Note: Somehow, a picture of Lastings Milledge that I placed in this story turned into an image of George Bush flipping the reader off. I can only assume that the picture I used was taken from a site that doesn't like you to use their images and was able to change the image somehow. I apoligize to those who saw it.

[November 30th] -- Wow. I didn't see this one coming.

The Nationals on Friday traded Brian Schneider and Ryan Church to the Mets for Lastings Milledge.

Now, you didn't notice it, but 15 minutes passed between these two paragraphs because I just don't know what to think about this deal. At first I didn't like it, but since virtually every Mets message board and blogsite are being scorched by angry Met fans venting about this deal, perhaps it's promising after all.

Okay, deep breath.

We all know that Brian Schneider's "up and coming" offense never came. After signing his multi-year deal in 2005, he's been a liability at the plate. His defense is good, very good, but not as good as most believe it is. If Jesus Flores can play as well in 450 at-bats in 2008 as he did in 180 at-bats last year, then the Nationals won't miss Brian one bit, though I'd think the bench will call the games, at least for the foreseeable future. Regardless, the team now desperately needs a quality veteran backup catcher.

I will miss Ryan Church. He's never played up to his potential and could easily hit .275-23-88 in New York if given a chance. Perhaps he'll play better on a bigger stage. I just wish that if he had to go, he'd have gone to another league, or division. I don't want Ryan to beat the Nationals in their new park in 2008.

Now, on to Milledge. Here's how the kid's numbers would have looked based on a full 550 at-bat season (he had 187 at-bats last year): Runs: 81 -- Hits: 150 -- 2B: 27 -- 3B: 3 -- HR: 21 -- RBI: 87 -- Ave: .272 -- OBP: 341 -- SLG: .446.

Basically, if Milledge never gets better, he's going to produce like Church did last season. Of course, he's a kid and until last year, he was untouchable.

But he's going to get better, or at least that's what Jim Bowden believes.

Here is what TSN.ca says about Milledge:

Assets: Uses an incredibly quick bat to line the ball to all fields with occasional power. He's a fast runner who can steal some bases and is a strong all-around outfielder.
Flaws: Swings a little too freely, especially susceptible to breaking stuff. Has been impatient in the past, but is learning to take some walks. His attitude has come into question.
Career potential: Can be an all-star if he keeps a level head.

Some thoughts about the trade *at first blush*

• The Mets had to trade for Brian Schnedier because they didn't have any catching prospects ready in the minors because they let Jesus Flores go in the Rule V draft to the Nationals (hee hee)
• This ends any trade talk about Elijah Dukes or Rocco Baldelli IF Milledge stays with Washington -- I would't put it past Bowden to now package Milledge with other players / prospects and make a block-bluster deal next week.
• Milledge, despite his speed, isn't considered a premium center fielder, which, if I recall, is how they viewed Ryan Church, right??
• This deal appears to free up a lot of salary which is nice as long as that wasn't a consideration in making the deal.
• I'm saddened that Church and Schneider won't be here to enjoy the new stadium next year. At least they'll have Citi Park to play in soon.

The press conference is coming up soon, so I'll write again after I get a feel for what Jimbo is thinking. Until then, If Milledge blossoms into a superstar, then it's a great deal. If he's another "toolsy player" that goes the way of Tony Blanco ......

UPDATE: Here is what a Mets blog reported about Omar Minaya's press conference:During the call, Minaya said…

He and Nats GM Jim Bowden had been discussing this deal for a while.

Schneider will be his every-day catcher.

He checked around with other clubs, and, from what he can tell, trading Milledge will not impact whether or not he can acquire a starting pitcher from another club. Milledge did not fall out of demand, it’s just that the Mets have many other desired players to complete a deal. He had a very close, personal relationship with Milledge, and it was very difficult, emotionally, to trade him.

He does not feel Milledge’s value has changed much in the last 12 months, though he is sure he’d have been worth more had he come up last year and hit more. Either way, he is very happy to get two good players.

He has always felt he needed to acquire a catcher like Schneider, who is ‘big on defensive.’ These two players give the team balance, on both sides of the ball.

