When Wang Last Saw the Majors...

On July 4, 2009, many celebrated America's 233rd birthday by going to ballparks around the country. If you happened to be at Yankee Stadium that afternoon more than two years ago, you saw Chien-Ming Wang's last start to-date. Let's start talking about this multi-part series of what brought Wang to the Nats.

After finishing 2nd in the AL Cy Young race in 2006 and having another stellar 19 win season in 2007, Wang continued with a great 2008 season. He ended up leaving hurt and missing most of that season, which brings us to 2009.

To start the year, Wang was never quite able to figure it all out. He went 0-3 with a 34.50 ERA through April 18th, which caused him to eventually be sent down to some extended spring training in Florida and get a couple of relief appearances before his July 4th start.

Ultimately, Wang saw just 5.1 innings of work in his final start to-date, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits after throwing just 65 pitches. He only caused the Blue Jays to swing and miss twice all game. Little did the fans know that Wang's shoulder was falling apart and would require what could have been career ending surgery.

While the most recent MLB memories of CMW aren't the best, his story could end up being one of the feel good stories of 2011 when he makes his first appearance with the Nats later this month, despite being part of the organization for more than a year and a half. If Wang can return even remotely to 2006-2007 form, the Nationals will have more aces than they know what to do with in 2012, and that's a hell of a problem to have.

We'll continue this series soon with Wang's comeback story inside the Nats organization.

Nats Pre-Season Predictions: DC-IBWA

We're excited to be part of the Internet Baseball Writers Association: DC Chapter's pre-season predictions for 2011. If you click on the link above, you can see the results from voting from baseball bloggers and writers across DC. Below is our predictions. Some were easy, some were hard, some we went with an off-the-wall pick. Here's our picks with some justifications. As always, comments are welcome.

1) Who will lead the Nats in home runs in 2011?

Ryan Zimmerman - With the loss of Adam Dunn, this isn't the boldest pick in the world, but it could also be Werth and LaRoche. We're going with the franchise here.

2) Who will lead the Nats in RBI?

Jayson Werth - Zimmerman could be the guy here, too, but we sent this in before Riggleman basically said Ryan Zimmerman would be the clean up hitter quite a bit.

3) Who will lead the Nats in stolen bases?

Danny Espinosa - We're not convinced Nyjer's even going to make the team in 2011, let alone be a starter. After him, the guy with legs that we can bet on is good old Espi. Hopefully he gets on base enough to make us right.

4) Who will lead the staff in wins?

John Lannan - Yea, that's right: John Lannan people. Again, we sent this in over 2 weeks ago. Now, with Ross Detwiler's and Yunesky Maya's success in the spring, plus the near locks that are Livo and Marquis, we're not convinced Lannan will be with the Nats on Opening Day. None the less, we think that, should Lannan make it into the rotation, he has the potential to be the wins leader if looks at all like he did to end 2010.

5) Who will lead the staff in saves?

Sean Burnett - We think there's a chance that Drew Storen doesn't make the Opening Day roster this year. He has options in his contract, he's been lit up this spring, and getting a little extra time in the minors couldn't hurt. That leaves Burnett and Clippard to share the closers duties this season, and we think Burnett gets the advantage.

6) Which starter will lead the team in starts?

Livan Hernandez - This is easy for us. Livan is the workhorse of the rotation. Then, with Lannan not making it through all of last year in the majors, Marquis coming off injury, JZimm not 2 years from Tommy John surgery, and a host of other guys that are bound to get a chance in the rotation this season, Livan is probably the guy.

7) Who will pitch more innings for the Nats this season: Chien-Ming Wang, Yunesky Maya, Ross Detwiler?

Yunesky Maya - Maya is coming off an offseason where he was named Dominican Winter League Player of the Year and has had a good spring start so far. But Detwiler has been incredible so far this spring, so he also has a pretty good shot. We went with Maya on pure gut, plus we hadn't seen Detwiler at all this spring yet. Seriously, he's been awesome.

8) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season: Rick Ankiel, Jerry Hairston, Alberto Gonzalez?

Rick Ankiel - Hairston and Gonzo will be around and will probably get some ABs. But with Nyjer Morgan's inability to... you know... play baseball, he might get some real action in center field.

9) Who will get more at bats for the Nats this season: Ivan Rodriguez, Jesus Flores, Wilson Ramos?

Wilson Ramos - Ramos has been incredible behind the plate this spring, Flores has yet to get a hit, and Rodriguez isn't getting any younger. Flores will most likely end up behind the plate in AAA, at least to start the year, so Ramos it is.

10) How many all-stars will the Nats have? Who?

1; Ryan Zimmerman - We're convinced Zimm won't get snubbed again in 2011 like he did in 2010, but we're not convinced that anyone else on the team has the potential to be an All-Star this season. The Nats will get their mandatory one.

11) Total wins and what place in the division?

76; 4th place in NL East - The Nats won't hit .500, but they'll get closer than last year, and they won't be nearly as bad as the team we predict to be the cellar dwellers in the NL East: the Mets. They're basically broke, have old, washed up talent, oh... and they're really broke.

12) Single most important thing for the Nats this season?

Young player development - There's little to no chance that the 2011 Nats end up bound for the post-season. But one thing they need to focus on is developing their staggering amount of young talent. In addition to the development, the entire baseball world, NatsTown included, will be focused on Stephen Strasburg's recovery from Tommy John surgery. If Strasburg completes his recovery and the minor leaguers can show some real progress, we can have a different story in 2012 and beyond.

