Biographical

Portrait of Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond SSNationals

Nationals Player Cards | Nationals Team Audit | Nationals Depth Chart

2013 Projections (seasonal age 27) - Rest of Season Projections
PA AVG HR R RBI SB TAv WARP
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Birth Date9-20-1985
Height6' 2"
Weight210 lbs
Age27 years, 8 months, 5 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
0.42009
1.12010
1.62011
1.92012
2.82013
+proj

Standard

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB BB SO HBP SF SH RBI SB CS AVG OBP SLG TAv VORP FRAA WARP
2009 WAS 23 21 89 82 9 23 7 2 4 46 5 14 0 1 1 12 1 0 .280 .318 .561 .284 5.4 -1.6 0.4
2010 WAS 24 154 574 525 59 141 27 4 10 206 28 109 5 7 9 65 17 5 .269 .308 .392 .252 18.1 -8.6 1.1
2011 WAS 25 154 639 584 65 148 27 5 8 209 35 139 4 5 11 49 25 10 .253 .298 .358 .245 18.6 -3.6 1.6
2012 WAS 26 130 547 513 72 150 33 2 25 262 30 113 3 1 0 73 21 6 .292 .335 .511 .290 32.5 -14.6 1.9
2013 WAS 27 47 190 178 19 47 14 2 6 83 9 46 0 3 0 20 5 1 .264 .295 .466 .271 9.3 -1.2 0.9
Career5062039188222450910815538061074211217212196922.270.311.428.26384.0-29.65.9

Advanced

'opp' stats - quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
YEAR Team Lg G PA TAv oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG oppTAv BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ FRAA BRR BVORP BWARP VORP WARP
2004 VER A- 4 13 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .222 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2005 SAV A 73 320 .223 .260 .333 .389 .000 .292 100 -9.9 6.2 3.3 -3.0 3.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2005 POT A+ 55 248 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .315 0.0 -5.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2006 POT A+ 92 408 .240 .258 .333 .384 .000 .287 98 -7.6 9.5 4.7 -11.7 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2006 HAR AA 37 132 .168 .253 .328 .394 .000 .239 107 -11 3.2 1.5 -4.4 -0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2007 POT A+ 129 536 .276 .261 .332 .390 .000 .307 101 9.7 15.0 7.4 8.1 -3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2008 HAR AA 93 364 .241 .267 .337 .407 .000 .289 104 -7.5 10.2 4.9 3.1 -0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2008 NAT Rk 3 13 .283 .265 .356 .391 .000 .455 106 0.4 0.4 0.2 -0.7 -0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2009 WAS MLB 21 89 .284 .258 .322 .404 .000 .292 101 2.3 2.5 0.8 -1.6 -0.0 5.4 0.4 5.4 0.4
2009 HAR AA 42 189 .301 .270 .337 .417 .000 .368 101 7.9 5.1 2.4 0.5 -1.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2009 SYR AAA 55 205 .316 .262 .329 .393 .000 .413 102 12.3 5.7 2.7 -2.3 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2010 WAS MLB 154 574 .252 .255 .315 .394 .000 .317 101 -4.9 16.1 7.2 -8.6 1.6 18.1 1.1 18.1 1.1
2011 WAS MLB 154 639 .245 .252 .310 .389 .000 .317 99 -9.3 11.0 7.9 -3.6 4.8 18.6 1.6 18.6 1.6
2012 WAS MLB 130 547 .290 .252 .309 .400 .000 .332 100 16.1 9.4 6.8 -14.6 1.1 32.5 1.9 32.5 1.9
2013 WAS MLB 47 190 .271 .247 .303 .387 .251 .318 100 2 5.2 2.4 -1.2 0.5 9.3 0.9 9.3 0.9
CareerMLB2039.261.253.311.394.254.3201012.252.025.2-28.87.780.05.480.05.4

