Why do the Nationals want Dernard Span so much?

The nationals are not in contention right now they Have Werth who could be the most overpaid player in baseball terrible move giving him 7 yrs 100+ at 31 yrs old. Then they have Ankiel, Bernadena and they just traded for Johnny Gomes. If they get Span which I dont see why they would want him hes an ok player not allstar type right now for a young closer in Storen who has a chance to be one of the better ones in the league. This trade makes zero sense for the nationals am I missing something here?

They can keep Storen. We can keep Span.

Everybody's happy.

If you're not a Nats fan, you probably can't understand the frustration of not having a consistent CF/leadoff hitter. They've never really had an all-around solution there (maybe Nyjer Morgan, but he wore out his welcome). I mean, they've tried Brad Wilkerson, Nook Logan, Kenny Kelly, Justin Maxwell, Alfonso Soriano (i think), and many others... and Ankiel can't hit for average and Bernadina isn't a true CF (better in LF/RF) and doesn't have a particularly strong arm.

And I'd give up a solid young relief pitcher for a solid young CF/leadoff hitter under team control for several years all day... Storen is great, but relief pitchers are a little easier to find than CFers.

I don't understand it either. Span is a solid CF, but nothing special in my opinion. I honestly haven't seen any other teams interested in Span, not sure why they couldn't just wait until the offseason to try and grab Span or maybe another CF. The price would seem to be cheaper in the offseason in my opinion?

As for good RP's being easier to find than CF's. I think that could be debated. Every offseason and trade deadline teams are looking for good relief pitchers. Center Fielders are not nearly as demanded. So while a good CF might not be as easy to find based on the # of CF's out there, good RP's are in higher demand on a yearly basis.

AndruwHRJones said:

I don't understand it either. Span is a solid CF, but nothing special in my opinion. I honestly haven't seen any other teams interested in Span, not sure why they couldn't just wait until the offseason to try and grab Span or maybe another CF. The price would seem to be cheaper in the offseason in my opinion?

As for good RP's being easier to find than CF's. I think that could be debated. Every offseason and trade deadline teams are looking for good relief pitchers. Center Fielders are not nearly as demanded. So while a good CF might not be as easy to find based on the # of CF's out there, good RP's are in higher demand on a yearly basis.

Click to expand...

Yankees were at one point it sounded like

Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

It's clear the Nats are making a strong pus for 4th place

Musial Collector said:

Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

SamHell said:

Musial Collector said:

Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

SamHell said:

Musial Collector said:

Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

If Span is traded, someone in the Twins organization apparently thinks so?

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

Musial Collector said:

Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::

Musial Collector said:

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

[quote="Musial Collector":1hvyqexs]Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::[/quote:1hvyqexs]

You tell me who bats leadoff next year then? Or the year after that for that matter? Revere? Casilla? Nishioka? They have nobody else ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::

TGutta said:

Musial Collector said:

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

[quote="Musial Collector":23jv2ic5]Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

You tell me who bats leadoff next year then? Or the year after that for that matter? Revere? Casilla? Nishioka? They have nobody else ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::[/quote:23jv2ic5]

Revere had a .371 or higher OBP in the minors? I realize he hasn't been the greatest in the majors to date, but I don't see why you think he couldn't be an adequate leadoff hitter for Twins next year and possibly the future? He has the speed to be a 50 SB guy?

I don't know, Twins fans apparently aren't high on Revere I guess.

AndruwHRJones said:

TGutta said:

Musial Collector said:

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

[quote="Musial Collector":2rlswoss]Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

You tell me who bats leadoff next year then? Or the year after that for that matter? Revere? Casilla? Nishioka? They have nobody else ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

Revere had a .371 or higher OBP in the minors? I realize he hasn't been the greatest in the majors to date, but I don't see why you think he couldn't be an adequate leadoff hitter for Twins next year and possibly the future? He has the speed to be a 50 SB guy?

I don't know, Twins fans apparently aren't high on Revere I guess.[/quote:2rlswoss]

It isn't that I'm not high on Revere, I just haven't seen enough out of him yet. And if they are still trying to contend this year then why give up Span's bat while Revere is still learning? And Revere is fast, very very fast. Definitely a potential 50 SB guy, but I guess I have always seen him as more of a 8 or 9 hole hitter than the leadoff. To me I think his ceiling is a poor mans Juan Pierre. I hope I am proven wrong and he becomes a star, but I'm not sold yet.

TGutta said:

Musial Collector said:

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

[quote="Musial Collector":i4cszdj1]Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

You tell me who bats leadoff next year then? Or the year after that for that matter? Revere? Casilla? Nishioka? They have nobody else ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::[/quote:i4cszdj1]

Denard has played 56 games this year, the Twins were 20-36

In the next 50 games the Twins have gone 30-20 without Denard

Whats your argument now? The Twins were without Mauer, Morneau, Thome, Kubel, (insert almost any Twins player here)? That has been almost the entire year. Sorry, but Span is NOT the glue that holds this team together and makes them a winner vs a loser.

