting thing as well. Defensively the team is currently coming to terms with a Ronnie Belliard/Felipe Lopez double-play tandem and our staff ace is apparently Shawn Hill.

And none of this is a surprise to industry insiders, the Nationals' front office, and moderately opinionated rocks. We all knew this team would suck, a lot, and I'd imagine most of us console ourselves by imagining a brighter future. Well here's your chance to share your baseball vision, you Muadib of the major leagues.

So, if say you were put in charge of all baseball operations for the Washington Nationals franchise, with as much freedom as suited your goals, what would you do? If you want greater specificity consider the following questions:

Who on the current roster would you keep, who would you look to trade?

In constructing a front office and naming a general manager what philosophy would you look to instill in the organization?

And when hiring a coach, what kind of game would you want for him or her to employ?

How active would you be in your pursuit of free agents? What sort of players would you extend deals to?

Similarly, when making trades what kind of players would you target in other organizations?

What would be your draft philosophy, what skills would you value in prospects and in general, come draft time, what would you look to do?

How might you market the team? Are there any things in particular you might look to do with the new stadium?

Of course those are just prompts, and you may use as many or as few as you wish when responding (do I ever feel like a teacher saying that). More than anything else it would be lovely to get this board busy, attract new, intelligent posters, engage in serious discussion, rise to prominence, and rule the galaxy as father and son.

So, if everyone would be so kind, let's get talking. I'll start just as soon as I've decided on an answer to my own questions.

[jmrosenth]

Ed Wood, too many questions to answer all at once, but first things first, get rid of Jim Bowden before he screws up the draft and any potential trade deadline deals (a la Snelling). Nationals will never be good with him at the helm. I'd get someone from the Billy Beane school of thought - someone that values statistical analysis, and go from there.

[Scabs304]

I agree with JRO statistical analysis is very important in baseball and also good group of scouts that can draft proficiently would increase the ability for us to build instead of buy are way to players.

On that note I believe free agency can be very vital in building an organization, but pretty much you want to get a player when he is first eligable for free agency rather than his 3rd or 4th year where he is a free agent.

[Ed Wood]

I agree with JRO statistical analysis is very important in baseball and also good group of scouts that can draft proficiently would increase the ability for us to build instead of buy are way to players.

On that note I believe free agency can be very vital in building an organization, but pretty much you want to get a player when he is first eligible for free agency rather than his 3rd or 4th year where he is a free agent.

That first bit is very much how I would ideally like for a baseball organization to operate. Particularly at the Major League level and particularly when your financial resources are not so unlimited as that of the upper echelon spenders statistical analysis is vital in order to identify what it is that is valuable to a baseball team, of what value any given skill a player supplies is and how much exactly one should spend in order to obtain or preserve ownership of that collection of skills (that does sound rather impersonal now doesn't it, perhaps you could take the players out for a beer or knit them a quilt too, don't use their numerical designations in front of them or anything).

I am quite conservative when it comes to free agency, and particularly in baseball I strongly believe that a tremendous part of what makes a good GM is realizing when not to pay a good player like a great one. I am not opposed to signing free agents but I am of the opinion that there are certain ways to go about doing so. Generally the best deals to sign are inexpensive ones that can't hurt the team a great deal no matter what and which are likely to have a fair amount of return per-dollar and deals for truly elite players, players who have a profound effect on the game.

It's in between those two extremes that many mistake contracts seem to be inked, particularly for fairly average pitchers. Another fair reason to sign a free agent, perhaps for more even than he might be worth, though I'd approach situations where this applies cautiously, is when that player might well be "the guy," the guy who pushes your club over the hump and gets you into the playoffs, the ridiculously random small sample series that is the playoffs.

And if a club isn't going to be filling its roster with free agents it has to know how to work the draft and how to develop players. And that's something that I honestly don't know a great deal about. I can study theory, understand the notion of tools, but there is no substitute for experience and that's something I just don't have. I can't teach an eighteen year old pitcher how to refine his delivery so as to avoid arm problems. Much as I'd love to get my hands dirty with this kind of stuff I think I'd have to be satisfied learning whatever I could while leaving things to the scouting department.

One thing that is absolutely vital in this area, however, beyond having a very good group of baseball minds who are capable of drafting well, is to never be unwilling to spend on the draft, on international free agent signings, and on various player development projects. Signability picks can kill a franchise (yeah, you again Pittsburgh). That's all for now.

[jefbo_80]

I envision goodness in 2011...

1B Chris Marrero (22)
2B Felipe Lopez (30)
SS "Smiley" Gonzalez (21)(Our premier Dominican signee)
3B Ryan Zimmerman (26)
LF Pedro Alvarez (24)(#1 overall pick in '08 draft)
CF Kentrail Davis (22)(Sandwich Round Pick in '07)
RF Austin Kearns (30)
C Jesus Flores (26)

SP Collin Balester (24)
SP Colton Willems (22)
SP Andrew Brackman (22) (#6 overall pick in 2007 draft)
SP Shawn Hill (30)
SP Matt Chico (27)
SP Randy Almonte (21)(Big Lefty Dominican signee)

Manager Manny Acta
This could be our roster of budding stars in 2011 WITHOUT the help of free agency... I expect money to be spent wisely in the coming years to fill key positions and to help our nasty offense... I think building from the ground up is vital and that drafting well and scouting well with great recruiting overseas can make this a top notch organization. I see what Kasten is doing here. He isn't going to try and build something quickly without a foundation. Why do that and fail and be set back another 5 years. This franchise started in DC 5 years behind every other organization in terms of the farm system. We need to get this right so we can have budding major leaguers ready year in and year out all the while fielding a winning team... Be patient. Seriously.

[JN]

As a former Montreal Expos fan I was thrilled that we made a run for the playoffs in 2002, and gave up Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, and Cliff Lee.

It's really too bad that you guys have luminaries such as Nook Logan, Christian Guznabm and Shawn Hill instead of those three... ir really, really breaks my heart, and I say that with so much sincerity.