Stuck in D.C. traffic? Here's your daily morning roundup.
There's obviously a downside to the Nationals' recent struggles (and, if we're being honest, their struggles since mid-May). Losing sucks, especially when the team is hoping the buzz from Stephen Strasburg's debut carries over to more fan support.
But if we're being honest, there's also a very good chance that not being in playoff contention is the best thing that could have happened for the Nationals' future. Why? For one, it ensures that Strasburg won't be overextended in his rookie year. The Nationals correctly have him on a strict innings-pitched limit as a way to protect him as a long-term investment, but it's hard to stick to that if he's your team's best pitcher in the middle of a pennant race. I for one am glad the Nationals won't have to deal with that issue right away.
For another, it means the Nationals won't make a panic trade that would rob them of their newfound organizational prospect depth. Roy Oswalt would have been nice, but he could easily have cost the Nationals a lot for a short-term fix. I'm not sure it's wise for the Nationals to be outright selling, but I for one am glad they won't be buying at this stage of their development.
So cheer up everyone. This losing streak isn't all bad.
Some must-reads from around the SB Nation network:
- Federal Baseball chats with Tyler Clippard about his mentality as a reliever and his rapport with Ivan Rodriguez, among other things.
- It appears JaVale McGee is welcoming John Wall to the Wizards in his own way.
- With the NHL Draft on the way, Japers Rink decided to have some fun with a fantasy draft of their own.
- Georgetown has a new assistant coach, and Casual Hoya approves.
- Black and Red United recaps D.C. United's 1-0 charity-match win over El Salvador.
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