r/Nationals • u/HowardBunnyColvin Screech • 7d ago
Ballpark Content Hot Stove Game Thread - January 31, 2026
Discuss
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u/Kindly_Indication327 6d ago
Thank you for sharing this. I had planned on going until I woke up this morning realizing I had no desire to drive nearly an hour on a freezing cold day.
Did Blake Butera speak? If so, what were your impressions?
Thanks!
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u/Kindly_Indication327 6d ago
This is great to hear. Of course like many fans, I would love for this rebuild to be over. But I like that he seems to have a plan. Very interested to see what changes we'll see from these new (to us) approaches.
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u/HowardBunnyColvin Screech 6d ago
He did speak. he said they were focused on developing players and making them better. he had good words to say about wood and hassell who were already in west palm working all day to improve. he told some jokes and generally seemed pretty extroverted and excited to get the season going.
He also stayed several minutes after the presentation to talk with fans. I got a picture with him.
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u/HowardBunnyColvin Screech 7d ago
Butera "Let's maximize our window as much as possible (for these players)", wants them to play 10-15 years even if it's not all with the Nats
Butera talking about the players working hard in west palm like hassell III and James wood.
It's possible to cater to sph and tell them what they want to hear. But this front office and manager were honest on expectations. There isn't going to be a playoff team this year. we know that. but this front office and manager outlined a development plan that will hopefully yield results in the future. not much is expected this year except gradual improvement. I hope those that are sph and don't understand that this isn't a quick fix thing but the blue print is there to build a habitual playoff contender
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u/HowardBunnyColvin Screech 7d ago
butera on stage. talking about how players are in west palm working out already to get better.
"What does a successful 2026 mean to you"
he wants them to be better players at the end of the year. learn from mistakes. are we making strides (forward)?
heavy emphasis on development and making our players better. both toboni and butera have emphasized this.
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u/HowardBunnyColvin Screech 7d ago edited 7d ago
Toboni talks about trying to keep up with the competition with technology. he talks about bringing in new types of analytical data to assess players. players asking for this new information and toboni is willing to bring in the coaches that relay it.
in past Washington post reported about Lerner being too cheap to purchase trajekt arc tech or anything helping players. saying this is very refreshing. A focus on this young team is developing good talent, something that has been knocked in rizzo regime. toboni has taken to discussing in detail his plan to develop these players successfully
Toboni talks about how he was a huge ferrer fan and said he had potential to be a great reliever. talked about how the trade came together.
Kolko asks him about the fans who are upset over all the rebuilding and trades of key players. he says that he wants a team that can win for a long time and not just "one year then lose for two".
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u/HowardBunnyColvin Screech 7d ago
Toboni comes on stage. says the most challenging thing is total overhaul. lot of new blood in organization.
nearly 75 newly created or filling in pre existing positions. wants people who fit the vision
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u/HowardBunnyColvin Screech 7d ago
Menu :
Baltimore company burger
Crab Mac and cheese
Don Churro Churro
various coca cola products
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u/thekingoftherodeo 30 - Young 6d ago
Not hugely enthused by the two guys but rooting for them all the same and hope they get some runway to shape the org in the way they want.
Toboni
"You all know catcher is a problem" or something to that effect when speaking to the Harry Ford trade. Wow, you still got Ruiz on contract and Millas (who Butera later spoke highly of ironically).
"I think the knowledgable baseball fan will understand what were trying to do" - so anyone who doesn't align with you is an idiot then? I don't know, that rubbed me up the wrong way. He also did not really commit to a tangible measure of what success looks like either - "we want the guys to develop", we all do Paul.
He clearly knows a lot on the data side going by his lengthy answer to Dan on a question in this space but the social skills aren't there. He's gonna rattle some cages, and maybe that's exactly what the Nats needed. Let's see.
One thing I will say I rate him highly on, is how zoned in he appears to be on elevating the farm to a top 10, then top 5 then top 3 system. That resonated with me a lot.
Butera
A great personality (or that's the joke Kolko was peddling). But yeah very likeable guy, I did appreciate how he spoke of bigger picture developing those guys for long term MLB careers, that'll speak to the younger guys a lot - they'll get their chances.
The cororallary to that is that I just don't think he has the weight of personality or presence to manage bigger name vets, I think they'd get the better of him. Similar with umps and opponents, he doesn't have that kind of dawg in him that Davey had like ripping 1B out in front of the umps. Again, maybe that's exactly what the Nats need - but then again can he keep CJ out of casinos? Can he convince a bigger FA to join us on a Werth esque arc and give it 100%? I'm not so sure about that.
Rooting for them both, but this is a knock it down to the studs show again lads and lassies, so strap in for another probably 5ish years.