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Grant & Danny think the Nats' offense is too good to not try and get this team to the postseason. Should they buy at the trade deadline?
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00:00Danny A, congratulations is in order for you.
00:02For me?
00:03Yes.
00:04What did I do?
00:04You worked a Nats game, and the Nats won.
00:08Oh, my God.
00:10It didn't look like they would.
00:13When they were down 6-1.
00:16The text that I was getting.
00:18And getting run out of the gym.
00:21Miles Michaelis was getting kicked around.
00:27I was frustrated with Danny Ruye.
00:29Again, I didn't throw a pitch.
00:31All I did was eat in the press box next door to a guy, Dan Lang,
00:34and I didn't have any ice cream.
00:36You didn't eat ice cream?
00:37No ice cream.
00:38Discipline.
00:38It's about discipline, all you people.
00:42But last night, you saw 12 runs.
00:44This Nationals offense is so good.
00:47So I looked up the numbers today after 12 runs and three homers
00:52and a James Wood Grand Slam last night.
00:55And I just wanted to see how they stack up all time
00:58compared to other Nats lineup.
01:0038.5 at-bats per game,
01:03which is indicative of base runners, essentially.
01:05How much are you able to pass the torch?
01:08How many guys can you get to the plate?
01:09How hard is it to navigate the lineup?
01:11This is the best season they've had in at-bats per game
01:14since the 2019 World Series year.
01:16And it's the fifth best season they've ever had offensively.
01:195.4 runs per game.
01:22Care to guess where that is among 22 seasons of Nats baseball?
01:25It's got to be number one.
01:26Number one all time in terms of scoring offense.
01:30Home runs per game.
01:311.39 per game.
01:34Care to guess where that would be?
01:35Two.
01:36Number two all time.
01:37Best since 2019.
01:39They are at 3.37 walks per game.
01:43Sixth best ever for a Nats team.
01:45That's without a bunch of high-priced veteran sluggers.
01:49433 as a slugging percentage.
01:51Best since 2019.
01:53Third best all time.
01:547.57 OPS.
01:56Best since 2020.
01:57And that's the pandemic year, so it barely counts
01:59because there was only 50 games.
02:00But if you count that one, third best all time,
02:02probably more actually like second best all time.
02:06And I think the better comp might actually be
02:08to compare the Nationals to their peers at the moment.
02:12Because, you know, as an example,
02:13the league might be hitting more now
02:15than they did seven years ago or vice versa.
02:18So, what are they doing compared to the other teams
02:22in the league, the National League?
02:24Well, second in at-bats.
02:26Best they've ranked since 2012.
02:27Tied for the highest ever.
02:29First in home runs in the league.
02:30That's never happened before in Nationals baseball.
02:33They've never finished number one in home runs.
02:35They're doing that right now.
02:36Second in slug.
02:38Second best ever.
02:39Third in OPS in the league right now.
02:41Third best ever.
02:42This is a legitimately elite offense.
02:44And last night, the highlight was a James Wood grand slam.
02:48Just listen to the crack of the bat.
02:51Blue ball ready.
02:52The kick and the pitch.
02:53Swing a high drive.
02:55Left center field.
02:56Matthews back to the track.
02:58To the wall.
02:59And there it goes.
03:01A grand slam for James Wood.
03:08America doesn't understand how good he is.
03:10He will not be starting in the All-Star game.
03:12But their tomfoolery will be forgiven for now.
03:15For the benefit of this conversation.
03:18A 24th home run on the year for Wood, the superstar, with a 940 OPS at 23 years old.
03:25Danny, this that's offense is too good to be blown out.
03:28Miles Michael has tried to give them no chance to win.
03:31And they said, it's okay that you're pitching horribly.
03:34We'll win anyway.
03:35You imagine where it makes sense for a team to leave a guy that gave up six runs through
03:40three innings.
03:41To leave them in to get through six innings.
03:43But that's where this team is right now.
03:46Two of the three legs of the tripod.
03:48Normally what it takes to be a good baseball team.
03:50Two of the three legs are atrocious.
03:53Two of the three legs.
03:54Bullpen.
03:55Starting pitching.
03:57Offense.
03:57Ta-da.
03:58Amazing.
03:59The offense is so good.
04:00It's hiding everything else in plain sight.
04:03It's ridiculous.
04:04It is comical that they could be down six to one a couple innings into the game.
04:10With a starting pitcher with an ERA around six pitching.