It Begins: A Reader Participation Post

Nats Spring Training invitees gather around the coaching staff.
(Photo Courtesy @NationalsPR)

This photo just made me happy, so I figured it deserved a post. Spring training is in full swing and the team is getting ready to go. As March quickly approaches, it's great to see all the familiar numbers on the Curly W jerseys. There's a big #61, a #31, and a #21, a new #22, and even good old #37 off to the left. All this does is remind me of one thing: just 36 days remaining until I walk through the Center Field Gate at Nationals Park, and we start it up all over again.

We'll begin the day to day ramblings of whether Livo's Opening Day start was everything it could have been, if John Lannan's ground ball ratio is high enough, and of course, if Stephen Strasburg will return to the active 25-man roster this year.

So that all leads me to this question. What do you look forward to most about Spring Training and the lead up to Opening Day? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

Bryce Harper to Play Center Field; Nyjer Shakes in Boots

The Nats first drafted Bryce Harper in 2010 to be a distant solution to a current problem in right field. But a few days ago, CBSSports.com posted a story that Bryce Harper might end up moving to center field in the minors this year. This doesn't seem unreasonable, as they've recently signed this guy Jayson Werth, who is a right fielder, to a long-term deal. Maybe you've heard of him?

But the one person that gets lost in the shuffle is Nyjer Morgan, the Nationals current center fielder. After exploding in 2009 to outstanding numbers, he limped out of 2010 with lackluster numbers. So should Nyjer be worried that Nats have moved their best prospect to his position all of a sudden? Absolutely he should, though maybe not this season.

These two players have extremely different playing styles. Morgan is small and fast. (So small in fact that he regularly looks like he's swimming in his jersey, but I digress.) He is supposed to be the walk a lot, steal a lot player. The problem there? He doesn't walk enough and he was a less effective base stealer in 2010. Harper, on the other hand, is big and hits for power. His job will be less to be the perfect defenseman than to hit the ball as hard as he can.

It is still extremely unlikely that Harper would make the bigs before the Super Two deadline in 2012, similar to Stephen Strasburg in 2010. That's at the absolute earliest. It's entirely possible it doesn't happen until September callups 2012. So Nyjer might be safe for a little while, though the quality of at-bats that Roger Bernadina and Michael Morse put together while platooning in left field could light a fire under Morgan to have a more successful 2011.

For more on several of these Nats in Spring Training, check out Capitol Baseball all week. You might just see one or two of these guys make a post to come...

Opening Day Lineup Predictions: The Competition

We're just a weekend away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Viera for Spring Training 2011. This is it, folks. The season is finally upon us, and we couldn't be more excited. With just a few short weeks left, we've decided to put our predictions down on (virtual) paper as an inter-Capitol Baseball competition. Have your own opinion? Sound off in the comments.

Lineup

Position in Batting Order	Joe	Mac
1.	Nyjer Morgan	Nyjer Morgan
2.	Ian Desmond	Ian Desmond
3.	Ryan Zimmerman	Ryan Zimmerman
4.	Adam LaRoche	Jayson Werth
5.	Jayson Werth	Adam LaRoche
6.	Roger Bernadina	Roger Bernadina
7.	Danny Espinosa	Danny Espinosa
8.	Pudge Rodriguez	Pudge Rodriguez
9.	Livan Hernandez	Livan Hernandez

Rotation

Rotation Spot	Joe	Mac
Opening Day (1.)	Livan Hernandez	Livan Hernandez
2.	John Lannan	Jordan Zimmermann
3.	Jordan Zimmermann	John Lannan
4.	Jason Marquis	Jason Marquis
5.	Tom Gorzelanny	Yunesky Maya

Notes: Mac and I had the exact same lineup and almost the same rotation, so I decided to tweak mine a bit just for fun. Who knows what'll happen?

Show us your Opening Day lineup/predictions in the Comments section!

Grading the Nats Potential Bullpen Pitchers

There is a staggering number of players on the Nationals laundry list of potential relievers in 2011. Lots of them are on the 40-man roster, too. So, how many possible relievers do the Nats have now that could be with the big club on Opening Day? Let's see how many truly viable options the team has that will improve on it's already solid bullpen by grading them. Report card style.

Collin Balester - B. Collin showed significant improvement over the course of the 2010 season, he can still throw hard, and he has an awesome mustache. High likelihood that he makes the roster.

Sean Burnett - A. Barring an injury, there's no chance that Burnett will be left off the Opening Day roster after his breakout 2010 season. Hopefully he can be a bit more stable against lefties, as he is technically a "lefty specialist."

Adam Carr - D. Carr was drafted in 2006 and now, at 26 years old, really has to prove something if he's going to make it with the Nats, and he's pretty low on the depth chart right now. There's little to no chance he makes the bullpen on Day One this year.

Tyler Clippard - A. Tyler Clippard has established himself as a critical part of the Nationals rotation and is a guarantee to make the 'pen to start the year.

Todd Coffey - B. It feels like Coffey has been around forever, though he's just 30 years old. He's only hit an ERA of below 4.00 in 2 of his 6 years in the league, and more often than not it's approached 5.00, but sadly, I'd say it's pretty likely that he'll make the team.

Ross Detwiler - C+. Oh, Rossy D. Who know's what you're good for anymore? I'm hoping that he can stay healthy and figure out his approach, but it appears to be more and more likely that it won't happen. If he ends up on the team, and that's a big IF, it will probably be in the rotation rather than the bullpen.

Cole Kimball - F. Kimball's competition is way too deep for someone who has never played above AA ball. He's got no shot.

