As the season has gone on, we have learned two BIG things about this Nats team. Ryan reveals those two things to start the show, and it is ultimately... a good thing? The Nats made a flurry of roster moves the last week as Joey Meneses in DC could be over, Juan Yepez was called up, Nick Senzel was DFA'd and even more intriguing moves. Lastly, we preview the Mets-Nats series.
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It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. The Nets lost yet again against the St. Louis Cardinals and as the season continues to go on, we keep on learning about them. But these two things in particular, we have learned it's not all too great. And thank you all for making Lockdown Nationals your first list in every single day as we are free and available. However, you get your podcast and of course, everyone else, Ryan Claire, you can catch me over on Twitter @RyanClaire11 and as well as our show page @ello_nationals. For our latest Nationals, news and notes, make sure to check us out over on Twitter and while you're at it, make sure to search up Lockdown Nationals. Wherever you get your podcast, including over on YouTube, just search Lockdown Nationals. Hit that Subscriber button again, wherever you get your podcast, search Lockdown Nationals. Hit that Subscriber button. Later on in today's show, we'll be discussing a lot of new videos. Different things, but the Mets and the Nats, the Nats are heading up the city field in the Queen. So we'll have that preview for you a little bit later on in today's show. Second segment, the Nats have made a ton of roster moves over the last week. Let's get into it because yesterday we had a very packed show with a lot to discuss about who's in at stock before Monday, CJ Abrams made the All-Star game. And of course, Jay Curvin was ultimately snub from that All-Star game. So if you missed yesterday's episode, make sure to check that out. I've got some thoughts on all those things in yesterday's show, but now we kind of take down, take a step back, look at these roster moves, and kind of debrief. There is one thing that is very obvious happening right now within the Washington Nationals, and it is a good thing. We'll have that in the second segment of today's show. But we start off discussing the two things we have learned about the Nats in the last two weeks. Before we get into it, today's episode is brought to you by Fandal. Make every moment more as playoffs wind down, the sports stop sporting like we want them to. But this summer, Fandal is hooking up all customers, they boost or a bonus daily. That's right. There's something for everyone. Every day, all summer long, so visit Fandal.com to get started. So we get started with discussing two things that we have learned about this Nationals team right now. The number one thing that I have learned about the Nationals over the last two weeks really since the Padres series, this team is not a wildcard team. Let alone, this team will not be playing in October. There are a couple different reasons why. If you look at this team in the way that it is constructed right now, the core of this team, the 2024 Nationals, not even looking in the future, not looking in the past of where we sit here on July 9th. The core of this team is still very young. It is an immature, not like in that sense, but it is a young professional baseball team. But even then, you have guys like Jesse Winker, Kyle Finnegan and all the others as well who have been kind of thrown into this core here as of recent. Jesse Winker is very much so a part of this core. Right now, he is your second best hitter on this Nationals team right now. It is not even close in my opinion. We could talk about James Wood, it is still only been what, eight games so far this season form. You kind of have to take him out of the equation right now. CJ Abrams is your best hitter and then it is followed by Jesse Winker. At this point in time, I think we all kind of see what is going to be happening with Jesse Winker. He will be traded. That is just the nature of the business. That is the nature and that is what the Nationals want to do by the way. But even then, even looking beyond that, earlier this season, we were talking about the Nationals rotation. This Nationals rotation is still very solid as we saw Mitchell Parker did another really good performance in yesterday's game against those Cardinals. That is a pesky lineup, you are going against a ton of right handed hitters in that lineup as well. He held his own and he did his job. Looking beyond that, with the bullpen in particular, you can't tell me that this team is going to go into October and even kind of make it to that stretch in October, even down in September and say that they can give you a chance to win. You just simply can't and we could talk about the 2019 Nationals, of course, they did not have a good bullpen that year and they went on to win the World Series. But they made up for it, they had a core group of guys, Daniel Hudson, Sean Doolittle, guys like that who came in and stepped in at the right time and took advantage of every opportunity that they had. The Nationals wore out that bullpen to the backbone. Sean Doolittle was never really the same after 2019. His usage rate was unbelievable from 2018 all the way through 2019. After that, his career kind of dipped off after Daniel Hudson, his