04:13And you go, it's early.
04:14Yeah, it's early.
04:15Relax.
04:16They'll be fine.
04:17And they just battle.
04:19They come back.
04:19They string hits together.
04:21They get guys on base.
04:22They score runs.
04:23And even when it doesn't work.
04:24Like a couple games against Pittsburgh.
04:26It's not because they don't have traffic on the bases.
04:28They do like 9,000 double plays.
04:30Numbers approximately.
04:31But the games where it doesn't work for them.
04:34And they end up with four runs or five runs.
04:35You can almost inevitably look.
04:38Up here where it was.
04:39Bases loaded in the eighth.
04:40And Luis Garcia lined out to left field.
04:41Or bases.
04:42Runs on second and third.
04:44And one guy struck out.
04:45One guy lined out.
04:46Or double play.
04:47They put pressure on the opponent.
04:49And like Shawshank Redemption.
04:51It's a study of pressure and time.
04:52That's what geology is.
04:53That's what this offense is.
04:54This last night was the best example of the Nationals in a one game form.
05:01I think if you're looking for a game that embodies the 26 Nats, last night is it.
05:07It's a 12 to 11 win.
05:09Which feels perfect.
05:10Because you score all of the runs and you give up all of the runs.
05:13They also trailed 6 to 1.
05:15You're starting pitching.
05:17Tried not to give you much of a chance.
05:18Then your offense is so good that they took a 12 to 6 lead.
05:23They outscored the opponent 11-0 to take a 12-6 lead.
05:27And then the bullpen did everything it could to try to blow the game.
05:31They then gave up 5 unanswered as a bullpen.
05:34And it was 12 to 11 in the eighth inning.
05:36I thought, by the way, you were going to see another meltdown.
05:39Were you in the tunnel when they gave up all the runs?
05:41Oh yeah, of course I was.
05:41I thought so.
05:42Of course I was.
05:43I get it.
05:44I get it.
05:44I've seen it firsthand.
05:46For those who don't know what we're talking about, Grant, Toby, and I do post-game interviews
05:51for the Nats Radio Network with Charlie and Dave, throw it down to us after wins.
05:54Well, you've got to be down there ready for the win if it happens.
05:57I've been down there and I've seen, I think I've got this number right, 3,000 runs by opponents
06:03in late innings.
06:04Whether it was the Phillies scoring 13 over two nights.
06:08Whether it was six the other, I guess, last night, whatever the hell it was, five or whatever
06:11it was, just insane amounts of bullpen skullduggery.
06:16The number of listeners in on the bit now is also hilarious.
06:19It's growing.
06:20I get so many DMs on Instagram like, Danny must have just grabbed the microphone or Danny
06:24must have just gotten down into the tunnel.
06:26I got the mic last night in the fourth inning.
06:29Look up that box score.
06:31I got it.
06:32So here's what I did.
06:33I strolled up there.
06:34That was early, by the way.
06:35Well, I'm trying to change the mojo here.
06:39Strolled up there.
06:39After Malz Michaelis has just been getting kicked around.
06:42I mean, knocked into the dirt.
06:44In the fourth, first guy out, second guy out.
06:48We got a chance at a 1-2-3 inning.
06:50During the final at bat of the fourth inning, I open the door, sneak in, get the mic like
06:57a cat burglar.
06:58I got the guts of a cat burglar.
06:59I could close from the Nats.
07:00I'm Jonathan Papelbon.
07:01I come in there and I sneak and grab it so I don't let Dave mean mug me.
07:04I don't let Charlie mean mug me because they're calling the game.
07:06As I grab it, the final out of the inning, a 1-2-3 inning.
07:10Then I go back up downstairs with the microphone and the little battery pack.
07:14No runs in the fifth either.
07:16Wow.
07:16The curse has been broken.
07:19First time in 12 tries.
07:20Kind of.
07:20They haven't given up runs.
07:21They still gave up so many months.
07:23It's just brutal.
07:24But I'm going to wait two weeks to really cement my stance on this.
07:30But this is where I'm leaning right now.
07:33It goes against everything that I believe and everything in my core baseball being.
07:39This is what I want to say.
07:40To say what I'm about to two weeks or so from now, based on results, based on where they're
07:46at in the standings, right around the 21st to the 25th of the month, a week or so from
07:51the deadline.
07:52I'll either go hard in the paint and write this in Sharpie or I'll backtrack from this.
07:57But I am leaning toward a take which is, this offense is too good to be wasted.