Cla Meredith - C+. Rizzo went and got this former Major Leaguer who has had some success in the league, so just on his MLB experience, I think there's a (slightly) better than average chance Meredith makes the team.

Garrett Mock - D. Once the front office gets over the fact that Mock has "stuff", it won't be long before they realize he's 27 years old and has shown them nothing. I don't think Mock is in the long-term plans for the organization any longer.

Elvin Ramirez - C. It's a use him or lose him situation for Ramirez in Washington. If he's not put on the Nats 25-man roster in April, he's on his way back to the Mets. He throws hard, but is known to have control issues.

Henry Rodriguez - B. Rodriguez posted a 4.55 ERA in 29 games with Oakland last season, but Rodriguez is still young (23), and this young pitcher acquired in the Josh Willingham trade could still have a future with the organization.

Atahualpa Severino - F. His name is awesome, his talent keeps falling down the depth chart as the Nats make more moves. Sorry Atahualpa.

Doug Slaten - B+. They just signed Slaten to avoid arbitration for 2011. They wouldn't have done that if he wasn't a lock for the 'pen this year, so he definitely makes it.

Craig Stammen - B-. If Stammen makes the rotation, it's clearly as a long reliever to replace the hole that Miguel Batista (Mr. Iowa) has left in the bullpen. As infuriating that Batista could be, he was a passable long reliever. I'm not sure Stammen qualifies as passable yet, but I'm pretty sure we'll find out this year.

Drew Storen - B+. The "Closer of the Future" for another year or two, when he'll become the "Closer of the Present" or be traded. I hope its the former.... The only reason Storen wouldn't start the season in the Majors is because he has options left on his contract. Still, he'll probably make the bigs and share the closer's role with Burnett and Clippard.

Maxwell signs with the Yankees

Former Nationals OF Justin Maxwell has been acquired by the New York Yankees.

Maxwell was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for pitcher Todd Coffey. The 27-year old righty's numbers are certainly nothing to write home about over 122 career games: .201 BA/.319 OBP/ .379 SLG. But Maxwell does provide good speed and above average defense.

The Nats received RHP Adam Olbrychowsky (awesome name), a pitcher who reached AA ball for the first time last season. The move provides even more pitching depth to the Nationals farm teams.

So, with that we say good luck to JMax. Here's hoping he does something good enough to earn a nickname as cool as JMax in New York...

Tom Gorzelanny: Mike Rizzo's Front-Line Starter [UPDATE]

So in a move that no one expected, the Nationals acquired LHP Tom Gorzelanny from the Chicago Cubs for 3 minor league prospects this afternoon (pending a physical). The details of the move are still a bit hazy, but one thing is for sure: a significant prospect will be sent to the Cubs, OF Michael Burgess. Burgess was a 1st round draft pick in 2007.

Here's a short bit about Gorzelanny: 28 years old, career 4.68 ERA, 1.60 strikeout/walk ratio. Gorzelanny has one outstanding season on his ledger in 2007 with the Pirates. He posted a 14-10 record, a 3.88 ERA, and threw more than 200 innings. Yes, with Pittsburgh. Besides that, he only has one other winning season in his career (2009), where he split time in Pittsburgh and Chicago and posted a 7-3 record and an outrageous 5.55 ERA.

Both Mac and Dave Nichols at Nats News Network have already pointed out that Gorzelanny is essentially John Lannan. Seems to be pretty accurate, though I think Gorzelanny's ceiling might be a bit higher despite his age. Though Lannan's career WAR is 6.4 while Gorzelanny's is just 4.1 over the course of a longer career. My problem isn't really that the Nats traded for Gorzelanny, it's that they gave up Michael Burgess and 2 other prospects for him. Would you have done that for John Lannan?

We'll have more on this "big" signing day (Gorzelanny and Cora) in the coming days, but I'll leave you with this. Is this the front line starter that Mike Rizzo was looking for? I know that Cliff Lee didn't happen, I know that Zack Grienke fell through, and I know that the Nationals starting rotation looks lackluster going into 2011. But I don't understand what was seemingly a forced move to get a 28 year old pitcher that has had one good season, when there are so many starters in the Nationals organization that need to be evaluated once and for all. Time will tell the results of this move, however.

At least Gorzelanny is a funny name to see on the back of a jersey...

[UPDATE - 4:55PM]
OF Michael Burgess inclusion in this trade has been confirmed, joining him will be RHP and 4th Round Draft Pick in 2009 A.J. Morris. Both of those players are included on Baseball America's Top 30 Nats prospects list, coming in at 19 and 18 respectively. There is reportedly another Nats player included in this deal, and according to Jim Callis at Baseball America this player is not on the Top 30 Nats Prospect list.

[UPDATE - 5:56PM]
The third player that the Nats are shipping off to Chicago has been confirmed by Bill Ladson of MLB.com; LHP Graham Hicks. This player appears to just be a filler player. A 4th round pick in 2008, Hicks has put up a 5.33 ERA and a 1.628 WHIP in his 3 minor league seasons. This past year he went 2-6 in 16 games between Vermont and Hagerstown (1G and 15G respectively).

UPDATE: Nats Close to Signing Utility Infielder Alex Cora

Several sources are reporting that Former Rangers, Mets, Red Sox, Indians, and Dodgers infielder Alex Cora is close to a deal with the Washington Nationals. No details as of yet, but Peter Gammons is reporting that Cora is excited about coming to the Nats.

Should this deal go through, what's the immediate effect that it will have on the Nats? Well, virtually nothing offensively. Cora's career batting average is .244, and his career OBP is .311. He's never hit over .270 in a season. But Cora does provide experience, and a solid defensive glove that will be nice to have to give SS Ian Desmond and 2B Danny Espinosa some off days without losing much defensively.

