Seeing as the holiday spirit is beginning to wear off, I don’t feel ashamed directing you to the Los Angeles Metblog, where Jason Burns, one of my favorite Metrobloggers, has written a hilarious entry about the Yankees’ massive offseason. Many in DC, especially Tom Bridge, are still upset that the Nats missed out on Teixeira thanks to the Yankees, so this is appropriate fuel to add to the fire. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

"A Memory: Teixeira" from Flickr user Texas Photo Wrangler, Creative Commons

Stud free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira has rejected an 8 year, $180MM offer from the Nationals for an 8 year, $180MM offer from the Yankees. I don’t blame him, frankly. Former Metblogger and DC City Captain Tom Bridge (WeLoveDC) = wicked pissed. And I quote:

[expletive deleted] you, New York, and [expletive deleted] your precious [expletive deleted] [expletive deleted] panda-raping [expletive deleted] [expletive deleted] grandmother-shoving [expletive deleted] Blagojevich-fondling [expletive deleted] [expletive deleted] [expletive deleted] [expletive deleted]-gargling [expletive deleted]-punching Yankees. Oh, and Steinbrenner? Cancer. CANCER, I say!

Tom and I had an interesting exchange on the Twitters re: whether or not this is a good thing for the Nationals. Tom says bad; he wanted Teixeira. I think the answer for the Nats is Manny, so I’m happy with this development. You make the call.

If you ask me, the Nats need the attention that Manny would garner for them in the next three years. They need an established big market guy in order to grow into their big market. Then they can worry about signing long-term guys like Teixeira. In the meantime, there are Teixeiras scattered throughout the Nats line-up who are only a couple of years from blooming, some sooner. In the meantime, let’s get the Nats on the leaderboard. For the love of God.

Tom Bridge can be found on Twitter here and I can be found here.

Courtesy of zjbell51

The Nationals made the first big splash of the offseason yesterday by trading second baseman Emilio Bonifacio and two minor leaguers to the Florida Marlins for outfielder Josh Willingham and pitcher Scott Olsen.

My first thought was that Willingham had been acquired as a catcher (he came up to the majors in that position and I had earlier mentioned that Jose Flores could be upgraded during the offseason). Jim Bowden was quick to point out that the Nats had “acquired him as an outfielder.” This means two things in my view. Austin Kearns and Wily Mo Pena need to either be demoted to the minor leagues or traded before spring training. Both guys want and need a full time job, and it will do a lot to help team chamistry if they are out of the way. By the way, why do the Nats have six outfielders?

Tim Dierkes ventured a guess that “maybe the Nats consider Josh Willingham their cleanup hitter acquisition and will back out of the Teixeira derby.” Newsflash: Josh Willingham is not a cleanup hitter, Jim Bowden. A good year will probably yield 30 homeruns and 100 RBI’s, but that is not showstopper material. As for Mark Teixeira, I have a really hard time imagining that the Nationals will be able to compete for his services, especially with the Yankees and Angels (among others) preparing to make offers that will likely make Teixeira a franchise player somewhere. While I would agree that with the bounty of outfielders in Washington this probably puts a damper on Adam Dunn rumors (darn), I would say that the Nationals need a headliner if they want to fill the seats and make a serious run in the NL East.

All in all this is a great trade for the Nationals. Olsen will fill the rotation hole that I had previously reserved for Mets free agent Oliver Perez and I am confident that both players have the similar upside. Willingham is a major upgrade to Kearns, Pena, and Willie Harris as well. At this point, I still want to see the Nationals sign an ace: looking at guys like Freddy Garcia, who are comebackers that can actually be wooed to DC, would be a great idea. Consensus says that the second base hole will be filled by Anderson Hernandez, who finished strong last season.

