Max Scherzer has signed on the dotted line and the Washington Nationals are the new favorite to win it all in 2015. Considering the Nats won the NL East by a whopping 17 games last season, it would nothing less than shocking if they aren’t at the very least a playoff team.
Conventional wisdom now suggests the Nationals will be moving a starting pitcher between now and the start of the new baseball season. That makes sense, as the present rotation would have Gio Gonzalez in the #5 slot, which is an absolutely harrowing scenario for opposing lineups. Tanner Roark, off his breakout 2014, would be odd man out. So the widespread speculation is that a deal is forthcoming.
I’m not arguing against a trade taking place, but I’m not as positive as most that it will happen. First off, even though free agent to be Jordan Zimmermann is the most likely trade piece, there’s not a chance the Nationals will just give him away. With that impending free agency, the market might not be deep and obtaining proper value in return might be difficult.
Here’s another possibility. There has been some thought among more than a few analysts that six-man rotations are on the horizon. Less workload for the starters is a benefit, at least in the minds of many. Also, with the addition of the second wild card, the first and foremost idea is now simply to qualify for the playoffs. Certainly it’s beneficial to win the division and avoid the dreaded play-in game. But we just saw a World Series with two wild card entries playing for the marbles. That result might influence some teams to believe that keeping the arms healthy for the post season is more important than extending them to try and win the division.
I’m not saying this is the road the Nats will travel this season. But I think it’s a possibility. They’ve got what would be a monstrous six-man roll right off the bat. And with what they just invested in Scherzer, they might just love the idea of less annual innings in hopes of extending his peak level for an extra season or two.
This is definitely food for thought. Make no mistake, I absolutely believe the six-man rotation is on the way. It’s just a question whether or not we see it happen now with the Nationals or later with someone else. But this is the next evolutionary step in baseball, and my belief is it’s going to happen sooner than later.
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