Church allows them to essentially go ‘with two center fielders.’ As of now, he views Church as an every-day, starting right fielder at the start of next year, who is under control for four years, whereas Milledge is still developing, and under control for five years.

Milledge would not have been guaranteed a starting job this coming spring training, though he is very confident he will eventually develop in to a very good player.

His goal is to win a championship, and this trade helps make them better offensively and defensively.

During the call, Schneider said he is looking forward to the opportunity, and to be on a winning team and playing in New York. He looks forward to working with the pitching staff. His favorite thing is to throw out runners at second and helping the staff as best as he can.

Asked to comment on John Maine and Oliver Perez, who he has hit against, he noted that he caught Maine while in Japan, and he’s already plotting how best to work with them. He’s excited.

Schneider has text messaged with David Wright, who is excited to have him, noting that Wright is very excited to get back to work and win. He hesitated to describe himself as a firey guy, but he knows he is capable of motivating a pitching staff, and he does not intend to come in and step on people’s toes right away.

Lastly, during the call, Church said he is thankful to the team for bringing him over, and to be on a team with a year-in and year-out chance to be in the playoffs. Church is able to play all three outfield positions, and is very comfortable in right, since it is where he played during most of his minor-league career. He is very excited to be a part of New York, and be part of a team with so much talent.

More coming .....

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 11:03 AM 3 comments

[November 28th] --The Minnesota Twins traded pitcher Matt Garza to Tampa Bay for outfielder Delmon Young (there are other minor characters involved in the trade -- the biggest, at least to Nationals fans, is infielder Brendan Harris). I never heard rumblings about this deal yet the AP says it's been in the works for weeks.

So much for being inside-the-loop.

This trade does impact Jim Bowden and the Nationals during next week's winter meetings. What made either Rocco Baldelli or Elijah Dukes available was Delmon Young in Tampa's outfield, along with Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton and Johnny Gomes.

Young, Dmitri's younger brother, fills the hole left by Tori Hunter, meaning the Rays no longer have extra outfielders to ship to Washington. Upton and Crawford are staying in Tampa, so the question becomes who takes over the other outfield spot. Basically, they have Baldelli, Dukes and Gomes available for one position.

Gomes has showed he is a tremendous 4th outfielder but really isn't a starter, and the Rays wouldn't dare trade Dukes on the chance that Baldelli will once again not complete the season healthy, and the Rays wouldn't dare trade Baldelli on the chance that Dukes continues to have "problems."

My guess is that both players go to Spring Training as co-starters with the assumption that at some point along the way, the team will be left with just one player, be it because of injury or jail time.

I think this deal means that Ryan Church remains the team's center fielder.

And that's not a bad thing.

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 2:02 PM 0 comments

[November 26th] -- Hello again, everyone. Here's hoping that one and all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was a typical Idaho feast, light on the turkey but heavy on the potatoes.

Are you as surprised as I am at how little news is coming from the Nationals these days? I try to comment on what's really happening and not just make things up to fill space, so things are really slow right now. This time last year, there were a myriad of rumors that could be 1] scoffed at or 2] hoped for. I've mused over Rocco Baldelli, Elijah Dukes and the small chance the Nationals have of signing any significant free agents. And there's not much I can say about the whole relocation situation from 2,500 miles away.

So, until something happens -remember, the winter meetings begin next week -I'd like to take a moment and discuss blogging.

Someone left a message over at ballparkguys.com telling the group that Banks of the Anacostia had resumed blogging after a seven month hiatus. Personally, I think that is a great thing; jammingecono is a wonderful writer and an avid fan.

Many left messages listing there favorite blogs. Nats320, Nats Farm Authority and Capitol Punishment were mentioned as some of the best. One kind poster appreciated my site along with "Banks."

Several, however, seemed to believe that many of the Nats' blogs are not worth reading. One person referred to the "other" blogs, those not listed among his favorites as "substandard puffery."

First, he coined a great term. I'm trying to come up with a way to use it in my masthead. Second, it's perfectly acceptable for fans to denigrate blogs they don't like. No hurt feelings here. That said, I do wonder if blog readers understand why it is we do what we do. I mean, it's easy to scoff at things you don't understand.