The Cora signing is similar to the Adam Kennedy move in 2010. A veteran player with experience on a lot of teams. He has a history of being a great clubhouse presence, and he brings good defense combined with a lethargic bat. Here's hoping this signing, should it go through, is more successful than the Kennedy signing.

We'll update this post with more as it comes out...

UPDATE: According to Adam Kilgore, Cora was signed to a minor league deal worth $900,000, with the possibility of $600,000 in bonus incentives.

Now that Chico's gone...

.... is he really gone? Mere hours after Mac posted about 40-man roster maintenance yesterday and predicted he would be one of the pitchers to go, the Nationals designated Matt Chico for assignment. It was a good decision for the Nats, given Chico's age and the tough decisions that the front office will have to make in the next few days to free up two more spots.

But because Chico was DFA'd and not outright released, is there a chance he passes through waivers and ends up in Syracuse? It seems incredibly unlikely. Even if he makes it through the 7 days and no MLB team claims him, I don't think he goes back to pitch in AAA without being on the 40-man roster. The only reason Chico was happy to stay there in the first place was the off chance that a bomb goes off in the Nats starting rotation, giving him an opportunity to pitch in DC again.

But without that opportunity, I have to imagine he'll take his chances with a Spring Training invite from another team. He's bound to get a little bit of interest there. Though that raises another issue. If you can't make the Washington Nationals starting rotation, what rotation can you make? It really puts Chico in a tough spot. Chico's injury history also doesn't help with his advancing age.

Whatever happens, good luck to Matt. With the Nationals in a true rebuilding stage with very young arms and very experienced veterans, he never really stood a chance.

The State of the Nats: The Week After Winter Meetings (Cliff Lee Included)

After a week of playing "who will they get besides Jayson Werth" and ending up with no one, the Nationals have only about 9 weeks to solidify some sort of roster before pitchers and catchers report to Viera, Florida to begin Spring Training 2011. But where do the Nats stand at this moment? Let's dig into it, bullet point style.

Starting Pitchers:

There are a host of options here, but here are the six most likely to compete for the job in order of likelihood that they'll be in the rotation. This all can change, for sure.

• Jordan Zimmermann - Brought in to be the 2nd starter behind Strasburg, he will have to take on a larger role this year than the team wants him to. This embodies the problem that this rotation has had for several years: forcing guys into more prominent roles than they may be ready for.
• Jason Marquis - Money. The reason Marquis is this high on the list has nothing to do with his performance last year, whether his relative success late in the year or his abhorrent beginning. It's all about the money, and with $7.5 million guaranteed to Marquis in 2011, there's no way he doesn't make the rotation barring an injury.
• John Lannan - Lannan showed signs of resurgence, and for the first time in a while, Lannan won't be the Opening Day starter. This is huge, as Lannan is probably a #3 starter at best. This might turn into more success for John as the years progress.
• Livan Hernandez - The Nats brought him back for a reason. That reason is probably more a mentor's role than anything, but it's hard to imagine either Maya or Detwiler making the rotation over a proven .500 starter. Livo is a good bet to make the rotation to start the year.
• Yunesky Maya - Maya will be an interesting decision. The Nats may go with a 4-man rotation to start the year, as they've done in recent seasons. However, with the bullpen a little more set than last year, they may decide to go with a 5-man rotation. If they do, and no other players are signed before Opening Day, Maya will probably be the guy.
• Ross Detwiler - Oh Rossy D, what has happened to you? He's been hurt, and when he wasn't hurt, he hasn't looked good. To make things worse, World Series Champ Madison Bumgarner and NL Rookie of the Year Runner-Up Jason Heyward were selected after Detwiler in that draft. But hindsight is 20/20 folks, and we're stuck with Ross for now. We'll see how much patience the front office has left as they set a rotation and bullpen for 2011.

The one thing that this category lacks is once clear, front-line starter. Stephen Strasburg was supposed to be that guy, but in the mean time, GM Mike Rizzo isn't wrong in actively pursuing a true Opening Day starter. There's some definite work to be done here.

Bullpen:

These guys are are a lock to make the 'pen this year. I hope that Bally can have some influence on the others to get an awesome mustache growing contest going out there. More than anything, I want them to have the kind of success that they had last year.

• Collin Balester - The man, the 'stache, the legend. Balester really figured out his command in 2010, and I look forward to another strong season from the power reliever.
• Sean Burnett - The lefty specialist. Burnett came into his own in 2010, and eventually became Manager Jim Riggleman's go-to guy from the 'pen.
• Tyler Clippard - The flailing approach and devastating change up. Clippard started out 2010 with a bang, but struggled a little in the stretch.
• Doug Slaten - The other lefty. Slaten is the true lefty specialist here, not Burnett. He plays an important role in the bullpen.
• Craig Stammen - Starter turned long reliever. It still remains to be seen if Stammen can remain a part of the big league club in the bullpen after his not-so stellar attempt to be a starter. I'm hoping for the best, but it probably wouldn't hurt to go grab another Miguel Batista-like reliever.
• Drew Storen - The closer. Storen also made an appearance on the red carpet Monday night for the premiere of Owen Wilson's new flick where he's a Nationals reliever. I'm not ashamed to admit I'll see that movie just because of Nationals reference.

