The Oscillating Fan

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(Posted 8-9-26)

Greetings from The Booth!

What a difference 8 games makes. Think about it. 8 games in a 162-game Major League baseball season is a proverbial drop in the bucket, but in this 2026 Washington Nationals campaign, 8 games recently changed the direction and philosophy of the team.

It’s said that over the course of a full MLB season, a team’s strengths will be revealed, and it’s weaknesses exposed. Going into last weekend’s key series against the Atlanta Braves, the Nats were one of the top offensive teams in all of baseball, and despite a suspect starting rotation and terrible bullpen, were finally relevant after a 7-year rebuild. With his analytical approach to the game, Manager Blake Butera had the Nationals 2 games over .500 and in the thick of the Wild Card race.

Then, they were exposed. In a 4-game sweep by the Braves, Washington proved to be a pretender, not a contender. While Atlanta came up with the clutch hits and made stellar defensive plays, the Nats left numerous runners on base, and in the field, threw the ball around like little leaguers. Oh, and let’s not forget the “Gas Can Gang,” who wasted several solid efforts by Nats starting pitchers by giving up late-inning runs with games on the line. It didn’t take an analytical genius to see who the better team was in the series.

By the time Monday rolled around, the Nationals went from buyers to sellers, and ahead of the trade deadline dealt Curtis Meade, Luis Garcia, Jr., and Foster Griffin. Garcia led the league in slugging percentage, while Griffin posted a 12-3 record with the Nats.

While the Nationals received some promising prospects in return, namely some much-needed arms, the malaise of the trades and the 4-game sweep by Atlanta carried over into the next series in Philadelphia, where former Nats Bryce harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber had their way with Washington, winning 3 of 4. And just like that, the season was effectively over. Going into the trade deadline I was, like lots of Nats fans, all in on a possible postseason run. Just days later, I did a complete 180.

But hold everything. Like the oscillating fan that I am, I may be changing direction once again. After a 3-game weekend sweep of the Reds (their first series sweep since mid-April), the Nationals are clawing their way back to .500, and maybe with any kind of win streak, can get back in the conversation. I know, it’s a stretch.

No matter what happens with regard to the postseason, it could still be a fun remainder of August and September. CJ Abrams, still a National, is worth the price of admission. Former Yankee Yovanny Cruz gives Washington a live arm out of the pen who can hit triple digits. Cade Cavalli has been looking like an ace recently. And Trevor Williams is back and has pitched to a 0.00 ERA since his return. Although Abrams probably won’t be with the team next season, I’m filled with hope for 2027 (if there’s baseball).

But, check back with me the next time the Nats lose 3 in a row…

Until the next Visit from the Booth…GO NATS!

RW

 

 

 

 

Buy or Sell…and Training Camp Opens

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(Posted 7-28-26)

Greetings from The Booth!

Well, it’s been a minute since we got together. I got back last week from a nice week off, and a relaxing vacation at Deep Creek Lake, where I played a round of golf, ate very well, and as I always do, watched a fair amount of The Open Championship, as well as the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. A lot of folks in the lake house were glued to the FIFA World Cup. I must admit, once the USA was eliminated, I checked out. As the late NFL great Sonny Randle would say, if a soccer game broke out in my backyard, the shade wouldn’t go up.

We’re kind of in a down time in sports, with baseball’s “dog days” approaching, and football season not quite here, but I did want to weigh in on those two sports, specifically your Washington Nationals and Washington Commanders. We’ll start with the Nats. As of this post, the Nationals are a hair above .500 at 54-53 after last night’s loss to Toronto.

(Sidebar: it was really strange seeing former Nats’ great Max Scherzer in a Blue Jays uniform last night. In an emotional return to DC on his 42nd birthday, “Mad Max” got the start and threw 2 and 2/3 gutsy innings, and received 2 well-deserved standing ovations from the Washington fans, who appreciated his contributions to a great Nationals’ run over 6-plus seasons. At 42, and on a one-year contract, last night was probably his last appearance in the Nation’s Capital.)

With the trade deadline a week away, should the Nats buy or sell? It’s a tough question. The team is very much in contention for a Wild Card berth, but also very much in need of pitching for the long haul. The name being brought up most often in trade rumors is Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, who was last week’s NL Player of the Week and has been red hot recently. As a fan, I want Abrams in Washington, and I want to see the team go all in on a playoff run. This is why GM’s get paid the big money. Do you throw all your cards on the table for 2026, or do you stay the course and get some young arms for the future? We’ll find out soon.

And, we head to Ashburn, where the Commanders open training camp this week. NFL training camps have become less important in the modern age of football, because of OTAs and year-round conditioning advances, and the strides that have been made in nutrition. Back in the day, players would arrive at camp vastly out of shape, having sold insurance or used cars in the offseason. There is no offseason now in the NFL, so camps are refresher courses for the veterans, and for developing chemistry for rookies and new acquisitions.

That’s why I think this is a very important camp for the Commanders, as the team tries to cleanse its palate from a 5-12 campaign. With an almost complete overhaul of the defense, this will be a camp where everyone on that side of the ball must get on the same page. Offensively, we need to see a hungry Jayden Daniels, who wants to show his critics that his injury-plagued 2025 was a fluke, and that he is not a one-year flash in the pan.

Interesting times are ahead for the Nats and Commanders. Until the next visit from The Booth…GO NATS…and HTTC!

RW

 

 

 

 

 

“Not On This Team”

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Greetings from The Booth!

If you’re a Washington Nationals fan, you’ve probably turned your thoughts to the Commanders, as the Nats (once again) have faded like a daisy in the hot August sun, and are going quietly into the night of the MLB season, on their way to 90-plus losses.

However, the Nationals stole some of the spotlight from the Burgundy and Gold this past weekend, and not in a positive way. The Nats optioned their young star shortstop and AL All-Star CJ Abrams to their Triple-A farm club in Rochester on Saturday, despite the fact that, at the time, the farm club had only one game left on it’s schedule.

With the parent club on a road trip to play the Cubs, Abrams broke curfew by pulling an all-nighter at a Chicago casino until 8am Saturday. The issue is that the Nats had a 1pm (Chicago time) game. Compounding things is that Abrams has been slumping in the second half of the season, although the 23 year-old had been 8 for his last 17.  The Nationals insist the move isn’t a performance issue, and won’t say much else, except that it’s “a family matter,” to be handled internally.

The clear message being sent by Nats’ GM Mike Rizzo is “not on this team.” With the Nationals in the midst of a rebuild, Abrams is a vital cornerstone. He is an exciting player who puts fans in seats, He can hit with power and average, and possesses speed and defensive skills. Abrams represents a bright future for the Nationals, who by all accounts have traded and drafted well, and in the next season or two will be poised to make some noise in the competitive NL East.

But having the skills and stats is not enough. CJ Abrams will be looked upon as a leader, and that comes with some responsibility. He is one of the players who will be needed to show the young Nats the way forward. For the most part, that is done not by words but by example, both on and off the field.

Rizzo’s move can go one of two ways.  Abrams will either take the demotion to heart and come to Spring Training with a renewed sense of purpose. Or he can pout and demand to be traded to another team. At 23, who knows which path CJ will take? Whatever happens, I applaud the move. There’s an old saying in Texas that goes something like this: “you don’t shoot a pedigree bull for (expletive) in your front yard.”

But you have to show him who the rancher is…

Until the next visit from The Booth…GO NATS!

RW