my 2010 Lineup

1. Morgan CF
2. Desmond SS
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Dunn 1B
5. Willingham LF
6. Dukes RF
7. Guzman 2B
8. Flores C
9. Lannan P

Backups:
Morse IF
Rodriguez C
Gonzalez IF
Harris IF/OF
Bernadina OF
Maxwell OF
Starting Pitchers:
1. Lannan
2. Marquis
3. Olsen
4. Martin
5. Martis/ Chico
Bullpen:
long reliever: Stammen
MR: Garate
MR: Clippard
MR: Burnett
Suiter: Bruney
Closer: Capps

Unlucky nights for the nats

The nats lost another unlucky game against the fish today, losing 3-2 in the 10th inning. John Lannan had a great game, striking out 8 in 6.1 innings and giving up 1 run. The nats got their offense going in the bottom of the 1st, with Nick Johnson singling to right field for Ryan Zimmerman. Zim hit one that looked like a 2B at first, and it was slicing away from Cameron Maybin in CF. He then dove out full extension and somehow caught the ball, saving at least a 3B and a run. The fish took the lead in the 4th on a solo HR by C John Baker. Then the nats took the lead in the bottom of the 4th by RBI singles by Jesus Flores and Alberto Gonzalez. That is when the fish started to become really lucky. The home plate umpire Tim Timmons was very inconsistent today- of course only to the Nationals. Even Manny got ejected on a heck of a pathetic called 3rd to Elijah Dukes. Jim Rigglman then became the manager for the rest of the game. The nats really got Rick Nolasco and started crushing baseball after baseball- later to become outs at the warning track. There were something like 3 innings where the nats had a runner on 3rd, and failed to score. In the top of the 9th, up 2-1, Hanrahan gave up a solo shot to Cody Ross, and the game was into extras. Nick Johnson crushed a line drive, caught by 1B Jorge Cantu, and then Zim hit a fly ball to right field which looked like a walk-off HR at first- only to be caught at the warning track. Then Jim Rigglman really made a bad call, bringing in Saul Rivera in the 10th, even though he wasn't that bad at all. He gave up a harmless ground ball and 2 little blop shots- which turned into a run somehow. Elijah Dukes lead off the ninth with a long fly ball almost a game-tying homer which turned into a double that hit in between 2 advertisment signs in left field. Then the nats went harmlessly in the rest of the inning.

The next day the nats also lost the next game 9-6 in another extra-inning-marathon. I didn't see the game but Austin Kearns had a grand slam in the 1st inning and the nats were up 6-0 early. Scott Olsen had a great performance, going 7 innings and giving up 3 runs, 2 earned. With the nats up 6-3 going into the 9th, Hanrahan faltered AGAIN. He blew another save, giving up a game tying 2 run shot by Jeremy Hermida to tie the game at 6. Then in the top of the 11th Jeremy Hermida hit another 3 run HR, this time giving the fish a 9-6 lead. For the 2nd night in a row, a great starting performance, a good offensive show, and a late breakdown by Joel Hanrahan occured.

In other news, SS Cristian Guzman has been placed on the 15 day DL, and IF Alex Cintron will be called up to replace him. Also Roger Bernadina is now on the DL. The injuries although haven't been as bad as last year, as long as starters are fine, and Alberto Gonzalez has done a great job replacing Cristian Guzman at SS. There is no recent news on Ryan Zimmerman and his long term deal.

Tomorrow there will be another day game, Daniel Cabrera VS Chris Volstad.

Nats get first W, Zim could close on deal

The nats improved their record to 1-7 yesterday as the nats beat the Phillies, 8-2.It was a good hitting day, as Shairon Martis did a great job of shutting down the Phils powerful lineup, especially when the nats pitching had done such a pathetic job in the previous 7 games. In the bottom of inn. 1, Nick Johnson, who was batting 2nd now that Guzman will miss a few games, and Zimmerman singled, and Joe Blanton tried to see what would happen if he could get Adam Dunn to strike out on a really fat fastball sitting there on the inner half, and Dunn hit 2 rows over the bullpen in right field. Then later in the 8th inning, nats up 4-3 (Martis: 6.1 IP 2 ER 1 K) with nobody out and a 3-0 count, Elijah Dukes crushed a 3 run bomb to left, with Alberto Gonzalez hitting his 2nd career HR. Hammer also hit a pinch-hit HR in his first official at-bat in a nats uniform at nats park.

The nats and Ryan Zimmerman reportedly are nearing a 5 year, 45 million dollar deal. The deal would be made official within the next few days. No one was available to talk to the press at the time. I think it would be great to have Zim for another 5 years mainly because it would take so much more off his mind.

I really hope Acta keeps Johnson in the #2 spot, being PERFECT for #2, even though Acta said Johnson will drop down further when Guzman gets back in. Johnson is a great # 2 hitter mainly because of his OBP, getting on when Dunn, Zim, and 'Lija come up.

Tonight the nats will try and find more luck against the fish, as they are 3-18 against them over the last 2 years. 3-18!?!? It will be John Lannan and Ricky Nolasco, the same 2 who started opening day on April 6th. Hopefully the nats can build on that win and get some revenge.

Nothing new

Nothing new to Nats fans, as they get off to a 0-7 start.

When I first looked at the Opening day lineup for the Marlins, I smiled seeing a easy out in Emilio Bonifacio, Florida's leadoff hitter. I was wrong when he went 4-5 with a inside the park Homer and 3 stolen bases. John Lannan struggled to get ahead of hitters, throwing only 5 first pitch strikes to the 17 batters he faced. By the third inning, it was 6-0 Marlins. In the top of the 4th, Guzman was on second, and Adam Dunn up. He took a outside out of the zone slider and crushed it to right field. I thought it had a chance of leaving, but it was off of that huge Florda left field wall for a RBI double. He later crushed a three run Homer to make it a 8-5 game. The nats lost, 12-6.

Scott Olsen looked even more pathetic the next day, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings as he got clobbered by his former team. The nats lost, 8-3.

The next day was the hugest killer ever. Daniel Cabrera had a bad start as expected( 6 IP, 5 ER), and the nats had bases loaded, 1 out and they couldn't score. In the top of the ninth with the nats down by two, the bases were loaded with one out for Josh Willingham (.345 last year with RISP), who got a start against his former team, and he struck out. Next was Austin Kearns,
who looked for a game tieing or game winning hit. He hit a sinking line drive to left field that looked like the game tieing hit off the bat, but the Left Fielder Jeremy Hermida got a great jump, and an even better catch to win the game for the fish.

