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We’ve spent a decent amount of space here discussing how the Washington Nationals and Stephen Strasburg are going to negotiate the innings limit that general manager Mike Rizzo insists will go into effect, presumably in September.

Two weeks ago, I tossed out five ideas that could help Strasburg extend his season and manipulate his schedule to make sure that he could still be pitching during the Nats’ playoff run while still keeping himself under the 200-inning limit that Rizzo wants to shield his young star from. 

Those included tactics like moving to a six-man starting rotation or limiting Strasburg to 75 pitches per outing. Maybe the Nationals could pitch him solely against NL East rivals or schedule him for Fridays, as if he were playing in college again. 

But former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz, now an announcer for TBS and MLB Network, had a different proposal for limiting Strasburg’s innings that would also make him available when the Nationals are trying to clinch a division title or playoff spot and competing in the postseason. Just make an injury up, son. 

Say what now? No, seriously—this is what Smoltz said on ESPN Radio (via DC Sports Bog). 

“Honestly, I know this is gonna sound . . . well, I’m a little bit different anyways,” Smoltz told Scott Van Pelt. “I’d create my own little gap. I’d have a blister one day, maybe a hangnail the next start.

“You know, I think there’s ways to do it. And I get it—their statement is every game counts. Well, it does, but it doesn’t count as much as in September.”

Smoltz is definitely different, in that he’s being blatantly honest about how Strasburg and the Nationals are probably going to manipulate his schedule so that he can pitch in September.

He’s just the first guy who just came right out and said it. And by doing so, perhaps he also exposed what’s probably a relatively common routine in baseball. 

Manager: Hey, pitcher—how do you feel today?

Pitcher: I feel great. I feel strong. 

Manager: Are you sure?

Pitcher: Yeah, absolutely. My last bullpen went great. Was throwing free and easy.

General manager: Free and easy? Really? You didn’t feel a pinch in your shoulder?

Pitcher: What? No, I told you—I feel great.

General manager: No, you don’t look so good.

Manager: Yeah, you look tired. Look at how long it’s taking you to get dressed. Are you OK?

Pitcher: What are you talking about? I just haven’t put my shoes on yet because I’m sitting here—

General manager: No, you have a tired arm. Listen to me. Tired arm.

Pitcher: But I’m not—

Manager: Tired arm. You’re going on the DL. 

Pitcher: OK, but…can I still play golf? 

The only difference with Smoltz’s scenario is that he suggests Strasburg come up with a nagging problem that causes him to miss a start here and there. The painful blister. The dreaded hangnail. Maybe he can say he slept on his eye wrong, as Chris Brown supposedly once told Sparky Anderson.

It’s not like Smoltz is some Jim Bouton-esque whistle blower here, revealing deep, dark secrets from the clubhouse. But he did say what most everyone following this situation has been thinking.

Smoltz didn’t suggest that he or any of his teammates ever did such a thing. However, he sure seemed confident that it was something he would do if his team threatened to impose an innings limit on him.

Additionally, skipping a start here and there would be much easier to justify to the players than shutting him down in September when the team is fighting for a playoff spot. 

Smoltz went on to suggest something that I mentioned when discussing the possible argument to come over shutting Strasburg down. Rizzo began the season with the plan and apparently has every intention of sticking with it. But deep down, he probably didn’t think the Nats would jump ahead of schedule and contend for the NL East this year. 

So if Strasburg suddenly comes down with a chipped fingernail, stiff back or the aforementioned blister, we can all wink at each other with the knowledge of what’s really going on. Yep—tired arm. We’ll see you in September, sir.

Strasburg just has to make sure to fake a relatively harmless injury. Don’t say forearm tightness or bicep soreness. That will be too real and scare the hell out of everyone. 

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Stephen Strasburg’s innings limit has been one of the hotter topics in baseball, and it’s clear that the Washington Nationals will have a tough decision to make.

However, it seems like the Nationals are already preparing to move on without Strasburg.

According to MLB.com, Washington has interest in Ryan Dempster and Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez. The Nationals have John Lannan in the minors, but they would definitely benefit from trading for Dempster.

