Here's the story:

http://natsnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2008/12/nats-re-sign-harris-non-tender-redding.html

Interested to see what the terms of Harris' deal are.

All Redding did for two years was take the ball and keep the Nats in games.  Very surprised by this turn of events.

We can only guess that the team thinks that they can re-sign him cheaper as a free agent than he would make in arbitration. It's either that or he doesn't figure to be in their plans at all.

Nothing shocks me about this team anymore, but I do find this very surprising.

you can go here to read the whole thing.  i laboriously transcribed the whole thing.

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/11/meet-press-with-willingham-and-olsen.html

here's my opinion:

There's already a lot that's been written about this deal, and I'm sure that there will be many more volumes as well. The deal makes next year's team better and I don't think they gave up all that much to accomplish that. Bowden's larger message is that the organization realizes that the fan base is going to shrink and that they HAD TO address the talent level on the major league roster, what Nats fans pay to watch.
Are Willingham and Olsen all-stars? Probably not. We pretty much know was Willingham is, barring a Ryan Ludwick-type explosion. Olsen? He's just 24. He's got three full seasons in the bigs. His velocity returned in September. He still hasn't entered his physical prime.
I'm not going to harp on the team for deviating from "The Plan" like some of my brethren. They didn't trade anyone away that was going to be part of the "first great Nats team". They aren't blocking anyone that should be playing. To the contrary, Olsen will allow Martis and Zimmermann to stay in the minors where they belong for another season.
The Nats got two completely average major league players for a utility infielder and two fringy low minors prospects. Love it or leave it.

Here is the one sentence press release:

First baseman Dmitri Young has been outrighted to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. The Nationals’ 40-Man Roster now stands at 35.

The Nats can't waive him, or they'll be on the hook for his salary anyway, and he obviously won't decline the assignment, so he becomes the highest paid player in the minors.  That's good roster maintenance.

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/

This was totally predicted. Cordero couldn't return to the team for any kind of guaranteed money with his injury, and after Bowden told the media before Cordero about their intention to non-tender him, Cordero certainly wasn't going to do any favors for the team. Hopefully he gets healthy and someone gives him a fair shot, but I think it'll be into the season, just like Freddie Garcia this year, before someone signs him.

Wagner never fully recovered from his labrum surgery, like most who have it done. I will be shocked if he's ever a useful MLB player again. Orr will sign somewhere for organizational depth.

Pena, however, is another story. The Nats are stuck with him, and he with them. If it really was the injury keeping him from producing last year, the $2M salary won't look so bad. Then, the Nats will give him a two-year, $5M per deal just like Young and Guzman. I kid. Seriously though, if he still looks terrible in spring training, it'll be interesting to see if the Nats eat his salary, since outfield is one place on the team that they actually have some talent, and it'll be tough to carry Pena's dead weight all season, unless they hide him like they did Meathook this summer.

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/10/nats-waive-cordero-pena-re-ups.html

This just in:

NATIONALS COMPLETE 2009 COACHING STAFF


The Washington Nationals today announced that bench coach Jim Riggleman, first base coach Marquis Grissom, third base coach Pat Listach, hitting coach Rick Eckstein and bullpen coach Randy Knorr will join returning pitching coach Randy St. Claire on the club’s 2009 coaching staff. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden and Manager Manny Acta made the joint announcement.

Riggleman, 55, adds nearly eight seasons of managerial experience to the Nationals’ bench. Riggleman, who has skippered San Diego (1992-94), Chicago-NL (1995-00) and Seattle (interim, 2008), returns to the National League, where he has either managed or served on a coaching staff in 14 of the last 20 seasons. Riggleman’s managerial career is highlighted by the 1998 Cubs, who went 90-73 (.552) to claim the NL Wild Card.

-snip-

The 41 year-old Grissom accepts his first job coaching at the professional level and returns to the organization that drafted him in the third round of the 1988 First-Year Player Draft. In 17 big league seasons with Montreal (1989-94), Atlanta (1995-96), Cleveland (1997), Milwaukee (1998-2000), Los Angeles-NL (2001-02) and San Francisco (2003-05), Grissom batted .272 (2251-for-8275) with 386 doubles, 227 home runs, 967 RBI and 429 stolen bases and garnered four Gold Glove citations in center field (1993-96).