usage from the second half all the way through the postseason, we used him a lot, kind of wore him down a little bit. He's still been pitching and he's been doing pretty well, but still, you kind of wore him down. Right now the Nationals really don't have anybody that you could say, we can wear this guy down in the postseason. Hunter Harvey, he has been a big talk of the show here recently. He has not been his usual self. The Nationals, they use him a ton. I'm not saying that Hunter Harvey is cooked at this point in time. He's still young, ish, 29 years old, under team control for the next year and a half. You still got time for Hunter Harvey and still, I've seen it with him before, I know that he could probably get back to his dominant ways in which he was just a month ago. Even dating back in the last year when he was still a very good relief pitcher. Kyle Finnegan as well. Very good still. You're closer. You feel great about him. Move on. The dancers don't have enough firepower. Simple. You cannot go into October baseball with the way that this offense is. You could talk about the Diamondbacks last year. We're not the Diamondbacks. You don't have that core group of guys who will be there in October for many different reasons. Number one, this team is still very young. C.J Abrams, while he has been great, while he is an All-Star, he has arrived, he is a star in my opinion already, he's still 23 years old. James Wood, 21 years old, just got called up, he's been very good, but still, he's going to hit some rough patches here probably soon. That's just the way that the business works. And then looking ahead of this. Number two, why the Nationals will not be in the postseason is also kind of why they won't be if we really kind of get into it. They're going to be sellers at this year's trade net bond coming up here in the next few weeks. They have to sell. This team is not built for October. If you look around the roster again, the core kind of group of guys, Lane Thomas, Jesse Tinker, Kyle Finnegan, Dylan Flora, Trevor Williams, and hell, maybe even Ildamara Vargas, even though he has been slumping like crazy lately, he is still one of those guys who could be traded. The Nationals are not built for success in 2024. And now we start to see this youth movement that we've all been talking about. We'll get more into that youth movement a little bit later on in the show. Again, the recent roster moves kind of indicate that the Nats, their eyes are still on the future. And they're not trying to make the postseason this year, which is totally okay in my opinion. But you have this core group of guys with Jesse Winker having a huge impact on this Nationals offense, kind of carrying that spot and being in the middle of this lineup and doing damage every single night, he's going to be traded. You do not have an open spot for Jesse Winker moving forward, in my opinion. He should not be a part of the future plans for the Washington Nationals. It does not make sense. Dylan Flora, someone who did struggle here recently, but he's one of those bullpen guys that you have been able to rely on and who has pitched meaningful innings this season, who has had postseason experience with the Dodgers and other teams around Major League Baseball. He's one of those guys as well, who will also be traded at this year's deadline. Barbara Williams, who was off to a red hot start this year and who hopefully will be back pitching within the next few weeks, will likely be traded. Your core group of guys are still Mackenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, James Wood, Wayne Thomas question mark. You've got a young core still, but you have to have your eyes in the future. In the Nationals, they still do and it's obvious to the way that they've been kind of maneuvering the roster around here these last few weeks. I look at guys like Lane Thomas, is he going to be traded at this point in time? Because that is a huge question going into the next few weeks, in my opinion. You know the Nationals are going to take calls on them, you have to. You've got a huge contingent of outfielders down in the minors who are ready to take that next step up, including Dylan Cruz, your number one prospect outside of James Wood, the number two overall pick in last year's draft. You've got Robert Hassell, a third who is on the shelf right now, but still he looks to be turning his career around down in the minors as well. He's still in double A, he's been hurt right now, but still you can kind of see him making his way up if you were to turn be healthy and continue on the train tracks that he was in 2024. You've also got guys like Cade Cavalli, who should be pitching up in the majors, maybe within the next month. You've also got another guy, Josiah Gray, which at this point in time, added to the 60 day I.L., still big part of the future. The Nationals are young, they're exciting. You cannot have guys like Jesse Winker kind of take those spots of guys who should be there. Would you rather watch a month and a half of Dylan Cruz up in the majors come mid August or would you rather watch Jesse Winker? I love Jesse Winker. I think he has been great. If the Nationals were true contenders, the Nationals would say it was 2025 and the Nats are knocking on the door of the wildcard team, you absolutely keep Jesse Winker. But at this point in time, you've got to trade them. You