Where does the power bat fit then? First base is always a possibility, but aside from Teixeira, the only cleanup hitter in the market is Jason Giambi, who would bring nothing new or exciting to the table and is 38 years old. Not a great option for the Nats if you ask me, but if they can sign him for a very cheap two year contract he may be happy and the Nats would get 30 homeruns in return. Assuming that first base is out, that leaves the outfield. I want to see a guy like Adam Dunn or Manny Ramirez in DC. Badly. The Nats need to put themselves on the map with a big name, because let’s face it, the Nats are not the Rays yet and need the kind of boost only a superstar can offer.

More to come on the Nats.

UPDATE [9:04am]: Tim Brown over at Yahoo comments on the Nationals and Manny Ramirez- “After witnessing Manny Ramirez’s impact on the Dodgers and their fans, the Washington Nationals and GM Jim Bowden are promising everyone they’re going to be players in the Manny bidding. So either they will be or they want everyone to think they are.”

The World Series is over, free agents are filing by the dozens, and the rumor mill is HEATING UP. The Nationals have already taken part in two major transactions:

• Nationals Deny Wily Mo Pena’s $5MM club option. Wily Mo Exercises $2MM Player Option: In an earlier post, I classified Wily Mo Pena as a has-been. Or is it a never-was. There are some out there who see Wily Mo as a young Adam Dunn. I see the similarities. Under ideal circumstances both will hit between .200 and .250 with 40+ HR and over 100 strikeouts. Things have not been ideal for Wily Mo in the past four years, especially since the Red Sox arguably ruined his career by benching him for two years, and partially because he’s been splitting his playing time with Willie Harris and Austin Kearns on the Nats. There are really two options for dealing with this guy. Either show some faith and tell him left field is his for one year, go prove yourself kid, or send him down to the minors where he can be an everyday guy, and at least work his way to some kind of respect for his next free agent period. Do not bench him because it would ruin what hope their is that he will turn his career around in any city.
• Chad Cordero Becomes Free Agent: Dierkes summarizes this move well. “Nationals reliever Chad Cordero was outrighted to Triple A today.  He refused the assignment and is now a free agent.  This comes as no surprise, as GM Jim Bowden admitted in July that he would non-tender Cordero.” Cordero will be healthy in time for spring training. Unless the Nats are thinking about spending huge money on a guy like Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, or Trevor Hoffman, which I don’t think they should, Cordero has to be re-signed. The Nats still have Joel Hanrahan, but CBS Sports Fantasy Analysis is right on when they say that “Hanrahan doesn’t get many save opportunities and doesn’t have the best stuff anyway. Think of him as a last-resort Fantasy option.” Cordero has proven that he can save a game, has a lower average ERA by about a point over Hanrahan, and is still only 26 years old. I stand by my analysis that Hanrahan/Cordero as an 8th/9th inning combo is potent enough for the Nats. They need to spend their money elsewhere anyway.

There have been two recent rumors that suggest that the Nationals may be ready to part with some big money and some big talent this offseason to become contenders sooner rather than later.

• A Trade For Matt Holliday? Says Troy Renck of the Denver Post: “Holliday, who will be a free agent after next season, is monitoring the trade speculation. He turned down a multiyear contract offer last spring, and there has been no progress on a new deal since. The usual suspects will be involved for Holliday, namely Boston, the Phillies, Yankees, Angels, Mets and possibly even teams like the Royals and Nationals.” Well, it would take a huge amount of young talent and a huge contract extension. It would be a long shot for the Nats to pull the deal off and it would cost them a boatload. It would also mean a Wily Mo Pena decision. He would probably get the bench. Eh.
• A.J. Burnett In DC? If A.J. Burnett opts-out of his contract and becomes a free agent, there will be several teams courting him. Jerry Crasnick over at ESPN believes “among the… teams that could be in the mix for Burnett: the [Blue Jays,] Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Red Sox, Orioles and Nationals.” This one makes more sense and seems more possible if the Nationals are willing to spend some cash. The Nationals would be smart to consider guys like Burnett and Freddy Garcia who have had some injuries in the recent past. Other teams will be a bit more hesitant, yet both are young enough to overcome physical hardship to win 15-20 games. The Nationals really need that and can afford to take a risk more than other teams can given their recent abismal performances. Again, Odalis Perez is no ace.

