Trade, Dukes, Tickets

First impression of the trade from yesterday: Ugh. After sleeping on it, it's not SO bad anymore, but the kicker for me really was the inclusion of Joel Hanrahan. Morgan for Milledge is whatever...I have given up on Millz myself, so that's fine. But why we threw in Hanrahan for Burnett I have no idea. Burnett is nothing special (as you saw today), whereas Hanrahan, despite his flashes of "WTF," has good stuff. While it is only 1 team, apparently Colorado was interested in him, and I'm sure many others were as well. Selling low on Milledge is fine by me, but Hanrahan not so much.

Overall, I'm trying to align my feelings with Dave Cameron's analysis of the deal, but feel myself closer to that of most others.

In other news, the Nats sent Dukes to AAA today. Smart move...while Dukes is at worst the 3rd best OF we've got, he's the only one with options, and you simply can't bench Dunn/Willingham. Get Dukes the AB's he needs and call him back up when one of Dunn/Willingham/Johnson is dealt.

Some links:

Morgan = Dunn (Fangraphs)

Elijah Dukes Next? (FakeTeams)

Zimmermann: Best Rookie Pitcher? (Fangraphs)

Lastings' impression not positive (Post-Gazette)

In the meantime, does anyone have any tickets for this Sunday's game against Atlanta that they're not planning on using? I'll buy them off of you if the price is right, just email me at sean.t.hogan@gmail.com. I'm ideally looking for 4-6, but we can talk.

Sunday Inbox, various notes

To start out, here's the inbox:

With Guzman struggling defensively at shortstop, is there any chance he could be the Nationals' second baseman next year? The guy is a hitting machine, and I would love to keep his bat in the lineup.
-- Rich R., Slingerlands, N.Y.

I could see it happening, but there is no way for us to see how Guz could make the transition unless we actually tried it out. I'd say the chances of this happening are low (mainly because I think they'll deal him at the deadline), but wouldn't be shocked if it happened.

Is Dunn in the team's long-term plans?
-- Yu-Hung Su, Chiayi, Taiwan

Ladson says no, but I have a feeling he is. The Nats need a more interesting icon than Zimmerman (unfortunately, he is very boring) and it appears that Nats fans are more accepting of his shortcomings because he is worth so much offensively. No matter what the team may say about wanting to be better defensively, he is in the long-term plan until he is dealt in my eyes.

Is there any timetable for the return of Lastings Milledge and Roger Bernadina?
-- Ray U., Washington

From Ladson: "Milledge is playing in the Gulf Coast League after breaking his right hand more than a month ago. However, I don't see him playing in the big leagues for the Nationals, because many in the organization believe he is not an impact player.

As far as Bernadina goes, he still is recovering from a left ankle injury, and the Nationals are hoping he will be playing in Major Leagues by September."

I disagree with Ladson-I bet Milledge will be up soon after he returns because that will be a chance for them to deal Willingham while his value is high.

Can the Nationals do something about Austin Kearns and Ronnie Belliard when it comes to the low batting averages?
-- Shelton A., Silver Spring, Md.

Besides being patient, I don't really think so. Like Ladson said, Eckstein will work on it with them, but there's no guarantee it will work.

Do you think the Nats should re-sign Nick Johnson? He arguably is the most consistent player on the team.
-- Ted P., Alexandria, Va.

The Nats should trade Johnson at the deadline and then sign him in the offseason, as he will be no higher than a type B free agent (since he didn't play enough last year).

I'm a big Elijah Dukes fan, but I want to know how the Nationals feel about him?

-- Eric S., Washington

He's not a center fielder and his baseball IQ is not all there yet, but he will be a stud in RF for years to come if he can continue to behave.

Would you say Pedro Martinez is a good fit for this rotation? Someone with his kind of resume could help out a lot.
-- Philip G., Brandywine, Md.

I campaigned hard for the Nats to sign him a while ago, but every day he sits in free agency he makes less and less sense. They've found some nice young pitchers that need time in the majors. Maybe it could happen if he wants to take an offer to build up his value over the offseason in late August or early September when the young guns need to be shut down for innings totals but not now.

Some other thoughts:

J.D. Martin does deserve a shot. He'll hopefully get one when the Nats start to shut down the rookies toward the end of the year.

Craig Stammen will stay in the rotation while Shairon Martis will be sent to AAA. It's the correct move in my opinion, with age being the deciding factor. Let Martis learn to make adjustments in AAA and let Stammen pitch for his future in the majors.

I'm torn on the Langerhans-for-Morse (or as Ladson says, "Mores") swap. Morse makes more sense for the Nats, but Langerhans was one of my favorites and could have been our Nyjer Morgan defensively without us having to move Milledge. But since the organization obviously wasn't doing anything with Langerhans (heck, they called up Corey Patterson before him!), it's good to get a guy who is still young-ish, has had moderate offensive success in the majors, and can be a passable shortstop if they decide to move Guzman. But for the record, I wish they didn't have to deal Langerhans.

Buster Olney reports (via MLBTR, since I don't have insider) that the Nats are trying to get rid of their "dysfunctional players" such as Milledge. Not a bad idea at an appropriate time, but I don't support moving him when his value is at it's lowest.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K...

MLBTradeRumors.com reported two odd Nats rumors/speculations today. And by odd, I mean they would be stupid and I applaud Rizzo for not making moves like these.

First up, they just relayed a MASN blog post by Pete McElroy saying the Nats should give up on Joel Hanrahan. Ummmmm, no. I stand by what I said on Monday-Hanrahan is an incredibly unlucky pitcher this year. Put a real defense behind him to give him some confidence back and he'll be fine. You don't give up a young-ish reliever who throws in the high 90s for nothing when you're in last place. I'm sorry he gives up a lot of runs sometimes, but

They also noted that Fanhouse.com reporter Ed Price said (via his Twitter) that the Nats shot down a potential Lastings Milledge-for-Nyjer Morgan deal because the Pirates also asked for Craig Stammen. Kudos for Rizzo for not accepting the deal...while Morgan is a great defender, he is crap with the bat and is not much of an overall improvement over Roger Bernadina...why sell low on Milledge for a guy you won't even need in a month or two (or how ever long it takes the rehabbing Roger to be back)?

Ignorant Inbox

That's the best title I could come up with...without further awkwardness, here's your Inbox:

Are the Nationals interested in Martinez or Glavine? They would do well as starters or relievers. They also can be mentors to young pitchers such as Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler and Shairon Martis.
-- Yu-Hung,Su, Chiayi,Taiwan

Ladson says neither are coming. Glavine is just not worth having on a team anymore as a player-he's not half of who he used to be. If he were willing to be a player-coach, I could see them signing him in the last month or two of the season when the youngsters start to hit their innings maximums, but I do not see him lasting as a FA that long without retiring.