08:03I understand that your rotation is not good enough to win anything meaningful on paper
08:09and that your bullpen is not good enough to even consider adding much at the deadline.
08:16Okay?
08:17So generally I would say you're in year one of this build.
08:20Your system's in a great place.
08:22There's zero reason to be adding.
08:24Let's not fall in love with pyrite fool's gold here and have this honeymoon moment where
08:30we're all intoxicated and this feels good so we just get down on a knee and propose.
08:35But Danny, this offense is so good.
08:38It would be a mistake to not try to do something to get this offense into October.
08:46It's that good of an offense.
08:48So I'm still workshopping this take.
08:50I'm not going hard in the paint yet.
08:52I'm never going to suggest they buy big.
08:54I'm not going to suggest that they sell off good prospects.
08:58But I think there's a way where I'm going to be advocating that you've got to do something
09:02with the pitching staff.
09:03You've got to bring in a piece or two.
09:06Because, again, it's the number one scoring offense the Nats have ever had.
09:10Number two power hitting offense.
09:12Number three in slug.
09:14Number three in OPS.
09:16Number two in things like home runs per game or where they rank among the other teams in
09:24the league right now.
09:25They've never done some of these things before.
09:27Why waste this?
09:29So you said something, and I want to piggyback on it.
09:33I mentioned this earlier, but this is the core of who I am as a baseball person, right?
09:39Having experienced this game from a couple different angles for a lot, a lot of years.
09:44There are three legs of the tripod.
09:46And then there's also other stuff that matters, too, like how well you defend.
09:49If you make egregious errors, it's going to come back to bite you, etc.
09:51They have the worst defense in the sport, according to a lot of metrics, including errors.
09:55But starting pitching, bullpen, and offense, right?
10:01Teams have won the World Series with two of those three.
10:04Teams have gotten to the World Series.
10:05They've been really, really good with two of those three.
10:07See the 2019 Nats, for example.
10:08Their bullpen, terrible.
10:10Starting pitching, excellent.
10:11That kind of became their bullpen on their run to the World Series, right?
10:15An unbelievable offense that never quit.
10:17Veterans, they were great to keep passing the baton.
10:19And starting pitching that was world-class.
10:21Go back through and look at all the teams that make the NLCS, the ALCS, as they have a chance
10:28to win the World Series.
10:29Everybody's got at least two of those three legs.
10:31Meaning, this is a worthwhile exercise.
10:33The Nats have won.
10:35And that one is special.
10:36That one is unbelievable.
10:37It's the one.
10:38It's the best one in baseball this year.
10:4060% of their starts are Myles Michaelis, Zach Littell, and or Andrew Alvarez.
10:45Maybe when Jake Irvin comes back, and he was a 6-year-old guy before he got hurt.
10:50And you can't add to that.
10:52That's my principle.
10:53I go, no.
10:54It dismissed it on its face.
10:55And then, last night happens again.
10:57And they keep going, but look at this.
11:00Come on, buddy.
11:00Look at this.
11:01Are you looking?
11:02Are you watching?
11:02And I'm going, do I have to change every paradigm I've ever had?
11:06I don't think you do.
11:06But here's what you should do, I think.
11:09This is what I plan on doing.
11:10Every year is different.
11:11It is hard to get to where they are.
11:14There are so many teams trying to win right now that can't.
11:17And they are accidentally 2 over .500.
11:19There are so many teams trying to build a really good offense right now that can't.
11:24So, there's a little bit of like a magic potion element of this.
11:27I experienced it in the Redskins locker room with Joe Gibbs 2.0.
11:31Or in the Caps 2018 run, the Nats 2019 run.
11:35I'm not suggesting they're about to go on a championship run.
11:37I don't think they're anywhere near good enough to do that.
11:41But occasionally, there is a very tight-knit culture established where the players really back and like each other.
11:47And there's a reverence and a respect between players and staff and the front office.
11:52And I think they're in a really, really good place where a lot of things are kind of falling in
11:57their way.
11:57It would be silly to just stick to your preseason plan as if none of this matters.
12:03Now, what percent of this should matter?
12:05I think it's a fair question, a reasonable question.
12:08But what is the point of playing the games at all if you just are sticking to the plan before
12:12the season started?
12:13So, I like 80% am probably in lockstep with how this front office views it to Boney and to
12:21Bartolo and whoever else.
12:22But I do think there's like a 20% human element, whatever we're talking about.