I started this blog a month after the team's move became official. I had no desire to become famous (or like El Guapo, infamous) or to watch a site counter spin like my brother's speedometer on his 1971 GTO. In fact, I assumed that no one would ever read the blog.

Why blog then?

I blog for me. Certainly, I try to present the most interesting and polished product that I can, and I am gratified when my readers leave messages indicating their appreciation for my work, but in the end, I write about what interests me. I also write a lot of "I remember when" stories about both the Senators II and my time growing up in Northern Virginia in the 1950's, '60's and '70's. They have been some of my most read work.

The biggest mistake a blogger can make is when he/she begins to write for the readers. When that happens, both the tone and tenor of the blog changes for the worse. That happened to me a year ago. I was garnering 180-200 hits a day (a number that still stuns me by the way) when over a couple of months, I was able to interview both the general manager of the Vermont Lake Monsters as well as mlb.com's Bill Ladson. Suddenly, my site visits doubled and I soon became consumed with site traffic and began to write what I thought you wanted to read rather than what I wanted to write.

It wasn't too long before The Beltway Boys shot up to #6 on striketwo.net, the site that measures all of the Major League Baseball blogs. It couldn't last, however. Burnout, coupled with poor health, turned The Beltway Boys dark for several months. That and my family's resistance to the amount of time I spent at my computer.

Blogging is very time consuming. Typically, I spend 15-20 hours per week writing, editing, proof-reading and researching my stories (assuming I blog seven days a week), pretty much every spare moment I have to myself. Sometimes, we just have to take some time off to reconnect with our lives or risk losing some of those things we love so dearly.

Substandard puffery? I guess it's fair to say that each of us who blog have from time to time written stories that were short on substance because of a lack of time, or talent, or desire. But I will say that each and every team blog fills a niche in my Nationals' appetite. One makes me laugh. One makes me mad. Another has access to the team's front office. Each by itself does a decent job of covering the team, but together, in unison, the Nationals' blog-o-sphere does an excellent job of covering the team, both inside and out. When one blog has a down day, or week, the rest of the sites are there, ready to pick him (or her) up.

So, dear reader, I say that it's fair to fault us for our -- well -- faults. But remember, we spend hundreds of hours each year churning out stories that, for the most part, you can't read anywhere else. We may not always be right, but we at least do our best to cover the team and provide you multiple sources for your Nationals' news.

And we do it for free.

You don't have to like us, but please understand when we sometimes go dark for awhile because life demands we be honorable fathers and husbands, or that we sometimes produce a story that seems rushed or nonsensical because we had only 10 minutes between soccer practice and movie night with our sweetie. We're not writers. We're salesman and students and sometimes - more often than we like to admit - we're just too tired to spend two hours writing a story that too few of you read. Some days 6 of you stop by, other days it's 600. Either way, we have to be prepared for your visit.

I appreciate all of you who take time out of your busy lives to visit the Nationals' blogs. Remember, we write because we love the game, and we love the Nationals. You won't find Barry Svrluga's writing ability here, but then you won't find our passion on the pages of the Post or the Times.

Be it "puffery" or "perfection," we're here for you. We report. You decide.

Where have I heard that before???

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 7:33 PM 5 comments

[November 8th] -- Be careful of what you wish for.

There are several sources claiming this morning that the Nationals have been talking with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in hopes of trading for outfielder Rocco Baldelli. For the lowdown on the 26 year old, read the story below that I wrote two weeks ago.

As I pointed out, Baldelli's career numbers - based on a 162 game season - are about the same as Ryan Church, though with a little more speed and a little less on-base percentage.

One thing is for sure: if the Nationals make a deal for Baldelli, he becomes the de facto starting center fielder and Ryan Church is on his way out of Washington.

Read the story below and decide if this is a good idea or not.