The next day was also a killer for the nats, as the Braves made their home opener. Shairon Martis as the starter for the nats who only made it through 3 innings (Because of the rain delay) The nats had bases loaded, nobody out one time and failed to score. The Braves won the game in the tenth inning on a walk-off single by Kelly Johnson off of Joe Beimel to end the game.

The nats lost the next game 5-3. John Lannan had another bad outing going 6IP,4ER. They lost the next one, 8-5, while Scott Olsen has yet to learn how to pitch in a Nats uniform.

Then came the nats opener, against the Philadelphia Phillies. The game was played shortly after the death of Harry Kalas, the Phillies play-by-play announcer since 1971. They even thought about not playing the game, even when they had a Nationals Park record 40,676 people at the game. It was an offensive game, even though Daniel Cabrera lasted through 5 innings while only giving up one earned run. Although an error by Adam Dunn and two by Anderson Hernandez (he got off the DL because of a injury to Willie Harris) Left the Phils with a 4-3 lead. But then a homer by Dukes and Dunn got the game tied 4-4. But then in the seventh Saul Rivera let the first two baserunners, with powerful Ryan Howard up, and Joe Beimel, a lefty, was warming up. Rivera, a righty, clearly didn't have it at all and Howard crushed a 3 run Homer to right field. Then in the ninth Brad Lidge came on to the mound. Down 9-6, Zimm hit a 2 run HR down the right field line, and the nats were down 9-8 with nobody out, but then Dunn and 'Lijah tried to be heros, taking huge uppercut swings, resulting in a strikeout and the Nats lost, 9-8. Obviously I couldn't watch the game being in 'Zona, but I had my eyes glued to the scoreboard on ESPN.

The Wednesday night game against the Phillies was rained out, but Shairon Martis will pitch against Joe Blanton, as the nats look to achieve their first W in the columns. The projected lineup for the nats:
1. Anderson Hernandez 2B
2. Elijah Dukes CF
3. Ryan Zimmerman 3B
4. Adam Dunn LF
5. Nick Johnson 1B
6. Austin Kearns/Josh Willingham RF
7. Jesus Flores C
8. Alberto Gonzalez SS
9. Shairon Martis P
Notice how Lastings Milledge isn't playing? Belive it or not, new acting GM Mike Rizzo sent him down to the minors. Lastings is really struggling at everything so far this year, Hitting .167 with no walks, missing a team meeting, and making routine fly balls look like a comedy show. Roger Bernadina will be called up from AAA.

While I was in Arizona, I decided I needed Some baseball so I went to a D'Backs game against the LA Dodgers. Even though the D'Backs lost, Chase Field is a pretty good Stadium, uglier than Nats Park but some things were better like No Clint (That annoying contest guy that fans hate).

It begins today

The nats play their first game of the season today, against the Florda Marlins(sorry I haven't posted in a while).The starting lineup for Manny Acta's nats:
1. Lastings Milledge-CF
2. Cristian Guzman-SS
3. Ryan Zimmerman-3B
4. Adam Dunn-LF
5. Nick Johnson-1B
6. Austin Kearns-RF
7. Ronnie Belliard-2B
8. Jesus Flores-C
9. John Lannan-P
Tons wrong with that lineup. First you notice how Kearns is starting when a healthy Dukes and Willingham is watching him K. Also the first two spots belong to the two Most Aggressive hitters on the team? I don't get it, when we want people on base for Dunn,Zimmerman, and Dukes (not so much Kearns) Belliard over Flores (.410 with RISP)??? The lineup I would have:
1. Lastings Milledge-CF
2. Nick Johnson-1B
3. Ryan Zimmerman-3B
4. Adam Dunn-1B
5. Elijah Dukes-RF
6. Cristian Guzman-SS
7. Jesus Flores-C
8. Ronnie Belliard-2B
9. John Lannan-P Pinch Hitter- Josh Willingham
The lineup for Friedy Gonzalez's Marlins:
1. Emilio Bonifacio-3B

2. C John Baker

3. SS Hanley Ramirez

4. 1B Jorge Cantu

5. 2B Dan Uggla

6. LF Jeremy Hermida

7. RF Cody Ross

8. CF Cameron Maybin

Ricky Nolasco will be pitching.
We really need Kearns to get injured between now and 4:10, when Ricky Nolasco throws first pitch to Lastings Milledge. In that Florda lineup, look at who is leading off. Yep, even more aggresive and low on-base percentage than Milledge and Guzman, although the former national has tremendous speed. My prediction of today's opener:
Nationals 3, Marlins 2. Lannan throws 7 innings giving up 2 runs, Beimel gives one up in the eighth and Hanrahan closes it out. Nolasco throws seven innings, giving up three early runs (By the way, Kearns go's 0-5).
Since it is the first game of the year, I will make my NL East predictions:
1. Phillies, 91-71
2. Mets (Wild Card Winners), 90-72
3. Braves, 85-77
4. Nationals, 84-78 (87-74 if Dukes starts)
5 Marlins, 81-81
Nothing much was missed while I didn't post, other than a release of Shawn Hill and Wily Mo Pena, a signing of setup man Joe Beimel, and a 15-17 spring training.
I guess every day before almost every game I will do a recap of the game the day before, and a preview of the upcoming game, and any other news. Sorry I will not be able to post April 8th through the 14th, due to a upcoming trip to Arizona.

Hill might miss beginning of the season

Nats righty Shawn Hill might miss the beginning of the '09 season, feeling pain in his right arm during a bullpen session, before his scheduled start against the Tigers today. He was a late scratch, and Gustavo Chacin got the call. Hill, who pitched one inning Friday against the Astros, started to feel pain Sunday when he threw a bullpen session, but he didn't inform the team until the last minute. Hill wanted to pitch against the Tigers, but the Nats know what has happened in the past when they have been even the slightest risky when it comes to Hill. "Shawn was willing to throw, but we decided to send him over to see Dr. Andrews, who will give us an indication on what to do from now on," Manny said. "The good thing about it is it's early in camp. We still have four weeks to go. If it's not serious, Shawn will be ready to go for us." Even though Acta believes that Hill will be ready before April sixth, I wouldn't that surprised if he's gone for the year. "Obviously, I feel bad for the kid (37 games played in the last four years), because he has gone through it for a while now. Hopefully, he will come back with good news from Dr. Andrews," Acta said.