Statistics For All Levels

Year Team Lg PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO TAv VORP FRAA WARP
2004 VER A- 13 2 3 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 1 .250 .308 .500 .250 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0
2005 SAV A 320 37 73 10 2 4 23 13 60 20 6 .247 .288 .334 .088 .223 0.0 -3.0 0.0
2005 POT A+ 248 37 56 13 3 3 15 21 53 13 6 .256 .320 .384 .128 .000 0.0 -5.3 0.0
2006 POT A+ 408 50 89 20 2 9 45 29 79 14 8 .244 .314 .384 .140 .240 0.0 -11.7 0.0
2006 HAR AA 132 8 22 4 1 0 3 5 35 4 1 .182 .205 .231 .050 .168 0.0 -4.4 0.0
2007 POT A+ 536 69 121 30 4 13 45 57 99 27 11 .264 .355 .432 .168 .276 0.0 8.1 0.0
2008 NAT Rk 13 1 5 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 0 .385 .385 .462 .077 .283 0.0 -0.7 0.0
2008 HAR AA 364 42 81 14 0 12 44 31 78 12 8 .251 .315 .406 .155 .241 0.0 3.1 0.0
2009 WAS MLB 89 9 23 7 2 4 12 5 14 1 0 .280 .318 .561 .280 .284 5.4 -1.6 0.4
2009 HAR AA 189 29 52 12 1 6 18 16 40 13 4 .306 .370 .494 .188 .301 0.0 0.5 0.0
2009 SYR AAA 205 25 63 12 2 1 14 20 31 8 1 .354 .420 .461 .107 .316 0.0 -2.3 0.0
2010 WAS MLB 574 59 141 27 4 10 65 28 109 17 5 .269 .308 .392 .124 .252 18.1 -8.6 1.1
2011 WAS MLB 639 65 148 27 5 8 49 35 139 25 10 .253 .298 .358 .104 .245 18.6 -3.6 1.6
2012 WAS MLB 547 72 150 33 2 25 73 30 113 21 6 .292 .335 .511 .218 .290 32.5 -14.6 1.9
2013 WAS MLB 190 19 47 14 2 6 20 9 46 5 1 .264 .295 .466 .202 .271 9.3 -1.2 0.9

Injury History beta

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2012-08-23 2012-08-26 DTD 3 0 Right Thigh Strain Hamstring - -
2012-07-22 2012-08-17 15-DL 26 0 Left Abdomen Strain Oblique -
2012-07-18 2012-07-19 DTD 1 0 Left Abdomen Soreness Oblique -
2012-07-15 2012-07-17 DTD 2 0 Left Abdomen Strain Oblique - -
2012-07-07 2012-07-07 DTD 0 0 Left Abdomen Strain Oblique - -
2012-06-16 2012-06-16 DTD 0 0 Left Abdomen Soreness Oblique - -
2011-06-29 2011-06-29 DTD 0 0 Left Thigh Soreness Quadriceps -
2011-06-19 2011-06-21 DTD 2 1 Left Thigh Soreness Quadriceps -
2011-05-14 2011-05-16 DTD 2 2 Left Thigh Strain Quadriceps -
2010-09-06 2010-09-06 DTD 0 0 - Thigh Strain Hamstring -
2010-08-23 2010-08-24 DTD 1 1 - Thumb Soreness -
2009-04-18 2009-06-07 Minors 50 0 Left Wrist Surgery Hamate 2009-04-23
2009-02-19 2009-02-26 Camp 7 0 Left Wrist Soreness -
2008-06-01 2008-07-21 Minors 50 0 Left Wrist Fracture Hamate -
2006-05-09 2006-05-16 Minors 7 0 Not Disclosed -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2014 WAS $
2013 WAS $3,800,000
2012 WAS $512,500
2011 WAS $441,500
2010 WAS $400,000
YearsDescriptionSalary
3 yrPrevious$1,354,000
2011Current$3,800,000
4 yrPvs + Cur$5,154,000
4 yrTotal$5,154,000

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
3 y 27 dDoug Rogalski1 year/$3.8M (2013)

Details
  • 1 year/$3.8M (2013). Re-signed by Washington 1/18/13 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$0.5125M (2012). Re-signed by Washington 3/2/12.
  • 1 year/$0.4415M (2011). Re-signed by Washington 3/2/11.
  • 1 year/$0.4M (2010). Re-signed by Washington 2/10.
  • 1 year/$0.4M (2009). Contract purchased by Washington 11/10/08. Re-signed by Washington 2/14/09.
  • Drafted by Montreal 2004 (3-84) (Sarasota HS, Fla.). $0.43M signing bonus.