The consistent ace is 5-3 with a league-leading 1.86 ERA this year. A lot of teams will be pursuing Dempster, since Chicago is looking to stockpile prospects for future success. Washington has a great farm system, so they could definitely make a trade.

If the Nationals did trade for Dempster, they would probably have Strasburg, Dempster, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Edwin Jackson in their rotation. After Strasburg leaves, Ross Detwiler would join the rotation.

Washington would have to give up a lot, but it would definitely be worth it. Dempster is a great pitcher who could really help the Nationals. Even if the Nationals decided to keep Strasburg in the rotation, Dempster would still help the team and just make the best pitching staff in baseball even better.

The team’s four best pitchers would wreak havoc on the league and greatly enhance Washington’s chances of winning a championship. Just imagine a playoff rotation of Dempster, Gonzalez, Strasburg and Zimmerman (if Strasburg pitches). All have ERA’s under 3, and all have a WHIP under 1.12.

If the Nationals didn’t trade for Dempster, they would probably call up John Lannan to pitch in September. Lannan has had a nice career in Washington, but he is 6-8 with a 4.60 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse. Dempster is definitely better than Lannan, and he would definitely help the Nationals a lot.

Washington is known for having a young, well-rounded team. They have the lowest team ERA in baseball, even though two inconsistent pitchers, Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler, reside in their rotation. Just imagine how much better the rotation would be with Dempster, even if Strasburg gets shut down or skipped.

Dempster would welcome a trade to just about any contender, and, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, he would likely be happy with a trade to Washington. Dempster is in the last year of his contract, but Washington could re-sign him and have he, Strasburg, Zimmerman and Gonzalez dominate hitters for a couple more years.

It will take a lot, but the Nationals would definitely benefit from trading a few prospects for Dempster. Washington would undoubtedly have the best rotation in baseball during the month of August, and they would still have a great rotation without Strasburg in September. If the Nats re-signed Dempster, they’d have the best rotation for a few more years.

And it’s always good to have the best rotation. The Nationals may have the best rotation right now, but in September, their pitching will take a major hit. If Strasburg is shut down and Dempster isn’t brought in to Washington, imagine how Jackson and Detwiler would pitch in the playoffs.

I’m sure Nationals fans don’t want to imagine that. So that’s why the Nats need to bring in Dempster. 

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The Washington Nationals have been and will be an interesting team to watch.

After years of building up young talent and sending them into the farm system, Washington’s young dream team has finally been assembled. Players like Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were all drafted by Washington, and they are all making a splash.

And it wasn’t just the draft. Washington signed Jayson Werth in the 2010 offseason and traded for Gio Gonzalez in the 2011 offseason.

Now, the Nationals lead the NL East by 2.5 games, and they’re ready to fight to the finish in a tight NL East race that everyone will be talking about.

Here are the Nationals’ four biggest second-half storylines.

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Sean Burnett, the Washington Nationals’ team leader in holds in 2012, revealed to Mark Zuckerman of CSNwashington.com on Saturday that he has been dealing with elbow tightness this season. Per Zuckerman’s twitter:

Sean Burnett says he’s been dealing with elbow tightness for 6 weeks but isn’t worried: “I feel fine pitching.”

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 14, 2012

Burnett’s optimism about the tightness is a good sign, but nevertheless, tightness in the elbow is something that the Nationals training staff will continue to monitor throughout the year. 

Burnett has had a great season despite suffering for the last six weeks. He has had to step up in the bullpen for the Nats, who saw their share of injuries and inconsistency early in the season. Burnett has pitched to a 1.97 ERA while striking out 33 batters in 32 innings and allowing seven walks on the season. 

His consistency has been a relief for the Nats.

The Nationals were forced to move their 2011 holds leader, Tyler Clippard, to the closer role after Drew Storen’s injury and Henry Rodriguez and Brad Lidge’s inability to fill the vacant spot in the bullpen. The opportunity has allowed Burnett to excel, primarily in the eighth inning, for Washington.

