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Moves the Washington Nationals Will Make at the Trade Deadline

July 2nd, 2010

There is less than a month to baseball’s trading deadline and the Washington Nationals will soon have to decide whether they are going to be buyers or sellers.

 

Six weeks ago, the Nationals were 20-15 and seemingly had finally shed their worst-team-in-baseball persona. Five games later however, they were just a .500 team and since that time have gone 15-30.

 

There have been signs of life this week, but has it been enough for general manager Mike Rizzo to keep the team together?

 

Let’s find out.

 

First, here are the members of the current 25-man roster who will be part of the team through next season and—hopefully—for seasons to come (with their age in parenthesis):

 

(24) SS—Ian Desmond: .252-4-33

 

(25) 3B—Ryan Zimmerman: .283-13-40       

 

(26) OF—Roger Bernadina: .283-5-23

 

(25) SP—John Lannan: 2-5, 576

 

(25) RP—Tyler Clippard: 8-5, 2.20

 

(27) RP—Sean Burnett: 0-4, 2.73

 

(21) SP—Stephen Strasburg: 2-2, 2.27

 

(22) RP—Drew Storen: 2-1, 1.74

 

Next are players who, though they have performed well enough, have yet to cement themselves into the team’s long-range plans:

 

(28) UT—Mike Morse: .315-3-6

 

(26) SP—Craig Stammen: 2-2, 5.13

 

(25) SP—Luis Atilano: 6-4, 4.31

 

(27) SP—J.D. Martin: 0-4, 3.38

 

(27) UT—Alberto Gonzalez: .286-0-3

 

These players have little chance of returning to the Nationals next season due to age, performance, or contract status:

 

(32) Willie Harris: .155-4-18

 

(32) Wil Nieves: .171-1-8

 

(39) Miguel Batista: 0-2, 3.95

 

(34) Tyler Walker: 1-0, 3.57

 

(30) Doug Slaten: 2-1, 3.14

 

And finally, here are the players who might be traded before the July 31 deadline:

 

(38) Pudge Rodriguez: .299-1-23

 

(30) Adam Dunn: .275-17-47

 

(32) Cristian Guzman: .297-1-21

 

(31) Josh Willingham: .274-14-44

 

(29) Nyjer Morgan: .254-0-13

 

(34) Adam Kennedy: .238-2-15

 

(35) Livan Hernandez: 6-4, 2.98

 

(26) Matt Capps: 1-3, 3.28, 22 saves

 

So as things stand now, roughly a third of the Nationals’ roster is part of the team’s future, another third is full of placeholders until better players come along, and a final third is full of stars and near-stars, but who might or might not be part of the team’s future.

 

So what to do? Let’s take a closer look at the trade candidates/

 

Though it would make sense for the Nationals to trade Pudge Rodriguez to a contender, they simply cannot. Jesus Flores, the catching heir apparent isn’t even close to returning from the disabled list and backup Wil Nieves gets worse the more he plays.

 

Early in the season, Rodriguez was one of the team’s best hitters, but has slumped badly.

 

When the Nationals crested at 20-15 in mid-May, Rodriguez was hitting .367/.390/.490 with 15 RBI. Since then, the team has a record of 15-30 and Pudge has struggled, hitting just .215/.247/.269 with just eight RBIs.

 

Catcher Derek Norris, perhaps the team’s best hitting prospect, is just now healthy after offseason surgery and is hitting .250-4-20 at Class-A Potomac. He is still two or three years away from the major leagues.

 

Though Pudge is now showing his age offensively, he is helping phenom Stephen Strasburg learn how to pitch in the major leagues.

 

Pudge stays.

 

Cristian Guzman is in the last year of his contract with the Nationals and is not in the team’s plans for next season. Ian Desmond has shown enough to be the Nationals’ shortstop in 2011. He’s hitting well and he is now competent in the field at both second and short. He could really help a contender.

 

Guzman goes.