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Platoon

SORT_FIELD PLATOON AVG OBP SLG TAv
10 vs L (Multi) .277 .320 .489 .275
11 vs R (Multi) .277 .319 .436 .267
18 Split (Multi) -.000 -.002 -.053 -.008
19 LgAvg (Multi) -.014 -.024 -.036 -.020
30 vs L (2012) .303 .331 .571 .297
31 vs R (2012) .289 .336 .492 .288
38 Split (2012) -.013 .005 -.079 -.009
39 LgAvg (2012) -.013 -.022 -.038 -.020

BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

Ian Desmond is referenced in the following articles.

BP Premium requires BP Premium access to view, BP Fantasy requires BP Premium or BP Fantasy access to view

  Title Author Date
This article requires BP Premium accessDaily Roundup: Around the League: May 12th, 2013Clint Chisam2013-05-12
This article requires BP Premium accessDaily Roundup: Around the League: May 11, 2013Clint Chisam2013-05-11
This article requires BP Premium accessDaily Roundup: Around the League: May 2, 2013Clint Chisam2013-05-02
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for April 20Larry Granillo2013-04-21
This article requires BP Premium accessDaily Roundup: Around the League: April 16, 2013Clint Chisam2013-04-16
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessRoto Restart: Re-ranking the Middle InfieldersPaul Singman2013-04-12
This article requires BP Premium accessDaily Roundup: Around the League: April 11, 2013Clint Chisam2013-04-11
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for April 9Larry Granillo2013-04-10
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for April 6Larry Granillo2013-04-07
Fantasy Mailbag: A Trout/Cabrera Tandem?BP Fantasy Team2013-04-05
Daily Roundup: Around the League: April 3, 2013Joe Hamrahi2013-04-03
Daily Roundup: Around the League: April 3, 2013Clint Chisam2013-04-03
Fantasy Mailbag: Profar or Taveras?BP Fantasy Team2013-03-22
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Tier Rankings: ShortstopsPaul Singman2013-03-22
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Freestyle: 4x4 Versus 5x5Mike Gianella2013-03-15
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Auction Values: Second Edition, February 25Mike Gianella2013-02-25
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessPre-Season Positional Rankings: Top 15 Fantasy ShortstopsPaul Singman2013-02-20
This article requires BP Premium accessArbitration Showdown: Mock Hearing: Jason HammelBen Lindbergh2013-02-05
This article requires BP Premium accessArbitration Showdown: Mock Hearing: Jason HammelIan Miller2013-02-05
This article requires BP Premium accessArbitration Showdown: Mock Hearing: Jason HammelDoug Thorburn2013-02-05
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessThe Keeper Reaper: Starting Pitching for 1/31/13Paul Sporer2013-01-31
This article requires BP Premium accessRumor Roundup: Tuesday, January 22Daniel Rathman2013-01-22
This article requires BP Premium accessSkewed Left: Washington's Winning Way with TradesZachary Levine2013-01-17
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessThe Keeper Reaper: Second, Short, and Catcher for 1/7/13Josh Shepardson2013-01-07
This article requires BP Premium accessIn A Pickle: Slugger OffJason Wojciechowski2012-12-28
This article requires BP Premium accessRumor Roundup: Wednesday, November 14Daniel Rathman2012-11-14
This article requires BP Premium accessCollateral Damage: 2012 Year-End Injury Summary: NL EastCorey Dawkins2012-11-14
This article requires BP Premium accessCollateral Damage: 2012 Year-End Injury Summary: NL EastStephani Bee2012-11-14
This article requires BP Premium accessOn the Beat: The All-Major League Baseball TeamJohn Perrotto2012-11-08
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessResident Fantasy Genius: The Ones We Got WrongDerek Carty2012-10-29
The Week In Quotes: October 8-14Jonah Birenbaum2012-10-15
The Week In Quotes: October 8-14Matthew Rocco2012-10-15
The Week In Quotes: October 8-14Hudson Belinsky2012-10-15
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This article requires BP Premium accessPlayoff Prospectus: NLCS Game Two Preview: Cardinals at GiantsDaniel Rathman2012-10-15
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This article requires BP Premium accessPlayoff Prospectus: NLDS Game 4 Preview: Cardinals at NationalsDaniel Rathman2012-10-11
This article requires BP Premium accessPlayoff Prospectus: NLDS Game Three Preview: Cardinals at NationalsDaniel Rathman2012-10-10
This article requires BP Premium accessPlayoff Prospectus: NLDS Game Two Preview: Nationals at CardinalsDaniel Rathman2012-10-08
The Week In Quotes: October 1-7Hudson Belinsky2012-10-08
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This article requires BP Premium accessPlayoff Prospectus: Cardinals-Nationals Division Series PreviewR.J. Anderson2012-10-07
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This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessResident Fantasy Genius: The 2012 Fantasy Fantasy AwardsDerek Carty2012-10-01
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for September 22Larry Granillo2012-09-23
What You Need to Know: Monday, September 17Daniel Rathman2012-09-17
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for September 13Larry Granillo2012-09-14
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for September 10Larry Granillo2012-09-11
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for September 5Larry Granillo2012-09-06
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Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for September 4Larry Granillo2012-09-05
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for August 21Larry Granillo2012-08-22
What You Need to Know: Tuesday, August 21Daniel Rathman2012-08-21
What You Need to Know: Monday, August 20Daniel Rathman2012-08-20