-snip-

Listach—who won the 1992 American League Rookie of the Year award after hitting .290 with 54 stolen bases for Milwaukee—joins the Nationals after spending the previous three seasons compiling a 231-189 (.550) record managing in the upper levels of Chicago-NL’s system. In 2008, Listach’s Iowa Cubs went 83-59 (.585), claimed first place in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division and he was named PCL Manager of the Year. Listach, 41, managed the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate to winning records in both 2007 (Tennessee of the Southern League) and 2006 (West Tenn of the Southern League) and coached in the Arizona Fall League in 2001.

-snip-

A September 2008 addition to the Nationals’ coaching staff, Eckstein has established relationships with various Nationals, including Ryan Zimmerman, Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes and Cristian Guzman. While serving as Columbus’ hitting coach last season in the Triple-A International League, Eckstein gained invaluable exposure to young hitters such as Jesus Flores, Roger Bernadina, Emilio Bonifacio and Alberto Gonzalez. Eckstein—who served as Davey Johnson’s bench coach during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing—has coached in the Nationals’ chain four of the last five seasons, and draws on three seasons of experience as a Triple-A hitting coach.

-snip-

Knorr, 39, returns to Washington in a familiar role, as he served on Frank Robinson’s coaching staff as bullpen coach for the final three-plus months of the 2006 campaign. Knorr is fresh off guiding Potomac to the Single-A Carolina League championship, which came in his fourth season managing in Washington’s chain. During his three-year stint with Potomac, he has managed numerous current Nationals pitchers, including John Lannan, Garrett Mock and Shairon Martis.

BOTTOM(FEEDER) LINE: All in all, it's hard to argue with many of the choices. It's Grissom's first coaching gig, and you suppose in addition to coaching first base he'll work withthe outfielders and base running. Obviously, Jim Riggleman brings a wealth of experience to the bench for Manager Manny Acta. Listach has had much success managing in the Cubs minor league system. Randy Knorr is solid as the bullpen coach, and his success at Potomac last year certainly won't hurt his credentials. And the organization loves Rick Eckstein, and he also served as Davey Johnson's bench coach for the Olympic team last summer. Hard to argue with Davey Johnson. http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/10/nats-name-coaching-staff.html

I (among others) attended the Q&A at the ESPN Zone Friday with Nats GM Jim Bowden and Ass't GM Mike Rizzo.  My recaps can be found at the links below.  Plus, check out Fire Jim Bowden's take on the day as well.  It was a rousing good time, if you allow the topic of lousy baseball to not ruin it for you.

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/09/meet-pseudo-press.html

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/09/bowden-and-rizzo-q-post-mortem-part-1.html

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/09/bowden-rizzo-post-mortem-part-deux.html

Direct from the Press Release:

The Washington Nationals today announced their roster for players participating in the 2008 Instructional League.   Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden, Assistant General Manager and Vice President, Player Development Bob Boone and Director of Player Development Bobby Williams made the joint announcement.

The Instructional League (IL) is intended to provide the best and brightest prospects in the Nationals’ system with high-intensity instruction and attention provided by Washington’s top minor-league coordinators, managers, coaches and instructors.  During the 25-day slate, players will participate in workouts and play in games on a daily basis.  For the second consecutive year, the Nationals will compete in IL pool play with similar squads from the Astros, Braves and Tigers organizations.

 Those invited to the IL will report to the Nationals Spring Training Complex in Viera, FL on September 16, with the first workout scheduled for September 17.