Even if he is healthy, Hill is not a candidate to make the rotation. Hill who has never been in the bullpen (37 G, 37 GS), I have always thought that he would be a good closer with his nasty slider, and possibly make a Kerry Wood-type transition. Manny also said if Hanrahan can't handle the closer's role or gets traded (good thing Bowden's not GM), they might look to Hill.

So far, the Nats are 3-4 in preseason play. The first game was an exhibition against Italy, in which they won a thriller, 9-6. I thought it wouldn't even be close, Italy only has a few players on its roster that are in the big leagues. Before the game, Elijah Dukes saw Roger Bernadina taking batting practice. Dukes noticed that outfielder Roger Bernadina was gripping the bat too tight and his elbows were too close to his body. Dukes wanted Bernadina to keep his hands back. The way Bernadina was holding the bat in the past had given him trouble hitting inside pitches. Then lator Dukes and Bernadina were in the starting lineup against Italy. In the game, Dukes had a 2-run triple, and a crushed solo homer to left. With two on and two outs in the ninth inning, the game tied at six, Bernadina, keeping his hands back, crushed a walk-off 3 run bomb. Bernadina went 3-5 in the game.

The nats then beat the Mets, 6-4. The nats had a couple of three run innings, and Johnson hit his second of the spring. The highlight of the day was Jordan Zimmermannnnnnnn, who threw three scoreless innings, and he has yet to give up a baserunner. Batters against him are 0-15 with 6 strikeouts and no walks. What happened to Bally-Star??? (3 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs, BB)

The nats also lost that game against the Tigers, 10-2. Both Washington runs came in a three-batter stretch during the second inning, capped by a two-run single by Anderson Hernandez which scored Javier Valentin and Joel Guzman. Valentin and Elijah Dukes both had a hit and a walk.None of the people who pitched are going to make the 25-man roster anyway, except for Terrel Young who pitched a scoreless inning and has a ERA of 1.80.

The Nats will play the Orioles tomorrow, and Daniel Cabrera will start against his former club, at Camden Yards. The game will be televised on MASN, where new vision analyst Rob Dibble will make his Nats debut, I think... I'm not sure if the regular Nats-O's announcers will be broadcasting it.

There is no news on who the new GM will be, although Stan Kasten said that the Nats would be in good hands with Mike Rizzo, who will take over most of the GM job until a replacement is found. Getting rid of Bowden looks like Cordero will consider going back to Washington. Cordero was upset that Bowden announced last May that he would be non-tendered. Such an announcement is not made until the offseason. Cordero vowed not to come back to Washington if Bowden was the GM.

Last year at around this time I made a prediction of what the Nat's record would be. last year I said it was going to be 86-76, but I also said if all of their key players stay healthy. This year I think the nats are going to be 83-79, third/fourth in NL East.

Bowden resigns from GM

Nats Gene-- FORMER general manager Jim Bowden resigned today, after 5 seasons of messing up with the Nats, highlighted by signings of Felipe Lopez, Austin Kearns, Johnny Estrada, Paul LoDuca, Wily Mo Pena, Daniel Cabrera, Corey Patterson, and Jason Simontacci. Also by the non-signings of Torri Hunter, Aaron Rowand, Orlando Hudson, Aaron Crow, and Mark Texeiria. Bowden was a terrible GM, mostly by relying a little too much on the Nat's farm system and young players. I like the idea of having young and promising players, but Bowden took it way too far, and decided to not get any proven player who has done it in the big leagues, like Milledge, Nieves, Alberto Gonzalez. And he uses this as a excuse in the press conferences. "Listen, we're young, so just shut up, go away, and let these un-established players build our championship club. Bye."

Bowden's statement included: "I am today resigning my position as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Washington Nationals. It is an emotional decision that saddens me, but one that I feel is in the best interests of two of the things I love most - baseball and the Washington Nationals." also: "At the same time, while I have done nothing wrong, I place a greater value on the love, respect, and best interests of my family, friends, the game of baseball -- that I've served lovingly and faithfully for close to 25 years -- and, the reputation and future of the Washington Nationals, which I'm proud to have been a part of since its inception in 2004." and lastly: "Like anyone else, I have made mistakes in all areas of my personal and professional life, but I leave here with the true belief that I have done nothing intentionally to harm the Washington Nationals or Major League Baseball. The team, the fans and media can now turn all of their attention from the distractions off-the-field to where it belongs, on the baseball field for the Washington Nationals and their upcoming 2009 championship season." Even though it is tough to resign from GM and probably not have a job again, at least you could tell the truth. He said he did nothing wrong as GM, he has to realize that Felipe Lopez wasn't that good, and Austin Kearns didn't hit .280 with 80 RBI's and 25 homers. He also said: "for the Washington Nationals and their upcoming 2009 championship season." I like how he's being optimistic, but championship season?

The Nats are not sure who will be the new GM, but Mike Rizzo, the former vice GM will be a candidate. Even though Rizzo will be better than Bowden was, I would like to get a former player who has GM/Manager experience rather than Rizzo. That's why I didn't like the equations of Bullpen coach Randy Knorr (I would have kept Rick Aponte) or hitting coach Rick Eckstein (Although it looks like he has proven himself, so far). Team president Stan Kasten, who will serve as General Manager until a replacement is found, said the team would have made its decision for new GM soon..

Adam Dunn has finally made his decision, he will play in the World Baseball Classic for team USA. I would like to see him hit in a Nat's uniform and get to know his teammates and coaches, but that gives Nick Johnson a chance to start at first base while there is an outfield of Willingham in left, Milledge in center, and Dukes in right, and see who plays the best. If all of the above stay, either Johnson, Milledge (probably not), or Willingham will be a backup, Nick Johnson the most likely.

Joel Hanrahan also said he will play in the World Baseball Classic, for team USA. He said he was considering it for a long time. He will join the team in Clearwater, Fla., and work out on Tuesday. Rick Eckstein recommended to USA that Hanrahan sould be on the team. A spot on the roster opened up when Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan pulled himself out due to concerns about the current state of his mechanics. "When Manny and St. Claire gave me the approval, I decided to do it," Hanrahan said. "I only have a year in the big leagues. I still have some work to do. I'm trying to develop my changeup this year. There is still work to do to get ready for the season. You are still committed to the Nationals -- you have to be 100 percent for them when April 6 comes around." Last year, he was 6-3 with a 3.95 ERA and nine saves.