This article requires BP Premium accessOverthinking It: Running, But Running Out of Time, in the NL EastBen Lindbergh2012-08-16
This article requires BP Premium accessOut of Left Field: The Choices of RigglemanMatthew Kory2012-08-13
This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction Analysis: Busy Week at the Ol' Scrap HeapR.J. Anderson2012-08-07
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessValue Picks: Second, Short, and Catcher for 7/30/12Josh Shepardson2012-07-30
The Week In Quotes: July 2-July 8Hudson Belinsky2012-07-09
The Week In Quotes: July 2-July 8Andrew Koo2012-07-09
The Week In Quotes: July 2-July 8Jonah Birenbaum2012-07-09
The Week In Quotes: July 2-July 8Matthew Rocco2012-07-09
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Beat: Is Elliot Johnson for Real?Jason Collette2012-07-05
What You Need to Know: Tuesday, July 3Daniel Rathman2012-07-03
This article requires BP Premium accessWhat the Contenders Need: NL EastJeff Euston2012-07-03
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Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for June 19Larry Granillo2012-06-20
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for June 16Larry Granillo2012-06-17
Tater Trot Tracker: Trot Times for June 13Larry Granillo2012-06-14
This article requires BP Premium accessManufactured Runs: What We Really Know About the ShiftColin Wyers2012-06-06
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The BP First Take: Tuesday, January 10Daniel Rathman2012-01-10
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This article requires BP Premium accessKiss'Em Goodbye: Washington NationalsSteven Goldman2011-09-14
This article requires BP Premium accessKiss'Em Goodbye: Washington NationalsESPN Insider2011-09-14
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This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Beat: The Impact of September Call-upsJason Collette2011-08-26
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This article requires BP Premium accessCollateral Damage: Nicasio's NeckBen Lindbergh2011-08-08
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This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Catcher, Second Base, and ShortstopMichael Jong2010-09-07
On the Beat: Playing from BehindJohn Perrotto2010-08-25
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Catcher, Second Base, and ShortstopMichael Jong2010-08-24
This article requires BP Premium accessChanging Speeds: The Golden GenerationKen Funck2010-08-19
This article requires BP Fantasy or Premium accessFantasy Beat: Hot Spots: Catcher, Second Base, and ShortstopMichael Jong2010-08-17
This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction Action: The National Redistribution EffortKevin Goldstein2010-07-30
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The Week In Quotes: June 7-13Alex Carnevale2010-06-14
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Game Story: Nats at MetsChristina Kahrl2010-04-11
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This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction Action: Senior Circuitry, East and CentralChristina Kahrl2010-01-04
Prospectus Q&A: Best Q&A Quotes of 2009David Laurila2009-12-30
Prospectus Q&A: Jim RigglemanDavid Laurila2009-12-27
Prospectus Q&A: Ryan KalishDavid Laurila2009-11-12
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock Blog: Kevin Goldstein2009-11-06
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock Blog: October 29Kevin Goldstein2009-10-29
This article requires BP Premium accessWinter League Preview: The Dominican LeagueCarlos J. Lugo2009-10-18
This article requires BP Premium accessKiss'Em Goodbye: Washington NationalsBaseball Prospectus2009-09-20
Prospectus Hit List: Comebacks and ShutdownsJay Jaffe2009-09-18
Future Shock: Great Leaps Forward, NLKevin Goldstein2009-09-17
This article requires BP Premium accessOn the Beat: Midweek UpdateJohn Perrotto2009-09-16
Prospectus Q&A: Ian DesmondDavid Laurila2009-09-13
This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction Action: NL RoundupChristina Kahrl2009-09-10
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: Monday Ten PackKevin Goldstein2009-08-24
This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction Action: Assorted National League MovesChristina Kahrl2009-08-06
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock Blog: June 17Kevin Goldstein2009-06-17
This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction Analysis: Eastern PromisesChristina Kahrl2009-03-24
This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction of the Day: The Olsen and Willingham DealChristina Kahrl2008-11-11
This article requires BP Premium accessSchrodinger's Bat: Flashing Leather Down on the FarmDan Fox2008-02-21
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: State of the Systems, NL EastKevin Goldstein2007-05-09
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: Hawaiian Winter LeagueKevin Goldstein2006-09-29
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: Two Steps Back, NLKevin Goldstein2006-09-12
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: Division Roundup, NL EastKevin Goldstein2006-08-02
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: Division Roundup, NL East, 6/20/06Kevin Goldstein2006-06-20
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: NL East RoundupKevin Goldstein2006-05-02
This article requires BP Premium accessTransaction Analysis: March 17-26Christina Kahrl2006-03-27
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: How Do Teams Draft?Kevin Goldstein2006-03-27
This article requires BP Premium accessFuture Shock: State of the Systems: NL EastKevin Goldstein2006-03-09


BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2011-09-06 14:00:00With Strasburg back and Zimmerman in the fold am I crazy for thinking that a good lefty bat would make the Nationals contenders next year?
(Steve N from Delaware)
How was the hurricane for you in Delaware? I hear a lot about SC, NY, NJ, VT, but not so much about Delaware... Does your lefty bat mean that Davey Johnson won't be leading off Ian Desmond and his .290 OBP? What's up with that? He used to be such a brilliant manager. Except for that whole letting Dwight Gooden pitch to Mike Scioscia in '88 thing... (Steven Goldman)
2011-05-05 13:00:00Ian Desmond has hit the ball well and looked very good in the field since the birth of his child. How possible do you think it is that players can play poorly due to external factors, and how often do you think it happens, without us noticing?
(Charlie from Bethesda, MD)
I've said this before, so forgive me. If you're watching the Tigers game, Kelly just dove for a ball and missed, allowing Eric Chavez a triple (Chavez was so unused to running that hard that he's apparently hurt himself--surprise!). One of my favorite Casey Stengel lines is something he said in praise of Joe DiMaggio, that DiMaggio never dove because he knew he wasn't going swimming. At first it might seem odd that a manager would praise a player for NOT diving, but if you think about it, it's better fundamental baseball not to, because if you don't dive you have a single, if you do dive and miss you have a triple, as we saw here.