More on the Nats when it happens.

Mike Bauman over at MLB.com wrote an excellent article last night about the upcoming World Series between the Rays and the Phillies. He called it “Fresh matchup offers must-see baseball.” Here is the general gist of the article:

You hear a lot of talk about “ratings,” as though the game is played primarily to provide successful television programming. This is also definitely not about that and it can be proven.

Ratings took a hit when the Yankees did not reach the postseason. The departure of the Cubs after three games of a Division Series did not help the ratings. The departure of the Dodgers after the NL Championship Series will not help the ratings. The departure of the Red Sox after the AL Championship Series will not help the ratings.

A pattern has emerged here. The biggest-market clubs are not winning. This is not a crisis. This is growing parity. This is increased competitive balance. This is baseball in the new millennium. It is better than it used to be.

Bauman is absolutely right. This World Series is a wake-up call to any team that has been suffering, and any team that has either a small market, or a large market that it has not grown into yet. The Devil Rays have been a small, young expansion team in a large market. This year they exploded, posting 98 wins when they have never won more than 70. Here they are in a World Series. I have NEVER seen Tropicana Field even close to full, and now you can’t get a seat. Washington Nationals take notice!

As I explained in my offseason plan for the Nats, they could be next. Many of the pieces are in place for our local baseball team to charge on to the national scene and compete with teams like the Mets and Phillies. If the Rays can bash heads with the Yankees and Red Sox, and come out on top, then the Nationals can also persevere. In the years to come, others can and will pick up the slack of a weak “big market.” The only question is… who?

“Congratulations to the Washington Nationals for not being the first to lose 100 games this year.” Those are the paraphrased words that can be found in in my colleague Patrick’s recent season wrapup for the Nats. Now the team is faced with an important off-season during which they will have to rebuild. There are some important things I’d like to note about the coming off-season. Please feel free to weigh in.

• The Nationals MUST re-sign Odalis Perez (SP). Though he did not win as many games as was expected (7-12), he is cheap, and most importantly he wants to be here. Not many clubs in the situation of the Nationals can boast a veteran pitcher who wants to stay despite the lack of contention. His influence on young pitchers has been phenomenal. Re-sign him now!

• The Nats must let go of Aaron Boone. As a recent transplant from the New York area, I can sympathize with Boone. He gave me, along with millions of others, one of baseball’s greatest moments. But it is difficult to ignore the fact that he gets hurt an awful lot, and does not regularly make it through the season. His veteran influence will be missed, but there are others who can fill his shoes.

• First draft pick this year goes to the Washington Nationals. Think about how similar the Nats of today are to the Devil Rays of the not-so-distant past. The youth movement is alive and well in DC.

• A look at the Nationals depth chart reveals a strong set of position players, especially when you consider what guys like Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes, Emilio Bonifacio, Ryan Zimmerman, and even Nick Johnson will contribute in the near future- they are headed into their prime. There are several faces that need to go, though I’m not sure it will happen in this off-season. Outfielders Willie Harris and Ryan Langerhans are heading into their thirties, and neither have made the transition to the major leagues. The Red Sox ruined Wily Mo Pena by benching him for two years, and he doesn’t fit in DC anyway. Dmitri Young is (unfortunately) locked in through next season, but Nick Johnson is the present and the future. Young’s career is in a nose-dive.

• Pitching is a much more difficult scenario. Though Perez should stay, he is not an ace. Tim Redding is washed up, and he must go. The rest of the staff is very young, and very under-prepared. It is likely that many of them would only be getting spot starts on just about any other major league team. But keep them, and keep them in the majors. They will mature as players, and some may become exceptional. In the meantime, sign two front end pitchers- not necessarily CC Sabathia type aces, but winners.