Infield:

• C: Wilson Ramos/Ivan Rodriguez/Jesus Flores - The first two will be a strong until Flores is ready to give it a shot, and who knows when that will be. For his sake, I hope it's before 2011 comes to a close.
• 1B: Vacant - This is the question. A huge offensive hole has been torn in the Nationals lineup with the loss of Adam Dunn. How they fill it here could dictate a lot about the future.
• 2B: Danny Espinosa - Espinosa started out with a bang in 2010, only to flounder as the season came to a close. Hopefully he can adjust to opposing pitchers figuring him out, and the NL East's pitching didn't get any easier this morning (see: Lee, Cliff)
• SS: Ian Desmond - Desmond had the opposite experience from his middle infielding partner. He got hot at the end of the year, and looked like he could be a real rock in the lineup in the future. His defense still seriously needs help, though that improved as well as the season progressed.
• 3B: Ryan Zimmerman - Top 3 3rd basemen in all of baseball right now. Wanna argue with me? I dare you. Zimmerman may be the most underrated infielder in baseball though, and the Nationals better get on signing him to a contract extension quickly, I'm thinking 20 years.

Outfield:

• LF: Josh Willingham - This may change in the coming weeks. With a guy like Jayson Werth coming into the picture for the next 7 years, Willingham's worth (no pun intended) may have just plummeted to the front office.
• CF: Nyjer Morgan - Seems that Manager Jim Riggleman and Rizzo are pretty committed to give T. Plush another shot as the starter in center. If Morgan can produce like he did in 2009 and the second half of 2010, he'll probably earn that role for the season.
• RF: Jayson "The Beard" Werth - We won't go into this much, because there's somewhere around 3 million posts across the internet about Werth's arrival in DC. We will say that he has the potential to unseat Morgan should he falter, giving other guys the chance to succeed as starters at this position.

So this is our summary of what would happen if the Nats season started today. They could do worse, but they could also do a lot better. How Mike Rizzo and Co. finish up the offseason will dictate what kind of year this team has. If they can pick up a respectable starter and a good bat at 1st base, the team has a chance to best their 69 wins in 2010. Though the addition of Cliff Lee to the NL East again makes that even more difficult. Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt... Can you imagine facing that rotation 18 times in 2011? Well, you're going to have to.

Farewell Wil Nieves

In one of the most underwhelming moves of the MLB Winter Meetings, former Nationals C Wil Nieves signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. After being non-tendered along with Chien-Ming Wang and Joel Peralta (still don't get that one) just before the meetings began, Wil gets an opportunity to be a back up in another struggling baseball city. But I'm going to be honest with you folks, I'm really going to miss Wil Nieves.

The thing that I'll miss about Wil Nieves certainly isn't his .227 batting average, or his 5 career home runs in more than 700 career at-bats. Actually, it's not even his above average defensive ability behind the plate or the way he called games. It's his personality and his genuine ability to light up a room and give a great interview.

Nieves was one of the rare cases where everyone knew his baseball ability wasn't quite up to par for a team that desperately needed a great catcher to help a young rotation, but the players, and many fans, just loved him anyway. Sure, his at-bats would be frustrating when you have runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, and he'd inevitably strike out. Or when there was a runner on 1st with 1 out and he'd ground into that double play. But again, this isn't why the Nationals kept him around.

It was for the times when he hit the towering home run at Sun Life Stadium in 2010 that would have gone for miles if the upper-deck seats didn't get in the way. It was about the joy on Wil's face; it was about the dugout jabs for still being able to count an entire career worth of home runs on one hand; it was about his enthusiasm for the game he loves so much.

At this point, I know some of you are probabably thinking, "wow, Capitol Baseball has really gone overboard with their praise for Wil Nieves here." But I assure you, we haven't. When you're listening to Charlie and Dave this season and you don't get to hear Wil's walkup song once or twice a week, you'll notice it missing. When you're hanging out at Nationals Park, you won't be able to look up into the press box and see Charlie and Dave dancing. And most importantly, you won't get the joy of leaping up when he gets that 6th career home run so he can stop counting them on just one hand.

So good luck Wil. I wish you nothing but the best in Milwaukee. Hopefully you can get Bob Uecker to give you an honorary dance. We'll see you in DC in April. I leave you with this, our farewell moment of zen:

Too Much Rizzo Criticism

As I watch and listen to the national baseball people out there, there seems to be a common theme about Jayson Werth's long term signing. "Where was he going?! What was he thinking?!" Except this time, it's toward Nats GM Mike Rizzo, not worst-juicer-ever Nook Logan.

Most national baseball writers and reporters out there forgot the Washington Nationals were an actual baseball team, save Opening Day 2005 and June 8, 2010, so I find it particularly comical that most are getting so upset about the Jayson Werth signing.

The Nationals are in a situation similar to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Kansas City Royals, and the Baltimore Orioles. They've become a joke, and jokes don't sign big name guys. At least that's what the trend has been, especially in the Pirates case. You have teams that don't contend year after year because they deal away their best talent.

Mike Rizzo, though, is trying to buck the trend, and the Lerners look like they're at least going to let him try. Spending $126 million over 7 years for a guy that is 32 years old is a monumental chunk of change. There's no doubt. But I firmly believe it was the right chunk of change to spend.

Rizzo even admitted that if the Nationals were better, they wouldn't have had to offer Jayson Werth the kind of money they did. But they aren't good, and so they have to overpay to get the talent. There are an unbelievable number of people out there who simply don't seem to get that.

People can argue all they want about which guy would have been right for the Nats, and why they didn't go after Carl Crawford instead, or why not Cliff Lee (although it may be Cliff Lee... apparently)? But Mike Rizzo is being honest with himself, honest with his ownership, and honest with the fans, when he says the Nats aren't any good, and he's trying to do something about it by digging into the Lerner's very deep pockets.