12:26Like, they may think, they know, I'm just going to make this up, but like, Eddie Jean's a good example.
12:35Okay, he's the pitcher that just came up and pitched two clean innings.
12:38I don't think Eddie Jean is someone that internally they feel like Danny is a long-term major building block
12:44in their bullpen, right?
12:45But let's look at this from an individual player standpoint.
12:48At some point, he's only pitched once, he pitched two good innings.
12:52But let's say he's 10 appearances in.
12:55He's striking out a batter per inning and he's been really good.
12:58You go, huh, that's pretty interesting.
12:59Look at that, yeah.
13:00We'll start, we'll keep running him out there.
13:01Then he does it 10 more times and you go, huh, maybe we'll pitch him in some leverage.
13:06Then he does it 10 more times and now you're 40 appearances in for this guy you didn't have real
13:09plans for and you're like, he might actually be better than we think.
13:12Like, I'm not suggesting the numbers are bad, his data is actually pretty good, but for this analytics organization, let's
13:18just say his data, his numbers aren't very good, they don't love him, he's not their guy.
13:22At some point, performance does matter to shift how you feel a little bit, no?
13:27I mean, if it doesn't, then what is the point of any of this?
13:30And if you're agreeing with what I'm saying on this very microscopic one-player level, then it should be the
13:35same way from a team standpoint.
13:38Why do any of this if it's all just this is what numbers tell us?
13:43And this is coming from someone who is ultra-analytical and all I've ever wanted is a front office to
13:48do it this way.
13:48And I don't even think, like, not going for it is an analytics thing.
13:52I think it's a smart, savvy front office thing where they know why they were brought in, that this is
13:58a long-term process.
14:00I don't even think it's that complicated.
14:02Like, they're ahead of schedule.
14:04They probably don't think they're as good as they actually are.
14:07But the easiest thing to upgrade, Danny, is what?
14:09The bullpen.
14:10Yeah.
14:11So if you go out and you get two legitimate relievers, what are you?
14:16Are you now an 83 or 84 win team, maybe?
14:18I mean, they're on pace to be that without those guys.
14:21I know.
14:21So, okay, let's say you're an 85 or 86 win team because you added a couple legitimate relievers.
14:26And these are not rentals.
14:27I'm not trading good minor league prospects for rentals.
14:31I'm suggesting if there's a player in your system you don't love or that the industry might like more, they
14:36just DFA'd Robert Hassel.
14:38Hassel, who's struggling in AAA, still has value.
14:41He's still a guy that another team might look at and go, he can run, he can play three positions,
14:46he can steal some bases, he can do some things.
14:48Not their guy.
14:49They're not interested.
14:50Fine.
14:51I don't think, based on what I've seen, a guy like Yohani Morales is their guy.
14:55Because no matter what he does at AAA, he can't get called up.
14:58Former top 50 pick who's killed it at the 3A level.
15:01Then let's trade him.
15:02Let's see if somebody else wants a power hitting first baseman.
15:05Maybe your numbers don't love him, but someone else who's a scout who likes his swing or something might.
15:10If you don't like Brady House, I don't know this, but I'm just saying, maybe they are lower on him
15:15than the industry.
15:15This was the case with the pitching prospect they traded for Jorbit Bebas named Sean Paul Linion.
15:19Where on its face, trading a AA lefty who's a pretty good pitching prospect for a back-of-the-roster
15:28dude out of options doesn't make any sense for a team in the first year of a build.
15:32But when they look at pitch shape and the fact that he's pitching off his change-up and he doesn't
15:36have a good fastball, they go, this is not our profile.
15:40Yeah, we're not interested.
15:41We want former comedians who are funny and will make me laugh when I'm driving in the afternoons.
15:46They're like, Danny's our guy.
15:47We got Danny, yeah.
15:47But there are people that they wouldn't like who aren't very funny.
15:50And so my point is that if there's a house or somebody like that, then sure, you could flip someone
15:55that I would consider meaningful.
15:56But it might not even have to be that.
15:58Deal from some depth.
15:59You've got a pretty deep system.
16:01Trade your 15th and 26th best prospects for like a guy with two years of control who throws 98 and
16:07improve your bullpen a little bit.
16:09At some point, and I'm not there yet, but I'm about two weeks away from being there, if you're still
16:14over .500 and your offense is still scoring .12 and James Woods hitting grand slams, I'm sorry.
16:20It would just be silly not to add something to give this offense a chance to play in important games.
