After a .500 start to the season after one month, all things have started to click for the Senators, who find themselves atop the United League as of this publication. The recently drafted pieces are playing well and are following the undisputed leader of this team – Alex Rodriguez. Hard to look at a team like this and encourage it to shake up what isn’t necessarily broken, but despite sitting atop their league, that doesn’t mean there aren’t holes.
Need: Pitching
The obvious place to point would be the bullpen, but the rotation deserves some scrutiny. Pettitte is as good as advertised but there’s some other question marks. Ranked 7th in the league in ERA, they can hope to hit their way back to the World Series but it may not be that simple.
The Washington franchise is in a really interesting spot, one that the Royals found themselves in a couple of years ago. Your time is now and you have assets long term – how do you continue letting your timeline play out while also striking while the iron is hot. I think it’s easy for a team to sit back and say “we’re not ready yet” it’s quite another thing for a team to grab the moment by the balls and push your chips to the center of the table. While not necessarily right in every trade talk, are there a couple of scenarios in which it makes sense for Washington to move multiple high picks to declare “we are here and our time is now”? Let’s take a look:
Possible Targets
Minnesota Twins: Are there enough assets here to entice Minnesota to move a Juan Guzman (16th ranked pitcher in the league) and a Trevor Hoffman for multiple picks or pieces? That would swing the needle greatly for a team looking to contend as well as a team in Minnesota that may not be competing this year.
Florida Marlins: Why ask a team who is atop their division to move needed assets? Outside of an incredible July, is anyone really afraid of this team? Might Washington entice them to move Billy Wagner and Chris Nabholz (17th ranked pitcher in the league)? Bringing in two lefties makes the rotation and bullpen formidable, despite Wagner’s start to the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers: There’s no one on the Dodgers who could help the Senators bullpen, but what the Dodgers do have is starting depth. Would they be open to moving Aaron Sele and Bill Pulsipher? Sele’s career speaks for itself. Pulsipher is having a crazy year – buying high and hope it continues?