Several people at the meetings are reporting that the Nats truly aren't done yet, so let's see what they do over the rest of the week before calling this the craziest move of all time.

Jayson Werth over Adam Dunn: An Analysis

Major League Baseball's winter meetings hadn't even officially begun when the Nats started the meetings off with a huge bang by signing Jayson Werth to a 7-year, $126 million contract. This blockbuster deal will keep Jayson in a Nationals uniform until he turns 39. That's a long, long time. Especially when the Nats would have had to offer Adam Dunn fewer years and less money per year. So, was it the right call?

Initially, if you look at some generic stats, you could very easily lose it if you're a die hard Nats fan. Adam Dunn basically guarantees you at least 38 home runs every year, while Jayson Werth has never hit more than 36, and even that was probably an anomaly. Remember, Werth was hitting in Citizens Bank Park in half of his games played in the last 4 years. Furthermore, Dunn knocked in more than 100 runs in each of the last 3 years, while Werth has gotten 67, 99, and 85 in the last three seasons, respectively.

But we have to look beyond those numbers and dig into some other stats to find some of Werth's true value. Let's look at them in bullet-form. (If you're looking for a Sabermetric analysis, you're not gonna get it here. We're looking at straight up production.):

• Werth is capable of hitting near .300 (see partial season 2007 and 2010) while Adam Dunn hasn't hit above .270 in his entire career.
• Werth has stolen 20 bases in 2 of the last 3 years while Dunn hasn't stolen a single base since 2008.
• Jayson Werth hit 26 doubles in 2009 and 46 in 2010, while Dunn hit 29 in 2009, and 36 in 2010.
• While Dunn hits a lot of home runs, Werth's OPS in 2010 was .921 vs. Dunn's .892. Very comparable numbers.
• Werth has scored 73, 98, and 106 runs in the last 3 years, while Dunn has scored 79, 81, and 85 in those same seasons.

Sure, Werth's higher runs scored numbers are partially (mostly?) due to the fact that he played for the Phillies, while Dunn played for the Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Reds during the same time. But you certainly can't argue with the stolen bases that will put Werth in scoring position more often, or with his ability to make extra base hits with his speed, or with the higher OPS last year.

Other factors besides offensive prowess certainly played into the decision, although the people over at FanGraphs believe that Werth and Dunn are far more equal offensively than people believe. Jayson Werth is clearly a better defensive player than Dunn. Though I am one of those that believe that Dunn was a significantly improved defensive player in 2010, you can't rule out the fact that Werth is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder. In 2009, Werth had the highest range factor per 9 innings and range factor per game of any right fielder in the National League. He has the kind of range to be a center fielder when a certain #1 overall draft pick is ready to come to the majors (spoiler: it's Bryce Harper).

Werth and Dunn are essentially the same age (Dunn is 6 months younger), so why offer him the long term deal and not Dunn? Size certainly played a factor. Adam Dunn is football player sized. He weighs nearly 300 lbs., which has a negative affect on a players physical ability over time. Werth, at 6'5" and only 220 lbs., is at a weight that will give his body more longevity in the game than the Big Donkey. He is more nimble, which gives the team a significant offensive and defensive advantage. Despite their similar ages, Werth is simply a younger player.

Do these thing justify 3 more years than Dunn was asking for? Does it justify the average of $18 million/year that Werth will be earning? It's truly impossible to know until he hits year 4 of this deal. But one thing is for sure, for the next 4 years while Jayson Werth plays in DC and Adam Dunn hits in Chi-Town, there will be endless comparisons in their stats. I'm thrilled with the sign, all things considered, and I think that a Zimmerman, Werth, Willingham 3-4-5 provides a different kind of punch, that's not necessarily bad. Now if the Nats now take this opportunity to unload the Hammer, we'll be having a different conversation right here on Capitol Baseball.

The great part about all this for Nats fans is that Mike Rizzo said "We're not finished," and he may have meant it according to Mark Zuckerman in his post this morning. The Nationals will be covered in the national sports media for the next few days, which is almost never bad. Keep checking in with Nats Insider for the breaking news and here at Capitol Baseball for analysis of any future moves.

Nationals Sign Jayson Werth [update]

Ken Rosenthal and Bill Ladson are reporting that the Washington Nationals have signed former Philadelphia Phillies RF Jayson Werth. The contract appears to be a 7 year deal at $126 million for the 31 year old.

I'm not going to say I told you so, but I TOLD YOU SO! I've been telling people for months that if the Nationals failed to sign Adam Dunn, they would go for Jayson Werth. Nats GM Mike Rizzo has been looking for a viable option in right field for more than a year now, and with Dunn gone, it opens a significant amount of money to sign an excellent offensive and defensive right fielder to a long term deal. The platoon in right field in 2010 of Michael Morse and Roger Bernadina will be no more in 2011 after this signing.

While Werth doesn't put up the power numbers that Dunn is capable of, it still provides significant cushion behind Ryan Zimmerman after losing the protection of Dunn in the batting order. And he is a significant defensive upgrade on the field, as Werth has a great arm and outstanding range.

This long-term signing raises some of the same issues that a long-term Adam Dunn contract would have had, since they're both in their 30s. But Werth's contract is 3 years longer than Dunn was looking for. I'm sure many people will be questioning that move in the weeks to come.

We'll dig into the numbers and whether this is a good signing throughout the week (spoiler: I think it is), because this is simply going to be a huge story in the coming days. It's about time folks, the Nationals have made national baseball news this off-season. Stick with Capitol Baseball throughout the week for more.