• I have faith in the Nationals bullpen. They have been shaky, but not horrible as a whole, and the combo of Chad Cordero and Joel Hanrahan promises to be impressive in years to come.

• So here’s my free-agent shopping list for the Washington Nationals this year:

1. Odalis Perez (SP): Resign him.
2. Ivan Rodriguez (C): He is not needed by the Yankees anymore since Jorge Posada will be back. Though Pudge is experiencing a downturn in career numbers, he has a tremendous talent for working with the young pitchers who make up the vast majority of the Nationals staff. He will contribute by getting on base, and he has always performed best on teams outside of the spotlight. He will also come at a bargain price after his mediocre performance in Pinstripes.
3. Adam Dunn (LF): I rarely disagree with Tim Dierkes, but I simply do not believe the Nationals are at the beginning of a “long rebuilding process.” I think that they are nearing the end of one. Nats GM Jim Bowden likes Dunn (they were both Reds at one point) and wants to inject the team with power. That is exactly what the Nationals need. Dunn will drive in a ton of runs, create the kind of adrenaline and fan involvement that only a home-run hitter can, and he will help the Nationals grow into its big market. I don’t really know what there is not to like about Dunn in DC.
4. Freddy Garcia (SP): Now is the perfect time for a club like the Nats to make a move on Garcia. He recently recovered from an injury and pitched fairly well for the Tigers in three games. He will be a major bargain given his time on the DL, but there will be teams after him, especially Detroit. If the Nationals make a bold move and outbid the bargain-hunters, promising Garcia the ace slot, he can be won. Remember, this is a guy with a world series ring who has won between 14 and 18 games five times. Go get him!
5. Oliver Perez (SP): He has not yet mastered consistency, but he is still young- young enough to live up to the tremendous potential that this 180 strikeout season represents, but also old enough to help guide the younger pitchers. Perez will thrive where he can be a leader, as well as a student. He will also have a lot to learn if the Nationals can manage to pair him up with Pudge Rodriguez.

There are very few people who are willing to watch an atrocious baseball team. The Rays, Nats, and Royals can all attest to that. But Washington DC has the potential to be a massive market, particularly with the ease of travel that the Metro system offers. All that is required is some wise money spent along with continuous nurturing of the phenomenal youth movement taking place in the Nationals organization.

And in case anyone is interested, my prediction is Red Sox vs. Dodgers, Dodgers in 6.

“Muddy” Ruel tags out a Philadelphia Athletics player at Home Plate in 1925.  These Senators went 96-55 to win the American League and make their second straight World Series.  A far cry from today’s Nats.

So in the height of Redskins football madness, you may have missed that the Washington Nationals ended their season with the same whimper of loss that could be heard through most of their games- 102 games in fact.  Along with the distinction of being this year’s worst team in baseball (not the only 100 game loser, but the only team to not break 60 wins) comes the dismal news of 6 coaches getting fired and the continued beating the team takes over having disappointing numbers in attendance and ratings.   

Everyone seems to have lost hope for the Nats-even our very own Patrick.

But not me.  Call me nutty.  Call me an optimist.  Call me completely out of touch with the real world and how baseball works.  All three do apply-but I do think there are good things to take away from this season.

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It was the one race I thought the Nats could win.

Last year people were talking about the Nationals losing 100 games. Luckily they finished at 73-89, just above the Florida Marlins. There was some hope that maybe they could return to their glory days of 2005 (when they finished 81-81).

Unfortunately things haven’t been going well this season and once again the Nationals are expected to lose 100 games this year. However with their loss to the Angels last night, the Mariners become the first to lose 100 games. Even when it comes to futility the Nationals can’t win.

The Washington Times has an in-depth list of all the problems with the Nationals, from play on the field to problems with ordering office supplies. I’ve heard the Nationals described as a “glorified farm team” and while I want to defend that description- if you get in trouble for ordering too many pencils you must be a farm team.