Martinez is still an intriguing option in my opinion, but if he's still on the market, he probably isn't worth having around.

Do you like Wil Nieves or Josh Bard in the lineup while Jesus Flores is on the disabled list?
-- Brandon A., Vienna, Va.

"I like Nieves because he can play defense and is a better hitter. In the long term, Nieves is a backup and will be that way when Flores recovers from his right shoulder injury."-Ladson

Huh? Nieves is a better hitter? His career .225/.267/.290 line is obviously other-wordly, as Bard sits far below him at .264/.331/.394. Ladson, you've said some strange things before, but are you really going to try and tell us that Wil Nieves is a better hitter than Josh Bard? I mean, even Bard's .239/.301/.373 line from this year is better than Nieves' .259/.299/.296, and that's without considering Nieves' .080 advantage in BABIP that will spread the gap even more throughout the year.

When Willingham plays, it seems like good things happen for both him and the team. Do you see him becoming an everyday player at some point this season?
-- Douglas, H., Huntsville, Ala.

I'm guessing he'll start every 3 of 4 games when he comes back from the bereavement list. This next week or so is Kearns' last chance to break into the rotation for a while.

Do you think Lastings Milledge should have been sent to the Minors?
-- Daniel R., Philadelphia

Yes.

With the bullpen problems, why have the Nationals not gone after Chad Cordero?
-- Rafael B., Miami, Fla.

Because he's not a free agent?

The Nats have the most errors in baseball. That, to me, reflects heavily on the coaching staff. Has Manny Acta taken any steps to address this?
-- Terry C., Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

Nope. Zimmerman and Johnson need to step it up, but it's not like we can really expect more out of Willingham, Dunn, Belliard, Guz, etc.

The Nationals are keeping Kearns because he works hard and never complains. Why does that matter at all if he can't hit?
-- Scott N., Bethesda, Md.

Incorrect. They're keeping Kearns because they have no other options (Maxwell simply has not been doing well this year and Milledge/Bernadina are hurt). He's a good fielder and his bat will come around. Be patient because he's not going anywhere soon.

Don't you now think after two-plus months of everyday playing, Orlando Hudson should have been signed? He doesn't appear to be injured at all and is hitting extremely well.
-- Peter G., Vancouver, BC, Canada

He's looked great after two months, yes, but I am going to take Ladson's word for it that he failed his physical with the team. Hindsight is 20-20, but I think it would be irresponsible for the Nats to sign a guy who failed his physical. That being said, I'm not sure what caused him to fail a physical-perhaps he refused to get his wrist checked out and that was a deal-breaker. I can't fault the Nats here without knowing everything about his physical, but there is another side to the story as well I'm sure.

Before I misplace the link, check out The Hardball Times' interview with Rich Gale, the newly promoted Syracuse pitching coach.

Playing Catch-Up

Big post coming today. Lots of links and then the inbox!

First off, the Nats are apparently scouting Aaron Crow again this year. He would have to give the Nats his permission to be drafted again by them this year. I think the scouting is procedural-you have to scout the top 100 or 500 or 1000 players no matter what, even if you're probably not going to pick him. But I doubt he would give the Nats his permission to be re-drafted and even if he did, I doubt the Nats would re-draft him.

The Nats traded for Logan Kensing and signed Mike Macdougal recently, both of which are good moves in my opinion. You can never have enough pitching (as we've learned so far) and we gave up basically nothing for either of them. Chances are, they will probably suck (or continue to pitch the way the Nats have this year-tons of BB's), but it's always worth a shot. The only cost is money, and since it's not my money I like it!

I also like the Martis complete game. 6 K's and 0 BB's and only 110 pitches in 9 innings works for me. I think Manny's babying of our pitchers is ridiculous at times, especially considering the state of our bullpen. A step in the right direction, I guess.

Tony Gwynn says Strasburg could start in the Majors and be the Nats' #1 starter right away. I agree. Talent-wise, nobody is even comparable in the system, and he's best off hanging around our best pitching mind in Randy St. Claire anyways. At this point, I don't see how the Nats can not start him in the Majors.

Continue to keep an eye on DC Pro Sports Report's mock draft databases. Through 12 mocks of the 2009 MLB draft, there is really a mixed bag amongst candidates for the Nats' second pick. The only repeated player is University of Georgia 1B Rich Poythress. I would be stoked if he fell to the Nats at 10-he has 20 HR and more BB than K so far this year.

Dunn's "Natinals" jersey commanded $8000 at the Dream Gala. If I had that kind of money to throw around, I would probably buy it as well.

Hanrahan wants the closer job back. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that by the All Star Break, he'll have it back. Once he strings together 5 or so good appearances in a row, he'll be ready to get it back.

Even though it was previously unimaginable, the Caps' future is even brighter with Simeon Varlamov shutting the door in the playoffs. I only got to see the 3rd period of Saturday's 3-2 win over the Penguins, but saw the replay of his sprawling save on Crosby about 4000 times. Nice job, Varly!

Here's your inbox:

Do you believe Dukes is the Nationals' best player?
-- John J., Washington

Talent-wise, yes. Production-wise, it's Zimmerman. Dukes has been disappointing in the field so far, while Zimmerman is good across the board.

Do you think Milledge will ever play for the Nats again, or will he be traded. I would think Dukes is entrenched as the center fielder.
-- Dennis Walsh, Silver Spring, Md.

Forecast for Milledge's future: Partly cloudy with 100% chance of playing for the Nats. How Rizzo handles this situation might dictate getting the "acting" dropped from his title. Trading Milledge now would be a horrible mistake-his value is clearly at his lowest. There's no reason to trade away a 24 year old with a ton of talent when he's at a valley in terms of value.

If Daniel Cabrera continues to be shaky, do you think the front office would be willing to see if Collin Balester could do a better job?
-- Bryan A., Fairfield, Conn.

Another big question for Rizzo's future is how he handles this. I know the Lerners would hate to eat his $2.6 mil contract, but he's clearly never going to live up to his potential. Rizzo could try to hide him in the bullpen or send him to AAA to learn how to pitch correctly, but I think an outright release (or a trade, if somebody's dumb enough) are the most likely. I'm going to guess that we ride out Cabrera's inefficiency until Strasburg signs and takes his spot...just a gut guess.

In the wake of recent closer woes, can you shed some light on why the Nationals got rid of Steven Shell?
-- Cordell F., Washington

Shell was redonkulously lucky last year. He's a decent pitcher who I'm sure they would have loved to keep in AAA for depth, but he's not a vital member of our bullpen. He's simply just not that good.

It was reported the Nats have interest in Pedro Martinez. If so, they should go after him.
-- Dennis W. Silver Spring, Md.

