Center Field in DC...Goes To...?

As far as I'm concerned, the biggest news out of Washington yesterday, (solely in terms of baseball news, of course), was in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Nationals miss out on Bradley", about the free agent outfielder Milton Bradley's decision to sign with the Chicago Cubs instead of becoming the Nationals' center fielder, but the big news didn't concern Bradley's spurning DC, (or the teased Nationals-related story on the MLB Network that never materialized last night)...but instead what the Nationals said in the wake of their 3-year/$30M dollar offer to Bradley being rejected, as Mr. Ladson wrote:

"According to baseball sources, the Nationals have decided to let Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge compete for the center-field job."

So the idea of moving Milledge to a corner spot is put on hold as he competes for the center field spot with Dukes. What happens to the loser? Do they go to right field? Go to the bench? I was pretty sure Dukes had a place in the '09 outfield, but Mr. Ladson cites Dukes' string of "right leg problems" last season as the reason why Dukes, the better defensive center fielder in Mr. Ladson's opinion, hasn't just been given the job in center since the team has said since the Fall that they see Milledge in a corner spot. 

Buster Olney Doesn't Think Dunn's Coming Either...

The Nationals might be on the verge of going 0 for 3 with a swinging K in this winter's free agent market according ESPN.com's Buster Olney's latest post entitled, "Ten things to keep a close eye on", where Mr. Olney speculates that in spite of the Nationals' interest in bringing Adam Dunn to DC, for the free agent...:

"...to sign with Washington, Dunn would have to be at peace with the idea that he would be returning to almost the same kind of situation that he had in Cincinnati: He would be playing for a team that will probably struggle (for at least the next couple of years), a team lacking in the kind of pitching needed to contend..."

I probably have a higher opinion of the Nationals' young pitchers than Mr. Olney does, but, admittedly, most scouting reports on the starters in the Nationals' organization seem to place DC's arms in the middle or back of potential Nationals' rotations of the future, though hopefully the drafting and signing of Stephen Strasburg this season will give the Nationals their first true ace...(Sorry, Livan!)...but I share Mr. Olney's opinion of Adam Dunn's situation. What does DC have to offer Adam Dunn...the money hasn't been enough to bring either the Yankees' new first baseman or Milton Bradley to DC, so what makes you think Adam Dunn's going to be any different? 

WINTER LEAGUE PLAYOFF UPDATES...

Dominican Winter League - The Tigres del Licey beat Aguilas Cibaenas 8- 2 Monday night with Anderson Hernandez starting at second, walking twice and going 1 for 4 to improve his DWL Postseason average to .375 after 8 games in which the Tigres are now 5-3. Ronnie Belliard recovered from a mini-slump following a recent HBP to go 1 for 4 with a run scored, 1 RBI and 1 walk.

Puerto Rican League - The Leones de Ponce pounced upon the Criollos de Caguas Monday night for a 6-1 win with the Criollos' one run coming on DC OF prospect Justin Maxwell's 7th HR of the winter, third-best in the PRWL. Maxwell was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, the HR, and now he's hitting .225 in for Caguas. Garrett Guzman was 0 for 4, lowering his AVG to .264 after 41 games. According to MLB.com's Caribbean League Roundup entitled, "Araguas' relievers shut down Caracas", the Criollos de Caguas will, "...host the Indios on Wednesday for the last postseason slot," in the Puerto Rican League Playoffs. 

**(ed. note - This has gotten such a nice response, I'm gonna pop it back on the front page from time to time...Thanks, MattHaggard.)

So I'm a Cubs fan.But I swear I'm not here to troll. ^^

Anyway, I have a question for all of you. I always wondered where a new franchise builds its fanbase from.

Did most of you just transfer over from being fans of the Expos to being fans of the Nats? Are some of you misplaced and disgruntled former Orioles fans?

How about baseball newcomers? Did having a alternative baseball team in the DC area make some of you former non-baseball fans into Nationals fans?

This has always made me curious and I really would like to know. Thanks for reading and replying and it's nice to meet ya'll.

Come by and chat at BleedCubbieBlue from time to time.

WINTER LEAGUE UPDATES...