simply have to trade them. The Nationals, they will be sellers. They have to be. The youth movement is now, it's not going to be next year, it's now. You have to figure out what you have with guys like Trey Lipscomb, who is now playing every day third base, yet to figure out what you have won your Pez. Another guy over at first base who has been pretty solid here so far. The Nationals are going to find out a lot about these young players over the next two and a half months or so, left in the season, which is insane to think about by the way. But one thing is for sure, number one, in my opinion, this ain't a wildcard team and I think we know that now. And number two, you have to be sellers. This is your one last chance to really stockpile the farm system, get guys while you can and then we'll see what happens in the future with the Nationals, but still, we'll see what happens. Ultimately though, this Nats team, the rebuild goes on. Thank you all for making lockdown Nats your first listen every single day as we are free and available. However, you get your podcast net. Next, let's tell you guys about the series of roster moves that this Nationals team has made. Pretty interesting. I will say the least, but as we have been saying, the youth movement, it's going forward. We'll have that for you, but today's episode is brought to you by Fandall and you guys know I love sports. I love them so much. I never want them to stop, but as the playoffs wind down, we get fewer games and the sports aren't sports like I want them to, but Fandall lets me keep the sports going whenever I want. All I have to do is open the app and dream up bets any time I'm in the mood and this summer, Fandall is hooking up all customers with a boost or bonus daily. That's right. There's something for everyone every day, all summer long, like tonight, the Nationals taking on the New York Mets down at City Field. I'm going to look at James Wood. Maybe he's the next Mets killer. Maybe he goes yard against those little pesky Mets who have been red hot lately. I'm going to take my chances, James Wood, home run tonight, ride with me and when you do that, head over to fandall.com and start making the most out of your summer because Fandall is the official sports, but in partner of Major League Baseball. You know we love talking stats here at locked on Rockies. Here's one that's super simple to remember. Discover automatically doubles the cashback you've earned on your credit card at the end of your first year with cashback match. That means with discover, you could turn $150 cashback to $300. That's right. You could put it towards some memory. You've had your eye on or treat yourself to a premium sports network. You earn and discover doubles. See terms at discover.com/creditcard. Thank you all for making locked on nationals. Your first lesson every single day is we are free and available wherever you get your podcasts. Later on in today's show, we'll have a Nat's Mets series previews. You got Jake Ervin versus Jose Quintana tonight, Patrick Corbin and Luis Severino in game two and the Mackenzie Gore against David Peterson in game three on Thursday, but we'll have that for you later on. Now it's time to get into the nationals roster moves as the most interesting one in my opinion. I think we kind of saw this coming. Josiah Gray has been added to the 60 day IL. It's not crazy to think that his season is over at this point. It's unfortunate. He only made two starts, did not look good in those two starts and at this point in time, you just kind of have to think the worst. That is the unfortunate truth. I'm not saying that Josiah Gray is going to be on the shelf for the next year. I don't know what's going to happen at this point in time. But I think one thing is pretty certain. We might be lucky if we see Josiah Gray for a start in 2024. We might be. I can't really rely on that. We don't know. No one really knows all too much at this moment in time. But as of right now in July 9th, it does not look good for Josiah Gray. It just doesn't. And if the nationals were smart, I'm not even going to say Tommy John, like we don't know at this moment in time. But I think we can all kind of see that the writing is on the wall at this point in time. This is not good. But the nationals to put them on the 60-day IL, number one, it just kind of shows they want to see him move forward, hopefully get rehab. Hopefully maybe he gets a start in September and going the off-season healthy here. But we just don't know. We simply do not know at this point in time. So Josiah Gray, 60-day IL, to not great, not what you want to see, luckily this nationals rotation has still been pitching well, but Josiah Gray wasn't all-star last year. While he did kind of fall off in the second half of last year's season, he's still one of those guys who's part of the core, part of the clubhouse, a huge part of this team's chemistry. So it sucks to see that, but ultimately, wish the best for Josiah. We'll get the news for you right here on lockdown, Mashles, whenever they release his next move. So we'll have that for you later on in the week, wherever it is. But there's more. These are the more good ones, start off with that one. Nick Senzel, see you later. He has been DFA'd, Trey Lipscomb was called up and replaced with him, and now moving forward, the youth movement begins. Trey Lipscomb now, if you