 

From 2007-2009, Livan Hernandez has posted a record of 33-35, 5.45 and has been released by both the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets.

 

This season, however, Hernandez has parlayed a minor league contract into a 6-4 record and a 2.98 ERA. He is allowing just 8.6 hits and 2.7 walks per game. He has allowed four or more runs in just four of 16 starts this season.

 

Over the next couple of months, the Nationals will likely add former All-Star’s Chien-Ming Wang and Jason Marquis, and former No. 1 pitching prospect Jordan Zimmermann as well as former first-round pick Ross Detwiler, all from the disabled list.

 

And John Lannan, the team’s best pitcher the past two years, is regaining his polish at Double-A Harrisburg and will be back soon, certainly by the end of the month.

 

Livan Hernandez would make an excellent addition to a contender’s starting rotation, but GM Mike Rizzo needs to move him soon, before he remembers that he is a washed-up has-been.

 

Hernandez goes.

 

Matt Capps has been a major league closer for four seasons now, but is just 26 years old. He strikes out many batters and hardly walks any (though he does give up a lot of hits).

 

But he is on a one-year contract and there is no doubt—none—that Drew Storen is ready to take over as the Nationals’ closer. In 20.2 innings this season, Storen is allowing just 6.5 hits per nine-innings while striking out seven.

 

It’s not often that a closer of Capps’ caliber is available at the trading deadline, and the Nationals have several relief pitchers in the minor leagues who could take over for Storen in the setup role.  Syracuse’s Josh Wilkie (2-3, 1.82, 6.4/3.2/7.5) or Atahualpa Severino (3-0, 2.58, 8.2/3.1/5.9) seem ready.

 

Capps goes.

 

Adam Kennedy hasn’t done much in 2010, but that could be because of a lack of playing time. He has a strong career resume and could help several teams as a utility infielder. But it is doubtful the team would get much in return.

 

If Guzman goes, Kennedy stays and vice versa.

 

Last season, Nyjer Morgan seemed to be the answer in center field after several quick, toolsy players couldn’t get it done. And while he was wonderful last season, and is finally beginning to hit in 2010, he has repeatedly shown that he is lacking in general baseball skills, all too often getting picked off of first base, or getting caught stealing, and taking bad routes on fly balls in the outfield.

 

Had Roger Bernadina not blossomed this season, there would be no question that Morgan was a certain piece of the team’s future. But he is 29 and Bernadina seems to have a much better skill set.

 

Morgan won’t be shopped, but a quality offer won’t be turned down either.

 

Josh Willingham is having a great year to be sure. In his five seasons with the Marlins, Willingham averaged .266-24-72 over a 162-game season. But with the Nationals, he has increased his on-base percentage by 21 points and his slugging percentage by 26.

 

He is on pace to hit .274-28-88 with a .406 on-base percentage this year and his defense is much improved. Clearly, he has become a better player.

 

The questions surrounding Willingham are three-fold. First, he is 31 and has had problems staying healthy. He missed almost 100 games due to injury with Florida and played in just 133 games with Washington last year.

 

Can the Nationals count on his remaining in the lineup every day?

 

Second, at 31, he could begin his end-of-career slide in as few as two or three years. Remember, Senators’ great Frank Howard’s last good year came at age 33, and he never had any injury problems.

 

And lastly, Willingham is under team control through next year. In order to keep him, the Nationals are going to have to offer him a multi-year contract which would most certainly take him into his mid-thirties.

 

Is that wise?

 

His trade value will never be higher than it is now. Reports suggest that the Toronto Blue Jays received less for star pitcher Roy Halladay last winter then they were offered at the trading deadline the previous year.

 

If the Nationals are planning on moving Josh, now is the time.

 

Willingham goes.

 

The big question surrounds Adam Dunn. We all know what he can do. Wind him up and he’s going hit .260-35-100 while walking and striking out a great deal. But in 2010, he has made over his defense, going from a horrid outfielder to an adequate first baseman.

