Add new comment

But here's to hoping this doesn't get lost in the shuffle of comments right now.  Ian Desmond is apparently available, and while at first glance, his mediocre right handed power, -8 UZR, and 5% rate make him look like he would be the second coming of Betancourt, I think he has promise to be a lot better than that.
I can't say much for the right handed power thing, he's a shortstop, that's going to be almost everyone (I know, I really wanted Nishioka too), but he did hit almost all his home runs to center last year, which is at least really weird, if not particularly helpful in Safeco unless he can push them a little more towards right.  As for the defense, almost the entirety of the -8 comes from errors (34 last season), his range was +2.7 or so (too lazy to look it up again right now).  Errors can be fixed, it's pretty rare to gain range.  The walk rate looks bad, but in the minors he averaged above 8%, so I think there's a good chance he can at least approach league average.  If he does all that he could easily be a 2 win shortstop, and maybe 3 or 4.
The problem is acquiring him, obviously, as it would probably take Michael Pineda.  That's a lot to give for 2/3 win shortstop (if that's indeed what he becomes), but the Nationals do have some decent talent, including both Wilson Ramos and Derek Norris.  Everybody remembers Ramos from Cliff Lee speculation fame, Derek Norris is another catcher who was only in high A last year, but walks (and strikes out) a ton, and hits for good power so far, so I think there's room to make such a deal work.  What do you guys think?