Over half of the club’s 47 players participating in the IL were selected in the 2007 or 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

The IL class of 2008 includes shortstop Esmailyn “Smiley” Gonzalez (the 2008 Gulf Coast League batting champion), left-handed pitcher Jack McGeary (Washington’s sixth-round selection in the 2007 Draft, led the GCL with 64 strikeouts this season), outfielder Michael Burgess (paced professional baseball with 28 outfield assists, finished second among Nationals farmhands with 24 home runs and tied for second with 79 RBI this season), outfielder Destin Hood (Washington’s second-round selection in this year’s First-Year Player Draft), shortstop Danny Espinosa (a third-round pick in the ‘08 Draft out of Long Beach State University), left-handed pitcher Graham Hicks (selected in the fourth round of this June’s Draft) and catcher Adrian Nieto (Washington’s fifth-round selection in the ‘08 First-Year Player Draft).

The Nationals’ 2008 Instructional League roster:

PITCHERS (22) RHP Edulin Abreu,  LHP William Atwood, RHP Martin Beno,  RHP P.J. Dean, RHP Paul Demny, RHP Shane Erb, RHP Marcos Frias, LHP Austin Garrett, LHP Bobby Hansen, LHP Graham Hicks, RHP Juan Jaime, RHP Cole Kimball, LHP Kevin Light, LHP Patrick McCoy, LHP Jack McGeary, RHP Brad Peacock, RHP Hassan Pena, RHP Jose Pinales, LHP Atahualpa Severino, LHP Josh Smoker, RHP Steven Stewart, RHP Colton Willems

CATCHERS (5) C Daniel Killian, C Sandy Leon, C Adrian Nieto, C Derek Norris, C Sean Rooney,

INFIELDERS (11) SS Dani Arias, SS Danny Espinosa, SS Esmailyn Gonzalez, 3B Stephen King, 3B Ronnie Labrie, 2B Stephen Lombardozzi , 1B Chris Marrero,  1B Tyler Moore, 2B Jake Smolinski, 2B Francisco Soriano, 3B Steven Souza

OUTFIELDERS (9) OF Michael Burgess, OF Chris Curran,  OF J.R. Higley, OF Destin Hood, OF Marcus Jones, OF Justin Maxwell, OF Eury Perez, OF J.P. Ramirez  

From the Press Release:

The Washington Nationals today placed right fielder Austin Kearns on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to August 25, with a stress fracture of his left foot. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made this announcement.

 Kearns is expected to miss two-to-four weeks with the injury which was originally sustained on August 3. He was examined yesterday in Washington, DC by orthopedist Dr. Edward Magur, who recommended rest and immobilization with a walking cast. This is Kearns’ second DL stint this season. He missed 38 games after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow on May 23. Kearns has batted .217 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 32 RBI in 86 games this season with Washington.

Did anyone else know he was hurt?

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/08/nationals-place-austin-kearns-on.html

Here's the story about the Orioles signing first round pick, fourth overall, LHP Brain Matusz out of San Diego.

Here's the pertinent part:

The Orioles and first-round pick Brian Matusz have agreed to terms on a major league deal that would immediately insert him onto the club's 40-man roster and toward the top of the organization's list of pitching prospects, The Sun has learned.

Matusz, a left-hander out of the University of San Diego and the fourth overall pick in June's amateur draft, will receive a $3.2 million bonus.

So what does it mean for the Nats first rounder RHP Aaron Crow? Well, that's quite a bit less bonus money than he's reportedly demanding, but he got the Major League contract. Would Kasten relent if Hendricks lowered the up front bonus money that much? Would Hendricks blink if Kasten ponied up $5M - $7M and not the contract?

This is really fascinating stuff. I haven't seen any other signings yet today, so this could very well be the first domino of the six top-ten picks (and 10 of the top 30) that at the start of the day were still left unsigned.

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/

http://bottomfeederbaseball.blogspot.com/2008/08/os-sign-matusz-whats-it-mean-for-crow.html

The revised line-up I just recieved from the Nats P.R. scratches Guzman and puts Belliard in at SS hitting #2, with Boone at first and Nieves catching

Ugh.  This is what happens when you wait 11 days to DL a guy (Gonzales), then finally sit him down and activate ANOTHER corner infielder (Boone).  When will Bowden be held accountable for all the roster problems this team has had this year?

I love Ronnie, but I've got as much range as he does.