 

But unlike Willingham, the Nationals have him for just three more months. So one of two things are going to happen in the next month. Either the team is going to re-sign Dunn to a multi-year contract and make him a part of their future or they will trade him for prospects.

 

Sure, they could keep him and take the two draft picks in next year’s amateur draft if another team signs him, but that is very iffy. The Nationals drafted pitcher Josh Smoker and outfielder Michael Burgess in 2007 as compensation for the loss of Alfonso Soriano, Smoker is a bust and Michael Burgess is still having trouble making contact at Class-A ball.

 

But there is no market these days for rental players. The days of getting three prospects for three months service is long gone. Remember, then general manager Jim Bowden couldn’t find a taker for Soriano at the 2006 trade deadline.

 

Dunn wants to stay in Washington, is young enough to remain productive for years to come, and has had no injury problems in his career.

 

And he’s a modern-day Frank Howard.

 

He stays.

 

The 2011 Nationals will look something like this, not taking into account possible acquisitions via trade this winter:

 

1B: Adam Dunn

2B: Filled via trade

SS: Ian Desmond

3B: Ryan Zimmerman

LF: Nyjer Morgan

CF: Roger Bernadina

RF: Filled via trade

C: Jesus Flores & Pudge Rodriguez

 

Starting Pitching:

 

1—Stephen Strasburg

2—Jordan Zimmermann

3—Jason Marquis

4—Chien-Ming Wang

5—John Lannan.

 

Closer: Drew Storen

 

The possible trades this month of Adam Kennedy, Cristian Guzman, Josh Willingham, Livan Hernandez, and Matt Capps would certainly bring several prospects and possibly one or two major-league ready players to the Nationals.

 

Those pitchers bumped by the return of Marquis, Wang and Zimmermann—Luis Atilano, J.D. Martin, and Craig Stammen—could bring additional prospects as well.

 

Additionally, the team could again enter the free-agent market and find a plum or two.

 

The Nationals will have the pitching staff to contend in 2011. The question will be the offense. If Rizzo trades wisely and makes a splash in the free agent market, the Nationals should be a Wild Card contender in 2011.

 

Maybe, maybe, if.

 

Though the Nationals have come a long way, they still have a long way to go.

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Washington Nationals Could Ride Second Half Tailwind Back to Respectability

June 30th, 2010

So where are the Washington Nationals headed?

Just a couple of months ago, the team was five games over .500 and seemed both ready and able to remain competitive until Stephen Strasburg joined the squad and Jason Marquis, Chien-Ming Wang, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler regained their health.

The Nationals could then move some of their surplus starters into the bullpen and trade away the rest for players who could plug some of the holes on the 25-man roster.

It was thought that the team could then at least remain on the cusp of contention for the rest of the season.

Of course, that never happened. The team went from five games over .500 to 10 games under in just a few days.

Well, it seemed like that anyway.

Now obituaries for the 2010 Nationals are being written across the Internet as you read this.

So which is it? Is this a much improved team or just a carbon copy of the past two years of frustration?

I say forget the past month. But I also say that for the team to redeem itself—and quickly—a few changes need to be made.

The team can get back to .500 by the end of the season, but the front office can’t wait much longer before changing direction.

First, the Ian Desmond experiment needs to come to an end, but just for now. Though I still believe that he will be a top-notch major league shortstop, his poor play has to be eating at his confidence, and his 19 errors are sure hurting the team.

There is nothing wrong with Cristian Guzman finishing the year at short. He doesn’t get to many of the balls that Desmond does, but those he does get to usually turn into outs.

Though Adam Kennedy hasn’t played particularly well thus far (.238/.317/.319), his career 162-game average is .276-8-57. I think that if he plays every day, he’ll play well. 

Nyjer Morgan has to go too.

Look, I love the guy’s attitude and I love his energy and I love his love for the game. But I think we have a large enough sample now to be able to say that he just doesn’t have solid baseball skills. He gets picked off first too often. He takes bad routes to fly balls. He throws to the wrong bases.