Anderson Hernandez doesn't want the Washington Nationals thinking about any other second baseman, not Ronnie Belliard or Orlando Hudson, no one but him for the starting spot in '09, and that's why Hernandez tore up the Dominican Winter League, finishing the season with a .365 AVG, which was good enough for second in the League, 20 doubles (1st), 6 triples (1st), 1 HR and 29 RBI's in 50 games and 211 AB's, over which he posted a .406 OBP, .531 SLG and .937 OPS...

...After going 0 for 2 this afternoon in a 3-2 Dominican Winter League Playoff win over the Azucareros del Este, Hernandez was hitting .393 in 7 Postseason games for the Tigres del Licey, who are 4-3 after Sunday. (Belliard was 0 for 3 Sunday starting at 3rd for the Tigres).

(ed. note - "Before you, uh, hand?...Anderson Hernandez the starting job at second with DC, just remember, this isn't the first time the second baseman destroyed the DWL...back in 2007, Hernandez, then with the NY Mets, and still playing for the Tigres del Licey, led the DWL Playoffs with a .402 AVG in 23 games according to MLB.com writer Eric Justic's article entitled, "Hernandez wins postseason batting title", and Hernandez's '07 stats with the Mets...according to baseball-reference.com's A. Hernandez stat page...4 G, 3 AB's, 1 H...

MLB.com's Sunday Caribbean Leagues Roundup, entitled, "Aybar, Tigres edge Azucareros", (my favorite title of '09!), singles out the performance of Azucareros' right fielder, and, "Nationals prospect Ricardo Nanita, (who) went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Azucareros."

--(ed. note - "...and I'll forgive the fact that the MLB.com article doesn't use a possessive apostrophe with "Nationals prospect", since I didn't recognize Nanita's name until I pulled up the results of the '08 Rule 5 Draft at Baseball America.com and realized the Nationals had selected the OF from the White Sox with the first pick in the 1st Round of the Triple A Phase of the R5D back on December 18, 2008.")   

Nanita's 3 for 4 performance Sunday gave the 6'0'', 195lb, left-handed hitting outfielder, (a 14th Round White Sox' selection in 2003), a .447 AVG with 2 doubles and 3 RBI's in 8 DWL Playoff games. After hitting .286 with 22 doubles, 9 HR's and 51 RBI's in 111 games and 412 AB's with the ChiSox' Double-AA affiliate in Birmingham, Nanita hit .313 in the DWL Regular season with the Azucareros, collecting 10 doubles, 4 HR's and 26 RBI's in 47 games and 160 AB's...

...and speaking of Nationals' Prospects, I apparently overlooked Alberto Gonzalez all winter, who's been plying his trade with the Venezuelan WInter League's Aguilas de Zulia, and today, according to the same MLB.com article referenced above, Gonzalez, who started at short and was 2 for 4, "...singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Aguilas squared their record at 1-1 in the round robin playoffs." You'll remember that Alberto "The General" Gonzalez was acquired by DC in a trade with the NY Yankees in late July '08, in exchange for Jhonny Nunez, and he hit .347 with 6 doubles, 1 HR and 9 RBI's over 17 games with Washington. This winter with Aguilas, Gonzalez hit .303 with 2 doubles and 14 RBI's in 38 games and 142 AB's. 

...In the last game of the Puerto Rican Winter League's regular season, outfielder Jorge Padilla, one of the 13 Minor League free agents the Nationals signed back on 12/13/08, according to MLB.com writer Bill Ladson's report entitled, "Nationals sign 13 to Minors deals", started in right for the Lobos de Arecibo, and according, (again to the uncredited MLB.com article entitled, "Aybar, Tigres edge Azucareros"), the, "...Nationals farmhand Jorge Padilla homered and drove in three runs for Arecibo before he was ejected in the ninth." Way to go Padilla, that's like the baseball version of hockey's Gordie Howe Hat Trick...

...and lest we forget, the Criollos de Caguas dropped a 4-3 decision Sunday to the Gigantes de Carolina, in spite of the two runs, 1 each, by both Nationals' prospects playing for Caguas, Garrett Guzman and Justin Maxwell, both of whom were 0 for 2 with 2 walks, while Criollos' and Nationals' reliever Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera completed a scoreless inning of work while allowing just one hit. 

end transmission...

