I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I did the thing Nats fans aren’t supposed to do. Maybe it’s just a gag reflex from being a DC sports fan too long. I’m not sure. Whatever the reason, I need to apologize because during the offseason I doubted Mike Rizzo. I mean I genuinely thought he was off his rocker.
I was perusing twitter (read: frantically refreshing my feed) when I saw the move. It wasn’t the anticipated trade for Andrew McCutchen, and it wasn’t a move for a big-time pitcher. It was Lucas Giolito, AND Reynaldo Lopez, AND Dane Dunning for some guy named Adam Eaton. The doubt was certainly flowing through me.
Of course, I knew who Eaton was. His reputation for big-time defense preceded him, but I was also vaguely aware of his offensive struggles. He just seemed so blah relative to the many highly coveted prospects given up.
Rizzo also tested my faith by letting Wilson Ramos walk (happy trails Buffalo!) and taking a flyer on Matt Wieters, who was hanging out in free agency much longer than I was comfortable with. I didn’t love the idea of an injury prone catcher with only Jose Lobaton to back him up.
It may be too early in the season (or in Giolito and Lopez’s careers) to write this article, but I feel like I owe Mike an apology.
Both Eaton and Wieters have outplayed my expectations so far this season and, perhaps more importantly, fit into the chemistry of a team that seems to be clicking in the clubhouse. If they can continue to play at this level, both deals will have been (once again) excellent work by Rizzo.
One thing I won’t accept is the notion that we will need to see how Giolito, Lopez, and Dunning turn out to evaluate the Eaton trade. Giolito in particular may turn out to be a stud, and that would be tough in many ways for Nats fans. But Rizzo is more realistic than most fans. He understands that his best chance to capture a World Series will be in the next few years while he has one Bryce Harper on his roster. Wieters and Eaton were a part of win now moves, and so far, they look like they were damn good ones.
I’m sorry, Mike. I’ll try to remember you’re not Bruce Allen in the future.
Tags: Adam Eaton, Matt Wieters, Mike Rizzo, Nationals, Nats, Washington Nationals
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