The nats have started the season 2-3 in Spring Training play. The starters have looked really good so far, the bullpen has looked really shaky, and it looks like hitting from back when, well... 2008. The nats have averaged just 2.8 runs a game, in the last two losing to the Cardinals 2-9 and Orioles 7-5. In the Card's game, the Nats just had only four hits, and Daniel Cabrera made his Nats debut, going two innings and gave up two runs (one earned), while walking none and striking out none. Ross Detwiler had his first outing of the spring, and it was the worst I have ever seen, walking 4 and giving up a hit, so in total giving up 3 runs and retiring none. Justin Maxwell was the player of the game for the nats, going 1-2 with two walks, and robbing Chris Duncan of a grand slam, leaping over the wall. (above)

The nats finally got their first home run of the spring, Nick Johnson solo shot in their 7-5 loss to the O's. Scott Olsen made his Nats debut, throwing two scoreless innings, while walking none and striking out two, but then comes the bullpen. Tyler Clippard throws an inning, giving up 3 runs. Also Garret Mock (ERA: 13.50) threw an inning, giving up two. The nats have an off day, and then on Tuesday play the Italian World Baseball Classic team, John Lannan will start.

Nats 55, Nats 2-1

As you have noticed, I have changed the blog name to Nats 55. When I originally started the blog in November, Zimmerman was the best player on the team so I named the blog after his number, 11. Since they got Dunn, whose # is 44, I didn't know who would be more valuable in '09 so I added 44+11 and got 55. As you probably know, Lastings Milledge was our #44 last year. After Dunn signed with the D-Backs, he wore #32, with pitcher Micah Owings wearing 44. When Dunn was introduced to the media, he put on his 32 jersey. Lastings then gave Dunn a 44 number, and then Lastings decides to wear #85, a number only worn by AA backup bullpen catchers. He wears 85 when the numbers 1, 13, 18 and 35 are available. So that is the new name of the blog. Other number changes is Willie Harris from 1 last year to this year 22, Kory Casto from 5-27, Wil Nieves 53-23, Luke Montz 23-79 (79= he will not be on the roster), New pitcher Terrrel Young is 51, Scotty Olsen is 19, Martis 51-39, Marco Estrada 55-74, Ross Detwiler 29-48, Tyler Clippard 19-36, Daniel Cabrera is 40, and Collin Balester 40-49.

The nats have already started their spring training games and are 2-1 so far. They look pretty good, especially Jordan Zimmermannnnnnnnn. he threw 2 innings on Thursday, allowing no baserunners and striking out three. The first game was against the Astros, and they lost 6-3. Nothing much happened that game, and they won the second game against the Tigers 2-1. Zimmermannnnnn, Bally-Star, and Terrel Young combined for 6 scoreless innings, and the El Tigres was held to only two hits. The Nats won the third game, against the Astros again, 2-0. The pitching was outstanding yet again, and Shawn Hill was great in his only inning. Once again, the pitching held their opponent to only two hits. The Nats scored two runs in the second inning, thanks to RBI doubles by Jesus Flores and Cristian Guzman. The nats play the Cardinals today, and Daniel Cabrera is starting. A report on the newest nats, Josh Willingham is 1-2 with a run, Scott Olsen will pitch tomorrow against the Orioles, and Adam Dunn is 0-3 with a walk.

Jose Rijo was fired recently, he was a special assistiant; I don't know why the heck they have to make it into such a big deal...

The Nats also released left hander Odalis Perez, who signed (signed means you like the contract and have agreed with it) a one-year minor league deal with the Nats, and then didn't show up to spring training because he said he didn't like such a "horrific deal"... even though he agreed with it about two weeks ago...

Acta: '08 is history

Today the Nats had their first workout session for the pitchers and catchers who reported friday. All of them showed up except for Daniel Cabrera, who will stay in the Dominican Republic for about another week because he is having his first child, Jorge Sosa, who the Nats signed as a non-roster invitee, and Odalis Perez, who signed a minor league deal with them. Sosa and Perez have until sunday until they are considered late. Early today, before their first workout session, the nats had a team meeting. It was addressed by Acta and Bowdon, and Acta told them to forget about 2008, and he expects them to play .500 baseball. Acta is excited to get the '09 season to a start, and he says this years Nats are the best team he's seen since he joined in 2007 as manager (Getting Dunn means it's going to be the best if your record as manager is 132-191). "This is the first time we have a legitimate cleanup, power guy in our lineup," Acta said referring to Dunn. "This is the best team we have had in the three years I've been here. ... I try to win with what I have. I'm not going in here thinking abut 2010. This is a good bunch of guys. Baseball has shown you the last few years that if you do things right, you never know what might happen."Acta still think one of the Nats only weakness is the bullpen. The nats must get one more really good relief pitcher other than Saul Rivera.

The nats will also add a bullpen member, 26 year old right hander Jason Bergmann. Last year he really stunk as a starter, going 2-11 with a ERA of 5.11. Even though he struggled last year, he showed glimpses of brilliance, and he still has very good movement on his pitches, especially his slider. Today he came up to Manny Acta, and asked him what his job will be during the 2009 season, and Manny said he will be a middle reliever. Bergmann was not available for comment at the time.

Along with the first workout, the nats had their first bullpen sessions, with Randy St. Clare watching each and every pitch carefully, and he was impressed with all of them. "I was pleased with everybody," St Claire said. "Everybody threw the ball very well. The deliveries look very solid out of this first group that threw today. I was impressed with a lot of the guys." Although all of them were pretty good, the one who shined today was 22-year old Jordan Zimmermannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. "I love his arm stroke," St. Claire said. "He has that really quick arm action. It's out of the glove and it's short and it's on top of the ball. He is a strong kid, he has a good body. His lines are very good. His delivery is very solid for a young kid." I wasn't really a fan of Zimmermannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn before, because I thought anyone who hasn't pitched above AA is unproven. Although after hearing about how much everyone has been raving about him, I have big expectations for him.

Eckstein works... I guess...

Even though it was the pitchers and catchers who reported on Friday, six position players showed up, and Nick Johnson was one of them. New hitting coach Rick Eckstein was in the cage working with hitters, including Johnson, Kory Casto, Ian Desmond, Pete Orr, Justin Maxwell, and Willie Harris. Johnson was the one to watch, as he will compete for the first base job come opening day. He was recently called by Eckstein to watch videos of his swing, and it turns out it needs work, as his left elbow was way too low (right) at the time of the swing, when he went to left field. "Rick showed me the tapes of my swing, and I realized I had been doing it wrong my whole life." They watched swings from Nick Johnson, dating back from his debut with the Yankees, in 2002. Eckstein also wants Johnson to start hitting on where the pitch is (inside pitch, hit to right field, down the middle, go to center field, etc...). The last six days Eckstein has thrown batting practice and they feel Johnson has made considerable improvement. "Even though it still feels awkward, I think my swing has gotten a lot better." Johnson's wrist still isn't fully 100 percent from last years injury at Shea, but he said he is close. If Johnson's swing becomes a lot better, this might mean the nats would want him back for next year, mean they should deal Milledge, and even that probably wouldn't happen.