I’d say there’s always next year but you need to actually have to have prospects in the farm system for their to be a future.

Good Morning Washington-

Another week of banging our heads against our collective desks is upon us.  Hopefully you had a little fun in the wonderful weather this past weekend.  I, for one, made it over to Nationals Park on Saturday afternoon to attend the “Picnic in the Park” hosted by the Washington Nationals.  Open to season ticket holders (I had a 20 game package) the Nationals threw open not just the front gates but granted access to all sorts of parts of the park usually off limits.

Freebies, raffles, players signing autographs all over the park, walking tours of the Diamond Club and President’s club boxes (which really is more like a class restaurant that just happens to have access to home plate seats) and, oh yeah, getting to run the friggin’ bases and sit in the dugout! made for one of my favorite trips to a ballpark, any ballpark, ever.  We also got to walk around the outfield, throw a pitch in the bullpen (which I didn’t do-line was too long) and sit in any seat in the house we wanted.  For those that haven’t had the luxury, let me share what I’ve learned:

-Hitting the ball to the outfield, let alone to the warning track or a home run, is really far.  When you’re on the ground you can see it’s a lot farther than it seems from the seats.

-Same with the 90 ft between bases.

-the ground base paths are pretty firm, and the grass is actually beautiful up close.

-The seats down by home plate?  They have cushioned seats and backing-they are also wider I think.

-Being in the President’s box is in no way a “true” or “genuine” going to the ball game experience.   You wouldn’t even know there was a field there if someone didn’t tell you.  That said, I fully intend on somehow doing it next year.

The only thing we didn’t see that I would have liked to was the press box and to walk on the grass-but with a game on Saturday night (the second of three straight losses to the Padres) it was understandable that they kept us off it.  While I’m sure it wasn’t even close to the emotional/cool factor of walking around Yankee’s Stadium on Sunday it was pretty special for me and I hope to do it again.  My personal pics are available via the link above (not a photographer keep in mind) and the Nationals can be seen just three more times as a team in DC this year as they roll over for host the Florida Marlins this week. (A good chance to see our 100th loss this season up close and personal.  Don’t worry, you’ll be able to tell them that “you were there when…” someday.)

First off, if you’re a Nats fan headed to the game with the Orioles on Sunday, good luck. You’re hosed.

Heads up to everyone travelling across the District this weekend: every single Metro line is seeing major track work and rail testing from Friday night through early Monday morning.

Blue Line
Sad to say, this one’s been hit the worst. First, customers traveling between the Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street Metrorail stations should add up to 30 minutes of travel time for their trips because of track maintenance. Inbound and outbound trains between these locations will share one track from 10 p.m. to closing (3 a.m.), Friday, June 27, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., Saturday, June 28, 10 p.m. to closing (3 a.m.), Saturday, June 28, and 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., Sunday, June 29.

Additionally, if you’re traveling between the Pentagon City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail stations, you should add 15 minutes of travel time for your trips because of track maintenance. Inbound and outbound trains will share one track between these locations from 10 p.m. to closing (midnight), Sunday, June 29.

Yellow Line
You get to piggy-back on the Blue Line’s woes. See above for sharing issues between Pentagon City and Reagan National.

Orange Line
Riders traveling between the Stadium-Armory and Cheverly Metrorail stations should add up to 20 minutes of travel time for their trips because of bridge repairs. Inbound and outbound trains between these locations will share one track from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, June 28.

Green Line
If you’re traveling between the Greenbelt and College Park Metrorail stations, add 15 minutes of travel time for your trips because of rail car testing. Inbound and outbound trains will share one track between these locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, June 28.

Red Line
And finally, riders traveling between the Friendship Heights and Medical Center Metrorail stations should add 15 minutes of travel time for their trips because of track maintenance. Inbound and outbound trains will share one track between these locations from 9 p.m. to closing (midnight), Sunday, June 29.