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New York Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Rosenthal: Nationals remain among MLB's bottom feeders despite lengthy rebuild
When identifying baseball's perennial bottom feeders, the Colorado Rockies come immediately to mind, with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins also in the conversation. The Washington Nationals belong, too. Since winning the 2019 World Series, the Nationals rank third in the majors in losses, one behind the Pirates, 14 behind the Rockies. At 24-29 this season, they're on pace to avoid their fifth-straight 90-loss campaign — barely. Advertisement Ownership's lack of investment is partly to blame. The Nationals opened with a top-10 payroll seven out of eight seasons between 2014 and '21, but in the past three years have averaged in the bottom 10. A perhaps even bigger problem is the team's failures in player development, as well as amateur and international scouting, going back more than a decade — failures that president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo's spectacular return for Juan Soto at the 2022 trade deadline can mask only so much. Good teams both spend and develop. The Nationals do neither. So, while the Nats hold the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, selecting in the same spot where they landed Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper in 2010, the end of their rebuild is not necessarily in sight. Even if the Nationals raise hope of a turnaround by avoiding their seventh straight losing season, their timing might be off. For left-hander MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams, two of the key players Rizzo acquired from the San Diego Padres for Soto and first baseman Josh Bell, free agency is an object closer than it might appear. Gore, the major-league leader in strikeouts, is at the same level of service Soto was when the Nationals traded him — two-plus years away from hitting the open market. Abrams, tied for fifth among shortstops in bWAR, is three-plus years away. Extensions? Not likely for Gore and two other potential building blocks — outfielder James Wood, the most promising player acquired for Soto, and outfielder Dylan Crews, the second overall pick in 2023. All are represented by agent Scott Boras, who generally prefers his clients to establish their values on the open market. Abrams, represented by Roc Nation, 'held substantive discussions' with the Nationals regarding an extension in the spring of 2024, according to the Washington Post. But the interest of the Nats in keeping Abrams long term after demoting him for the final nine days of the 2024 regular season over what the team described as an internal matter is unclear. Even if the Nationals are hellbent on retaining Abrams, their track record of extending core players is not good. Strasburg twice was an exception, signing an extension, then re-signing as a free agent. Harper and third baseman Anthony Rendon left as free agents (in Rendon's case, it proved to be a blessing). Soto and shortstop Trea Turner were traded — Soto, after the Nationals offered him a 15-year, $440 million deal that fell short of his price in free agency by $325 million. Advertisement Among current Nationals, the only player signed beyond next season is catcher Keibert Ruiz, whom Rizzo acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2021 deadline as part of the return for Turner and pitcher Max Scherzer. That deal, along with the trade of Kyle Schwarber and others, marked the start of the Nationals' rebuild. Ruiz, in the third year of an eight-year, $50 million deal, was one of the worst catchers in the game in 2023-24. He opened the current season on an offensive tear, but has since regressed. According to Statcast, he continues to rate poorly as a blocker and framer, and is only average as a thrower. The potential departures of Gore, Abrams and others would be less of a concern if the Nationals' farm system regularly spit out potential replacements. But since 2013, the Nationals have drafted and developed only three players with career bWARs above 5.0. Those three — Nick Pivetta, Erick Fedde, Jesús Luzardo — made their marks with other teams. A career bWAR of 5.0 is hardly a high bar. In the 2024 season alone, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto finished at 5.1, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho at 5.0, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn at 4.9. Three current homegrown Nationals — right-hander Jake Irvin (4.3), center fielder Jacob Young (3.6) and lefty Mitchell Parker (1.3) stand a chance of reaching 5.0 in their careers. But none appear headed for stardom. Internationally, the Nationals hit the jackpot in 2015 when they signed Soto out of the Dominican Republic for $1.5 million. Since then, their best international signing was Luis Garcia Jr., who cost them $1.3 million in 2016. None of their three most expensive international additions — outfielder Cristhian Vaquero ($4.925 million in 2022), shortstop Armando Cruz ($3.9 million in 2021) and infielder/outfielder Yasel Antuna ($3.9 million in 2016) — cracked Keith Law's most recent top 20 Nationals prospects. Antuna has been out of baseball since 2023. Advertisement Rizzo, the game's second-longest tenured head of baseball operations behind the New York Yankees' Brian Cashman, took action at the end of 2023, presiding over changes that seemingly were made with the intent of improving the team's scouting and player development. Eddie Longosz, a longtime scouting executive with the club, replaced De Jon Watson as farm director. Kris Kline, the director of amateur scouting for 14 years, moved into a special assistant's role, replaced by Danny Haas from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Johnny DiPuglia, who enjoyed a similarly long tenure as the team's head of international scouting, resigned without explanation. Rizzo, who did not respond to requests for comment, replaced DiPuglia with Fausto Severino, and after one year