In other news, Shawn Hill threw a bullpen session without feeling any pain. He has not had one healthy season in his seven year career of professional baseball, but he has high hopes for next season. He is not projected to be in the rotation, but Manny Acta said if Hanrahan can't handle the closer role, Hill would be a canidate. I like the idea of Hill as a closer, because he has great stuff and a lot of strikeouts, his arm is built for only pitching one inning, and look at what Kerry Wood did last year. If Hill isn't a starter, the rotation should be: 1. Lannan, 2. Cabrera, 3. Scotty Olsen, 4. Bally-star, and 5. Zimmermannnnnnnnnn/Hill/Chico. The nats want Olsen in front of Cabrera, because he is a better pitcher, and I have Cabrera in front of Scotty to mix up rightys and leftys. People always say that the #1 starter has to be the best because they are the best. As long as you start every five days it doesn't really matter.

23 players were signed on friday. They are: outfielders Roger Bernadina, Leonard Davis, Elijah Dukes and Justin Maxwell, infielders Kory Casto and Ian Desmond, catchers Jesus Flores, Luke Montz and Wil Nieves. Pitchers Luis Atilano, Collin Balester, Matt Chico, Tyler Clippard, Ross Detwiler, Marco Estrada, Joel Hanrahan, Mike Hinckley, John Lannan, Shairon Martis, Garrett Mock, Saul Rivera, Steven Shell and Terrell Young, all of them were one year deals. The ones who have not yet signed a contract are: Jason Bergmann, Mike O'Connor, Alberto Gonzalez, Lastings Milledge, Josh Willingham, and Ryan Zimmerman. Willingham and Zimmerman are arbitration-eligible.

Johnson won't accept backup role

Nick Johnson said recently that he will rather have a trade than accept a backup role. There are still five men (Dukes, Willingham, Milledge, Johnson, and Dunn) competing for four spots, which is the outfield and first base. I've decided that they have to get rid of either Lastings Milledge or Nick Johnson. Milledge would be hard to get rid of, considering Bowdon said he is in our long-term plans and Acta recently said Lastings would be our center fielder. Dunn and Dukes are already guaranteed a starting spot. Each of the five are too good to be a backup, yet Milledge is the worst. I hate how the Nats, to them, Milledge is a young, great slugger all-star, and Dukes is what? A nobody who's got arrested twice? Dukes is a stud, and they don't realize it. If nobody leaves, I can't imagine Lastings Milledge (below, on his check-swing) mis-playing another ball while a healthy Nick Johnson or Josh Willingham sitting on the bench. Also they're treating Austin Kearns as if he deverves to even compete to start? Kearns over Dukes?Kearns over Dunn??? Nick Johnson has a higher chance of getting traded, as for the second year in a row he said he will start or he will accept a trade. The Nats are starting to get really mad at him, as he has made eight major trips to the DL in his career. Reportedly, three teams looked at his medical record, including the Oakland Athletics, who have extreme interest in him. They also might actually mean it, because Jim Bowdon isn't their GM...

Even with that, it wouldn't be too bad to keep Milledge as a backup and if they keep all five, remembering that this is still a young team that is the most injury-prone in baseball. Not only if someone gets injured/traded in the outfield or first base, Milledge could step in but also at catcher. If Flores goes down, I don't see Montz or Nieves being able to be a starting catcher. Then, you could put Willingham at catcher and have a outfield of Dukes, Milledge, and Dunn. Although, Flores has never been injured in his career, excluding a cruel play by Chase Utley ( He dove into home, spikes up, on-purpose, after the game: "I didn't do anything").

That looks like it in the offseason for the Nats. Jim Bowdon said yesterday that they no longer had interest in Orlando Hudson. They still should have got a couple of stud relief pitchers. In the bullpen the nats are putting way too much pressure on Hanrahan, Shell, Mock, and probably Terrel Young. They need one more old (28-34 years old) relief pitcher, and maybe even Juan Cruz could help. You can tell that Chad Cordero is not coming back, because Dunn took his old number, 32. Dunn didn't say much while at his press conference, but some bad news is that you can tell Dunn is really disapointed that he came to Washington (59-102) instead of a contender. So pretty much the only other move this offseason for the nats would be a trade invlolving getting rid of Nick Johnson.

Dunn Deal... REALLY!!!

Finally! Jim Bowdon finalized the deal to sign 1b/LF/RF Adam Dunn earlier today.He would be great for our lineup. If nobody gets injured or gets traded, this is what they should do: Dunn starting RF, Dukes starting CF, Willingham starting LF, Johnson starting 1B, Milledge #1 backup for outfield. When Johnson gets hurt, move Dunn to first and move Willingham to LF. The lineup: 1.2B Anderson Hernandez, 2.SS Cristian Guzman, 3.3B Ryan Zimmerman, 4.LF Adam Dunn, 5.RF Elijah Dukes, 6.1B Nick Johnson, 7.C Jesus Flores, 8.CF Lastings Milledge, 9.P, top pinch hitter: Josh Willingham. In that lineup there is tons of power. I could also see three people hitting 30 bombs with Zimm, 'Lijah, and Adam Dunn (this guy needs a good nickname). I could also see Lastings, Johnson, and Flores hitting 20.
Dunn has been a monster in his career, bombing at least 40 gone-bombs each of the last 5 seasons. He can also have a great on-base percentage, last year's was .381. This guy is huge, as he stands at 6-6, 267 LBS, and just that alone is enough to strike fear into opposing pitchers. Even though he has bombed at least 40 in the past 5 seasons, that should be over-looked, consitering he has hit exactly 40 in the last 4 seasons and he is playing in the arguably-most hitter friend park in the majors at The Great American Ballpark. Sadly, leaving that park might be bad news for Dunn. After going to Arizona for a short stint, he struggled. Just look at what Kearns and Lopez were going to be before they got traded. Also look at what happened all the other players Bowden got from Cinnci. Also you can't be sure he can even stay heathy. You can tell that Dunn wanted to go to a contender, as he waited this long to sign. He figured the Nats were about the only team left running for him after th Angles signed Mark Texeiria. There is Dunn (on the right) relaxing the offseason, thinking about which contender will sign him.
Pitchers and Catchers report in two days. Nothing much to say here, other than some good news that Jesus Flores has already caught three games from Daniel Cabrera.