----------------------------------------

[October 23rd] -- Rocco Baldelli. Sounds like a guy who grew up in St. Louis in the 1940's along with Joe Garigola and Yogi Berra. It's a great baseball name. Baldelli, however, is a modern-day man, an outfielder for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Following an outstanding rookie year, it was thought that Baldelli would become the face of the Devil Rays for the next decade. It didn't happen, and the team moved on.

Where is Baldelli going to play in 2008? Washington, maybe? Maybe. I can certainly see the logic in such a move, at least from Jim Bowden's perspective.

Baldelli, 26, is a 6'4", 200 lb outfielder from Rhode Island (he sounds more like Carl Yastremski than Berra when he talks). He had an outstanding prep career and was taken with the 6th pick in the June 2000 draft by Tampa Bay. His scouting report read like this:

"Baldelli has outstanding speed and power for a high schooler. He has great natural instincts for the game. He is an excellent outfielder with tremendous range and the ability to be where the ball lands. Projects as a 30-30 player. The only thing that is keeping him for being a true five-tool player is his throwing arm, which is only slightly above-average."

After three very-good-but-not great years in the minors, Baldelli was named the team's starting center fielder in 2003 at 21, more the result of a very bad major league team than his being totally ready for the major leagues. That said, Baldelli had a great rookie season, going .289-11-78 with 27 stolen bases. He finished 3rd in the Rookie-of-the-Year award, behind Angel Berroa and Hideki Matsui. 2004 was even better; he hit .280-16-74 in 136 games. He missed several games during the year with a variety of nagging injuries, but nothing a quiet off season wouldn't have fixed. The off season, however, was anything but quiet.

Baldelli tore his ACL while playing basketball during that off season. The surgery was successful, and he was feeling pretty good when he reported to Spring Training in 2005. While long tossing, however, he felt soreness in his throwing elbow. Within days, he was back in the operating room, this time for Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire season and wasn't able to return until June of 2006. He finished that season .302-16-57 in just 92 games.

2007 was supposed to be the year that Baldelli had a break out year, that he showed he was healthy and able to play a full season.

Never happened.

Baldelli bruised his leg in late April, and while he didn't miss any games, it slowed him down. A month later, he strained a hamstring and was done for the year. He was batting .281 when he bruised his leg, and ended the year .204-5-12 in just 35 games.

Now, it's obvious that Baldelli shares much in common with Alex Escobar and Nick Johnson in that he has unlimited talent but limited availability to play the game of baseball. He also shares something with former National Jose Guillen though. Both players were offered long term, cash-rich deals that were turned down just before their careers went down the toilet. Baldelli was offered a 5 year / $23 million dollar contract at the age of 22 after just two major league seasons. Jose Guillen turned down his deal with Washington because he was stupid. Baldelli? Well, his agent at the time was none other than Scott Boras.

Boras is no longer Baldelli's agent. Gee, I wonder why?

In total, Rico Baldelli has played in 419 games since he began his career in 2003. He has not played in 379. Basically, he was available to play half the time, which means the Devil Rays decision to move on without him makes perfect sense. Here are Tampa's top four outfielders from 2007:

Carl Crawford: .315-11-80, 50 steals [Age 26]

B.J. Upton: .300-24-82, 22 steals [Age 23]

Delmon Young: .288-13-93, 10 steals [Age 22]

Jonny Gomes: .244-17-56, 12 steals [Age 26]

A healthy Rocco Baldelli has no place to play in Tampa Bay next year. Upton and Young are both very young and haven't even begun to reach their potential. Crawford has averaged .302-15-75, 55 stolen bases since he became a starter. Gomes has averaged .245-20-54 over the past three years while averaging 100 games per season.

Baldelli, then, isn't returning to Tampa in 2008. He's still young, but his trade value is limited because of all the injuries. I mean, what do you think the Nationals could get for Nick Johnson this off-season?

So he's going to get traded, but to where? Perhaps the Nats have an interest? He is, after all, a "toolsy player," the kind of guy that makes Jim Bowden salivate.

Count on Wily Mo Pena as a lock in left, just as Austin Kearns is a lock in right. Justin Maxwell has shown he has a bright future in the major leagues, but not just yet. And Ryan Church? Well, we all know how the team feels about him.

