It won’t be too long now before Nationals’ General Manager Mike Rizzo has completed the revamping of the team’s lineup.
Whether or not he succeeds in finding that top-of-the-rotation starter, that extra reliever or a thumping first baseman, won’t be known for some time yet.
For the most part, Nationals’ fans are a forgiving lot. Over the years, both Rizzo and former GM Jim Bowden have made some pretty bad personnel moves and they all were taken in stride.
Last season, however, fans lost patience with center fielder Nyjer Morgan.
If you look up "circuitous" in the dictionary, its definition reads, “The way that outfielder Nyjer Morgan runs towards fly balls.”
Morgan is also listed as a definition for “temper tantrum” and “fighting.”
But fans lived with all of the Morganisms as long as he hit. When that stopped, so did the fan’s patience.
See, Nationals’ fans have grown weary with the cadre of players the team has used in center field since 2005.
In the team’s final season in Montreal, Brad Wilkerson hit 32 home runs. In his first year in Washington, he batted .248-11-57. He was sent packing as part of the Alfonso Soriano trade that winter.
Late in 2005, Marlon Byrd played well in a late season trial and earned at least part of the center field job in 2006. He disappointed, batting only .223/.317/.350.
Nook Logan replaced him late in the season and batted .300/.350/.349, earning the job in 2007. It didn't work. He batted just .265 with a .304 on-base percentage and was traded to Detroit that winter.
Brandon Watson was given a try but struggled to bat over .180 in parts of a couple of seasons.
The Nationals acquired Mets’ prized prospect Lastings Milledge in exchange for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. He showed some promise in 2008, batting .268-14-61 with 24 stolen bases. It was assumed that he would have his breakout season in 2009.
Some breakout season.
He missed a meeting in Florida just prior to the start of the 2009 season, which riled management and ownership both, batted .167 in the first week of the season and was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse, never to be heard from again.
Willie Harris covered the position until Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett were traded by the Pirates to Washington for Joel Hanrahan and Milledge that May.
Prior to coming to Washington, Morgan hit well for the Pirates, averaging .292/.351/.397 with 30 stolen bases over a 162-game season. But in his 49 games with the Nationals in 2009 (he broke a finger while sliding into third in late August), he batted .351/.396/.435 with 24 stolen bases.
He played a gifted center field and it was assumed that he would remain there for years..
Then along came 2010.
In mid-May, the Orioles’ Adam Jones hit a ball that Morgan tried catch at the top of the right-center field wall. It bounced back onto the field, just out of his view.
Morgan, however, thought the ball went over the fence. He threw his glove to the ground and spent a good deal of time grumping and grousing and moaning and groaning before realizing the ball was in play.
It was too late, however, as Jones motored around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
Oops.
Later in the season, Morgan was suspended for an altercation with a fan in Philadelphia. He threw a ball into the stands and unintentionally hit a fan. It cost him—and the Nationals—eight games.
Oh, and he stopped hitting.
In 509 at-bats, Morgan batted just .253/.319/.314 with 34 steals in 51 tries. He led the league in caught stealing for the second time in his four-year career. He misplayed more fly balls than usual and all too often didn’t catch up to them as he had in the past.
At the time of his outfield temper-tantrum, he was batting .274/.351/.417 and had overcome a very slow start. Over the next week, he went 2-23 with six strikeouts and was never the same player.
So what does the future hold for Nyjer Morgan and the Nationals?
Manager Jim Riggleman has made it clear that he plans to use Morgan in center in 2011, but only as a part of a platoon.
And that, my friends, is a wonderful thing.
The simple fact is that Nyjer Morgan just can’t hit left-handers. Last season, the 29-year-old batted .273/.333/.337 against righties with 29 steals in 41 tries (71%); against lefties, however, he was abysmal, hitting just .200/.280/.252 in 135 at-bats (have you ever seen a worse slash line?). Against left-handers, Morgan is just a 50% base stealer.
For his career, the splits are even more dramatic. Against righties, he has hit .308/.361/.387 with 79 steals. When he faces left-handers, his numbers drop to .200/.292/.269.
Though he doesn’t hit particularly well with two outs and runners in scoring position (.239/.292/.321), Morgan doesn’t see those situations often as a leadoff hitter.
In games that are close or tied, however, he does well, batting .320/.384/.445.
Riggleman has said a couple of times that he intends to platoon Morgan and will likely move Jayson Werth from right to center when the Nationals face left-handed pitchers.
Based on a typical righty-lefty platoon, Morgan would get about 450 at-bats and Werth 155.
Here are their combined numbers based on their career splits:
Batting Average/On-Base Percentage/Slugging Percent
.303/.381/.412
Hits: 195
Doubles: 34
Triples: 8
Home Runs: 8
Runs Batted In: 50
Stolen Bases: 45
Based on their career numbers, the two players will combine to give the Nationals a strong center field presence. Both bring a quality glove (Morgan with his unlimited range and Werth’s canon arm), speed on the base paths and Werth will provide the power.
Among their division rivals, the Nationals center field combo is certainly better than the Braves (Nate McLouth, .190/.298/.322) and Marlins (Scott Cousins, .297/.316/.459).
The Mets’ Carlos Beltran can be an elite player, but age and injuries makes him no better than Morgan/Werth at this stage of his career. And while Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino will provide more power and runs batted in, his batting average and on-base percent are more than 50 points lower.
There is no question that Nyjer Morgan is a flawed player. But by only facing righties, those flaws are in some cases mitigated and in others hidden altogether. His self confidence will soar and his defense will become stronger and more consistent.
And when Jayson Werth takes over when the team faces a left hander, well, you just need to sit back and enjoy a star at work.
Fear not, Nationals’ fans—another year of Nyjer Morgan is a good thing. If Michael Morse plays every day in left, he can easily hit .275-20-85 and play above average defense. And Morse doesn’t need to platoon; he hits right-handers just as well as lefties.
The only outfield part that is missing is Werth’s replacement when he moves over to center 40 or so games a year. The just acquired Rick Ankiel hits lefties even worse than Morgan, and pinch-hitter supreme Matt Stairs bats left-handed.
A year ago, I would have nominated Justin Maxwell for the job, but a .144/.305/.288 slash line from last season is just too hard to forget.
To be sure, Nyjer Morgan is not the Nationals’ long-term answer in center field. He won’t be the guy climbing the outfield walls at Nationals Park in three or four years. But for now, Morgan and forty games of Jayson Werth is certainly good enough to help the team transition into a winner.
That said, there are going to be times when you just have to close your eyes and avoid the Nyjer-mare in progress.
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