You're preaching to the choir, dude. $5 mil is a little too much to pay for Pedro though, so when the price comes down they should make it happen.

I have been following the Nationals/Expos from the very beginning, and I like the young pitchers. I'm also confident that the Nationals will have 20-22 more wins this year than last. I know that sounds over the top, but I sincerely believe it.
-- Dan R., San Luis Obispo, Calif.

At the beginning of the year, I would say "hey, it can happen." 20-22 more wins would still only be 79-81 total, which would put us around/at .500. Possible, but after this atrocious start, I can confidently say 70 wins will be a success.

That's all I've got for the time being. Now I'm off to catch up on my 1000+ items on my Google Reader.

0-7, Millz

I don't have a whole lot of time to discuss things. I am at school and can only catch the highlights, so that's what I base my thinking on right now (those and stats).

It's good that Milledge got sent to AAA. Despite the fact that he's young and full of talent, it unclogs the ML outfield because Manny simply is not going to bench 2 out of Willingham/Kearns/Johnson every day. Hopefully he'll get straightened down (well, up) there. He won't be in AAA all season, just until one of them gets dealt.

That's all I have time for. I'm not ignoring you guys, I just don't have much to say when I can't see games!

Stances on a few things

First of all, I'm sure most (if not all) of you have seen and heard about Chico-gate by now. My stance: I agree with Mike from Nationals Fanboy Looser-Chico made a mistake, apologized for it and we need to get over it. He didn't choose this beat (in Soviet Russia, beat chooses you), but still is a good writer (with the potential to be a great one) and does a fine job, considering covering baseball is a 24/7/365 event.

Lastings Milledge has been named the leadoff hitter. My stance: AGAINST! FJB had a nice post up today concerning optimizing the batting order, and while I do disagree a bit with some of it, I wholeheartedly agree with batting the OBP monsters at the top. Putting Milledge and Guzman, two of our three most undisciplined starters (the other being free-swingin Flores), 1-2 is just plain stupid.

Cutting Shawn Hill: A necessary evil. It seems that with guys like Hill, the only way to quit the whole "he's so good, but he's always hurt" mantra is to cut bait completely. I still believe Hill can be a great #3 starter, but I think it was time for him to go.

Signing Joe Beimel and Josh Bard: Both good moves. Beimel provides steadiness in the pen-he's more or less a known quantity. Not flashy, not as good as his 2008 line, but good enough to be worth $2 mil. Bard is solid and you can't argue with the price ($600k), especially when you consider the fact that he might end up being the starting catcher. From the looks of things, he's either awesome or terrible every year. Hopefully this is one of those awesome years.

A 3 post night! Sunday night inbox

Thanks to Ladson, we have even more material today!

Do you think Acta should be the Nationals' manager in 2010?
-- Sanjay H., Alexandria, Va.

To be honest, I don't know. Like Ladson says, Manny has never really had much to work with here. This year is his make or break year to prove whether he is a motivator or a manager.

Who is your starting outfield?
-- Byron G., Upper Marlboro, Md.

With this team, calling something a starting outfield would be pretty inaccurate. There are going to be injuries and platoons. I say on opening day, Johnson starts at 1B and the OF will be Dunn/Milledge/Dukes, but you can count on injuries at some point to Johnson and Dukes, which would leave it with Dunn at 1B with and OF of Willingham/Milledge/Kearns...but then Willingham can get hurt and you're stuck with Pena/Milledge/Kearns. See what I mean?

I am befuddled by your comment that Milledge is too "valuable" to trade. Maybe my memory is escaping me, but I remember the few key hits and numerous defensive/mental errors associated with his play. Why is he too valuable to trade?
-- Bob M., Alexandria, Va.

I've sorta joined the Milledge bandwagon this offseason. While he's not a great centerfielder, he does have immense offensive potential. He's only going to be 24 this year. Judging his trade value on his 2008 performance would be pretty dumb...something that Jim Bowden would do.

I never hear anything about Ronnie Belliard. What's going to happen with him this year? He had a pretty good year last year, but he doesn't seem to get much credit.
-- Bill V., Kill Devil Hills, N.C.

If I were Belliard, I would be pretty pissed off at the management. Last year he hit .287/.372/.473 and he's still the underdog for the starting job to a guy who hit worse in 479 AAA at bats last year (.203/.262/.307) than Cristian Guzman hit for the Nats in 2005 (.219/.260/.314).

I've heard that both Anderson Hernandez and Cristian Guzman could be candidates for the leadoff role. What about Milledge? He has speed and power.
-- William B., Silver Spring, Md.

If Hernandez makes the opening day starting lineup, I'll scream. If he's the leadoff hitter, forget anything I said about Manny earlier-he doesn't deserve to have a job anymore. The Nats lack any real semblance of a leadoff hitter right now, but Guzman's the best bet they have. I agree with Ladson, though, that Milledge might fit in well at #2, although I would probably prefer seeing Johnson there with a Guzman-Johnson-Zimmerman-Dunn-Dukes-Milledge-Flores-Belliard lineup.

What's Matt Chico's status? He was pretty good two seasons ago and now you never hear about him.
-- Richard G., Syracuse, N.Y.

Actually, he was pretty bad two seasons ago and worse last year (although you can attribute last year's failures to his injury). But I'll let Ladson take it from here: "Chico is slowly recovering from left elbow surgery and is not expected to compete in a Minor League game until mid-summer." Ladson doubts he'll be back in the bigs until 2010. I doubt he'll be back in the bigs at all.

I've been an Expos/Nationals fan since the beginning. I was wondering why Andre Dawson is not in the Hall of Fame. He was one of the best players in the National League during the 1980s.
-- Dennis D., Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

He should be, and he eventually will be.

And so they don't get buried, here are my other two posts from the night:
We interrupt the previously scheduled blog...
Why Shawn Hill should be a closer

5 Fearless Predictions for 2009

There's not a whole lot of introduction I'm looking to do for this. Some may be controversial and that's fine. Keep in mind that these are gut-based and not stats-based. Throwing stats at me in rebuttal will prove nothing, as these are PREDICTIONS and not facts.

1) Ryan Zimmerman will be the team MVP.

Dukes and Johnson will get hurt and Dunn and Milledge won't be quite as good.

2) The team's best pitcher will not have thrown a single pitch for the Nats organization in 2008.

It actually hurts me to say that. I am a HUGE John Lannan fan, but for some reason I always feel we're hanging on a thread with him. We can't expect Bally-Star or Zimmermann to have breakout rookie years (as nice as it would be). For some reason, I have high hopes for Daniel Cabrera, Scott Olsen and even J.D. Martin.

3) Joel Hanrahan will not be the closer at the end of the year.