It wouldn't take much to bring Baldelli to Washington. But would he be that much of an upgrade from Ryan Church?

Here is Baldelli's average major league season based on his yearly average of 640 at-bats:

Runs: 94 -- Hits: 181 -- 2B: 31 -- 3b: 7 -- HR: 19 -- RBI: 85 -- SB: 22 -- BB: 32 -- K: 122 -- Ave: .282 -- OBP: .324 -- SLG: .443

Pretty impressive, over all, though his walks and on base percentage are poor. He normally batted second, third and fifth in the Rays' batting order.

Now lets take a look at Ryan Church's career averages, based on those same 640 at-bats:

Runs: 84 -- Hits: 176 -- 2B: 49 -- 3B: 4 -- HR: 31 -- HR: 99 -- SB: 8 -- BB: 68 -- K: 143 -- Ave: .271 -- OBP: .348 -- SLG: .462

Church's numbers are for the most part identical to Baldelli's save stolen bases and batting average. But his .348 OBP is much better than Baldelli's .324 and his OPS is 43 points higher as well. And though Baldellis does have a higher stolen base total, his last two years - since his ACL surgery - looks just like Church's.

Some team, somewhere, is in need of a center fielder and will take a chance on Rocco Baldelli. The Nationals will at least take a look at him, but what they now have is a certainty vs. Baldelli's "maybe." And just so it's clear, while Baldelli is a good center fielder, his career fielding average is .984, whereas Ryan Church has fielded at a .993 clip over that same time.

I think if Baldelli stays healthy, he'll likely hit .280-20-80 or so next season. Ryan Church, if given the opportunity, will likely hit .274-18-80 or so but with a better fielding percentage.

Unless Church can be packaged for a top-flight starter, someone like Johan Santana, then the "brain trust" needs to plug their noses and just let Church play.

It makes just too much sense. I guess that's why Jim Bowden continues to waffle about the guy.

Arizona Fall League: This year, Nationals pitchers are doing much better than hitters. Justin Maxwell is hitting just .174-1-3 in 46 at-bats. Kory Casto is at .238-0-1. Devan Ivany is still doing well at .333-3-6, but his average has dropped over the last few games.

Adam Carr is 0-0, 3.38, Zech Zincola is at 1-1, 3.38 and Garrett Mock is 0-0, 0.00.

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 6:56 AM 2 comments

[November 7th] -- it was a double whammy for Ryan Zimmerman on Tuesday. He broke a bone in his wrist while taking batting practice (it's not going to effect him next year thank goodness) and then he found out he didn't win his first Gold Glove.

That he didn't win isn't a surprise. He committed 23 errors and seemed to take a step back defensively (though to be fair it was due to a lack of concentration rather than a mechanical problem). What surprised me was that his childhood friend, David Wright, beat him out (Zimmerman came in third behind Wright and perennial winner Scott Rolen). Marty Noble at mlb.com said it this way: "In voting by the coaches and managers in the National League, Wright was elected over the Cardinals' Scott Rolen, who had won the National League Gold Glove for third basemen in seven of the previous nine years, including last season, and Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals, Wright's long-time friend who generally is regarded as a superior defender. "

We all got the chance to see Wright play often this year, and there was nothing there that indicated he was a Gold-Glove candidate. He makes most of the routine plays but spectacular, Zimmerman-like plays are few and far between. So why Wright?

Lets take a look at Wright and Zimmerman's stats side-by-side.

Wright: Putouts:107 -- Assists:304 -- Errors:21 -- Double Plays:24 -- Fielding %:.954

Zimmerman: Putouts:140 -- Assists:348 -- Errors:23 -- Double Plays:39 -- Fielding %:.955

In roughly the same number of innings, Zimmerman has 33 more putouts, 44 more assists, 15 more double plays and a better fielding percent, not to mention a whole slew of Web Gems.

And yet Wright wins the award.

Fear not. Once Zimmerman wins his first, he'll likely rip off a string of 10 or 12 in a row before he's finally done. I watched Brooks Robinson play as a kid. He's considered the best of all time. Without exaggerating, I think that Ryan is better on the spectacular plays and almost as good on the routine. He just might end up being known as the "best ever."