16:26Because what is this exercise about this year?
16:28I think kind of to your point, to piggyback off it, there's still too many guys for my taste for
16:33a true rebuild that aren't part of any build getting way too much action.
16:38In other words, there's so much Jose Tana.
16:41There's an outrageous amount of drawbeat vivas for me.
16:44And so much Andres Chaparro.
16:46These are not pieces.
16:48Respectfully to these guys.
16:49They're big leaguers.
16:50They're here and I'm having fun watching them play.
16:52There's my caveat.
16:53I have no interest in seeing those at-bats.
16:54I'd rather every Tana at-bat be a house at-bat.
16:57I'd rather every vivas at-bat be a Nunez at-bat or a Morales at-bat.
17:02You see my point.
17:03I want the future to be on display as we're building this core.
17:08Right?
17:09If this isn't about this year, fine.
17:12Then let's build with the kids.
17:14But in some of the things that they do, it kind of is about this year.
17:17It sort of seems to be about this year to a degree.
17:20And I can live in that world if there's a...
17:24We're going to do a little bit at the expense of the future.
17:26Not much.
17:27A little bit at the expense of the future.
17:28Meaning it's not just kids floundering and getting underwater a little bit in July and August.
17:33And we're going to give Abrams and Wood and Nunez and Cruz and some of the rest of our young
17:40guys.
17:41We're going to let them play some meaningful baseball.
17:43So we're going to shape around the edges a little bit and let them experience sink or swim what an
17:48actual race looks like to get to a potential wild card spot.
17:51Where there's...
17:52It's not just no eyes on you in August in front of 11,000 people.
17:56It's a...
17:56Hey, this one matters a little bit more.
17:58We're not just doing development games.
18:00It's not just...
18:00Oh, let's go out there and try to compete the best way we can.
18:02Establish the Nationals way.
18:04It's...
18:04No, no.
18:04No, there's some bleep on the line here.
18:06I can do that.
18:07So I can understand...
18:09To that point, it's actually really smart.
18:11You can make the case that's massively important for the future as much as it is this year, in other
18:17words.
18:18Like, just getting your guys into games that are meaningful as the year goes on.
18:22There's value in that.
18:24How much, I guess, is the question.
18:25But here's what I want to pose to people and I want to come back to and double-click on
18:29with you.
18:30Is...
18:31It's July 7th.
18:32To Boney said within the last week, I'm going to paraphrase, how these guys play will determine what we do
18:40at the deadline.
18:41And if that is actually true, if they haven't predetermined, there's no way we're buying, we're ahead of schedule, we're
18:46not that good,
18:47our offense is making us look like more of a contender than we actually are,
18:51because, frankly, we would have no business making the playoffs even if we added a couple relievers because we know
18:56the regression's coming or whatever.
18:57They may have already internally, like, decided they're not doing that and they don't want to say it because there's
19:01nothing to be gained from it.
19:02It's bad news for the fans.
19:03It's bad news in the clubhouse.
19:05But if it's actually true that if they were to continue to play well and win, if they win this
19:10series tonight and they get another win against Houston
19:13and then the Yankees come in and you take two of three from New York, like, what would have to
19:17happen in the next few weeks for you to feel like they should add something?
19:20I can't even believe I'm saying it.
19:22Isn't that nuts?
19:23Everything, like, within my baseball perspective and everything I've kind of ever learned about what are you, you are a
19:32have, you're a have not.
19:33But this offense is so damn good.
19:36Because the push and pull literally is on display last night where I'm going, for the first few innings, I'm
19:41going, how could you add?
19:42I'm not saying to you, how could anyone add to a team that's going to trot Miles Michaelis out there
19:48every fifth day?
19:49I said this to you in the studio during a commercial break yesterday.
19:52I was like, I think I was like, who pitches tonight?
19:54We looked it up.
19:55It's Michaelis.
19:55And I'm like, you know what's so funny is you and I sit here and act like they might be
19:58able to hang around or buy.
20:00I'm like, and then Miles Michaelis pitches again.
20:03He gave up seven runs and got the win because of this offense.
20:07First night to ever do that, by the way.
20:08Gave up seven runs and got a win.
20:10Of course.
20:11Well, yeah, how often is that going to happen?
20:12It's like eating McDonald's twice a day for a week and losing weight.
20:16Getting abs.
20:16It's not supposed to be possible.
20:18But I want to hear from people on this.
20:20800-636-1067.
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