And that was just last week.

Roger Bernadina deserves to start in center, and Michael Morse needs the opportunity to show if he is an everyday major leaguer.

Here is my starting lineup with their current statistics expanded to a full 162-game season: 

1B—Adam Dunn: .271-36-96

2B—Adam Kennedy: .238-6-45

SS—Cristian Guzman: .295-3-44

3B—Ryan Zimmerman: .285-29-89

LF—Josh Willingham: .276-30-92

CF—Roger Bernadina: .290-18-80

RF—Mike Morse: .340-30-60

C—Pudge Rodriguez: .301-2-46

Kennedy’s numbers look a little anemic, but given the opportunity to play every day, he’d probably end up hitting near .260 by season’s end, perhaps a little better.

Morse’s stats are skewed because he has just 50 at-bats, but his career 162-game average is .299-10-60 with a .360 on-base percentage and a .425 slugging mark.

Desmond would need to return to the minors to regain his confidence, but Morgan could remain as a backup outfielder, at least for the remainder of the season.

We know that the bullpen is strong, one of the strongest in baseball. It can be the rudder that leads the team back to respectability. No major changes here.

That leaves us with the starting rotation.

Stephen Strasburg is the ace and will wow the league until sometime in early September, when the Nationals will shut him down to save his arm. By that time, former No. 1 pitching prospect Jordan Zimmermann will be ready to take his spot in the rotation.

Zimmermann—who underwent Tommy John surgery almost a year ago—begins his rehab process next week. No, he’s not Stephen Strasburg, but he will be a solid No. 2 major league starter.

Sometime in the next month or two, Jason Marquis will be ready to return to the rotation. He is a former All-Star and will give the team a chance to win every time he starts.

Chien-Ming Wang, who has twice won 19 games in a season, can be a solid No. 3 during the season’s second half.

John Lannan’s struggles in 2010 are an anomaly. He is one of just a handful of major league starters who have finished the last two seasons with an ERA under 4.00 and is near the top of the quality starts list as well.

Lannan pitched very well in his first game with Double-A Harrisburg and should return to Washington sooner rather than later.

Lannan—this season’s Opening Day starter—now becomes the team’s No. 4 starter.

The team could then fill the final spot in the rotation with Livan Hernandez (6-4, 3.10), Luis Atilano (6-4, 4.33), Craig Stammen (2-2, 5.13), or J.D. Martin (0-3, 3.03).

The recent bad times for the Washington Nationals cannot be underplayed, to be sure. However, the problems are easy to pinpoint. The defense can’t be fixed overnight, but it can be patched with the changes at short, second, and center field.

The offense, one of the better groups in the league over the first third of the season, suddenly stopped hitting. That happens sometimes. But they seem to be coming out of their collective funk and might be back to their early season form.

But if the starting rotation can indeed be improved through the additions of the walking wounded—Zimmermann, Wang, Marquis, Detwiler, and Scott Olsen—this could be a team capable of having a sizzling second half.

Sure, there needs to be a little bit of luck involved, but it is not out of the realm of possibility to see the team play above .500 in the season’s second half.

To make it to 81 wins, the Nationals will have to go 47-37 over the next three months.

Is it possible?

If the injured starters return on time, and if they return at their pre-injury levels, and if general manager Mike Rizzo and manger Jim Riggleman are willing to take a chance and redo their up-the-middle defense, then yes. It is possible.

75 wins is more likely, but if they can find a tailwind come August, an 81-81 season is within their grasp. 

Here’s to hoping.

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Could Kosuke Fukudome Land In Washington This Season?

June 14th, 2010

The Washington Nationals have stepped up a notch in the MLB with their performance this year after their horrible 103-loss season in 2009.

The Nats did make quite a few moves for Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham before the 2009 season, and they are now the core guys, along with Zimmerman in the lineup. They also traded for the speedster Nyjer Morgan.

