Owner Mark Lerner and GM Mike Rizzo in a suite (Photo by Sol Tucker)
“Maybe Tomorrow” was a song in a movie, and when you cannot control a situation, you just hope that maybe tomorrow was worth the waiting for what you were waiting for. There was a riddle in the newest Mission Impossible sequel, “Always approaching but never arrives.” The answer was “tomorrow.” Washington Nationals fans hope for an arrival.
At this point, you would think that general manager Mike Rizzo knows the players he wants from the remaining pool. Getting to that point is taking a long time. There are still well over 150 registered free agents still out there on the market. At some point it will become musical chairs — but we are far from that point right now.
In January 2015, the Nationals were not linked to Max Scherzer in his free agency. Former Nats’ owner, Ted Lerner, got a phone call from agent Scott Boras that changed everything about the future of the Nats. At the time, $210 million was the largest deal ever for a pitcher. Why do I mention this? The only way to change Rizzo’s thinking is if Boras calls Ted’s son, Mark, and gets him to sign one of his top free agents. Otherwise, it looks like tomorrow might be more signings like Nick Senzel, and rightfully, Nats fans fear they will have to debate a signing of Joey Gallo or Daniel Vogelbach as the final bat with Dallas Keuchel as the starting pitcher.
Yes, that Scherzer contract was criticized by many when it was made official, and in a poll of MLB executives during Spring Training of 2015, Scherzer was voted as the worst free agent signing of that off-season by a wide margin.
“Ted Lerner went out and signed Max Scherzer, and gave him a record contract, record years, and he was annihilated for it! They told him that was a mistake. That was an overpay!”
— Boras said years ago
The hope is that the Lerner son, becomes his father, and steps up, and makes a move that nobody expected — and Nats fans celebrate as a victory.