There are 42 days until the Washington Nationals' prospective pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on February 14, 2009. Forty-two days for the Washington Nationals to somehow figure out how to add offensive power to a lineup that finished at or near the bottom of the League in nearly every statistical category that's measured these days...for Washington to find the "...guaranteed 30 home run(s) and 100 RBIs" that Nationals' Manager Manny Acta asked for in an October 2, 2008 article by MLB.com writer Bill Ladson entitled, "Nationals see reason for optimism in '09", where Mr. Acta said what he thought was missing from Washington's lineup:

"We need a guy who strikes fear. That guy will go in the middle of the order regardless of who is there now."

The Nationals thought Mark Teixeira was that player. The rest of the baseball world thought Washington had lost it, and the Yankees eventually stepped in and signed Tex, so DC turned its attentions toward Adam Dunn, the 29-year-old left-hander out of Houston, Texas, who is the very definition (+10 HR's) of what Mr. Acta asked for just after the Nationals' 102-loss '08 campaign had mercifully ended. (ed. note - "Though I bet if you asked Mr. Acta again he'd ask for a .300 AVG and less than 110 K's.")

...Still, here we are on January 4th, and just this weekend, DC GM Jim Bowden is quoted in another article by MLB.com's Bill Ladson, this one entitled, "GM Jim Bowden not done improving Nats", where Mr. Bowden assures the DC Faithful:

"We are exploring a lot of possibilities," Bowden said. "I think, obviously, we would like to have a big left-handed bat in the middle of our lineup. So that's a priority."

42 Days...Outside of a trade for Prince Fielder, the possibility of which keeps coming up and getting quickly dismissed in Mr. Ladson's articles, the only other targets the Nationals have identified are Dunn and possibly Milton Bradley, and unless DC plans on giving another oft-injured first baseman like Richie Sexson, Nomar Garciappara or one of the many 30+ outfielders on the market a chance, (and please don't think I'm advocating that), the likelihood of their adding a substantial bat to the lineup, (in any way other than a blockbuster trade which somehow materializes in the next month and a half), is dwindling every day...

There are pitchers on the market. Just sayin'...

But Adam Dunn is still on the market too...and as of now the Nationals are the only team that's been indentified as having a serious interest in his services...So surely some will argue, with the newest trend in numbers in support of their claims, that Adam Dunn is just what the Nationals need, but I'd answer that like the great actor of our generation Kevin Costner (Q: Kevin Costner? A: Just go with it!) says, as DA Jim Garrison in Oliver Stone's conspiratorial mess of a movie, "JFK", "Theoretical physics can also prove that an elephant can hang off a cliff with its tail tied to a daisy! But use your eyes, your common sense..."

...The fact that Dunn hasn't signed with Washington yet is probably a sign he thinks something else is out there, though there haven't been any official reports yet of a contract offer from the Nationals or anyone else as far as I know, (though the Dodgers and Rays have expressed "interest")...and though I just don't see the point of paying Dunn what it will take to keep him from going to LA or Tampa, or understand why Dunn would want to come to DC now in the first place after eight seasons of not winning as a Red...I'm almost to the point of thinking it's the only option left, uh, for first...if...?

...If you're not going to stick with Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young. If...you don't think Elijah Dukes or Ryan Zimmerman or Josh Willingham can turn into the 25-30 HR, 100 RBI guy the Nationals need in their lineup. If...you don't think Austin Kearns can finally put it all together...If...you don't think the needed offensive boost is to be found within the Nationals' system...That's a lot of "if's" and only 42 days to sort them out...Where will Washington's offense come from in 2009?

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE PLAYOFF UPDATE...

