Add new comment

Can't say I recall any athletes complaining about the DC heat, but FWIW will add that the heat and the traffic are the two reasons I personally avoid going down there during the summer.
The Nats have had 4 everyday 1B's in their 7 years of existence, all of whom were big....
Nick Johnson (6'3'', 235 lbs)2005 - 453 AB, 15 HR, 74 RBI, .289/.408/.479, 137 OPS+2006 - 500 AB, 23 HR, 77 RBI, .289/.428/.520, 149 OPS+
Dmitri Young (6'2'', 295 lbs)2007 - 460 AB, 13 HR, 74 RBI, .320/.378/.491, 129 OPS+2008 - 150 AB, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .280/.394/.400, 111 OPS+
Adam Dunn (6'6'', 285 lbs)2009 - 546 AB, 38 HR, 105 RBI, .267/.398/.529, 144 OPS+2010 - 558 AB, 38 HR, 103 RBI, .260/.356/.536, 138 OPS+
Mike Morse (6'5'', 230 lbs)2011 - 522 AB, 31 HR, 95 RBI, .303/.360/.550, 147 OPS+
So some BIG guys with favorable results (despite lousy teams and a pitcher friendly ballpark). Who knows whether they were miserable or not, but at minimum we can deduce that a dropoff in performance is probably not a significant concern for Fielder.
With that said, I do not believe the Nats get him, he's just not a good fit.
As posted above, Morse posted a 147 OPS+ last year. They're on the books for $8 million on Adam LaRoche. Anthony Rendon needs somewhere to play long term, and contrary to popular doesn't look like the Nats are planning for that to be at 2B.
Most of all, Ryan Zimmerman's defense has taken a monumental decline. He was the first draft pick in team history, he's the only player to play for the Nats in all 7 seasons, and he's in advertisements all over the area - he is the face of the franchise (at least until Strasburg stays healthy). Don't believe for a second that they're planning on letting him leave, and they've got to know his days at 3B are numbered.
The Nats have money burning a hole in their pocket. It's possible they cast all logic aside in order to catch headlines with a big move. But they're already suffering for the Werth decision, and I'd like to think they've learned from their mistake. I believe them when they say they're not interested.