Ok, I may not believe in this one completely. It's done more to provoke thought-what if Hanrahan breaks down or is ineffective? Then we turn to Shawn Hill, the subject of a near-future post that I'm working on.

4) Jesus Flores will not have the breakout year with the bat many of us are expecting.

Flores may very well be my favorite National, but there are just too many holes in his swing that need to be corrected if we want him to go nuts. His BB/K numbers are terrible-29 BB to 126 K in his career-and his contact numbers aren't much better either.

5) Anderson Hernandez will make you yearn for the return of F-Lop.

I touched on this in last night's "Inbox" (I refuse to call it that without quotation marks...it's the mailbag!): too many of you are basing your opinions on Hernandez on his 81 AB trial last season (and his 236 at bats of Winter League ball). He has a track record: 87 bad ML at bats and a minor league track record of 3508 bad at bats. He is not a good hitter. Expect the worst and maybe you'll be pleasantly suprised...but that chance is 10% or lower.

I'm going to add to this list as time goes along. Feel free to discuss in the comments.

Monday Mailbag, Roundup

First, the mailbag. Before I answer the questions, I'd like to point out how bad Ladson was this week. Three out of the seven questions asked were either "I can't answer right now," "I can't judge Montz," and "I don't know at this time." I appreciate the honesty, Bill, but I'm sure there were more than 7 questions in your email inbox. If you don't know, skip them and answer a different one. So without further ado, the mailbag, followed by some minor league free agency signings.

I've been an Austin Kearns fan for years, and he hasn't really lived up to the hype because of injuries and slumps. With his rough season in 2008, is this the end for Kearns as a starter?
-- Chad B., Hitchins, Ky.

The end? No. Kearns will probably not begin the year as the full-time starter, but he'll be backing up two guys in Dukes and Willingham in which you can pretty much count on a DL stint or two. Once he gets in a groove, he'll get a permanent starting job and either be dealt or Willingham will move to 1B permanently.

What are your thoughts on catcher Luke Montz?
-- Louis G., Washington

To be honest, I think his 2008 numbers in AA were a fluke. I certainly hope I'm wrong, but his AAA numbers weren't impressive. Once I see numbers at AAA and ML, I will be convinced. I'm rooting for ya, though, Luke! Prove me wrong!

There seems to be a lot of people getting on Lastings Milledge and his play in center field. I thought he improved dramatically over the course of the season. Why are people writing him off as a corner outfielder? 
-- Justin E., Potomac, Md.

"Improved" is a relative term. In Milledge's case, he "improved" from being probably the biggest waste of talent (in his case, talent=range) since Barry Sanders played for the Lions to being simply below average defensively.

Will Ronnie Belliard be playing for the Nationals next season? If so, do you think he will start? 
-- Clare M., Mechanicsburg, Pa.

It would be news to me if Belliard wasn't on the Opening Day roster. He won't start, but I do see him getting 30-40% of the innings at 2B, maybe more once Anderson Hernandez comes back down to Earth.

In the two years Manny Acta has been the manager of the Nationals, no starter has pitched a complete game. This is mind-boggling. Why is this? You would think that in two years, at least one pitcher would be able to go the distance. 
-- Dave F., Seaford, Del.

Ladson: "Actually, Jason Bergmann and Tim Redding pitched complete games this past season." Delaware Dave=PWNED!

But honestly, I don't really buy into Manny's whole "take them out before they get shelled and, in result, get their feelings hurt" dealio. Let them pitch until they show signs of pending ineffectiveness.

Considering they have a first-base opening, could the Nationals try to pick up a veteran with strong name recognition, such as Nomar Garciaparra, until a young player can take over in September? 
-- Keith S., Arlington, Va.

The Nats will probably to to pick up a younger veteran with strong name recognition. Adam Dunn, Mark Texeira, etc. Nomar Garciaparra hasn't been a "strong name" since he was dealt at the 2003 trade deadline.

Where does Kory Casto fit into next year's plans?
-- Bill L., Columbia, Mo.

And here are your 2009 Syracuse Chiefs! Starting in left field, number 5, Kory Casto!

In other news, Baseball America announced in their weekly Minor League Transactions post that the Nats have resigned RHP Ryan Wagner, RHP Dan Leatherman and OF Jemel Spearman while signing RHP Preston Larrison and 1B Brad Eldred. 

I've always thought in the back of my mind that Wagner would become a force again. I doubt it more and more every day, but It's a good career move for him to resign with an organization so weak in ML-ready relievers. 

I don't have much to say on Leatherman, but he did have really nice numbers in Hagerstown this year. Maybe we'll challenge him with Potomac and possibly Harrisburg around the all-star break.

Spearman's got speed and a decent AVG/OBP combo, but has only 60 career PA at AAA or above at age 28.

The Larrison signing has gotten a lot of love, both from Baseball America and Beyond the Box Score. Here's what BA had to say: "The 28-year-old Larrison is the pick to click in this group. A Tigers’ second-round selection in 2001, he’s pitched in 100 Triple-A games and racked up a solid 3.49 ERA and just 84 strikeouts to go with 57 walks in 134 innings. However, he’s given up just seven home runs in that time, as he’s got one of the better—if not the best—sinkers on the market. His groundout-to-airout ratios in the past two seasons: 2.7 (Buffalo, ‘08), 3.0 (Toledo, ‘08), 3.0 (Toledo, ‘07). Yes, the double play will always be in the back of opposing managers’ minds." And what BtBS says: "I absolutely love this move for Washington. Call him Chris Schroder deluxe. Larrison finally found his way out of the American League Central after a season with Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate and into an organization that should use him at the highest level. Holder of a 69.1% groundball percentage last season, Larrison gets ant killers at an alarmingly high rate. Larrison's swinging strike rates are also enough to make one ecstatic, although not giddy. The tRAs aren't overly impressive, but as a situational reliever with batted ball average flukes, he's a fine addition to the Nationals organization."

And last but not least, Eldred. He's got fantastic power numbers but a beyond-awful BB/K ratio. Hit .244/.305/.546 with 35 HR, 100 RBI, 28 BB and 144 K with CHW's AAA affiliate in 2008. I can hear the shrieks from SoCH already!

In attempts to continue the delay on the minor league FA post...

Here's your Monday Mailbag!

With the acquisition of Josh Willingham and rumors swirling about the Nats wanting Carlos Gonzalez, I can't help but notice that the team has a lot of outfielders. What do they plan on doing with all of them?
-- Pat R., Oakton, Va.

Well...most teams carry 5 outfielders. Either Pena or Kearns will be moved by Opening Day I bet. I'd rather hold on to all 5 (Pena, Kearns, Dukes, Willingham and Milledge). All of them spent time on the DL in 2008 (Milledge played 138 games, Willingham played 102, Kearns played 86, Dukes played 81 and Pena played 64. That's a total of 471, whereas 3 outfielders multiplied by 162 starts a year equals 486, so that might not even be enough depth! Resign Willie and Langerhans!