The Tigres del Licey dropped two straight this weekend to drop to 3-3 in the first round of DWL postseason play. Friday night at home in Licey's Estadio Quisqueya, it was the newest Nationals' pitcher Daniel Cabrera taking the loss in a 6-4 decision after allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, (1 earned) and 2 walks with 1 K in 4.0 innings pitched against the Gigantes del Cibao. Anderson Hernandez was 2 for 4 Friday, (and hitting .500 after 5 playoff games). Saturday night, the Gigantes welcomed the Tigres to Estadio Julian Javier where they took the second half of the home and home by a score of 4-2. Ronnie Belliard returned to the Tigres' lineup for the first time since being hit by a pitch on December 21, but went 0 for 4, as did Anderson Hernandez, as Licey was unable to hold on to a 2-1 lead, losing the game when Cibao scored 3 in the bottom of the seventh off Tigres' reliever Frances Beltran, who was trying to hold what another Nationals' pitcher, Jorge Sosa, had kept in tact through six innings on the mound. 

PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE...

With the Puerto Rican Winter League playoffs set to start this week, the Criollos de Caguas finish up with 5 games from Friday through Monday, starting with Friday's doubleheader against the Lobos de Arecibo, on the road in Estadio Luis Rodriguez Olmo, both of which Caguas lost. Justin Maxwell, 2 for 4 with a double (8) in game one, went 1 for 4 with a DP grounder in game 2 for a .222 AVG so far on the Winter. Garrett Guzman was a combined 0 for 6 Friday, with DC reliever Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera taking the loss in the second game after allowing a walk, 3 hits and 1 run in 1.1 IP. 

Saturday night, the Criollos de Caguas came back with a big 6-2 win over the Gigantes de Carolina at home in Parque Yidefonso Sola Morales. Garrett Guzman, Criollos' DH, was 1 for 4, and Maxwell, who started in left, was 0 for 3 with a walk...but the Criollos got all the offense they need from former Mets' catcher Raul Casanova, who hit 2 HR's and collected 2 RBI's in the win. 

RUMOR MILL...

MLB.com writer Bill Ladson reported earlier this week that the Washington Nationals were not interested in signing veteran left fielder Manny Ramirez in an article entitled, "Nationals not interested in Manny", and Mr. Ladson's MLB Hot Stove blog post today, entitled, "Reports: Giants have interest in Manny Ramirez", reports on a story out of San Francisco claiming that the Giants have extended a 4-year offer to Mr. Ramirez, which would seem to put to rest any lingering thoughts of Washington's interest in the 36-year-old slugger. Finally...

SI.com's Jon Heyman mentions the Nationals as a team of interest in the pursuit of Adam Dunn, and Mr. Heyman also takes a shot at the franchise when he ranks Tim Redding as the 20th of 20 available free agents in his article entitled, "Resetting the Market: The Top 20 remaining free agents", writing that Redding was able to win,"...10 games for the Nats, which if you think about it, isn't such a small accomplishment." As for DC and Dunn, in Mr. Heyman's opinion, it's the Nationals as a "prime possibility", and then the Dodgers next in line to sign the 29-year-old LF/1B, and that's if the Dodgers don't bring Manny back to LA.

Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects List is Coming...On January 7th.

Three players, Collin Balester (1), Kory Casto (4), and Matt Chico (8) who were included on Baseball America writer Aaron Fitt's (1/12/07) list of Nationals' prospects entitled, "Top 10 Prospects: Washington Nationals", have seen significant time with DC in the two seasons since the list was published. In his (11/7/07) rankings, Aaron Fitt added Jordan Zimmermann, (7), Josh Smoker (6), Jack McGeary (5), Michael Burgess (4), and Ross Detwiler (2), all '07 picks, to the updated version of his list, with Zimmermann, a 6'2'', 22-year-old right-hander, the only player being seriously mentioned as having a chance of making the Nationals' roster from the start of the '09 season, after posting a combined (10-3) record with a 1.65 ERA in 5 games at Class-A Potomac, and a 3.21 ERA in 20 starts and 106.2 IP with Double-AA Harrisburg. 

Which players selected in this season's draft do you think will appear on the first 2009 Baseball America list of the Nationals' prospects? We know one who won't...Will Zech Zinicola, who was on the list in January '07 and off in November of that year make a return after impressing in the Arizona Fall League? Will Chris Marrero and Ross Detwiler remain atop the list of Nationals' Prospects? We know Glenn Gibson (8th on the 11/07 list)  won't be back since he was traded to Tampa for Elijah Dukes. If SS Esmailyn "Smiley' Gonzalez (5th on the 11/07 list), was ranked that high last season, where will the 18-year-old infielder be after hitting .343 with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 2 HR's, 33 RBI's, 9 stolen bases, a .431 OBP, .475 SLG, and .906 OPS in 51 games with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Nationals in '08? 