With Washington making plenty of wise moves this offseason, they are off to an average start, with a 31-33 record. They are just 6 games back in the National League East. 

Since the Nationals have shown that they may be ready for playoff contention, Cubs' Kosuke Fukudome might be the next starting Right Fielder for the Nats.

The Chicago Cubs look as if they are a "selling team" this year, and the Nationals could use help in RF. 

They have been using Mike Morse and Roger Bernadina together, and it is going fine. But Fukudome could be the guy that can start in all 3 outfield positions, and he could also be a solid 4th outfielder. He is also locked up in his contract until the end of the 2011 season. 

The salary is another problem, because of his $13.5 million earnings per year. But if the Cubbies decide to take some of that portion off, the Washington Nationals might be able to land this guy.

We do not know if the Nationals can keep playing good baseball like they have been all year, but at this point, Kosuke Fukudome can be brought in to help them become an overall solid team. 

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“The Willie and Willy Show”: Taveras and Harris Replace Elijah Dukes in Right

April 1st, 2010

Since Elijah Dukes’ release a few weeks ago, one of the main questions coming out of Viera Florida was just exactly who was going to be part of the team’s platoon in right field in 2010.

 

It didn’t take long for manager Jim Riggleman to announce that veteran utility player Willie Harris would be the left-handed component of the platoon.

 

For a time, Justin Maxwell seemed to be the logical choice to be the right-handed bat, but a 5-for-49 spring pretty much ended that possibility before it even began.

 

Than Mike Morse, who is as natural a hitter as I’ve ever seen, seemed the heir apparent, and his .304-2-7 spring did nothing but reaffirm his status as a solid major leaguer.

 

But no, he’ll be a backup.

 

On Thursday, the question was answered when Willy Taveras was named the right-handed bat that would platoon with Harris.

 

Now remember, the whole idea of releasing Dukes was that the Nationals believed that they could field a better hitting, better fielding right-fielder from among the spare parts currently on the team’s roster.

 

So whoever they chose would obviously be better—or at least as good—as the departed Dukes.

 

Let’s see what kind of numbers they need to beat as Dukes’ replacement. Here are Dukes’ career statistics based on a 162-game season:

 

Average

.242

 

Hits

134

 

Doubles

26

 

Triples

5

 

Home Runs

21

 

RBI

83

 

On-base Percentage

.350

 

Slugging Percentage

.421

 

Other than the batting average (brought down by an ugly .190 effort in his rookie year with Tampa), those are certainly upper-level major league numbers.

 

Add his quality defense, and Elijah Dukes—at least on the field—will be difficult to replace.

 

Defensively, both Harris and Taveras have the speed to play right field, but interestingly, they never have. Of Harris’ 2,780 career innings in the outfield, just 10 of them have come in right. And Taveras has played right in just one inning out of 4,297.

 

So, the Nationals replaced a natural right-fielder with two guys who have combined to play 11 innings there.

 

I’ll wait for a moment to let that sink in.

 

Here is Taveras’ defensive scouting report from armchairgm.com:

 

“His defense can best be described as inconsistent. His outstanding speed allows him to get to balls most other center fielders won't even try for, but his routes often leave a lot to be desired. He struggles going straight back for fly balls, and will take odd routes on balls hit into the gaps.”

 

TSN.ca calls Harris’ defense “inconsistent,” adding that he makes more errors than a player of his speed and agility should.

 

So the Nationals defense certainly hasn’t been improved by Dukes’ release.