were to kind of get into it, Trey Lipscomb looks wildly uncomfortable at the plate. He looks bad, in fact. But here's the good thing about Trey Lipscomb, defensively over at third base, the guy is a stud. You saw the play on Sunday against the Cardinals. You've seen him make all the good plays time and time again over at third, getting his glove on. Nearly everything hit towards him. The guy is a special third baseman right then and there. He is a special fielder, especially over in that hot corner at third base. I would expect Trey Lipscomb to be the starting third baseman moving forward, and I don't think that's a crazy thing at all, by the way. Trey Lipscomb, this is what the Nationals should be doing. Now, again, is he going to struggle a lot at the plate more than likely? But you have to figure out what you have with him. Because again, the one thing that was really kind of ticking me off about the Nationals, that they were doing the yo-yo thing, where you bring him up to the majors and then you send him back down. Bring him up to the majors, send him back down. Bring him up to the majors when he's not even playing, send him back down. Now, the roster spot is clear. Nick sends L.D. Experiment. At one point in time, I actually really liked it. I thought he was working well here. I thought Trey Lipscomb would have been up past the trade deadline. You move on from Nick Senzel, but they saw what was kind of there. No one was going to be trading for Nick Senzel here. He has not been hitting well recently over the last month, plus ever since he kind of shoved Mackenzie Gore. It has not been good, so Trey Lipscomb, the time is now for him. He's going to get the opportunity here to hopefully thrive at third base and be that utility field of the Nationals asked for moving forward, and who knows what else happens. Maybe Trey Lipscomb is a guy. You've got Brady House, who is one of your top prospects who is now in AAA Rochester. That's the future over at third base, but Trey Lipscomb, the time is now for him. He's going to have to show a lot. This is a big confidence boost for him. I'm sure the Nationals are saying this is your time to shine all the way through the end of September. Brady House will be up in the majors some point this, maybe even later in September at this point in time, maybe sometime in August, he really kills the baseball, but the time is now for Trey Lipscomb. He's going to have to show a lot for the Nationals to kind of put some expectation back on track for Trey Lipscomb. My favorite move at all, Joey Manessus has been optioned. It's happened. It's over. Joey Manessus is one of those guys where the story was great. You like Joey Manessus. You root for Joey Manessus, but this hasn't been working for the last year and a half. He had that scorching hot summer of 2022, where he was literally and figuratively one of the best hitters in all of baseball in the second half of 2022, but now the time has come. Juan Yepes has been called up. He is going to be your first baseman hopefully every single day. I'm sure that him and Jesse Winkler will split some time. I'm sure Riley Adams will also get some time over at first base as well. That's at least what I would like to see moving forward. But Juan Yepes is one of those guys where he has had success in the minors. He has had success up in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals. This is someone who may not be a valuable big time option over at first base, but it is worth a shot. He is still in his mid-twenties. This guy really hasn't had that many opportunities to thrive up in the majors, and now he gets his opportunity, which is hopefully the rest of the season because again, you've got Joey Gallo on the IEL. He's going to be out here probably for the next month or so. He could be the next DFA kind of option, or maybe someone takes a flyer on him at the trade deadline. I don't know at this moment in time, but still, Juan Yepes is one of those guys where this is one of the intriguing call-ups in my opinion. I want to see him play every single day. I want to see his power bat, which by the way, that's what he does. He hits for power. I want to see him in the middle of the lineup. See what he can do. This is again one of those kind of younger guys who could kind of fit that Stone Garrett trajectory from last season, where Stone Garrett was a very good option for the Nationals last year. Had an OPS above 800-10 this season, which ultimately broke his leg. The Yankee Stadium, it was not a good one, it was ugly, it sucked. And now he's down in AAA, which has been doing all too great. But as we know, Juan Yepes has been one of those guys where if you were listening and locked on Nationals all off-season, I've been screaming the praises for this guy. I think he could be really good. I think the Nationals may stump their toe into finding something with him, but ultimately, he's going to have to play every single day, or play nearly every single day. Hit him at that, get him fresh, and then we'll see what he can do. Also he's been playing really solid over at first base here recently, so maybe the Nationals have found something with Juan Yepes. Here's an interesting thing that the Nats did. You option DJ hers, and you have recalled you on a don't. Am I upset about this? Not one bit. This is what's going to happen. I expect that the Nats just want a long-term