As to your question, a good one, I think it happens all the time. Players are like us--they have off-field issues all the time that serve as distractions, and some are better at screening those out than others. (Steven Goldman)
2011-05-18 13:00:00Are Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa going to hit this year?
(Charlie from Bethesda, MD)
Espinosa yet, Desmond no. I think Espinosa is going to be one of those guys who quietly has a very good career. (John Perrotto)
2011-03-08 14:00:00In a NFBC 15 Team (Mixed) format how would you approach the limited SS position?
(bfitzge3 from Upstate NY)
Obviously getting Hanley or Tulo in the early going would be ideal, but I'm leery of the Reyes/Jeter/Rollins group this year for various reasons... too much uncertainty with all three. I'd rather wait a few more rounds and try for a Stephen Drew or Alexei Ramirez, or go a little deeper for Ian Desmond. (Cory Schwartz)
2010-12-07 13:00:00Do the Nationals have a plan for creating an effective lineup or are they simply throwing tons of cash at whoever is willing to play for a 90-loss team? RH-heavy and still quite a weak infield
(Markol19 from Virginia)
The Nationals have tried to acquire every other major free agent that has been available the past few seasons, and they finally got one of them to sign a contract. They know how to identify hitters at least, but if they are thinking about trading Ian Desmond with the state of the shortstop market, and are looking for defense at first, then I'm not really sure what it is they think they are doing. (Marc Normandin)
2010-12-02 13:00:00For a year where there weren't any SS to be had, it sure appears like there are a lot of SS to be had. Bartlett, Hardy, Drew, Alexei Ramirez, Jeter!, OCab, then on through to Ian Desmond, Nishioka, Brendan Ryan, Ryan Theriot, and down to Punto, Tejada, Augie Ojada and anyone else. Was it a bad year for SS, or just for decent ones?
(Cris E from St Paul, MN)
Some of those names said to be available I just don't quite get -- not that you're wrong in naming them. Why wouldn't a team want to keep guys like Drew or Ramirez, given how rare any offensive production from a shortstop has become? There's a lot of guys out there, but not too many I like.

Going from Ryan to Theriot mystifies me, BTW, because Ryan's glove is a godsend behind all those groundball pitchers in Busch, and it's not like Theriot is Arky Vaughan or something. I can see trying to upgrade on offense, but I'm not convincd the possible improvement at the plate is worth the defensive hit. (Ken Funck)
2010-12-02 13:00:00Will Ian Desmond mature into a decent hitting SS with a solid glove to complement his range?
(Charlie from Bethesda)
I actually wrote his comment in last year's annual, so let's see what Ken had to say last winter:

"If Desmond sticks he should provide double digits in homers and steals as well as adequate glove work. Last year’s offensive breakout was a bit of a mirage produced by a BABIP north of .400, and his non-descript walk rate precludes any chance he’ll become a valuable table-setter, but a broad-based tool set gives him a good chance to become more than just standard middle-infield filler."