The tightness is worth monitoring, but as long as Burnett can continue to deal with the discomfort and dominate as he has thus far, the Nationals will continue to be a difficult team to rally against in the late innings.

Follow @NargOnSports

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First-round pick Lucas Giolito and the Washington Nationals took negotiations dangerously close to the wire on Friday afternoon, but in the end they were able to agree upon a $2.925 million signing bonus, according to Keith Law:

Nats sign Giolito. $2.925 million.

— keithlaw (@keithlaw) July 13, 2012

The recommended slot bonus for the No. 16 overall pick is $2.1 million, but the Nationals needed to offer slightly more to ensure that Giolito would sign.

An elbow injury Giolito suffered in March hurt his draft stock out of high school. He was expected to be the top pitcher available but instead fell to the Nationals at No. 16.

They did not hesitate to draft him.

Giolito had encouraging words regarding his elbow injury after being drafted, saying in a conference call (h/t Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLB Trade Rumors): “I’m confident that this issue is behind me. I’m looking forward to getting on the mound soon.”

Giolito possesses a fastball that can easily touch 99 mph, though it routinely sits between 94 and 96 mph. Baseball America claims that he also throws a plus-plus curveball and a plus changeup.

It’ll be a few years before we see Giolito on the mound in Washington, but it will certainly be an exciting time for the franchise when he is ready to make his debut.

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The Washington Nationals signed pitcher Lucas Giolito to a professional contract on Friday, locking up the 16th overall from the 2012 MLB Draft (LA Times)

Lucas attended Harvard-Westlake School in southern California and was a teammate of Max Fried, the San Diego Padres‘ seventh overall pick at this year’s draft.  Giolito was clocked at 100 MPH on opening day of his senior season (Max Preps), and also has a devastating curve ball (CSN Washington). 

The 17-year-old was originally considered one of the top prospects for this year’s draft. But leading up to the draft, there were two major obstacles to his major league stardom: signability and injury history.

Signability was an issue because Major League Baseball was not the only option for Lucas Giolito after graduating from high school.  Despite being a top prospect, Giolito had already signed with in-state power UCLA.  So, the Nationals had stiff competition for this prized pitcher, in addition to the other MLB teams interested in the right-hander. 

Once the Nationals did draft Giolito, signing him to a contract would not be guaranteed. 

But General Manager Mike Rizzo was indeed able to sign Lucas Giolito.  The contract included a $2.925 million signing bonus—$800,000 over slot value for the 16th pick (Hardball Talk).  The value of the bonus increased because the contract was not signed until 30 seconds before the Friday deadline of 5:00 PM EDT.  Lucas Giolito took it all in stride, however, as told to the LA Times: “It’s pretty funny.  There was 30 seconds to go.”

So the first issue has been resolved.  That leaves Giolito’s injury history. 

Lucas sprained the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow in March, and did not pitch the rest of the season.  That is the same ligament that, if torn, would require Tommy John surgery. 

But there is hope.  According to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post, there has been slow but steady progress:

Giolito, who turns 18 on Saturday, will report to the Nationals’ complex in Viera, Fla., to continue his rehabilitation from the strained ligament injury. The Nationals will monitor Giolito and have not planned whether or not he will pitch at one of their minor league affiliates this season. Giolito has been playing long toss, but has yet to pitch off a mound. 

Once Lucas Giolito fully recovers from this injury, his biggest obstacle to major league stardom will be finding competition good enough to challenge him. 

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For the first time since their inaugural season in 2005, the Washington Nationals have been fun to watch. It’s been a grueling process, but all aspects are starting to come to fruition.

They have one of best ballparks in all of baseball, the majority of their players are homegrown and their fanbase seems to be increasing on a game-to-game basis.

The first-place Nats had to do it the old-fashioned way, lead by an old-fashioned manager Davey Johnson. Regardless if they tail off, (which could very well happen to an inexperienced team) positive strides were made to the future of the franchise in the first three months of the season.

What’s even more impressive is that a lot of the players on the roster are not even playing up to their potential.