The New Baseball America Washington Nationals' Top 10 Prospects list is set to be released on January 7th...

I'm here to break down the Nats' outfield (not all of it, but most) and predict their seasons for 2009. This may seem bold, but I think making predictions WAAAAAAAAAAY before the season starts makes predictions that come true seem more kick ass. Lets get right down to business. We'll start with Roger Bernadina. When he first came in he was pretty good, but the wheels stopped turning for him after a while. I honestly think that 2009 will be a breakout year for Bernadina, who only played 26 games in the '08 season for the Nats. I guess the whole "only 26 games" thing must be the explanation for the "only 16 hits" thing.

Prediction: Great 2009 season

Next we'll take a look at "The Duke". Hopefully Dukes remains one of the "big bats" in the Nationals organization, and doesn't get injured this time around. I have a gut feeling that it isn't going to happen again. Late season injuries can really screw you up considering that as soon as your back to normal, it's the off-season. I just don't think Dukes will get it done this year because his hot streak ended so abruptly that he lost too much momentum. But, I don't  think he'll fall anywhere below average in the 2009 seasn.

Prediction: Average season

Part Two Coming Soon!

To The Future and Beyond With Washington's Nationals...

I believe the 2009 season began on September 28th, 2008, the moment Emilio Bonifacio's weak grounder reached the glove of Phillies' first baseman Chris Coste, who tossed to the Philly pitcher Clay Condrey covering first, to finish off the Nationals for loss number 102 of 161, and everything that's happened since has been an attempt to build for the future, for 2009 and beyond, including the trade that sent Bonifacio to Florida in return for 29-year-old left fielder Josh Willingham and 24-year-old left-hander Scott Olsen, who could end up being the steal of the offseason at the top of the DC rotation as a veteran on a talented young starting staff. Overly optimisitic? I've got pessimism for you...

2008 will go down in DC baseball history as the year the Washington Nationals lost 102 games and failed to sign their 1st Round Draft pick...(Of course, they'll get the 9th pick(9A) in this year's draft as compensation for failing to sign Aaron Crow, and the first pick of this year's draft for failing to win more than 59 games...) and it was also the year that the Nationals opened their new ballpark, Nationals Park, to polite applause, but attendance at the games only, not in front of radios or TV's in any significant way in the DC Metro area...(Is that way they call it? I'm from up North...)

...Now 2009 starts with the failed attempt to land their main free agent target, (whose name we'll not mention), and two months before Spring Training, with the new year now literally underway, no other signifant additions, (outside of Daniel "Potential" Cabrera), to what was, must I remind you, a 102-loss team...Nationals' Team President Stan Kasten told Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell, as quoted in an article entitled, "Nats Go All In", that in his opinion, the Nationals, "...already had a terrific offseason," with the additions of Cabrera, Olsen and Willingham, but when pressed by an incredulous Mr. Boswell, Mr. Kasten said:

"'We're determined to do more and be better in '09. We've already being(sic) looking at every option every day, not just Teixeira. His signing may start other moves in the industry. Now we know what the Yankees can pay. Let's see what everybody else will pay.'"

...And DC GM Jim Bowden let the baseball world know, in MLB.com writer Bill Ladson's article today, entitled, "GM Bowden not done improving Nats", that the Nationals weren't done improving their roster, with Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson still at the top of their wish list...as a replacement for first baseman Nick Johnson and a leadoff hitter and second baseman, respectively, should the free agents choose to join the Nationals...and just as the DC Front Office has been saying all winter, Mr. Bowden once again assures fans:

"'We are exploring a lot of possibilities,' Bowden said. 'I think, obviously, we would like to have a big left-handed bat in the middle of our lineup. So that's a priority. We want to continue to add starting pitching and bullpen. I would say that most of our discussions were for those