I have to say, a year later, I still agree with me. I guess that means I'm saying "yes". (Ken Funck)
2010-10-20 13:00:00Do you think Ian Desmond has the potential that the organization seems to think he has?
(Charlie from Bethesda, MD)
The errors trouble me, the lack of selectivity troubles me, but as Christina pointed out in her aforementioned GM for a Day piece, putting Desmond and Danny Espinosa together up the middle seems like a no-brainer, a chance to have some above-average pop at those positions. As she said, they're not going to be Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell (Trammell for the Hall of Fame NOW!) but they don't need to be. (Steven Goldman)
2010-09-13 13:00:00What do you think of the Ian Desmond - Danny Espinosa middle infield combo? It seems to me the Nats will have quite the infield for years to come, no matter who's on first
(Charlie from Bethesda, MD)
Meh, they look stopgappy to me. Desmond seems competent enough but he's going to have to get that OBP above league average for me to be at all impressed; .320 with a 4/1 K/BB ratio doesn't cut it. And as I pointed out in last week's NL Hit List, Espinosa's translations for his minor league work come out to a .208 True Average. I think it's dangerous to get too excited about his hot start at the big league level - call it the Taylor Teagarden effect. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-05-05 13:00:00I'm staring at using Alex Escobar or Ian Desmond every day at SS in an OBP/SLG redraft league. Maintain the course with two of my favorite preseason SS sleepers, or upgrade quickly?
(Will from Mactaquac)
I would upgrade if you can, but SS is an easy position to punt as well. I have Cesar Izturis in an AL-only league and don't even feel bad about it. (Marc Normandin)
2010-01-28 14:00:00What do you think of the job Mike Rizzo has done so far digging out from the Jim Bowden era in DC
(Drew W from NoVA)
Hard to say so far, although I like some things well enough. It isn't like picking Stephen Strasburg was all that surprising, however much phony drama was invested in the "will they/won't they" buildup. I'm glad to see Ian Desmond taken seriously, but Danny Espinosa's already coming into the picture, making for a nice problem to have. Weeping over the "expense" of employing Pudge seems overstated, there seems to be something coherent about what they're doing with the pitching staff (unlike Bowden's 'try everything' approach). We'll see, but I'm hopeful, and there really wasn't anywhere to go but up. (Christina Kahrl)
2010-01-28 14:00:00Hi CK - Love it! Any prospects that you have unexplained affinities for?
(iorg34 from Minny)
Todd Frazier, because the bat will play. I find myself hoping Zack Cozart gets taken seriously, given that Paul Janish isn't really a solution, and I'm interested in how Tommy Manzella pans out. It's hard not to like Scott Sizemore and Alex Avila for the Tigers. I'm interested in seeing how Jose Ceda's comeback goes. I think this is the year for Brandon Wood, or at least I hope so. I root for Hank Conger. I'm more fond of Ian Desmond and Shairon Martis than probably makes sense. (Christina Kahrl)
2009-12-01 13:00:00Is Ian Desmond good enough to be the starting SS for the Nats? Or should they be looking for a short term fill-in?
(Charlie from Bethesda, MD)
Word on the street (which in part I think I heard from you, actually) is that he can field very well, and though it goes without saying he won't slug .561 in 2010 if he plays everyday, as long as he's passable at the plate and can field he's a valuable SS. (Marc Normandin)
2009-10-13 14:00:00What are your thoughts on Ian Desmond? Does his surprising September power help his case to start?
(Charlie from Bethesda)
I really like Desmond, and don't think his power spike's a transient phenomenon. Given that this ballclub just wasted more than two-thirds of a season's second-base starts on Andy Hernandez, Alberto Gonzalez, and Pete Orr, I think Desmond's bid for a middle-infield job should be on next year's list of "make it so." (Christina Kahrl)
2009-10-05 16:00:00Is Ian Desmond a future starting SS? By that I mean a decent one, because I suppose I could start if management was stupid enough.
(Charlie from Bethesda, MD)
If I'm the Nationals he's my opening day SS next year, or goes into spring training with the job to lose. They'll be in a position to give Desmond a shot, and they really need to given that his 21 games this season is by no means a large enough sample to derive anything from. If Kevin Goldstein says he has the tools and could be a solid SS, I have no reason to think otherwise. (Eric Seidman)
2009-09-17 14:00:00What is your take on Ian Desmond?
(jon from Se)
I kind of believe it. The tools where always there -- I'd certainly give him a long look if I was Washington. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-09-08 13:00:00What are your thoughts on Ian Desmond? Is he a starting SS for the next couple of years? Can he hit enough to start?
(Charlie from Bethesda)
He's had a pretty good year at two levels, but a lot of it is BABIP fueled. I'd like to see a repeat performance before I anoint him as a useful major league starter, especially given his numbers prior to 2009. How is his glove supposed to be? Shortstop is such a terrible offensive position that he doesn't need to hit to be a good starter. (Marc Normandin)
2009-09-08 13:00:00Ian Desmond is supposedly a GREAT fielder. Rangy with a nasty arm. So what are the chances that the Nats will have three real good defenders (him, Zim and Morgan) and move Guzman to 2B? Seems like the way to go...
(Charlie from Bethesda)
If he can field that well, then bring him up. If he's not a good hitter, he may not become one either, so if he's an upgrade due to the glove, let him at it. (Marc Normandin)


BP Roundtables

DateRoundtable NameComment
2010-04-05 09:30:00Season Opener RoundtableDPOTD #6 (featuring twice-busted prospect Paul Strand) is up, now loading up MLB.tv. "Congratulations! Our records indicate that you reside within the continental United States! This game is blacked out, as are all other games! You're probably wondering what isn't blacked out. So are we."

Nice sequence in the Phillies-Nats game, E6 on Ian Desmond, Jimmy Rollins tries to score from second on the misplay, out at the plate. (Steven Goldman)
 

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