AFL UPDATE...

Only one of the DC's prospects started for the Peoria Saguaros tonight in their Arizona Fall League matchup with the Scottsdale Scorpions, but by the end of the game two of the potential future-Nationals would end up instrumental in the Saguaros' come from behind win. 

Bill Rhinehart, a first baseman in the DC system, got the start at the same spot for the Saguaros tonight and finished the game 1 for 3 with a run scored, a walk and a K, but the one hit by Rhinehart came in the bottom of the ninth with Peoria trailing Scottsdale 4-2, and Leonard Davis, who started the inning with a pinch hit single, already on base. Davis moved to second on Rhinehart's hit and Cards' '08 1st Round pick Brett Wallace drove Davis in with the third straight single off Scottsdale reliever (and Red Sox' farmhand) T.J. Large, who gave up two more singles, to Padres' IF/OF prospect Sean Kazmar, and St. Louis' Shane Robinson, who capped off the comeback with the walk-off winner. Peoria prevails, 5-4 final. 

Anderson Hernandez, Wants To Play Second In DC...

The Tigres del Licey game was rained out Saturday night, so Anderson Hernandez's .408 AVG remains intact after 22 games and 98 at bats. Having collected 10 doubles, 4 triples, 1 HR and 16 RBI's with 5 walks, 4 steals, a .433 OBP, .622 SLG, and 1.055 OPS, Hernandez is making a case for himself as the Nationals' starting second baseman next season, as the former Mets' prospect attempts to finally live up to the hype that accompanied his rise through New York's system. 

The Nationals Still Like Matt Whitney...

Washington selected Cleveland first base prospect Matt Whitney, (an '02 1st Round pick, 33rd overall), with their 1st pick in the 2007 Rule 5 Draft, but the Nationals were forced to return him to the Indians the following March after a lackluster Spring performance resulted in the 24-year old infielder's being cut from the DC roster. Today the Nationals signed the 6'4'' 190 lb, right-handed hitting and throwing first baseman to a Minor League deal according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Nats, Whitney agree to deal", which noted that the contract included an invitation to Spring Training. 

Whitney played the '08 season with Cleveland's Double-A affiliate in Akron, Ohio, where he managed to hit .268 in 129 games and 463 AB's, over which he collected 124 hits, 29 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR's and 58 RBI's. 

This Day In Washington Nationals' History...

11/16/04 -- Though they were still technically the Montreal Expos at the time, the soon-to-be Washington Nationals signed third baseman Vinny Castilla and shortstop Cristian Guzman on November 16, 2004, locking Castilla, then 37, up for two years and giving Guzman, who would turn 25 that March, a four-year deal which he just completed this season before reupping with Washington to the tune of $16 million over two years. 

Vinny Castilla's name was in the news recently, when it was announced that he would manage Team Mexico's entry in the '09 World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 5th. For any remaining Castilla fans in DC, check out the link to MLB.com writer Barry M. Bloom's article entitled, "Castilla named Manager of Mexico", to see just how good the only other resident of the Nationals' hot corner is doing...

AFL UPDATE...

After Wednesday night's 3-2 victory over the Peoria Javelina's, the Peoria Saguaros dropped Thursday night's rematch by a score of 9-6, which left the Saguaros tied atop the Arizona Fall League's American Division with the Mesa Solar Sox heading into play on Friday. The Javelina's needed a 6-run eighth inning Thursday night to give them enough of a lead to hold off the late-charging Saguaros, who scored 4 runs in the ninth but came up short in their comeback attempt. 

Ian Desmond was the only Nationals' prospect in the field Thursday, finishing 1 for 3 with a walk and a K, and after 22 games and 82 at bats, the 22-year old infielder has a .269 AVG with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 3 HR's, 3 stolen bases and 16 RBI's. DC's left-handed pitching prospect Ross Detwiler pitched a scoreless inning of relief after getting hit hard last time out, but Zechry Zinicola didn't fare nearly as well, coming on in the eighth with the Saguaros down 3-2 and allowing a leadoff walk, a 1-out double and 3-straight singles, resulting in a total of 5 ER's crossing the plate in just 0.1 IP. 

The Mesa Solar Sox are playing this afternoon, (and currently leading Phoenix 10-0 in the 5th), with the Saguaros scheduled to start their game with the Scottsdale Scorpions at 7:05 pm MST tonight. Cory VanAllen, (1-1, 9.19 ERA), another of DC's left-handed prospects gets the start for Peoria tonight. 

The Battle for DC's Starting Spot at 2nd is over...or is it?

Anderson Hernandez has his Dominican Winter League average up to .408 after 22 games and 98 at bats with the Tigres del Licey, and he's collected 10 doubles, 4 triples, 1 HR, 16 RBI's and 4 steals so far, which would lead one to believe that after his impressive end to the '08 campaign in DC and the recently completed deal to send Hernandez's competition at second, Emilio Bonifacio to Florida, the Nationals' 26-year old infielder would be a lock to start at second for Washington in '09...BUT...

Just yesterday, in MLB.com's Bill Ladson's article entitled, "Nationals expand hot stove search", Mr. Ladson wrote:

"As far as second base goes, Bowden indicated that Anderson Hernandez could be the answer, but free agent Orlando Hudson is on the Nationals' wish list."

Hudson will be 31 in December, and the All-Star second baseman enters free agency coming off an '08 campaign with the D-Backs that saw him hit .305 with 29 doubles, 3 triples, 8 HR's and 41 RBI's in 107 games. A 31-year old infielder doesn't exactly fit into the Nationals' youth-oriented approach to growth, but in light of the fact that Anderson Hernandez brings a .232 career MLB AVG into '09, (even after hitting .333 in 28 games last fall), it might not be a bad idea to add a veteran presence to the infield...though it would make Ronnie Belliard redundant...

So, Just in Case You're Counting...

The Nationals' media wing has now mentioned, Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, Jason Giambi, Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hudson, Adam Dunn, Odalis Perez and Aaron Boone, as possible free agent targets...Which of those players do you think DC will end up signing? You might as well just hand out a list of all the available free agents and say, "We're interested in signing them all," the way that Washington's been dropping names recently...Now what happens if they come up empty? With the kind of money that's expected to be thrown around that's a distinct possibillity...

No FA news yet...I'll check back later with the Saguaros' score and any updates....