Below are my mid-season grades for each guy on the team.

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Washington Nationals rookie Bryce Harper must be on the National League All-Star roster set to be announced on Sunday afternoon.

The 19-year-old right fielder has been a huge reason why the Nationals lead the New York Mets by 3 1/2 games in the NL East two months into the regular season. 

Harper is batting just .280 this season, but has an impressive eight home runs and 22 RBIs to his name after just 55 games with Washington and 214 appearances at the plate. 

Harper ranks 30th in the National League in batting average heading into July, 25th in on base percentage (.354) and 26th in slugging percentage (.486). Only Adam LaRoche ranks higher than Harper among Washington players this season with at least 3.1 plate appearances per game in slugging percentage.

Harper leads all other qualified hitters on the Nationals team in batting average and on base percentage. With that being said, one can make the argument that Harper has been Washington’s most consistent and important player so far in the regular season.

Harper’s .965 fielding percentage is second best on the team among players that have started more than 16 games, behind only Ian Desmond.

Although there are plenty of deserving names in the National League this season, it’s hard to find another player who has made as much of an impact as Bryce Harper has with the Washington Nationals in 2012. 

His fearless play as a teenage rookie in the Major Leagues has been refreshing to watch. His production and impact clearly warrant an All-Star nod this July. 

With that being said, it would be an absolute travesty for Harper to miss out on the NL All-Star roster on Sunday. 

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter for more reaction and opinion on the 2012 MLB All-Star Voting.

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Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson’s leadership, Bryce Harper‘s rising stock, and Stephen Strasburg‘s arm appear to have the Nats on a fast moving ride to the 2012 Major League Baseball Playoffs. The team made some strategic and painful decisions, but it’s paying off. Barring any unforeseen events, the players are built for a run in the postseason.

Lets start with Bryce, Bryce, Baby. Harper is batting a shade under .300 and is a clear All-Star this year. There’s no debate there if he’s judged on the first half of the season.  He has 50 hits and counting. You have undoubtedly heard that the kid is 19 years old. It looks like he has the complete package.

Harper is more mature as a baseball player than most teenagers his age. He proved that when he told the reporter, “That’s a clown question bro’.” He didn’t step into the trap the reporter may or may not have been setting on drinking at a younger age in other countries. He handled it well, and for that he deserves recognition.

I’ll be honest. I’m on the bandwagon. If it isn’t his team, it will be soon. Forget about the age. he possesses the attitude of the great Pete Rose. Assertive and aggressive is a good thing if you’re a hot-shot major league baseball star. And yes, I said it!  Bryce Harper is a baseball star.

He clearly has the talent. He has a rough edge, when needed, and that’s a good thing. Many major league teams are looking for a Bryce Harper. The Nats were in the right place at the right time.

Harper reminds me of Pete Rose. They have a similar body type, an NFL cornerback mold. He’s medium height, with stocky shoulders, and rough. If you kids don’t know about Rose and Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse during a 1970’s era All-Star game, look it up. That’s what I mean by rough.

The Kid also has the confidence of a young Rose. He’s never intimidated. It doesn’t matter if it’s an opposing player, the media, or his own bat! He’ll keep coming at you at 100 miles per hour. Like Rose, he knows no other way: all-or-nothing. That’s usually the attitude of a winner. Which brings me to manager Davey Johnson.

I’ll admit, I didn’t like the way he came into the picture. Former manager Jim Riggleman was kicked to the curb. It smelled bad and looked even worse. But it’s the reality if everyone has moved on, and that’s a good thing. Johnson has definitely moved on and in a big way!

Johnson has the team looking like it’s playoff quality, and that says a lot given where they’ve come from over the past few years. Teams losing 100 games a year usually don’t turn it around like the Nats have, but that’s exactly what General Manager Mike Rizzo has done. He ignored the haters out there, and it paid off. And boy were there haters. If you lose 100 games in a season, the haters are part of the territory, unfortunately.

Johnson is one of the most respected baseball minds in history. He’s has the playing career to back it up. Those 1970’s Baltimore Orioles teams were some of the best in MLB history, and Johnson was the starting second baseman. He’s been there, and some.