How do you think Scott Olsen will impact the clubhouse dynamic? He's not known for his cool.
-- Unidentifed Nats fan, Washington, D.C.

FishStripes, a Marlins blog, has (on at least 3 different occasion) stated Scott Olsen has been given an unfair shake in the media, saying things like: 

"There are too many comments by his present and former teammates to lead one to believe he his a jerk," (Feb 2008)

"Scott isn't a bad person and actually he is a good kid, warts and all. Just try to find one of the off-season meet the players functions where he isn't there.  Olsen made more fan appreciation and charity events scheduled by the team than any other player last season.  That alone doesn't qualify you for good kid status, but his teammates state emphatically that he is, and they should know,"  (Aug 2007) 

(About Gondeee of Talking Chop, a Braves blog, and the following comment he made: I always thought Olsen was considered a hot-head. I remember clashes between him and Joe Girardi when he managed the Marlins -- kind of a strange personality to add to the Braves clubhouse.) 

"I like Gondeee, he is a good guy, he knows the Braves and he knows baseball, but he knows absolutely nothing about Scott Olsen. Olsen is an excellent teammate and anyone on the Marlins will tell you the same.  He is not a "hot-head", contrary to what has been written in the past.  But the point of all of this is not to call Gondeee out, I mean really, how could he know. It is just to bring out the recurring theme that is being said about Olsen by the sports writers and the baseball bloggers.  And actually, Gondeee treated with more dignity than most. Now, I'm not trying to sell Olsen, heck, I want him back.  It is just that I think he is getting an unfair shake in the press." (Nov 2008)

Now I don't know if Craig from FishStripes has some sort of man-crush on Olsen, but he pretty emphatically defended him back there. It's only one viewpoint, but until the guy screws up as a member of the Washington Nationals, I will give him the benefit of the doubt, and so should all of you.

Do the Nats have a legitimate chance at landing Mark Teixeira, or is it just talk? 
-- Chris E., Glendale, Calif.

If they put up the money, they have a legitimate chance. Here was my reasoning that I posted on the comments of MLBTR.com back on Nov 9: "The Nats have some decent up-and-coming prospects. Nothing too amazing, but they could be able to hit .500 this season with him if the right players get healthy and the young guys improve. Tex could go down in history as the guy who turned the Nats from a loser to a winner. Or he could go down in history as the guy who played first base for the Yankees after Jason Giambi." I know it won't necessarily work out that way, but I'd like to think the Nats would be a better fit for him than most teams.

Now that Emilio Bonifacio has been traded to the Marlins for Olsen and Willingham, do you think trading Jon Rauch to the D-backs for Bonifacio was a good trade? The Rauch trade never sat well with me, and I think this confirms the Nationals lost out in the deal. 
-- Will R., Rose Haven, Md.

I went back and forth on the deal for a while, but in the end, I don't think it was a good deal. I do think that the deal was salvaged by the Olsen deal. My initial (documented) opinion was kinda non-commital: "My first reaction is that we got a decent player in a position of need. I think we could have gotten more for Rauch (perhaps another low-level prospect), but if this was Rauch's market, I'm happy. I heard rumors of Reid Brignac for Rauch, which would have made me happier, but this is fine." I went back on July 30th and changed my mind: "I tried to rationalize it for a while, but it simply wasn't a great trade for the Nats. Now that being said it could end up being a win for the team, but Rauch is worth more than Bonifacio. They should have (and definitely could have) gotten more than Emilio." One note-Nats Journal commenters ended up voting 61% to 39% in favor of the trade. I know I originally voted in favor. Would be interesting to see Chico run a new poll over there.

I agree with you that the Nats should play the kids. But is there any indication they will? They have a lot of young outfielders and now they have more. No matter how good they are, I don't see a place for Roger Bernadina, Leonard Davis or Justin Maxwell. 
-- Garry F., Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Canadian math: Bernadina+Davis+Maxwell>Milledge+Dukes

Uhhh. I think not. Maxwell's always hurt, Davis hasn't proved much above AA so far and Bernadina was awful his first time around in the majors (and only decent his second time there). If we were talking someone of Burgess' talent level that was ready, I would agree. But none of these guys project as starting ML outfielders in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on the new jerseys? Will they amount to more wins in 2009? 
-- Michael S., Mount Airy, Md.

I like the new road uniforms, am semi-indifferent to the Curly W red ones, but dislike the DC/patriotic ones. I am definitely patriotic, but there's way too much going on there.

As for more wins-does anyone feel like crunching some numbers to see if there is any correlation between getting new uniforms and getting more wins? It would be a coincidence, but an interesting coincidence in my opinion.

Monday Mailbag

It's our favorite event of the week-the mailbag!

Do you think outfielders Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes will reach their full potential?
-- Matt B., Fairfax, Va.

Dukes-Yes (if he can stay out of jail).

Milledge-No (unless he develops better plate discipline and more power or suddenly has a breakthrough defending in center).  P.S.-Milledge's B-R page is up for sponsorship. Hendo, you gonna jump on that?

I see you talking about everyone in the rotation, but you have never mentioned Tim Redding. He was the best starter on the team this past season. What is his future with the Nationals?
-- Jason T., Fort Worth, Texas

Ummm...by my calculations, John Lannan was #1 and Odalis Perez was #2. Nobody measures starting pitcher success by the number of wins anymore, Jason!

For the record, I doubt he gets non-tendered. I haven't seen the Rule V eligibles yet, though, so I reserve the right to change that (I see the Nats picking 1 or 2 guys up).

With Washington's need for pitching, has it expressed any interest in right-hander Carl Pavano?
-- Brian P., East Winthrop, Maine

"The team can't afford to have players on the DL like they did this past season."-Ladson

No, stupid, the team can't afford to have crappy players on the roster. The problem with the Nats isn't that their players get hurt, because every team has injured players. Their problem is that they rely wayyyy too much on guys with huge injury histories. Sign Pavano to a non-guaranteed deal, let him compete for the 5th rotation spot. I have the same feeling about Ben Sheets and Pedro Martinez. Both could be steals. Why not take the risk? These guys could turn out to be great pitchers if they stay healthy, and we're gonna suck either way. Might as well try for 2 compensation picks.

Any idea who the Nats are looking at for their No. 1 selection in next year's First-Year Player Draft? Is Steven Strasburg already a lock?
-- Jody D., McLean, Va.

Unless he sustains a major injury, it will be Strasburg. If he is the consensus #1 pick and the Nats don't choose him, I'm resigning from my fandom and becoming someone's bandwagon fan.