[Update - 5:17PM]
Nats will lose their 2nd round pick, as Jayson Werth is a Type-A Free Agent. The Nats 1st round pick was protected due to their record being in the bottom 60% of the league. Though with Dunn signing a contract with the White Sox the Nationals will still have 3 picks in the top 35-40.

Missing Dibble

During the baseball season, there is one place to catch a Nats game if you're not at the Park, and that's on MASN, or its affiliate network MASN2. (According to Mac, this is one of the things he is thankful for, but I digress.) If you're committed to watching it on TV, you're stuck with MASN.

Starting in 2009, MASN signed an interesting guy to be Bob Carpenter's partner on the Nationals TV broadcasts: Rob Dibble. I have to admit, I loved it from the beginning. To me, the two were a great duo. Carpenter was the soft-spoken voice of logic and reason; Dibble was the loud-mouth, cocky former player. They're both clearly homers. As offensive and in-your-face as Dibble can be, he truly cared about the success of the Nationals and its players. What's more, I think the few weeks where fans had to listen to Ray Knight toward the end of the 2010 season showed just what the viewers lost when Dibble was fired from MASN.

You have to admit, there were some interesting events toward the end of the year, namely the Nyjer Morgan vs. Chris Volstad fight, where many people were left saying, "Man, I wonder what Dibble would be saying right now?" I was one of them. That's what made him great. People tuned in just because of the hype: "What will Dibble say next?"

I know many of you that read this blog, and many other Nats bloggers, take a very different tone than I do on Dibs. I was one who found Dibble charming in his lack of tact and blatant cheering for the Nats. Maybe that's because I'm the same way, a no-tact Nats fan. Let's be honest, when it's as quiet as it was on a weekday at the Park, someone had to get excited.

Rob Dibble undoubtedly said things that were offensive during his tenure, and dramatic steps needed to be taken to rectify them. A suspension was not out of line for his comments about the women behind home plate. An on-air apology to Stephen Strasburg after telling him to "suck it up" would have been warranted. But to be canned for that? I understand that it was a snowballing situation that finally reached its limits with the Strasburg comments, but it seems like there were many just looking for an excuse to can Dibs at that point.

We don't yet know who Bob Carpenter's partner will be to start the 2011 season on MASN. One thing I do know: They'll have one heck of a time getting a guy that was as passionate about the success of the Nationals and that knows as much about pitching as Rob Dibble. I'm going to keep listening to MLB Network Radio every morning on the way to work to get my Dibble fix.

Re-Signing Adam Dunn and a Special Thanks

First and foremost, on this Veterans Day 2010, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of those who have served and sacrificed for our country over the years to make this country what it is today. My ability to pontificate about baseball on a daily basis is because people have sacrificed for my right to do so over the last 234 years. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now on to Adam Dunn. Ever since... well... all season, Ryan Zimmerman has been Adam Dunn's biggest advocate. There's a lot to explain for Zimmerman's love for Adam. First, almost every player on the Nationals in 2010 has said that Dunn is a crucial element of the chemistry created in the clubhouse. He truly cares about all the guys on that team.

But just think about the kind of season that Zimmerman just had. He finished the season hitting .307, the best of his career by 15 points. His second best? The year before in 2009, where he hit .292. Sure, those numbers are partially due to the fact that Zimmerman is entering the prime of his career and should only be getting better over the next few years. But what else was different compared to previous seasons? The guy hitting behind him.

For most of Adam Dunn's tenure with the Nationals, Zimmerman hit 3rd, Dunn hit 4th. So when a pitcher is looking at that lineup card, there are some real decisions to make. Do they pitch to Zimmerman to try to avoid the slugging Dunn? Do they pitch around Zimmerman and get to Dunn with Zimmerman on base? That 3-4 didn't make it easy on anyone, and was one of the most potent 3-4 spots in the National League, except for Braun-Fielder in Milwaukee and Utley-Howard in Philadelphia.

So with the thought of Adam Dunn not hitting behind him for the first time in 2 years, Zimmerman is justifiably concerned. Who is his protection? Let's explore those options:

• Josh Willingham: Willingham is a perfect 5 spot guy. He has a high OBP, but he doesn't typically hit for tremendous power.
• Michael Morse: Morse hits lots of line drives and hit for good average this year, but he's not a home run hitter.
• Free Agents: Whether you look at Huff, Peña, or really any other viable options at 1st base to replace done, none of them will replace a 40 HR/100 RBI hitter in Dunn, no mater how many strike outs he had (more than 200).

So it's truly no wonder that Zimm has been so high on Dunn. I'm sure the two have developed a great friendship as Zimmerman has said, but Zimmerman's numbers certainly play some part in the equation.

Zimmerman Gets Screwed Again

Wednesday afternoon, Scott Rolen of the Cincinnati Reds was named the Rawlings National League Gold Glove Award Winning Third Baseman. I am incensed.

Scott Rolen entered the league in 1996, won Rookie of the Year in 1997, and had an all around outstanding career. A career that should be recognized as being one of the best among defensive third basemen in recent memory. But that run ended in 2006.

Sure, Rolen had just 8 errors this year. And some people (yes, including Jim Bowden) say that errors are all that matters. But what about when Rolen's 35 year old legs didn't get him to nearly as many balls as Ryan Zimmerman did. Or Padres 3B Chase Headley for that matter.

Nevertheless, the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards continue to nothing but a popularity contest as Jim Memolo and yes... Rob Dibble both put so eloquently this morning. As long as Ryan Zimmerman plays for the Nationals, he will continue to be screwed with his pants on for the recognition he deserves and has earned. When the Washington Nationals start winning, maybe Zimmerman will start winning, too.