The 1970’s Orioles had several 20-game winners, a Hall of Fame third baseman in Brooks Robinson, a fiery manager, and World Series accomplishment. Johnson knows how to win and that’s contagious with a young team like the Nat’s. The kids like rings. They like winning. They like championships. This group looks special.

Too bad it didn’t work out for Johnson as manger of the O’s. He got them into the playoffs in the late 90’s, but it wasn’t enough for Owner Peter Angelos. Johnson left, and the O’s went into a steep decline and only recently began climbing out of the cellar. I suspect Angelos feels he made a mistake.

Davey can pull out the World Series ring and show the kids what it looks like; what it feels like. That’s a lot. Many managers can’t do that, at least not yet. Pat Riley pulls out his Lakers Championship rings if he has to make a point. It is quite effective.

In the eyes of many, Strasburg may be the best pitcher in baseball, if not in the top 3. His commanding pitching style is something we don’t see that often in this league. They come around every now and then. He has “it.” Every team needs an ace, Strasburg is all that and a helluva lot more.

He throws in the mid-to-high 90’s and appears untouchable at times. The velocity is hard to contend with if you’re a hitter. How can anyone hit that? It seems almost impossible. Occasionally, he’ll have a rough outing, but very few teams have been able to hit his pitching with any consistency.

If you’re going to make it to the playoffs, you’ll need pitching. Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez are winning games. They’re on a roll and moving fast. With two solid signal callers and a couple of role players on the pitching staff, they look good to go.

Desmond, LaRoche, and the boys are red hot. it looks like a new team. Perhaps it was a matter of the team coming together, finally, with new, solid dugout leadership. It could be the continued development of a young dominating pitcher. Maybe it is the infusion of a young aggressive teenager into the outfield.

Perhaps it’ll be a combination of all of the above that has Washington D.C. fans gearing up for the playoffs in the Nation’s Capital.

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Bryce Harper is a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, and speculation swirled when he was drafted that he’d someday like to play for his favorite team.

On June 29, he instantly put all those rumors to rest:

You look at Cal Ripken. You look at Derek Jeter. You look at all the greats that played for one team their whole career. I want to be like that. I’ve always wanted to be like that. I’ve always wanted to play with that same team.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post gives a fantastic, full-length look at Harper’s daily life in Washington, looking into the much smaller details of why Harper loves the city.

Harper may be just 19 years old, but he knows exactly where he wants to be 15 years down the line. Kilgore put it best in his story:

[Harper] remains a 19-year-old who could be in college but is instead living alone in a top-story apartment in Pentagon City, a $9.9 million contract in his pocket and a $20 Weber grill on the balcony. He does his own laundry, except when his father visits. When he is bored, he goes shopping in Georgetown. He thinks of Washington as home with a surprising—or, for the Nationals and their fans, encouraging—degree of permanence.

Harper truly appreciates Washington and the fans of the Nationals and wants to do everything possible to give back to them, as well as others in need of assistance.

Take his “clown question, bro” statement. Just for fun, the Denver Beer Company created a beer with the same name—a beer that Harper himself is not old enough to drink.

On June 25, Harper learned of Denver-area police officer Celena Hollis, a woman who was killed in the line of duty. She left behind a 12-year-old daughter that she cared for on her own.

Harper’s response was to suggest that the profits be donated from the just-for-fun beer to a memorial fund to support Hollis’ daughter.

Charitable acts like this will do well to keep Harper in good standing with the city and MLB fans nationwide, although he is not just going out of his way to be charitable.

Ron Harper, Bryce’s father, believes that his son is “as loyal as they come” and says that his son spoke of Washington as his home.

With Harper comfortable in Washington, there’s good reason to believe that his production will only continue to improve.

As of Saturday morning, Harper owns a line of .280/.354/.486 with eight home runs and 22 RBI.

Harper has been a savior for Washington, both on and off the field. He, the Nationals and the city will continue to enjoy great things for as long as Harper wears the red, navy and white.

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