Washington Nationals: Doing What the Pittsburgh Pirates Should Have Done

The Washington Nationals are reportedly in the market for injured Yankees ace, Chien-Ming Wang. This was a course I had advocated for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year.

Both the Nationals and the Pirates are low budget teams. But the Nats are a bit less chintzy than the Pirates.

Which is to say that the Nationals are pursuing a chance that might result in upgrading their pitching rotation in a major way, for relatively little money. And even if they finally lose out on the Wang sweepstakes to the Los Angeles Dodgers, their participation speaks well for their enterprise.

The Nationals traded FOR Nyjer Morgan last summer, whom the Pirates had but gave up to get Lastings Milledge. Morgan does not have a lot of power, and Milledge is believed to have some (although it's still too early to tell).

But otherwise, Morgan is the quintessential FOUR-tool player (who hits for average, runs, catches, and throws). Meaning that he is a very good DEFENDER, who was worth some three wins above replacement (WAR) on defense last year.

This, together with his high average, makes him arguably as valuable as the recently traded, lamented Jason Bay (although the skill-sets of the two men couldn't be more different).

There is another thing that the Nationals did last year that the Pirates arguably should not have done. They lost the most games in the Major Leagues in 2009. Which means that they get the first draft pick in 2010.

And this year, the stakes are a bit higher than most, because there is an "obvious" first choice, Bryce Harper, a star pitcher. This follows their choice of pitcher Stephan Strasbourg in 2009.

In about three years, the Nationals could have a formidable lineup of Wang, Strasbourg, and Harper. It's true that the Pirates have traded for what might be top tier talent in Ross Ohlendorf and Charlie Morton.

But their established pitchers, Paul Maholm and Zach Duke, are more middle than front of rotation types. Imagine having one of the three (Wang, Strasbourg, or Harper) in front, so that Maholm and Duke would be at the back of the Pirates' rotation.

The problem is, the Pirates are (and always have been), a power team, not a finesse team. At his best, Wang was a low power, high finesse pitcher who managed to keep the ball on the ground.

Nyjer Morgan's defense was distrusted, partly because the Pirates have not traditionally been a defensive team, but mainly because his performance was so out of line. The Pirates are more used to sluggers like Bay.

And while the team had basically "kitchen-sinked" its deficiencies in a horrendous 2009, "throwing" what was left of the season to get Bryce Harper was a thought too much "out of the box" for most Pirates managers.