Chat Details

Nationals Chat 07-30-08

This chat will begin at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2008.

The Nationals offensive struggles continued last night with a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Beat writer Mark Zuckerman answers all your questions today in a 1 p.m. chat.

<b> Hey everyone, Mark Zuckerman here for another round of Q&A's. Plenty to discuss as always, with tomorrow's trade deadline, the Nats' 7-game losing streak and inability to get more than four hits a game. Let's get started...</b>

Transcript

1. • If Redding or Perez aren't moved before the trading deadline, what are the chances they'll be released or DFA'd so some of the pitching prospects can join the roster? by
   • Answer: Two completely different cases. Odalis Perez, if he's not traded, would be a candidate to be designated for assignment. He's a free agent at the end of the year, won't be re-signed and seems to have regressed the last few weeks. Doesn't really fit in here long-term. Tim Redding, on the other hand, will absolutely remain on the staff if he's not traded. He's pitched very consistent since coming up last summer and most importantly, is still under the team's control for two more years before he can become a free agent. The Nats wouldn't mind keeping him to be a veteran influence in an otherwise young rotation. by Mark Zuckerman
2. • Is there any concern about Manny's seeming passivity in the dugout during games? Is there any danger of a laissez-faire attitude permeating the clubhouse because this team has fallen and can't get up? Or does Manny and management realize that this team is so overmatched right now that realistically there isn't anything that can be done to get better on-field results? by
   • Answer: I know this is a concern among some fans, but trust me when I say it's not a concern of the Nats as an organization. This team needs a patient manager right now, and that's what Manny Acta is. Also, just because you see what looks like a passive guy in the dugout, don't assume he's like that behind closed doors. Manny can be forceful with players (and media members for that matter) when he needs to. by Mark Zuckerman
3. • Why is attendance so poor for such a nice stadium? Do you think that the Lerners and Stan Kasten thought that more seats would have been sold? by
   • Answer: Two words: Bad team. This just in, the Nats are 30 games under .500, by far their lowest point since coming to town in 2005. Kasten himself said it during the offseason: "We'll get the attendance we deserve." A snazzy new ballpark is all well and good, but until Washington has a competitve team, the attendance will be what it is (currently just under 30,000 per game). by Mark Zuckerman
4. • Hey Mark, Is it possible that Nats are unable to make any more trades because what we can offer a team in the race has such little value (Lo Duca, Lopez, Belliard, Perez) AND other GM's can smell blood in the water and would rather forego that small value to watch Jimbo twist in the wind. Honestly.....how much more can Jimbo do to hurt his team? I understand Ted Lerner loves him but really at some point it becomes a business decision based on cost/benefit and I for one do not see the benefit....your thoughts on Jimbo being the GM in 2009? by
   • Answer: Whoa, a lot of stuff thrown out there. Short answers: If another GM out there wanted one of the Nats' players, he would make the deal. Has nothing to do with wanting to watch Bowden squirm. Bowden's biggest supporter in ownership is MARK Lerner, not father Ted. Will the GM remain in 2009? I believe he's on shakier ground now than he was when the season began. Team officials are more concerned with his conduct off the field than with the actual product of the team. by Mark Zuckerman
5. • Hi, Mark - I really like Bob Carpenter. I was curious to know what you thought of his work, and do you know anything of the team's intentions to keep him? by
   • Answer: Carpenter could be finding out soon whether the Nats/MASN will pick up the option in his contract to return in 2009. After last fall's fiasco, in which he was told by Stan Kasten in late-September he wouldn't be brought back, then told on the final day of the season he might be back, then officially signed during the offseason, Bob deserves to know his fate well in advance this time around. by Mark Zuckerman
6. • Very Good Question about Manny this year. Last year if you did not run to first you got pulled. This year, Lopez recently just walked away from the plate after looking down at a dropped third strike....catcher did not even need to tag him....Mark, NOBODY WANTS LOPEZ...NO TRADE VALUE....what would be the harm in putting Orr in right then and there? by
   • Answer: I believe the Lopez situation will be resolved sooner rather than later. If he's not traded by tomorrow's deadline (and based on the lack of interest in him, I seriously doubt he will be) the Nats will have to decide how much longer to keep him around. Pete Orr isn't the replacement at 2B, though. Emilio Bonifacio is. Once the Nats determine he's ready and Lopez is out of the picture, the job will be his. by Mark Zuckerman
7. • Mark, Acta recently blamed the youth of his lineup for poor hitting. In reality the average age that night was over 28 with years of MLB experience on average. Does Manny intimidate that media such that nobody is willing to call him on these types of canned statements? by
   • Answer: Wow, JayB is fired up today. Guess that happens when your team has scored three runs in five games. ... The three beat writers who were in L.A. over the weekend (myself, Chico Harlan from the Post and Bill Ladson from MLB.com) immediately noted the inaccuracy of Acta using the youth defense and we called him on it the next morning. The Nats do have a few legitimately young/inexperienced players (Flores, Milledge, maybe even Zimmerman) but far more veterans (Lo Duca, Belliard, Kearns, Lopez, Guzman) who can't use youth as an excuse. by Mark Zuckerman
8. • Between Lannan, Balester and Bergmann, I think the Nats have the making of a pretty good, young rotation for next year and beyond. What do you think, and who else besides those three will be in the rotation in 2009? by
   • Answer: I agree that all three of those guys have looked impressive and certainly deserve a better record than they've got (Bergmann has a 3.00 ERA since his brief demotion in April but his record is 1-7!). As for the 2009 rotation, I'll go with Lannan, Balester, Bergmann, Redding and then either Garrett Mock, Shawn Hill or Jordan Zimmermann. Certainly a lot better looking and more promising than the Opening Day rotations from the last two seasons. by Mark Zuckerman
9. • If the franchise does decide to get rid of Bowden, when do GM firings typically take place? And would they look outside the organization for a replacement or just promote Rizzo? by
   • Answer: With some rare exceptions (Wayne Krvisky in Cincy), GM changes are almost always made in the offseason, so I wouldn't expect any decisions on this matter for a while. I don't want to start getting into possible replacements for a guy who currently has the job and hasn't been told otherwise, but while Mike Rizzo is highly respected as an evaluator of young talent, I'm not sure the baseball world looks at him as a strong GM candidate. There's a lot more to the job than being able to pick out good prospects. by Mark Zuckerman