Last week, you wrote about the all-time Expos team. Andres Galarraga put in more years at first for the Expos, but honorable mention must go to Al Oliver. He put in two productive years at first for the franchise.
-- Rodney W., Arlington, Va.

Good story. You should write a book.

I've read all your stories since you were covering the Expos and I have a great amount of respect for you and your opinions. However, I believe you are too patient. I believe in giving someone a second chance, but not 10. Don't you think you can stop hoping for miracles for players like Nick Johnson or even managers like Frank Robinson? You wait too long for a productive result, then you acknowledge that maybe they weren't that great.
-- Alex C., Montreal

"You make a fair point. I think one has to be patient in this game."-Ladson

Is it just me, or does Ladson seem like the kind of person who would try to be patient with a ticking hand grenade?

Shouldn't the Nationals be more creative and aggressive with runners on base?
-- Efren M., Washington, D.C.

As Manny said this year, we can't afford to waste outs on the basepaths. If we can reach an extra base 70% of the time or more, it's worthwhile. We've got some decent speed in Millz with Thrillz, Dukes, Bonifacio, etc. but they're not good baserunners. Hopefully Marquis Grissom can help with them.

Mailbag time!

The best time of the week-MAILBAG TIME!

What do you think Austin Kearns's future is with the Nats?
-- Ryan S., Millersville, Md.

He will be back and will be the starting RF. He won't be an all-star, but he'll hit AT THE VERY LEAST .260/.340/.430 with stellar defense, assuming he's healthy (not a safe assumption). Nobody will take his salary and the Nats won't buy him out when he has the potential to come back big.

Does Willie Harris have a shot as an everyday player?
-- Tim T., Reston, Va.

No. He's an awesome utility guy, but the position he's best at, LF, demands a ton more power out of a player. If he's smart, he sticks with the Nats because they'll offer him a ton of playing time at his non-premium defensive positions (3B).

About a year ago, I asked if you thought a Chad Cordero trade for Jason Bay was a possibility. You said, "That would be a steal for the Pirates. I want to know why Bay slumped so badly for the Bucs last year." Do you think a player like Bay would have salvaged the poor offense and provided the extra power the Nationals needed throughout the season?
-- Brandon P., Bethesda, Md.

I'm LOLing at Ladson's answer: "Besides the poor offense that you mentioned, there were a lot of injuries, the team played poorly on defense and pitching was shaky, at best. Here's another thing the fans don't talk about: The base running was awful, especially during the second half. "

Yes, but trading a reliever for Jason Freaking Bay would have been a steal for the Pirates? I love the Chief, but relief pitchers are the most overpriced commodity in baseball. You have to make that trade 10 out of 10 times (if it were actually on the table, which I doubt). Bay would have made the Nats better offensively, but not enough to escape the cellar.

I have followed Levale Speigner since he was in high school. What are his prospects for next season?
-- Terri S., Lisbon, Ohio

If he makes a 40-man roster, it will not be with the Nats. If it is with the Nats, I will start weeping.

After the last four seasons, how can we view pitching as the one area not in need of a new coach? The Nationals rank near the bottom of every category in pitching as well as hitting, but we're not replacing the pitching coach during this major housecleaning?
-- Bill W., Alexandria, Va.

The problem isn't Randy St. Claire-it's the garbage he's forced to work with. Unless we're talking someone like the Leo Mazzone of the 1990s as pitching coach, our pitchers would get worse rather than better with a different pitching coach. Hope you didn't forget our one-season-wonders Hector Carrasco, Esteban Loaiza and Odalis Perez...I attribute all of their collective success to St. Claire.

What is Ryan Wagner's status with the team?
-- Ross B., Highland, Va.

According to Ladson, his shoulder is healthy and he will be ready for Spring Training. I don't see him making the ML squad unless he has a great spring training-he's behind Hanrahan, Mock, Rivera, Bergmann, Shell, Hinckley, etc. already.

Why do you keep saying that Lastings Milledge is a building block given his numbers in the Major Leagues? Compare his numbers to the center fielders on contending teams - Elijah Dukes and Justin Maxwell have shown much more potential.
-- Kimon G., Bethesda, Md.

As Ladson hinted, Dukes and Maxwell are very injury-prone. Milledge has done a lot at a very young age. You can't help but be encouraged by a .268/.330/.402 slash line out of a 23 year old. Dukes will be the long-term CF, though, and Millz with Thrillz will be in LF.

How safe is Manny Acta's job, and how long does his current contract run?
-- Frank H., Northampton, UK

This is something that I've been struggling with. I know Manny does a great job with the guys, but there is really no way to judge a manager who is stuck with crappy players. I've never been impressed with Acta's in-game strategy, but his morale boosting is worth keeping him around for...I say hold on to him until the Baby Nats grow up and Acta actually has something to work with. If he fails then, he's gone.

Mailbag time!

It's the most exciting part of the day for me, as I sit here waiting for the oh-so-exciting Environmental Geosciences class to convene (another movie on earthquakes!! YAYYY!!!)

Here's your non-BS mailbag answers:

Do you think Elijah Dukes will play center field and Lastings Milledge will move to left field in 2009?
-- Rich R., Slingerlands, N.Y.

As our buddy Ladson says, if Dukes' knee can handle it, he WILL be the starting center fielder and Milledge WILL be the starting left fielder. That's the way it should be, at least until Millz with Thrillz can learn how to play center.

Do the Nationals have any building blocks? This team doesn't look like a Major League roster.
-- Scott C., Washington, D.C.

I'm sorry, Scott, but that's an ignorant question. A "building block" is a player who the team can use as a centerpiece. An entire team is not made of "building block" players. The Nats have building blocks in Zimmerman and Dukes, that's all. Flores, Lannan, Milledge, etc. have the chance to become centerpieces with solid 2009 campaigns, but only Zimmerman and Dukes seem like they're on the fast track to stardom.

Is right-hander Jason Bergmann still a part of Nats' long-term plans?
-- Frank H., Northampton, UK

I don't see how anyone in their right mind would put Martis into the 2009 rotation plans as Ladson suggests (he still needs a LOT of seasoning), but I see Lannan, Redding, Zimmermann and Balester getting guaranteed rotation spots and various major and minor league FA's competing with the likes of Bergmann and Hill (if healthy) and others for the 5th spot.

Now that he has shown a 91-92 mph fastball and command of two other pitches, is Mike Hinckley a candidate for the rotation in 2009?
-- Roger B., Bethesda, Md.

No. He had 7 seasons in the minors to prove himself as a starter. He had success in relief in 2008 and will stick there as long as he has success.

The Nationals have made a lot of player moves in the past 12 months. What grade would you give them in that regard?
-- Mike E. Springfield, Va.