NatsFest

Yesterday, I went to the 1st annual NatsFest, held at Nationals Park. Overall, it was pretty good. I got a chance to get autographs from players, including Willie Harris, Garret Mock, Elijah Dukes, John Lannan, Terrel Young, Mike O'Conner, and Steven Shell. I also got a photograph with Ryan Zimmerman, and another one with Scotty Olsen and Hammer (Josh Willingham). It was cool to see the players, though the line was way too long. So, anyway, here was our day. So we arrive at Nats Park pretty early, and there is already a problem to be seen. They only have 2 check-in places, which means there were monstrous lines. So we (me, son, and friend) get in, and go immediatly to a talk by political writer George Will. This lady tells us the room is at full compacity, and we can't come in. I look inside. Maybe about 30 people, tops. So then at about 1:40 we go in line to have a autograph from Manny Acta, Scotty Olsen, and Josh Willingham. We waited forever, and eventually the Acta, Olsen, and Hammer session was over, at 2:30. Then Steven Shell, Willie Harris, Mike O'Conner, and John Lannan walked by us to take their place. All of the other nats fans couldn't care less, thinking it was some normal nats fans with jerseys on. Knowing Willie Harris is a really cool guy, as he goes by, I say "Hey Willie,". He turns around, gives me a sincere look, and says, " Hey, whats up, man." I get the autograph at about 3:10 ( an hour and a half of waiting) and go to a picture with Scotty Olsen and Hammer. We then went in the clubhouse, where everyone's locker and stuff is. It was very cool-looking, and right across the hall (but was blocked) was the conference room, which is where Acta spends his countless hours seeing if Dukes can calm down (never) and having a conversation with Kearns to see if he can actually hit a major league pitch.
Acta: "Austin, your 0-28, can you start hitting?" Kearnsy: " Sure. I will try my hardest every day. Notice how I'm not complaining and working hard?" Bowdon: "Well...Just because you were a Cincinnati Red and you didn't complain, I will sign you to a 6 year, 260 million dollar contract!" So Bowdon.
Then we went to a pic with Ryan Zimmerman, and I got a chance to shake his hand, his is about 3 times stronger than mine and his wrist was huge. I didn't say anything to him other than "Hey Ryan" and "Thanks". Now I think I should have told him about me calling his walk-off. Than I went to see and get a autograph from Garret Mock, Terrel Young, and Elijah Dukes. Dukes' arm muscle is huge. I didn't shake his hand, but now I wish I did. What I did do was ask him what outfield spot he prefers, and he replied a good attitude. " I don't even care where I play as long as I even can play," he said. So after that we left. Overall, there was a lot more nat's fans there than I expected. I proudly thought my son would be wearing the most Nationals, with a nats hat, a nats coat, and a Zimmerman jersey under the coat, but there were a lot of nats fans with gear on. This could mean a lot more nats fans in '09. I think a lot more players should come than just seven, but, overall, this is a great experience for fans to meet the players.

Outfield situation unclear

The Nats still are not sure who will be their starting outfielders in 2009, with spring training coming up shortly. Who I think will be their starters is Dukes in right, Milledge in center, and Willingham in left. They have a ton of righty outfielders, including Milledge, Willingham, Dukes, Kearns, Wily Mo Pena, Justin Maxwell, and if they sign him, Corey Patterson. Austin Kearns will compete for a outfield spot, although he is just a joke. He couldn't or wouldn't hit anything last year. It's ridiculous how the ownership, when being asked about Kearn's pathetic play, said he listens to his coaches and never complains. That absolute crap right there. So that means he is making four million dollars every year to be nice to the coaches, and make the Nats lose 10 more games? I've had enough with him. Every year they say he is going to post 20 home runs and 80 RBIs, and he's never close.Oh and yay, see that plan!(above) just stop right in front of the catcher! great idea! Just look at his numbers last year...... .217 average, .316 slugging percentage, only 7 home runs to go with 63 strikeouts... Wily Mo Pena is even less likely to win a starting spot, yet being a much better hitter than Kearns. Pena is a really underrated player. Going back to the last time he was healthy, he hit .293 with 7 home runs in 120 at-bats with the Nats at the end of the '07 season. Unlike Kearns, Pena actually does have an excuse for his poor play in 2008, playing with a shoulder injury the whole season. Even though the management hates him, I think they should at least him him a shot at starting, to see if he could do what he did in late '07, but I don't see that happening. Let's just hope the Nats don't sign Corey Patterson, as he has sucked in his career and is no more than a pinch-runner.
What looks like the three starting outfielders for the nats are all righties, so that means Willie Harris and Roger Bernadina will see lots of action. Thats just what I think the outfield will be going into spring training, but lots could happen, including still a possibility of signing a major free agent, such as Adam Dunn or Orlando Hudson. As I mentioned last post, they could've just said they had no intreast in him just to bring their price down, consitering Stan Kasten said recently Dunn and Hudson price was too much. Having a righty outfield means Nick Johnson has to stay healthy, or another righty in Willingham will take his place. The nats need another left-handed first basemen in case Johnson gets injured, consitering Da Meat hook gets released and Kory Casto is terrible. Overall, even if the nats don't get anybody, they still have a solid outfield for 2009. In other news.....................................

• I will be going to the first natsfest on sunday with my son!
  

Bowden Screws up again, Patterson retires

Again.
A few days ago, he said the Nationals are no longer running for major free-agents, including second basemen Orlando Hudson and left fielder Adam Dunn. This means another year of Nick Johnson getting injured and Ronnie Belliard, or even Dmitri Young playing their pathetic first base. Dunn or Hudson would've been great fit for Washington, lacking a power hitter or a true leadoff hitter. After Johnson gets injured, maybe what would not be so bad is Willingham move to first, Dukes move to left, Milledge in center, and Austin Kearns or Wily Mo Pena in right. Even though Bowden said this, he could've only said it to lower the price of Dunn and Hudson, and then possibly sign either one to a longterm deal. Although it may seem like that would happen, don't forget how close they were to getting Texeiria, when Texeiria said he was favoring the Yankees the whole time. Also it looks like the Cubs, who were once the lead runners, are no longer running for Dunn after signing Milton Bradley, another left-handed hitting outfielder, but you can't be sure after the Red Sox, Angles, and Orioles said they officialy dropped out of Texeiria but then came back in the race. I am really mad at Bowdon if they don't get anyone, considering they said they would get someone good.
Also, John Patterson, a former starting pitcher for the Nats, retired from baseball the other day. His career came to an end when he started to throw in early January, and his arm started to hurt again. He was a great pitcher when healthy, his best season in 2005 when he went 9-7 with a ERA of 3.13 and 185 strikeouts. In 2006 was when the injuries got in the way, going 1-4 with a 4.51 ERA. He struggled more in '07, and the Nats released him in '08 after a arm injure.
" I don't know what went wrong. I wish I had a chance to have a few more healthy seasons," He said recently. What I would have done is just take 2 or 3 years off, then spend the next year in the minor leagues, and then return to the majors and see what happens. In other news............

