The Inbox: What if David Price Were Traded to the Washington Nationals?

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

We’re going to try a new post series today. Nash and I will often read some out there rumor and then banter back and forth about the fantasy implications via email. If you’ve ever read Marvel Comics, these are like the old school ‘What if?’ stories they’d float out there. We’re going to call it “The Inbox” and we’d love your feedback to gauge if we’re on the right track with this.

Clave,
I read this:

"A trade to land Rays ace David Price would probably call for the Nationals to part with Anthony Rendon, Lucas Giolito, and another prospect or two from the club’s top-tier, writes Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider. Because of the steep price, it’s probably not worthwhile."

So the Nationals are apparently looking to sure up their rotation by adding a top level pitcher? The earlier signs point to David Price as their target, but Max Scherzer has also been discussed. I could see if they were sitting on just one stud pitcher like Stephen Strasburg alongside a bunch of solid options, but this rotation has Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, and Gio Gonzalez, not to mention Ross Detwiler, who is a fine 5th starter. Is there really isn’t a strong need to land a guy like Price of Scherzer? Especially at the cost of a good young bat, prized prospect AND another prospect. It’s seems like a very steep price and a bit of overkill on pitching.
Nash

Nash –
I say overkill that pitching! Shoot it, drive over it, and light it on fire just to make sure it’s killed real good. Adding either Price or Max to that rotation would be drool worthy. An added bonus is that it’d give us a heck of a lot to write about. We’d spawn (Because we’re fish? Why in the world did I type ’spawn’?) 100 posts just talking about how that staff would get them back into the hunt against the Atlanta Braves.

Gosh, it would hurt to give up Anthony Rendon though. In fact, I’m talking myself out of it right now. He’s going to be quality at 2B for the next several years. What would the Nationals do if they trade Rendon? Give Danny Espinosa another shot? I’d rather watch fish spawn.
Clave

Lol.  I just youtubed fish spawning. It ain’t pretty.  I understand that windows for winning a World Series close quickly, but not when you have Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, and Lucas Giolito as your core. Does it?  Sure it would be terrific to have four potential twenty win starters in your rotation, and it might help them get past Atlanta in that division.  However I would take my chances with the team as is.  One of the guys who writes for the Nationals said it best, “sometimes the best move is the one you don’t make.”
Nash

Nash,
We haven’t even talked about the potential of Max or Price pitching in the National League. Can you imagine Price on the mound with Cole Hamels in the box? He’d knock the bat right out of his hands! Not only would that be fantasy gold, but I’d buy a ticket to see that.

On second thought, I want Price traded to a National league team not named the Nationals, if just for Price to pitch against a hitting Strasburg. I don’t know why it’s lodged in my head that Strasburg is so feeble. I suppose it’s the Nationals handling on him, but in my mind he’s a delicate little flower.

All I know is that I’m glad this trade is total rumor nonsense, and is 93% likely to never happen. I can’t take the Hot Stove season and all these thought experiments, Nash. I can’t take it at all.
Clave

Clave,
Doesn’t Strasburg have a few career HRs?  He can handle the bat better than Nick Punto at least.   I digress.

Scherzer or Price would benefit a great deal moving to the NL.  Perhaps they make this trade, and they keep Detwiler in the rotation so they can have a nice innings cap on all their starters.  Davey Johnson is wishing he was still there so he could suggest getting both Max and Price and going 7 man rotation.  Nice slim 145 innings cap for every starter.

I am starting to feel your excitement about this type of move, but I get hung up because it stinks of a move that you or I would make in a fantasy league, not a real baseball move.  Perhaps there is just a paradigm shift going on in real baseball.  It is all about the here and now so let’s go get it!
Nash

Yikes, I forgot about the light tower power of Strasburg. My little flower has blossomed. Thanks for reminding me of that. I’m going to leave it there and let you close us out with the idea of a 7 man rotation. That’s so crazy, Nash, that it might…never actually work.
Clave

Please join us in the comments and let’s continue the banter. You can also check out some more substantiated Hot Stove news and notes at Call to the Pen.