On a 5 point grading scale:
5.0-Dukes, Wee Willie
4.0-Odalis, Milledge
3.0-Gonzalez, Hernandez
2.0-Bonifacio
1.0-Mackowiak, Estrada, Lo Duca

Average grade-2.7, around a C average.

Can you update us on the contract status of players after this season?
-- Rich R., Slingerlands, N.Y.

From Ladson:

Free agents: Aaron Boone, 1B; Odalis Perez, LHP
Eligible for arbitration: Jesus Colome, RHP; Chad Cordero, RHP; Willie Harris, OF; Ryan Langerhans, OF Tim Redding, RHP; Zimmerman, 3B.
Player options: Wily Mo Pena, OF, $2 million.
Club options: Pena, OF, $5 million.

What about Orr?

I'm a big supporter of Cordero. Can you tell me what his future is with this team?
-- Heywood U., Tampa, Fla.

He won't be back.

Why hasn't there been any love for right-hander Steven Shell? His ERA is one of the lowest on the squad. He seems to be a quiet kid. Shell does his job and has been a rock since his June callup.
-- Matt E., Washington D.C.

He's the man. I love him. Oddly, he hasn't been tagged here, so he has flown (flied? flew?) under the radar (so much I didn't include him in the offseason acquisitions). So I'll tag him here and say he's a very pleasant surprise.

Bowden and manager Manny Acta said they want to obtain a slugging left-handed bat. What are the chances of them obtaining first baseman Mark Teixeira to fill that roll?
-- Jim T., Beaufort, S.C.

Are you kidding? Lerners open their wallets? 0%.


Also-required reading. Will probably comment more later.

Monday Roundup

The New Nats had a great weekend, sweeping the Reds.

In game one (5-2 Nats), Odalis Perez threw 7 and 1/3 innings, scattering 3 hits and allowing a single run. If he had done this last week, the game would have been pitched by the likes of Clippard/Mock/Zimmermann, as Perez would be in a different uniform by now. It did raise his value, I'm sure (beleive it or not, he has a 4.16 ERA), as many contenders could use a cheap solid lefty starter signed only through this year.

In game two (10-6 Nats), the Nats tagged their former teammates Bill Bray and Gary Majewski for 1 and 2 runs, respectively. Bray let in one inheirited runner whereas Majewski allowed 3, so 7 of the 10 runs were either scored while the two were on the mound or by runners that reached base against the two. Millz with Thrillz and Belliard both hit homers while Emilio "Bad to the" Bonifacio had a double and a triple. While watching this game, I came to realize that this team, no matter how bad it was, is now really really exciting. Bonifacio, Harris, Milledge, Dukes and Gonzalez all have great speed and can make things happen, and the double play combination of Emilio and Alberto seems to produce at least one web gem per game. Combine this with timely hitting from Flores and Kearns (and Zimmerman when he returns) and you have a decent ballclub. And don't look now, but Ayala threw his third straight shutout inning. Just sayin'.

In game three (4-2 Nats), rookie Collin Balester tossed his second straight solid outing, going 5 and 1/3 innings while only allowing 1 run on 6 hits. Balester now has 10 strikeouts against only 2 walks in his last two starts (totalling 11 and 1/3 innings) and topped 100 pitches for only the second time this year. Bonifacio had another 2 hits, raising his average from .167 to .280 in the series while Milledge hit another blast (and went 1/2 in stolen bases). Kearns had his second straight 3 hit game and is now hitting .293/.355/.414 since returning from the DL a month ago.

The bullpen was awesome this weekend, throwing 8 and 1/3 innings and only allowing 2 runs (both by Hanrahan). I wouldn't worry, though. Hanrahan allowed one run in a non-save situation on Friday and another with a 3-run lead on Sunday. He'll be fine.

And on another note, this is certainly something I'm happy to hear:

Ever since the Trade Deadline, when Washington released its veterans and acquired shortstop Alberto Gonzalez, the Nationals have been playing with a windfall of energy and a renewed sense of enthusiasm.

They picked up their first home three-game sweep of the season on Sunday, scoring 19 runs, while allowing just nine, and hitting .330 -- well above their season average of .240

Pete Orr talked about the change after Saturday's come-from-behind 10-6 win, saying that the Nationals are feeding off one another.

"If you don't get excited watching the last two games, then you're not a baseball fan," Orr said.

Orr added that the hustle of Gonzalez and new double-play partner Emilio Bonifacio -- recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Friday -- is starting to rub off on teammates.

"Everything carries over," Orr said. "You watch those guys play, you get excited, and when you get a chance to do something, you want to do it, too."

Notice that it's the energy of the new guys that gets the credit, not the good pickups by Bowden or bood hitting strategy compiled by Lenny. They probably have till the rest of the season to plead their respective cases. If the next two months go like this, they could be retained (notice the groans from bloggers everywhere...but read this and see why Bowden won't be back...two words: economic irresponsibility). Be carefully optimistic, though, because the Old Nats started the season 3-0 also.

Christmas in July!!!

JOHNNY "WADDLES" "FATSTRADA" "GIANT SACK OF CRAP" ESTRADA IS GONE!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The rotating blob of catching fail was DFA'ed to make room for L-Millz with Thrillz, who is coming off the DL;

My favorite part of his post-DFA interview:

Q: Do you even consider it an option to report to Class AAA Columbus (if you clear waivers)?

[Heck] no. You won't see me in Triple AAA. You can print that, too.

YES!!!!! HE'S NOT COMING BACK!!!!!!!

To recap some of many reasons he's awful:
He refused to talk to The African Queen. NOBODY refuses to talk to The African Queen!!!
From my previous post "There are not enough words, but too many phrases":

My roommate (a Brewers/Nats fan, so he gets double the Estrada fun) wrote up a quick 5-tool (or apparently 6 tools now) assessment on Estrada for me:
me: i need for you to give me a scouting report on johnny estrada for my blog...very quick...just hit his skills in the 5 tools
roommate: uh
roommate: he doesn't walk
roommate: but can hit for average
roommate: no power
roommate: speed blows
roommate: defense sucks
roommate: arm sucks

So, in a nutshell, the most worthless player in all of professional baseball is gone. Good riddance. There's no way the door avoids hitting you on the way out because you're so freaking slow.

Wednesday Night Nats Roundup

Mostly just links and a little blurb, since I'm tired.

Old news: WMP is out for the year, but should be back for Spring Training next year. Maybe his labrum/rotator cuff woes were to blame, as he "had a tough time getting around on fastballs because of the shoulder." I was skeptical when Guzman's career was supposed to be turned around with laser eye surgery/weight loss. This isn't the same thing, but until I see results, I'll continue to be skeptical.