• Tim Redding signed a 1 year, 2.25 million deal with the Mets.
• The Nationals said they are willing to give Jordan Zimmermannnnnnnnnnnn a shot at starting next year.
  

2008 in review

2008 for me was an infuriating year watching Nationals baseball. We had lots of downsides, including a 59-102 record. Everyone says injuries can't determine a season, but the injuries were the cause of the season. Here's what we could had if there were no injuries:

• Paul LoDuca with a solid batting average.
  
• Nick Johnson, great fielding and a .416 on-base percentage.
• Dmitri Young, Good backup for Johnson.
• Ryan Zimmerman, 30 home runs and a Gold Glove.
• Austin Kearns, not missing much here.
• Wily Mo Pena, if a starter, 20-35 HR.
• Elijah Dukes, If he had 600 at-bats, he would've been on pace for 28 home runs, 30 steals.
• Chad Cordero, 30 saves and a ERA<>
• Shawn Hill, 13+ wins and a ERA less than 3.80.

Those are only the major injuries. Also Chris Marrero broke his leg early in the season. I'll go by each month of 2008, see what they accomplished, and what the highlights were.

January

The Nats didn't do anything, except for a point-less singing of Johnny Estrada.

February

They didn't do anything major in February.

March

For me, March was the best month of the year. Forget a 11-18 preseason, and remember the first 2 games of Nationals Park. The first game was an exhibition against the O's, and the Nats won, 3-0. The next night was officially the first regular season game at Nat's park. It was fun seeing Johnson live for the first time ( I started being a Nats fan at the beginning of the 2007 season, when Johnson was still injured.) In the 9th inning, I was watching the game with a friend . Zimmerman was up, and two pitches into the at-bat I say," He's going to hit a walk-off homer." My friend said it was going to extras. Zimmerman did hit the homer, and even though I predicted it, I could not believe it. Believe it or not, the Nationals were 1-0.

April

The Nats went 2-0 to start April, and I thought the Nats were headed to the world series. I was wrong when the Nats went on to have a nine-game losing streak. My friend is a huge Cub fan so we went to see a Cub-Nats game at Nats park. It was the 9th inning and Wil Nieves was up. He hits his first major league homer as a walk-off against Bob( hittable) Howry. So, to today, when we see Nieves up and it says "1HR" I say: "Hmmm..... who do you think that homer was against?". It was still a really bad month, the Nats went 9-16.

May

May wasn't that bad for the Nats, going 13-16, but a lot of players were in slumps. The Nats took three out of four from Pittsburgh, which included Ryan Zimmerman ending his streak of 205 consecutive games played in.On the 8th the Nats had to put Paul LoDuca and Johnny Estrada on the DL. Those two were really some pointless signings, especially Estrada. The Nats were playing the Mets when everyone in the Nats dugout started chanting: "Kearnsy! Kearnsy! Kearnsy!"
Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa got furious at this and after the game said the Nationals were "Cheering like a bunch of softball girls". Nick Johnson got injured for the second time that year and this time would not return. Throughout the month of may, Jesus Flores proved to be a great catcher. He was good at handling the pitching staff, hitting for power, but most of all hitting with runners in scoring position. Flores hit a league-leading .391 with runners in scoring position.

June

The Nationals started out 0-3 in June, and than played a game against the Cardinals I went to, where the Nats were winning 7-0 in the fourth inning. Than the Cards came back to tie it, 8-8. In the top of the 10th, The Cardinals took the lead, 9-8. Elijah Dukes who had been terrible up until then hit a walk off home run. From that day on Dukes started to really hit, leading all outfielders in batting average in June with .330. I also went to an O's-Nats game at Nats park with some Oriole fans, and it was one of the most exciting games I've ever seen. Jason Bergmann and Jeremy Guthrie each had outstanding performances, going into extra innings it was 1-1. In the top of the 12th the O's took a 2-1 lead. Amazing closer George Sherrill took the mound when my friend said: " The Nats don't have a chance against Sherrill.". With two outs Dmitri walked and Belliard was up. The first two pitches were strikes and O's fans started chanting: " Lets go home! Lets go home!" I guess Belliard heard that so he hit a walk-off home run. Other than that June was long and tiring for the Nats, going 9-18.

July

The worst month of the season period. In the first game Collin Ballestar pitched very well in his major league debut, but after that was one big disaster. They went 5-19 that month and that's all I'm going to say about how they played. Cristian Guzman made it in to the all-star game even though I thought Jon Rauch deserved it more.

August

The Nationals got rid of Paul LoDuca and Felipe Lopez. LoDuca couldn't hit or throw out runners and Felipe Lopez is the biggest jerk I've ever seen. Not long after the Nats traded Jon Rauch for Emilio Bonifacio. I thought it was a huge mistake giving up a closer with a ERA of 2.98 for a no-hit second basemen. I easily changed my mind when the Nats went 7-1 to start August. Everyone was hitting, Bonifacio and Alberto Gonzalez especially. I was really happy, and just when I think there might be room for a .500 record, there's a 12 game losing streak. Just when I'm about to give up on the Nats, they go 8-2 the rest of August. Altogether they went 14-15.

September

The Nats struggled in September, going 7-17, having their ups and downs. Ryan Zimmerman had a great September, hitting for a great average and finding his power stroke again. The Nats tried out four rookies: Shiron Martis, Levale Speigner, Mick Hinkley, and Luke Montz. Martis had some brilliant starts and some pathetic ones that make him have a ERA over 5.00. Speigner stunk last year and stunk in limited play here to, going 0-1 with a ERA of 11.25. Montz didn't do to well either, going 3-21 with one home run. Hinkley did the best of all, throwing 13 and two thirds scoreless innings pitched.

