This means instead of carrying a backup infielder like Casto or Alex Cintron (who raked in ST), the Nats will carry THREE catchers.  THREE!!!  Why, in the name of the racing presidents, would Rizzo decide that the Nationals need Wil Nieves, on top of Josh Bard?  I liked Nieves, but I also liked Sal Fasano.  Doesn’t mean the non-emotional decision makers should keep them on the team.  I hope this move doesn’t hamstring Manny in the coming weeks.

Tomorrow will be the first game of the Spring at Nats Park.  I originally had tickets, but realized I have a DC United game that day, and as I’m a season ticket holder there, and the Nats game was an exhibition, I’ll be at RFK tomorrow night.  If anyone goes tomorrow night, tell me about your experience.

In addition to the pitching moves made, the Nats placed Wily Mo Pena on waivers, which will almost certainly lead him to free agency, or a shock acceptance of a AAA assignment.  If you ask me, that’s what he needs.  Pena has lost all of his power, and I’m sure a good amount of that can be be attributed to rust after missing so much time.  He’s also pulling off the ball, resulting in either ground ball outs, or singles.  That man was not meant for singles hitting.

Colin Balester, who I’m a huge fan of, was sent to AAA to start the year.  I’m totally ok with this, as his last start was evidence that even at his best right now, he’s not there yet.  He can’t string together a full outing without being smacked around, leaving the ball too high in the zone.

Corey Patterson and Jose Castillo are also headed for the minors, and Javier Valentin is a free agent after refusing assignment.

So where does that leave the Nats with 10 days to opening day?  Let’s looking at this.

As we’ve discussed, the four man rotation that will be utilized thru April 19th is set, with John  Lannan, Scott Olsen (against his old team, no less) and Daniel Cabrera open the season at Florida.  I’d have to say, I’d like to see us win two of these, but who knows.

Count: 4

Bullpen:  This is a bit more unclear, with some decisions to made in the coming days, but here are who I think will make it.

Hanrahan, Beimel (L), Rivera, Ledezma (L), Bergmann, Mock, Colome, and Shell.  I think that group gives Manny Acta some choices as far as matchups go, but I still this as the weakness of the team.  Crazy how that will change so fast.

Count: 8

Infield: With Anderson Hernandez injured, this is more murky, but it would be a 1 for 1 swap, with Anderson replacing that player when healthy.  For the sake of easiness, we’ll say he starts the season on the DL.

Johnson, Alberto Gonzalez *not THE AG, Guzzzz, Zimm, Belliard, and Harris.  As soon as AH is healthy, AG starts at SS fir Syracuse and awaits the inevitable Guzman freak injury.  

Count: 6

Catcher:  This will be a lot easier then it otherwise would be, because I imagine Flores will be starting on the DL because he hasn’t had time to be fully ready.  I could be wrong, though.

Nieves, Bard.

Count: 2

Total (minus the ungodly glut of outfielders): 20

Now, the fun part.  Outfielders:  A trade here would be the best thing for everyone involved, because corner outfielders is obviously an area of surplus.  This isn’t necessarily the best 5 players, but the ones I think will make the team due to salary reasons, or just because they don’t know what to do with them.

Dunn, Dukes, Milledge, Willingham, Kearns.  The more I watch of Milledge, the less I like.  He’s a hot dog in the field, which I never liked in players like Andruw Jones either, except for he’s not as talented as Jones used to be.  He makes mental mistakes on the basepaths, and in pitch selection.  He may have talent, but let someone else deal with him.  As he is the youngest, he makes the most valuable trade piece, so if anyone gets dealt before the season starts (which honestly I don’t think will happen), it’ll be him.

So there is your possible 2009 Opening Day roster.  Developments in the next few days make shake up this picture, but I think this is a pretty solid guess.

A Quick Look around the Natosphere:

Federal Baseball, the new leader in Nats blogging, posted about Wins Over Replacement value for Nats players, and guess who the most “valuable” players are.  You’ll never guess.  Willie Harris and Josh Willingham.  STATISTICS!!

Nationals Enquirer, who are always pretty funny, discuss the madness that is the handshake agreement between Bowden and Da Meat Hook that will land Young on the 40 man roster, at the expense of someone else ( I guess WMP).

Nationals Review goes in depth, looking at the pitching staffs for the NL East.  We actually ended up okay.