Could happen.

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 4:38 PM 1 comments

[November 3rd] -- Sorry it's been a few days since my last post. Not a lot of news combined with not a lot of time means not many stories. Let's see what we can find to talk about....

The Seattle Mariners - to their credit - opted not to pick up Jose Guillen's $9 million dollar option for next year, though they still say they might negotiate a new, multi-year deal with Guillen like any other free agent on the market.

A couple of interesting things here. Guillen, who batted .290-23-99 in 2007, says he wants to end his career with the Mariners. Of course, he said the same thing about the Nationals, and the Angels, and the Athletics, and the Devil Rays and ... well .... you get the idea. Also, Mariners' manager John McLaren says that Guillen has not been a problem in the Seattle clubhouse. "I don't know where all the trouble came from, but he wasn't trouble here" said McLaren.

Newsflash to McLaren: Wait. It'll come.

Jose Guillen reminds me a lot of my wife. When things are going well, when there isn't much to get stressed about, Guillen is a good teammate. But when things are off kilter, when outside pressures are causing problems, Jose Guillen will erupt and destroy the clubhouse (it's a good thing my wife doesn't read this blog, huh?).

The Mariners turned down $9 million a year, and Guillen turned down Jim Bowden's $7 million a year in 2006. Sounds like a 4 year, $32 million deal to me.

Would the Nationals be better with Jose Guillen in right instead of Austin Kearns? Last season, Guillen committed 8 errors, had 9 assists and a .972 fielding percent. Kearns made just 2 errors along with 9 assists. His fielding percent was .995. If Guillen is thought to be an excellent fielder - and he is - then Kearns must be considered a super-star. Offensively, Kearns is capable of matching Guillen's offense, and will probably exceed it one day. And Kearns is considered one of the genuine "nice guys" in the Nationals' clubhouse while Guillen, well you know the answer to that.

Really, it's no comparison. Guillen is four years older and sometimes acts like a four-year old. He'll probably play another six years and do it with six different teams. Kearns, on the other hand, will be a National for the rest of his career.

And now word surfaces that he's been doping for several years. A doped-up outfielder with an anger management problem.

So, what's that worth exactly??

With the general managers' meeting in full swing, there are already several rumors that are beginning to circle the Washington Nationals (and some suggestions from fans to be sure).

Some are trying to read something into Jim Bowden's contacting Aaron Rowand and Tori Hunter's agents. Nothing's happening here. Both are top-tier free agents that just aren't in the Nationals' plans right now; Kasten has said it and Bowden has said it. And they're right. As much as I'd like to see a stud in center, the team just isn't strong enough to ride the coat tails of a super star into the playoffs. And if they aren't, then why spend $12 or $15 million a year?

The Tampa Bay "Rays" [they've all but dropped the "Devil" part of their name] are going to be shopping Scott Kazmir during this year's Winter Meeting. Kazmir was part of the most one-sided trades in recent memory when the Mets traded the former 1st round pick along with Jose Diaz to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Bartolome Fortunato and Victor Zambrano [who?]. Playing for a bad team in a decidedly offensive division, Kazmir has gone 35-29, 3.64 since 2005. What would it take to get him into a Nationals' uniform? Start with Matt Chico, throw in either Jon Rauch or Chad Cordero and a mid-level minor leaguer, and you'd be pretty close.

How busy will Jimbo be this off season? My guess is very. The Nationals have to at least appear to be stocking the team with player upgrades for the new stadium. These are the players I expect to be traded by opening day:

• Felipe Lopez: Ronnie Belliard is a great 2nd baseman and the law of averages demands that Cristian Guzman have one good, healthy year out of four in D. C.


• Chad Cordero or Jon Rauch. The team won't miss one of them (with Luis Ayala filling in the 8th inning set-up roll)


• Ryan Church: I love him, the team doesn't. If they find a power hitting outfielder, he'll be the guy to go.

We're getting into my favorite time of year when foundations are being laid for trades and signings that will help craft next year's team.

Wahoo.

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 5:54 PM 0 comments