October

The Nationals didn't do much in October, the only moves they did make was some of their coaching staff. Jim Rigglemen is the Nats new bench coach, Marquis Grissom is their new first base coach, Pat Listach new third base coach, Rick Eckstein new hitting coach, Randy Knorr new bullpen coach.

November

The Nats made one move in November, they traded Emilio Bonifacio, P.J. Dean, and Jake Smolinski to the Fish for Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham.

December

In December, the Nationals expressed their interest in signing Mark Texeiria. At one point it loked as if the Nats,O's, and Red Sox were the only ones going to get him. Than, out of nowhere, the Yankees sign him to a 8 year deal. Also the Nationals invited Jorge Sosa and Corey Patterson to spring training.
Obviously not a very good year. The biggest key to 2009 for the Nats is staying healthy.

Nats Sign Cabrera

Last night, the Nationals signed Daniel Cabrera, 27, to a one year, 2.6 million dollar deal from the O's.This is a terrible signing for the Nats. Cabrera really stunk in Baltimore last year, going 8-10 with a ERA of 5.25 to go with 90 walks and 18 Hit batters. He will be part of the Nationals rotation, probably to replace Tim Redding, who was non tendered last week. Cabrera does have talent, and when he is at his best is a strikeout pitcher, if he learns to use his height (6-9, 258 lbs). I also hope his transition from AL to NL would matter.
Is he a good hitter? Last year I was watching an O's game(where I was I couldn't get Masn) and Cabrera was batting. The first two pitches were swings and misses on balls two feet outside of the strike zone. The third pitch was a meatball right down the middle, and he jumps back in terror as if he was just shot, strike 3. Anyway he is 0-14 with 14 strikeouts. In other news..................
> Mark Texeira said yesterday he will have made his mind up in the next week.
>Aaron Boone just signed a one year contract with the Astros.

Sox, Yanks drop out

Yesterday, the chances of getting Mark Teixeira just improved.
About a week ago, the Teixeira hunt was between the Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, Orioles, and Angels. A few days ago, Boston owner John Henry and other officials flew to Texas to meet with Teixeira and his agent, Scott Boras. Yesterday, Henry said, "I was very impressed with Mr. Teixeira, but seeing the other offers, he will not be a factor." I don't know why the Red Sox would want him when they already have Kevin Youkilis at 1st and Lowell at 3rd. Also it looked liked the Yankees had a good shot, but they signed CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, and have not made a offer yet.
That means the Nats, Angles, and O's will have to fight it out. The Angels shot of getting him is lowering now that they just gave a 3 year contract to Juan Rivera. Even with that, the Angels still have a roughly eight year, 170 million dollar contract offer, same as the Nats. Although, Teixeira recently said he would wish to be with a team on the East Coast. The Baltimore Orioles are the front runners for Teixeira. A Maryland native, Teixeira grew up rooting for the Birds, and they have expressed full interest in him, but the Orioles have a worse contract offer than the Nats, at seven years, 140 million. Nats owner Ted Lerner met with Teixeira, and they both came back impressed. Asked about playing for Washington, Teixeira said: "There's no doubt I think about it, it's tough not to think about the future, I'd love to play here. It's the Nation's Capital."

I think this has been a joke. Boras and Teixeira are taking way too long. They already know the teams interested, and what the contracts will be. Why can't they just pick a team already?

In other news, the Mets bullpen,which the Nats enjoyed teeing off against last year, just signed JJ Putz AND Fransisco Rodriguez. Good luck against that duo.

Winter Meetings

From the 8th to the 11th, the GMs will have a meeting on who they want to have and how much they are willing to give away. The Nats have had interest in Mark Texeria, 28, for a while. I don't think there is any way that the Nats are going to get Texeria. His agent, Scott Boras, said recently that Texeria wants at least a deal of 10 years, 200 million dollars. Even if the Nats have that much money, they wouldn't want that much of a risk. Also if the Nats want him we would have to go by the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels. The Nats are in need of a 2nd baseman, but the best option there is Orlando Hudson, and I don't see the point of wasting money on him when we already have Anderson Hernandez. The Nats also have intreast in Adam Dunn and Carlos Gonzalez. Adam Dunn,28, is a huge (6-6,250) , home run hitting machine, with a good on-base percentage. He also fills the Nats needs by being a left hander, and he can play 1st. At the same time, he is overrated. He is a terrible fielder and can't hit for average. A lot of people compliment him on hitting at least 40 home runs the last 5 years, but that is in the smallest ballpark in the majors. Also it has been 46,40,40,40,40. In Nats park, don't expect that to keep up. Carlos Gonzalez, cf, is some unknown Colorado prospect, who in his rookie season last year hit .242 with 4 home runs in limited action.

The Nats rotation is still very shaky, noting that Lannan and Olsen are the only definite starters.
Sabathia would be great, but not possible the way the Yankees and Brewers are offering him a billion dollars. Peavy and Lowe are still an option, but I think the Nats should make a serious run for A.J. Burnett.
The bullpen looks even worse. The Nats need a real closer, it is looking like Cordero is not coming back. Hanrahan is, in my mind, a middle reliever. He has that wicked slider and 98 mph fastball, but is too inconsistent at times. Shell should be the 8th inning man and Rivera the 7th. Kerry Wood is no longer a Cub, and no team has started to make a move for him yet. Wood has nasty stuff, but he is often injured.
I don't know who they'll get, but I can assure you they will get somebody in the next week.

Nats Rotation

I'm not sure what the Rotation will be in 2009. We have a lot of starting pitchers, with a very shaky bullpen.
Here's what I think the best Rotation would be:
1. John Lannan
2. Shawn Hill
3. Scott Olsen
4. Tim Redding
5. Colin Ballester


There are many other options, including Jason Bergmann, Odalis Perez, Shiron Martis, and Garret Mock. There are also minor league options, such as Jordan Zimmermann, Tyler Clippard, or even Ross Detwiler. The Nationals seem to have given up on Matt Chico, who struggled last year, going 0-6 with a 6.19 ERA. In the rotation I liked, Shawn Hill (above, in 2007) is not a favorite going into Spring Training. I was a fan of Shawn Hill in 2007. When he was healthy then, he was absolutely nasty. Last year he didn't get much of a chance at all, going 1-5 with a ERA of 5.83. If he can stay healthy to where he was in '07, I have big expectations for him. The Nats have interest in Jake Peavy, and the chances of getting him is higher now that the Cubs and Braves have apparently dropped out of getting him.