 

Offensively, Willy Taveras doesn’t hit left-handers nearly as well as a right-hander should. Here are his career splits versus lefties based on 239 at-bats (about the number you would expect a platoon right-hander to get in a season):

 

Batting Average

.262 (63/239)

 

Doubles

10

 

Triples

1

 

Home Runs

0

 

RBI

10

 

Steals

10

 

Strikeouts

39

 

Walks

34

 

On-base Percentage

.309

 

Slugging Percent

.326

 

And here are Willie Harris’ career splits against right-handers (assuming 400 at-bats, about right for a lefty platoon bat):

 

Batting Average

.255 (102/400)

 

Doubles

15

 

Triples

4

 

Home Runs

5

 

RBI

33

 

Steals

19

 

Strikeouts

70

 

Walks

49

 

On-base Percentage

.340

 

Slugging Percentage

.361

 

Usually players who platoon hit pitchers who throw from their opposite side extremely well while being unable to hit the same-side pitchers.

 

Nyjer Morgan, for example, would be an ideal platoon player. He has a career .330/.380/.420 line against right-handers, but hits just .200/.302/.284 against lefties.

 

But Harris’ batting average is just 54 points higher against righties, and Taveras actually hits 18 points worse against lefties than he does against right-handers.

 

Based on their career averages and the proper number of at-bats, this is how a platoon of Willie Harris and Willy Taveras should hit for the Nationals this season:

 

Average

.258 (165/639)

 

On-base Percentage

.321

 

Slugging Percent

.339

 

Doubles

25

 

Triples

4

 

Home Runs

5

 

RBI

43

 

Steals

31

 

When the Nationals released Dukes, I assumed that the team believed that they had two players already on the roster who could at least come close to replicating what the talented, but troubled, player could have provided.

 

But instead the team chose the two players who were least able to do that. Dukes had power and a solid on-base percentage. His replacements have no power and embarrassingly low on-base percentages.

 

Both Harris and Taveras have shown that they are not capable of playing every day at the major league level. I worry that one—or perhaps both—will show that even as part-time players they bring no real assets to the team other than their speed.

 

It is obvious, then, as to what has happened. The Nationals were content to replace a gifted malcontent with two solid citizens who won’t help the club on the field.

 

The problems in the clubhouse, it would seem, were so divisive that the team gladly gave up 15 or so homers and 60 or so RBI (the difference in production between Dukes and Harris/Taveras) for a little peace and quiet.

 

I have never met Elijah Dukes so I cannot speak to the type of person he is, or the problems he may have caused.

 

I can say with certainty, however, that Willie Harris and Willy Taveras can’t come close to replacing Dukes, and the team may come to question their decision if the Nationals play well in 2010 and end up being just one power-bat short of 82 wins.

 

I am not saying the Nationals made a mistake by releasing Dukes, but the choice of Taveras and Harris as his replacement may haunt the team all summer long.

 

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Washington Nationals Face Decisions on Opening Day Roster

March 29th, 2010

Over the weekend, the Washington Nationals declared Ian Desmond the winner (sort of) of the starting shortstop job over incumbent Cristian Guzman, outfielder Justin Maxwell was sent to Triple-A, and the team reopened a spot on the pitching staff we thought was previously closed.

Let's take a closer look at these three developments from the Nats' spring training as they whittle down their options toward the 25-man roster for opening day.

THE BATTLE FOR THE LAST ROTATION SPOT

Manager Jim Riggleman told reporters that John Lannan, Jason Marquis, and Craig Stammen would start the first three games of the season. With Livan Hernandez all but assured a spot, that leaves Garrett Mock, Scott Olsen, and J.D. Martin in the running for the last spot.

Actually, they are probably fighting for the No. 4 spot, since Livo is on a minor league deal, he doesn't need to be activated until necessary, leaving a spot on both the active roster and the 40-man roster to another position player to start the season.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago Mock was penciled in at the No. 3 spot, but all of  a sudden, because Mock had some trouble in a minor league start and Olsen was semi-competent against a group of Florida Marlins, the spot is now up for grabs again.Olsen has pitched 14.2 innings this spring.  He's surrendered 11 earned runs on 30 hits and a walk, striking out just six.

Olsen has given up more than two hits per inning. His velocity hasn't been better than mid-80s. He's due $1 million if he's in the organization on Wednesday. These are all factors that should lead to his release, not inclusion in the pitching rotation.