Brian, at Nats Farm, does his usual, amazing work examining the hubbub that has surrounded Strasburg, and refuting Boswell’s recent piece arguing against drafting a pitcher at the number 1 spot.  Go read this.

Nats Triple Play did exactly what I did this morning, so read his take too.

Today, the Nationals ALMOST lost to Team Italy.  That’s right.  A team led by such names as Chris Denorfia, Frank Catalanotto, Nick Punto, and Yankee prospect Francisco Cervelli (the one who got his wrist broken by an overzealous Devil Ray).

John Lannan sailed thru his 3 innings, and so did Shairon Martis.  After that, things fell apart.  Wilfredo Ledezma, who is garbage, got roughed up for 3 earned runs, and Marco Estrada, who evidentially still needs some seasoning in the minors, was touched up for two.  Gary Glover Part II came in for the blown save, and subsequent win after the heroics of one Roger Bernadina.

Bernadina, who apparently got some power tips from Jah, who went 2 for 3, with a jack.  (As a side note, this blog predicts that the nastiest Nat this year will be Jah with the bat, and JZimm on the mound.  You heard it here…at some point).  Roger hit a 3 run bomb in the ninth, on a 3-1 count.  The joke has been made that it must have been a “meatball”.  Low hanging fruit.

While the departure of Bowden may restore some general goodwill and respect among baseball front offices, a successor has not been chosen at a time when moves need to be made.  Mike Rizzo, the consensus choice to replace Bowden, has an extensive and successful scouting background but little to no experience in front office dealings and media relations (however, since the media in Washington is resigned to seeing Washington suck, the pressures of the GM here are minimal compared to a rabid, or even lukewarm, baseball market).  

Whatever GM takes over in the coming weeks, certain logjams need to be relieved.  With a surplus of outfielders and a shallow bullpen, the new GM needs to decide who stays, who’s worth something, and who to get in return.

My amateur advice?  Kearns salary is too high to move, as well as his role of Adam Dunn buddy (which has to be worth something).  Dukes has too much potential upside, and the market for him is soft because of non-baseball variables.  The only movable piece in the outfield is Milledge, but again, I think DC is better off holding on to him for the near term.  The player that has to be moved, obviously, is Nick Johnson.  He needs to continue to have a strong ST, so he can be moved for bullpen help and/or prospects.  Ronnie Belliard should not start, as the defense on the right side will suffer too much with his lack of range, and Dunn’s limited mobility.

We’ll soon see what course of action is taken by the Nats FO, but Bowden’s removal will remove distractions, and allow the team to move forward with its business and get ready for the season.

Despite all that you know, and all that you’ve seen; against all reason and experience, you think that this year, everything is different.  While you don’t have the eternal hope of a Cubs fan, or the grandiose expectations of a Red Sox fan, if you’re a Nationals fan, hope is alive.  

Last year was one to forget.  The thick, oppressive DC summer was a metaphor for the baseball being played on South Capitol Street; lifeless, dull, depressing.  As the season dragged on, and injuries continued to pile up, it became clear that the delusions you were under in the Spring were just ridiculous.  What were you doing thinking that this year could be good?  Nick Johnson, a healthy season?  Dmitri Young, a second season of outstanding hitting?  John Patterson and Shawn Hill, 200IP and 15 wins a piece?  No, none of that would happen, and the only thing Nationals’ fans had to look forward to was the number one draft pick that would come their way with the worst record in baseball.

A mixed blessing, if ever there was one. 

Still.  With a new season, the mind tends to forget what it knows, and people want to believe again.  They want the object of their attention to be worth the time spent watching and the money used to be up close to the action.  

Adam Dunn, a slugger who’s proclivity for historic blasts are only matched by a frustrating and potentially hair-greying, rally-killing, profanity-invoking tendency to strike out, has come to Washington.  

The implications of this move are well known.  One, a power threat on a team that had none last year.  None.  Two, a potential logjam at first base, conditional to the health of Nick “Glass” Johnson.  Three, a defensive liability in left field, with a feast or famine place in the lineup.  With all the negatives that have been associated with Dunn, the Nationals can ill afford to look gift horses in the mouth.  Dunn will not turn the franchise around, but will bridge a gap, and bring a modicum of respectability to a lineup who every pitcher wanted to face.

