Thomas Boswell

Well Boswell the supposed baseball expert has some strange column out about the lessons the Nats should learn from the Phillies $170 million payroll - basically don't spend that much.

When you've spent and acquired so much talent as the Phillies have, and fail to win the pennant, much less the world series, you can expect the kind of "I told you so's" that WaPo baseball guru Thomas Boswell writes about yesterday.

It's a particularly odd column since Boswell doesn't really explain why the Nats shouldn't spend as much as the Phils other than it doesn't work out. If by "doesn't work out" you mean 5 division championships, 2 pennants, 1 world series championship and a franchise record 102 wins this year.

Boswell doesn't suggest that a big payroll hamstrings future personnel moves, nor says that it leads to a rise in ticket prices. Really, as a fan - what do i care if a team has a payroll of $150 million?

Boswell's suggestion is that the Nats need to go with OBP hitters, draft smartly, and develop homegrown talent. Duh. Though none of that has much to do with a $170 million payroll, particularly when $100 million of that is on homegrown talent.

Worse, he actually seems to suggest that the Nats write off the next 2 seasons while Strasburg matures and has his innings limits removed and Harper comes up. Not sure where that came from or if that plan is any better than forking out a really high payroll.