The Nationals All-Time Disappointments Roster

In contrast with the previous All-Time Bests post, here is the All-Time Disappointments. Again, this is not worst, but simply the players we expected more from that ended up amounting to nothing, or close to it.

Starting Rotation:

John Patterson - Patterson had an above average year in 2005, throwing almost 200 innings with a 9-7 record and 3.13 ERA. After that, He only appeared in 15 more games with the Nats over 2 seasons, and accumulated only 2 wins.

Aaron Crow - The Nats drafted him as the future... and couldn't sign him. Ugly.

Jason Marquis (2010) - We've already been over the Marquis disappointment, but it was worth restating how disappointing he really was in 2010.

Tony Armas, Jr. - Armas had some OK years in Montreal, but mostly never stayed healthy and his ERA hovered solidly above 4.00 his entire career, and had a 5.00 flat ERA with the Nationals. He was supposed to be something special, but it never worked out.

Shawn Hill - We've been over this, too. I hope Shawn has great success in the future, but with the Nats, he was hurt most of the time, and when he wasn't hurt he never looked right. Another "Pitcher of the Future" that didn't pan out.

Catcher:

Jesus Flores - Maybe Flores' health will turn around, but until then, he showed signs of brilliance but hasn't had a fully season with the Nats since 2008. And even that wasn't the entire year

Infield:

1B Nick Johnson - Johnson was very good when healthy, but he was just never healthy. He missed all of 2007 and most of 2008. He could have had a great career in Washington, but it never panned out.

2B Jose Vidro - Yes, I used Vidro for best, too... because who else? Seriously.

SS Felipe Lopez - His nickname is "FLop" for a reason. He was exactly that. A guy who never played with energy in DC only to start caring once he left for St. Louis, where he had some success. This guy will get booed in Washington forever.

3B Vinny Castilla - Castilla was pretty much washed up when he came to the Nats, but he was just a place holder for Zimmerman anyway. Really, at 3rd base, you don't have many choices in terms of disappointments since Zimm has been so dominant there for 5 years, so Castilla it is.

Outfield:

Elijah Dukes, Lastings Milledge, Austin Kearns - I thought it would do a disservice in the outfield category to include anyone but these three. I understand that there are 2 right fielders here, but does anyone seriously disagree with this? These three were "The Nationals Future" at one point. Thanks Jim Bowden.

So there's the list. I hope this list hasn't crushed you too much, but it was fun to remember just how bad this team once was. I could have expanded this, and I might still do a reserves list for disappointments... there were lots of options.

I'd love your thoughts in the comments section, so agree/disagree to your heart's content!

The Nationals All-Time Best Roster

I've decided to continue the theme of bests and worsts this week, and this edition will cover the best possible Nationals roster. After compiling this list, I was mostly disappointed, but in the last six years, this is all we've got to work with.

In order to meet the criteria, the player had to play for the Washington Nationals, not the Nats franchise, and have been a big league player; minor leaguers don't count. Here we go:

Starting Rotation:

Livan Hernandez (2005) - Livo went 15-10 for a .500 team, pitched almost 250 innings, and was the Opening Day pitcher for the first ever Washington Nationals game. He's the ace without a doubt.

Esteban Loaiza (2005) - Loaiza had an average career, but did basically what the Nats asked of him. He came in, he pitched well, earned a 3.77 ERA, threw more than 200 innings and kept the Nats alive.

Stephen Strasburg (2010) - The excitement that Strasburg brought to the Nationals organization earns him a spot here. Even if something disastrous happens and he never pitches again, no one will ever forget that game on June 8, 2010. I still get chills thinking about it.

I cannot finish the rotation. Absolutely no one else is worthy of the list. Sad, indeed.

Catcher:

C Brian Schneider (2005) - In 2005, Schneider was the rock of the Nats organization. He caught the first ever pitch for the team (Both from President Bush and Livan); he was a solid bat for a catcher, but mostly he was a clubhouse presence to be reckoned with.

Infield:

1B Adam Dunn (2009-2010) - In his two years, he crushed 76 home runs and knocked in 208 RBI. That's all you need from your organization's clean up guy.

2B Jose Vidro - Who else? Jamey Carroll? Ronnie Belliard? No. Danny Espinosa does not qualify.

SS Cristian Guzman (2008) - Guzzie had over 600 plate appearances in 2008 and had a .316 batting average. He also struck out a career low 57 times. He was one bright spot in the terrible 2008 lineup.

3B Ryan Zimmerman - 2009 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. Likely 2010 Gold Glove winner. This is a no-brainer.

Outfield

LF Alfonso Soriano (2006) - Soriano won the Silver Slugger in '06, made the All-Star Game, and finished 6th in MVP voting. He's one of only 2 players in NL history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in one year. One unbelievable feat.

CF Nyjer Morgan (2009) - It pains me to do this, but it has to be Nyjer in 2009. He finished the season with a .307 average, and he hit .351 while with the Nationals. His on-base % was an astounding .396 with the Nats that year.

RF Jose Guillen (2005) - Guillen hit .283 with 24 homers in 2005 with the Nats. He was a crucial part of the success that the 2005 team had in the first half, and he stayed healthy. It was one of Guillen's last above average years.

So that's it, the All-Time Bests. Depressing, isn't it? Friday I'll be posting the All-Time Disappointments around lunch time, which makes for a much more entertaining read. Seriously, some of the players the Nats signed... or tried to sign... at one point is simply comical.

Disagree with this list? Let me know in the comments!