The pitching rotation is young, and mostly inexperienced, with question marks 1-5.  The bullpen is even more nebulous, with Saul Rivera and Joel Hanrahan being the “steadying” force in an otherwise questionable outfit.

But, still.  This could be the year they put it together, and make August and September interesting.  I never want to root for my team to lose again, draft picks be damned.  Its just bad for the soul, and unbefitting of a game like Baseball.

In Colome’s first year with the club, he showed power and strikeout ability.  His previous club, Tampa Bay, was worried about his control, but Jesus did fine for the Nats in 2007.  In 2008, he tried to blow batters away, and lost his ability to fool hitters.

I can assume that this move paves the way for some new blood from the farm to give it a go in the Pen, and if rumors are true, then Brian Fuentes is also a target for DC.

There are also reports of the opening salvo in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, with the Nationals reportedly making a 7 year, 150 million. This will obviously not get it done, but its a solid, legitimate offer.  The ball is in your court, Boras.

My guess? We don’t sign Dunn or Tex at the meetings, and no one will. CC will take the money from NY, and that will start the dominos falling. Unfortunately, all the big dominos will avoid DC and we may find ourselves with the prize of Jason Jennings and the like. Color me cynical.

This guy will eat the internet if the Nationals pull it off.

Sheinboy teases all of the STHolders on the near eve of reupping with promises of a real, honest to God All-Star gracing the shiny new park in the Navy Yard.

Manchild Buster Olney proposes that the Nationals are in the race with the Red Sox, Angels, and Yankees (No.)  Link is now protected, but trust me.  It happened.

WRLS take?  He won’t come here.  Unless the Nationals overbid, which is possible but unlikely with the Lerner’s stated goals and past behavior as a guide, Teixeira will want to play in a place that either has a great locale, or a place where he can win.  My bet is that the Orioles will break the bank, and Boras and the MLB Players Union will force Mark to take the money to set the market; much like why CC Sabathia will be a Yankee whether he wants to or not.

But what if he did?

Handing Tex a 10 year deal, making him the face of the franchise accomplishes a few things.

1) Erases the foolish notion that Ryan Zimmerman is a future 1st ballot HOF’er and should be knocking in 120 RBI, with 25+ HR every season and be a perennial All Star, beating out Wright and any other pretenders.  Zimmerman is an very good defensive third baseman, with a plus bat with potential to be very good.  He is NOT what the franchise has placed on his head.  On a team lacking any kind of star power or talent, Zimmerman was shoehorned into the Marquee, whether he was good enough, ready, or wanted it.  This kind of star power coming into town will allow Zim to become what he’s gonna be without the burning spotlight of being the only good player on a team.

2) Gives neutrals a reason to come to the game.  If you have an All Star that every team wanted, but your team got, that would provide a little excitement in an otherwise joyless proposition.  Rather than looking at who’s coming in to town, “Man, I can’t wait to see the SAWX this year!! LETS GO EUUUUK!”, bringing your friends won’t necessarily be a proposition of wondering how to keep them entertained until the President’s race, and then wondering what time they’d like to dip (After the Nats go down by 5).  He’s not Manny, but he’s good enough.

3) Breaks the ice.  Right now, moving to a last place team is a taboo among players, because unless there is a hometown pull, the only way you’re coming to a place like DC is if the money is better than anywhere else, and by a substantial margin.  Teixeira coming to DC will begin to legitimize Washington as an option to FAs who will know that Management is becoming serious, and no longer breaking the bank at $5 million for Paul Lo Duca.

All of this academic, as I’m pretty sure that Tex won’t be in DC.  But it would be pretty sweet.  And I might actually get a ticket plan if we decide we’d like to be relevant/be nationally televised at least once.

Both of these I saw coming, though one of them might have been more surprising. 

Orr is an organizational depth type of player, who is an adequate AAA player, and an okay “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” option with the big club.  Your quintessential AAAA player.

Matt Whitney might have been more of a surprise.  I was crusing the Minor League free agents list on Friday with Kyle, and was playing the “How many former Nats can I spot” game.  *Answer was 21*

I saw Ryan Whitney was let go from the Indians system, and I said…hey.  We picked him as a Rule 5 pick, and I think we liked him.  And from what I remembered, he was a power bat that had a bunch of weird, freak injuries that derailed his career.  So I filed that away, and wondering if I’d be proven right.

Score one for me.