man for the rest of the first half of the season, which is over this next week. And also, my little tin foil hat theory, Jake Ervin is slated to start this Sunday. He is slated to start in tonight's game as well. He's on pace the pitch in Sunday's ballgame. If Jake Ervin does eventually get selected to the All-Star game with someone dropping out, you have you on a don't to then say, "Here you go, you're going to start in Sunday's game in place of Jake Ervin so we can pitch in the All-Star game, and also stretch out Jake Ervin just a little bit, and then he'll have his number five days of rest, and then get back into it with these Nationals." I don't hate this hill. I think DJ hers, this is not a knock on him. DJ hers is looking good, in my opinion. I think he's had some rough moments, but still 23 years old. You expect that from a young guy. This is one of those moves where I think it makes a lot of sense. DJ hers will be called back up once the second half of the season starts again. You'll on a don't will likely be optioned again, or maybe the Nationals do another move. Maybe you DFA Jordan Weems, and you keep you on a don't if he shows that he could be a long relief guy. I remember Andrew Golden tweeting about that the other day, and it kind of caught my attention, and now you see him up in the majors, and they have been working a don't as a long relief guy. And again, he's got some nasty stuff. He has a relief guy, he's just really good. I don't know if that's going to be the case, but still, it could happen. It's not crazy. So DJ hers, having him being an option, I saw some people being like, "What are we doing? You'll on a don't, we know what to expect, but still." This is what should be happening. Stretch out your guys, get DJ hers, some rest before the all-star break, hopefully it doesn't pitch down in AAA here, I don't think he will, I would give him a nice little break here, but still. You'll want to don't, up in the majors, yet again. We'll see what happens. Thank you all for making lockdown nats your first lesson every single day as we are free and available, wherever you get your podcast. Now let's preview the Mets nats series, but now I'm going to tell you as about our friends over at PrizePix and PrizePix's America's number one daily fantasy sports app with over five million active members, PrizePix the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports, unlike other apps on PrizePix. It's just you against the numbers and all you do is pick more or less on two to six player stat projections and watch the winnings roll in. 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Now, let me tell you guys about our friends over at tax network, USA and guys, here on lockdown nationals, we pride ourselves in getting you the latest news for your team, whether it's the off season, the draft, spring training or the playoffs and it is year round. You know what else year round collection season just because tax season is over doesn't mean the IRS will stop coming after you for untiled on file taxes. Their risk in garnish your wages, love your bank counts and even seize your property. Pull up the IRS, target you, let the licensed professionals and tax experts at tax network USA go to bat for you with over 14 years of experience in an A plus rating by the Better Business Bureau. Tax network USA has saved their clients over $1 billion in tax debt, whether you owe taxes, have complicated matters that require tax planning or finally hit that parlay this season and need help correctly filing. All you have to do is call 1-800-549-100 or visit tnusa.com/lockedon and be sure to mention locked on nationals at checkout and you'll receive a $250 discount off their services. Again, you have to mention locked on nationals at checkout and you'll receive a $250 discount off their services. And now we get back into it as the nationals take on the New York Mets up in Queens. It should be a beautiful few days here or not here up in New York City in the Queens as Tuesday, tonight, Jake Ervin versus Jose Quintana, again, Jake Ervin should be an all-star Jose Quintana. This was the pitching match up on July 4th as the nationals. They ultimately took that 1-0 game, Quintana looked really good, Jake Ervin looked really good, and when A innings pitched, one hit given up was amazing. Retired 17 straight Mets at one point in that start, and then in tomorrow's game, Patrick Corbin against Luis Severino, Luis Severino's actually had a pretty quietly really good season for the New York Mets, has had some struggles here as of late, but ultimately he has been really good. I expect him to be a very tough outing, and again, Patrick Corbin going up against the Mets lineup, it's not going to be pretty. Simple as that. Mackenzie Gore against David Peterson on Thursday for a day game, 1pm start time, maybe the nationals can win this series, but still, the New York Mets, they have been a hot team recently with the grimest stuff, whatever, they think they're special, the New York Mets, they're the New York Mets, they'll always be the little brother to me, so we'll see what the nationals can do, but we've got some pretty solid pitching match ups this weekend, maybe the nationals can find their way to get a little lucky and win 2 of 3. Until then, enjoy the night's game, enjoy Jake Ervin day, I'll catch you on the flip side, go next. (upbeat music)