MAXWELL SENT DOWN, RIGHT FIELD STILL A QUESTION MARK

Justin Maxwell was demoted. After the spring he's had (5-for-49), it's not shocking. Riggleman said of Maxwell:

"I think that he's going to hit 25 home runs some day.  He's very aggressive on the bases. He's a guy who could hit 25 and steal 35. But he's just going to have to make more contact for that to really show itself. He knows he's going to do it. He's confident it's going to happen."

Nats' fans need to take that with a grain of salt.  Maxwell had one minor -elague season (in 2007, split between low-A Hagerstown and high-A Potomac) where he put it all together to hit 27 homers and steal 35 on the nose.  But again, that was split between to A-level leagues, and he's always been advanced age-wise in the minors.

He's a career .257/.351/.442 in the minors. He's 26. The job was open. He failed.

It leaves the right field situation in a great big mess. Willie Harris is slated to play there opening day. It's a position he's played exactly twice in a big league game. Roger Bernadina, Willy Taveras, and Mike Morse will probably all get looks there too.

Maxwell was the player the Nats hoped would win the job, but now it's left up to three slap hitters and a corner infielder to man the spot.

DESMOND CHOSEN OVER GUZMAN AT SHORTSTOP, VET MOVES TO UTILITY ROLE

Finally, we get to the Great Shortstop Debate.

I wrote several times over the winter that the Nats 'should give the job to Desmond and let him sink or swim with it.  For a team like the Nats, the decision should have been a no-brainer. 

Desmond is 24, a six-year minor league veteran. He blossomed last season after a couple of years toiling in the system. He showed in a Sept. call-up that he wasn't going to be completely over-matched against big league pitching. He has continued that into spring training, pacing the club in RBIs and getting on base consistently.

Desmond possesses great athletic ability, speed, and acumen on defense.  He still has some issues on defense, though, and that gives the casual fan cause for concern.  It shouldn't.  Desmond has terrific range and a solid throwing arm, and he can work out his problems on the better fields of the major leagues.

Remember, the man that will stand 45 feet to Desmond's right on opening day had all sorts of throwing problems, clear up until the middle of the season last year.

Guzman is an old 32. He has foot problems. His on-base percentage is terrible (zero walks this spring). He has never had any power. He's lost what speed he had at the beginning of his career. His defensive range can be compared to a postage stamp.

To top it all off, offseason shoulder surgery has compromised his ability to make all the throws from his position.

All Guzman brings is an uncanny ability to get his bat on the ball; an empty batting average.If Guzman wasn't due $8 million this year in the last of his reward contract given by former GM Jim Bowden, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

But now, the team has decided to make Guzman, who has played no other position in a regular season game, a super-utility, getting at bats at short, second, and possibly even first base.

Riggleman even hedged his bets on Desmond, stating: 

"Desmond isn't going to be a 600 at-bat shortstop for us, because Guzman is going to play a lot of shortstop.  Guzman will get some games at second. Basically, there will be some days where I decide I want the right-handed bat of Guzman in there against certain left-handers. [Adam]Kennedy will get a day off on those days."

How about having some confidence in the kid? His manager is already planning for his failure. 

"[Desmond] may not be playing good in May, so Guzman may be our shortstop. To open the season, we're going to give Dessie a shot there to hold that position down. We hope that works."

The Nats' made the right decision, even if Desmond fails. The point is to play him and find out if he's going to be a piece of the future. They KNOW Guzman isn't. But in order for this experiment to work, the Nats HAVE TO have a long leash with Desmond.

If Riggleman manages this team with the idea of winning ballgames this season, and benches a slumping Desmond for any period of time, then it's a waste of time and energy. 

Fans want to see wins this season, I understand that. But good fans have to understand that to break this string of failure, desperate measures must be taken.  Desmond must be given every opportunity to succeed. Not just into May, or even the all-star break. They have to let the kid play.

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