replaced Severino with Victor Rodriguez. Not all is lost. Law at the start of the season ranked the Nationals' farm system 17th out of 30, praising their 2024 draft and saying their talent was on the upswing. The Nationals recently promoted a fourth player from the Soto-Bell trade, outfielder Robert Hassell III. A fifth, hard-throwing right-hander Jarlin Susana, is currently on the injured list at Double A with a Grade 1 (mild) sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament. Among the other team's other prospects, third baseman Brady House, the 11th pick in 2021, is performing well at Triple A, while righty Travis Sykora, the 71st pick in '23, is dominating High A. Yet, even if the Nationals hit on all of those players, Wood is perhaps their only young hitter capable of reaching Harper/Soto/Turner-type stardom. And it's not as if the ownership group headed by Mark Lerner shows any inclination to spend the way it did for much of the 2010s. Which raises the question of how the Nationals will handle the No. 1 pick. Will they go for the highest upside and draft a high-school shortstop like Jackson Holliday's younger brother, Ethan? Or will they go for a college pitcher who might not be worthy of the first overall selection but could get to the majors quicker? Advertisement Rizzo, who signed a contract extension of unspecified length in September 2023, does not appear to be under pressure. The Lerner group took control of the team in May 2006. Rizzo has run baseball operations since March 2009. Davey Martinez became the manager in October 2017. If the Nationals give off an insular vibe, it might be because ownership only knows Rizzo's way. In July 2022, Rizzo told the Sports Junkies on WFJK 106.7, 'This is a reboot year. We don't call it a rebuild because a rebuild is a five- or six-year process. I think this is a shorter reboot. We've shown in the past we know how to do these things.' Alas, the promise of a shorter reboot is gone. And time no longer is on the Nationals' side. (Top photo of Josh Bell: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN Analyst Says Nationals 'Nailed' Juan Soto Trade Due to 3 Key Reasons
Although it's been an up-and-down season through 38 games for the Washington Nationals, it seems like they are in good hands with the young studs that they have put together. Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nationals haven't posted a winning season – but with the emergence of several young rising stars, Washington could be trending upward soon. Advertisement With a record of 17-21, all eyes have been set on three of their most promising prospects to help turn the ball club around. Dave Martinez, Washington Nationals Chenoy-Imagn Images ESPN analyst Paul Hembekides broke down how impressive starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder James Wood have been in the 2025 season. "At 26, Gore might have the best breaking-ball combination in all of baseball. Leads the majors with 68 strikeouts and 38 of which are on his breaking balls. He has a 52% whiff-rate using his curve ball and his slider. That's an astronomical number." "CJ Abrams is in the 86th percentile in expected average and 85th in expected slug... And James Wood, at 22 [years old], is demonstrating that he has more backside power than any lefty in baseball," Hembekides explained to Buster Ulney on ESPN Baseball Tonight. This goes to show that the combination of the three players makes for the Washington Nationals being in great hands for years moving forward. Advertisement It will be up to Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo on what he wants to do with the three players, but the team has control of the three through the 2027 season. It's also worth to note that the Nationals general manager acquired all three of the prospects from the San Diego Padres in 2022. The trade sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres in exchange for Gore, Abrams and Wood along with other prospects. With youth comes growth, and this could be just the beginning for these three players and a Nationals team that ranks as the third-youngest in baseball, according to
Miami Herald
10-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Popular Tex-Mex Chain's Fate Revealed After Bankruptcy Filing
On the Border's fate following the popular eatery's bankruptcy declaration has finally been revealed. Pending court approval, Pappas Restaurants-which operates Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Pappasito's Cantina, Pappas Bar-B-Q and Pappas Bros. Steakhouse-has been selected to acquire the flailing chain of Tex-Mex restaurants, the restaurant group has announced. "We're excited to welcome On The Border to the Pappas family," Mike Rizzo, CEO of Pappas Restaurants, said in a statement. "On The Border is a brand with deep heritage and loyal guests, and we see tremendous opportunity to invest in its future. Our shared Texas roots and passion for hospitality make this a natural fit." It sounds like Pappas plans to maintain On the Border's original iconic and recognizable branding, with plans to "strengthen and modernize" On The Border locations" existing locations, with the announcement promising that "Pappas Restaurants will explore ways to enhance On The Border's menu, operations, and guest experience while honoring the brand's history and fan-favorite offerings." "On The Border has always stood out for its energy and bold flavors-it's a brand we've known and respected for years," Chris Pappas, co-owner of Pappas Restaurants, added. "This gives us the chance to bring our passion for Tex-Mex to more guests, and we're excited to build on what makes both brands special." The Atlanta-based Mexican grill & cantina filed for bankruptcy protections back in March, citing "inflation" and "changing customer behavior" as causes of the impending bankruptcy filing. Before that original protection request, the chain had already closed 40 locations, with 60 remaining across 18 states, plus 20 additional franchisee locations in the United States and South Korea. That's down from 150 locations at its peak. Next: American McDonald's Fans Can't Decide if They're 'Jealous' or 'Disgusted' Over International McFlurry Release Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Pappas Restaurants to buy bankrupt On The Border Mexican Grill: 'A natural fit'