Musial Collector said:

TGutta said:

[quote="Musial Collector":xnjw4ty6]

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

[quote="Musial Collector":xnjw4ty6]Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

You tell me who bats leadoff next year then? Or the year after that for that matter? Revere? Casilla? Nishioka? They have nobody else ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::[/quote:xnjw4ty6]

Denard has played 56 games this year, the Twins were 20-36

In the next 50 games the Twins have gone 30-20 without Denard

Whats your argument now? The Twins were without Mauer, Morneau, Thome, Kubel, (insert almost any Twins player here)? That has been almost the entire year. Sorry, but Span is NOT the glue that holds this team together and makes them a winner vs a loser.[/quote:xnjw4ty6]

I guess you're right. Span is the CANCER to the team and he needs to go since we had a poor record with him. That isn't a telling stat at all because everybody else played like crap. But as I seem to recall for those first 56 games the only people contributing were Span and Kubel. It took Cuddyer quite awhile before he turned it on. And if you want to look at a stat to determine how valuable a player is, look at WAR.

Michael Cuddyer - 2.7
Denard Span - 2.6
Jason Kubel - 1.4
Joe Mauer - 1.0

Riddle me that.

TGutta said:

Musial Collector said:

TGutta said:

[quote="Musial Collector":1kmtpfai]

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

[quote="Musial Collector":1kmtpfai]Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

You tell me who bats leadoff next year then? Or the year after that for that matter? Revere? Casilla? Nishioka? They have nobody else ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

Denard has played 56 games this year, the Twins were 20-36

In the next 50 games the Twins have gone 30-20 without Denard

Whats your argument now? The Twins were without Mauer, Morneau, Thome, Kubel, (insert almost any Twins player here)? That has been almost the entire year. Sorry, but Span is NOT the glue that holds this team together and makes them a winner vs a loser.[/quote:1kmtpfai]

I guess you're right. Span is the CANCER to the team and he needs to go since we had a poor record with him. That isn't a telling stat at all because everybody else played like crap. But as I seem to recall for those first 56 games the only people contributing were Span and Kubel. It took Cuddyer quite awhile before he turned it on. And if you want to look at a stat to determine how valuable a player is, look at WAR.

Michael Cuddyer - 2.7
Denard Span - 2.6
Jason Kubel - 1.4
Joe Mauer - 1.0

Riddle me that.[/quote:1kmtpfai]

Cancer, when did I say Span was a cancer and needed to go? ::facepalm::
My point is Span is expendable based on this team being able to win without him in the lineup the last almost 2 months. Revere has shown he is building up to be a solid CF.
You stated, why would the Twins need a closer if they dont have someone at the top of the lineup that scores runs, a la Span. I showed that the Twins can and have won without Span at the top of the lineup.

Musial Collector said:

TGutta said:

[quote="Musial Collector":17twmphy]

TGutta said:

[quote="Musial Collector":17twmphy]

TGutta said:

SamHell said:

[quote="Musial Collector":17twmphy]Riddle me this wise posters, who is the Twins closer next year???
Nathan has an option that there is no way the Twins pick up as IIRC it is at about 10 million
Capps is gone no matter what after this year.

So tell me, whos closing for the Twins next year???

Click to expand...

Who bats leadoff and plays CF for the Twins next year if Span is gone? Revere with the .298 OBP?

Click to expand...

My point exactly. You won't need a closer to save games if you can't score runs. You need someone leading off who gets on base like Span (~.360 career OBP) so you can at least have a chance to score.

Click to expand...

So just so Im clear, Span is the ONLY Twin that will ever get on base and score at the top of the lineup? ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

You tell me who bats leadoff next year then? Or the year after that for that matter? Revere? Casilla? Nishioka? They have nobody else ::facepalm:: ::facepalm::

Click to expand...

Denard has played 56 games this year, the Twins were 20-36

In the next 50 games the Twins have gone 30-20 without Denard

Whats your argument now? The Twins were without Mauer, Morneau, Thome, Kubel, (insert almost any Twins player here)? That has been almost the entire year. Sorry, but Span is NOT the glue that holds this team together and makes them a winner vs a loser.[/quote:17twmphy]

I guess you're right. Span is the CANCER to the team and he needs to go since we had a poor record with him. That isn't a telling stat at all because everybody else played like crap. But as I seem to recall for those first 56 games the only people contributing were Span and Kubel. It took Cuddyer quite awhile before he turned it on. And if you want to look at a stat to determine how valuable a player is, look at WAR.

Michael Cuddyer - 2.7
Denard Span - 2.6
Jason Kubel - 1.4
Joe Mauer - 1.0

Riddle me that.[/quote:17twmphy]

Cancer, when did I say Span was a cancer and needed to go? ::facepalm::
My point is Span is expendable based on this team being able to win without him in the lineup the last almost 2 months. Revere has shown he is building up to be a solid CF.
You stated, why would the Twins need a closer if they dont have someone at the top of the lineup that scores runs, a la Span. I showed that the Twins can and have won without Span at the top of the lineup.[/quote:17twmphy]

Ok I can understand that. My only thing I guess is that although we've won some games the last 2 months, it's still not enough. The Twins have proven that they can get to the playoffs (although this year is beginning to look slim), if they want to compete in the playoffs with the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox then we're are going to need all the talent we can, and even if Revere can come in and hold his own, he still isn't as good as Span. He might be in the future, but as of right now he isn't.