Nats Journal injury updates:
Aaron Boone still has discomfort in his calf and will have an MRI tomorrow. We don't necessarily need Boone back yet, but it would be nice to have him so Zim doesn't have to start every day. The trade deadline doesn't matter, as he'll pass through waivers (if the Nats choose to trade him away, reducing their monopoly on Boones from 3 (before Bret retired) to 2 (now) to 1 (if Aaron is traded).
Acta says we'll probably see Shawn Hill again before the end of the year. Similar to SBF's sentiments on Nats320 about Zimmerman: if one of our guys with decent potential is hurt, shut them down. No sense making it worse in a season that is un-salvagable anyways.
Da Meat Hook will also be back by the end of the year. "Asked if Young was expected back by the end of the year, Acta said, 'Oh yeah. Not by any means are we shutting him down. No. I'm very positive we'll be seeing him over here again.'"
Chico and Ladson are both reporting that Milledge could return as early as the weekend. As long as he's ready, fine. If he's not 100%, just like with Hill/Zimmerman, it's simply not worth it. Injured groin muscles are not things you want to play on (no pun intended).

The Nats could non-tender Chad Cordero. It wouldn't be worth it to resign him for $5 mil if he's not going to pitch, and then hit FA after the year. Maybe we can get something done with an option for 2010 before the season ends. Otherwise we'll have to cut ties and hope he's still around on May 15 when we can sign him again. I want the Chief back. He's still only going to be 28 at the beginning of the 2010 season. He's worth keeping, just depends on the price.

Last but not least, Pete Orr has decided against playing in the Olympics, deciding rather to stick with the Nats. It probably would have been career suicide for Orr to go to the Olympics rather than sticking it out in Washington.

A bunch of Nats news

As many of you saw tonight (not including myself, as I didn't have power), Lastings Milledge went down with a groin injury trying to make a play on a line drive (that ended up an Alex Cintron triple). The Nats announced he was going to the 15-day DL and Harrisburg's Roger Bernadina would be his replacement. Tough break for L-Millz and his Center Field Thrillz, but that's really the Nats' luck as of late. (edit: Chico Harlan says about Milledge in Nationals Journal: "Headed to the DL; Lastings Milledge, who injured his right groin. He'll be out 2-4 weeks."), so not as bad as I thought. Wonder if 2-4 weeks will beocme 4-6 though, with our awesome training staff!

The only good news that comes out of it: Bernadina gets a shot. The 24-year-old has spent 7 years in the Nats system after being signed at 18 out of the Netherlands Antilles (aka Curacao, I believe). He's pulling a line of .325/.397/.475 in AA right now (with a career line of .292/.364/.414 in 636 at bats in AA and .258/.343/.375 overall) and is a good baserunner (career 77% base stealer, 75% in AA, 26/35 this year). He looks to me like a lefty version of Milledge, but with a little less power and a little better defense.

Good news: Austin Kearns is said to be back next week, which will (thank goodness) keep Pena/Harris/Lo Duca/Casto out of LF as much as possible (my dad keeps saying they're "showcasing" Lo Duca in LF to boost his trade value. It makes sense, as there are some really stupid GM's out there. Apparently versatility is in the eye of the beholder). Nationals.com says that Dukes will shift back to LF (even though I think they should stick him in CF, as he's more likely to be a full-time ML CF in the future than Roger Bernadina, who I think will end up as a Tom Goodwin-like player...#4 OF, #1 pinch runner, defensive replacement). I'm a little afraid Bernadina will end up like Brandon Watson, but I'll put a little more faith in him.

Great news: Collin Balester is going to make the start on Tuesday against the Marlins. The 22-year-old righty has a 9-3 record and a 4.00 ERA in AAA Columbus this year. Hopefully, he'll never see AAA again! It's good to see Balester and Bernadina finally get a chance (unfortunately at the expense of starters Shawn Hill and Milledge), but sometimes you have to lose someone for a while to find out who is really a contender from the minors rather than a pretender. The Nats have room on the 40-man (space was made when Nick Johnson was put on the 60-day DL), but no room on the 25-man roster. Top candidates to be sent down/outrighted: Pete Orr, Jesus Colome. The dark horse is obviously Fail-ipe, who is destined to be traded to the Dark Side tomorrow night or Monday.

Yesterday, the Dark Side Bird tripped Teddy in the Presidents Race. Tonight, Teddy beat the Dark Side Bird in an "unsanctioned race" (meaning the Nats can stretch out the misery of Teddy until they feel like giving him a win).

Random thoughts on the offense

Our O is pretty bad right now. The best we're doing in any category is 2nd in the NL in HBP (no, I'm serious). We do have a few things to look up to now, though.

Lastings Milledge is up to .250/.318/.371. Yes, this is still awful. But he's improving every day. He's hitting .321/.406/.607 over the last week, .264/.328/.415 over the last 2 weeks and .265/.327/.441 over the last 4 weeks. Not great, but he's developing into a nice player.

Elijah Dukes is done insulting our manager and starting to warm up as well. He's still at .222/.342/.343 for the year, but he's at .286/.394/.429 over the last week, .286/.386/.490 over the last 2 weeks and .269/.396/.410 over the last 4 weeks. Still not perfect either, but he's a good defender and will excite Nats fans for as long as he can keep his head on straight.

And over the last week, Dmitri is hitting .500/.565/.750. That's 10/20 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 3 R/3 RBI, 3 BB/5 K. Atta boy, Meat Hook!

The root of our problems

It's pretty obvious that the Nats have an awful offense right now. They've scored 2 runs or less in 9 of their last 14 games and 1 or less in 6 of their last 7.

What continues to baffle me is Manny Acta's misuse of the batting order. He finally (and I'm thinking reluctantly) moved Lopez out of the #1 and #2 spots in game 2 of the doubleheader yesterday. But he's still got Lastings Milledge hitting 3rd. The same Lastings Milledge who is hitting .241/.307/.342. That's pretty awful. In the meantime, he's got Jesus Flores, the team's best and hottest hitter, hitting 5th and 6th.

Here's what the lineup should look like:
Guzman-SS
Milledge-CF
Flores-C
Boone-1B
Dukes-RF
Casto-3B
Pena-LF
Lopez-2B

I've gone over why Guzman and Milledge should be 1 and 2 before. I'm not sure what else is debatable. Between Pena and Lopez, we might as well put the guy who is capable of hitting it very far if he makes contact up there instead of the guy who hits grounders and pop ups and strikeouts galore.

And I'm getting angry by the media tonight (also heard it on Channel 4 news). THE BULLPEN DID NOT BLOW THE GAME! AYALA BLEW THE GAME! DO NOT INCRIMINATE THE INNOCENT (namely Hanrahan, who pitched, but also the ones who didn't pitch like Colome, Manning, Sanches, Rivera and Rauch)!