Pappas Restaurants to buy bankrupt On The Border Mexican Grill: 'A natural fit' Show Caption Hide Caption Despite filing for bankruptcy, Hooters vows to stay open Hooters, the restaurant chain known for its wings and all-female waitstaff in signature orange uniforms, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Despite the filing, the brand insists it's not going anywhere. unbranded - Newsworthy The party might not be over for On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina. On May 7, Texas-based Pappas Restaurants announced that it had won the auction, subject to court approval, to buy the bankrupt restaurant in the coming weeks. "We're excited to welcome On The Border to the Pappas family," Mike Rizzo, CEO of Pappas Restaurants, said in a news release. "On The Border is a brand with deep heritage and loyal guests, and we see tremendous opportunity to invest in its future. Our shared Texas roots and passion for hospitality make this a natural fit." Back in March, On The Border (OTB) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing difficult economic conditions, labor shortages, underperforming restaurants and creditor enforcement actions. OTB Holdings Chief Restructuring Officer, Jonathan Tibus, said the company had been affected by "macroeconomic factors." "On The Border has been weighed down in recent years by macroeconomic factors that have negatively impacted the Company. Casual dining restaurants are acutely impacted by consumer sensitivities to eating out versus staying in," Tibus said in court records obtained by USA TODAY. Tibus added that the company, along with debtors, decided in late February to close 40 "non-performing" stores. Pappas expands holdings With On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina being bought out by Pappas Restaurants, it will join Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Pappasito's Cantina, Pappas Bar-B-Q and Pappas Bros. Steakhouse as part of the restaurant's holdings. "On The Border has always stood out for its energy and bold flavors—it's a brand we've known and respected for years," Chris Pappas, co-owner of Pappas Restaurants, said. "This gives us the chance to bring our passion for Tex-Mex to more guests, and we're excited to build on what makes both brands special." Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PAPPAS RESTAURANTS PREVAILS AT AUCTION FOR ON THE BORDER TO EXPAND ITS NATIONAL FOOTPRINT
Beloved Texas-Based Family-Owned Restaurant Group Prevails at Auction for Iconic Tex-Mex Brand HOUSTON, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pappas Restaurants is proud to announce it was selected as the prevailing bidder during the auction of On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina. The transaction, which is subject to court approval, is expected to be finalized and close in the coming weeks. This acquisition will bring together two iconic Texas-based restaurant brands and expand Pappas' presence in the Tex-Mex category by adding a nationally recognized concept that offers bold flavors at an accessible price point. On The Border's value-driven approach complements Pappasito's Cantina, known for its fresh ingredients, sizzling fajitas, hand-shaken margaritas, and high-energy atmosphere. Together, the brands will allow Pappas Restaurants to serve a wider range of guests across more markets. "We're excited to welcome On The Border to the Pappas family," said Mike Rizzo, CEO of Pappas Restaurants. "On The Border is a brand with deep heritage and loyal guests, and we see tremendous opportunity to invest in its future. Our shared Texas roots and passion for hospitality make this a natural fit." With decades of experience operating high-performing restaurant brands, Pappas Restaurants will apply its proven operational model and commitment to quality and hospitality to help strengthen and modernize On The Border locations. The guest experience at On the Border will remain rooted in the lively, welcoming environments that both brands are known for. "On The Border has always stood out for its energy and bold flavors—it's a brand we've known and respected for years," said Chris Pappas, co-owner of Pappas Restaurants. "This gives us the chance to bring our passion for Tex-Mex to more guests, and we're excited to build on what makes both brands special." Pappas Restaurants will explore ways to enhance On The Border's menu, operations, and guest experience while honoring the brand's history and fan-favorite offerings. The transition will be guided by a commitment to quality, hospitality, and the celebration of Tex-Mex cuisine. ABOUT PAPPAS RESTAURANTSBased in Houston, Texas, Pappas Restaurants is a family-owned and operated restaurant group with a portfolio of iconic brands, including Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Pappasito's Cantina, Pappas Bar-B-Q and Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. Known for its attention to detail, high-quality ingredients, and genuine hospitality, Pappas Restaurants has earned a national reputation for excellence in the hospitality industry. For more information, please visit ABOUT ON THE BORDERFounded in 1982 in Dallas, Texas, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has been serving Border-style Tex-Mex cuisine for over four decades. Known for its mesquite-grilled fajitas, hand-crafted margaritas, and lively dining atmosphere, the brand quickly became a staple in the casual dining scene. At its peak, On The Border operated over 150 locations across the United States and internationally. Today, On the Border operates 60 company-owned restaurants across 18 states and has 20 franchised locations in the U.S. and South Korea. Media Contact: Media@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Pappas Restaurants
