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January 7, 2009

On the Beat

The Dog Days of Winter

by John Perrotto

Perhaps no team is happier to see 2008 receding in their rearview mirror than the Washington Nationals. They had the worst record in the major leagues at 59-102, and the only positive that they can possibly take from that is the future selection of San Diego State right-hander Steven Strasburg with the first pick in the first-year player draft. Unfortunately, they can then look forward to what will surely be protracted negotiations with Scott Boras. The pressure will be on general manager Jim Bowden to agree to terms and sign Strasburg: another low point of 2008 for the Nationals was their failure to sign first-round pick Aaron Crow.

Opening Nationals Park, which cost more than $600 million to build, also turned out to be less than successful. Washingtonians did not find the park or the team all that alluring, and the Nationals finished with a disappointing attendance total of just over 2.3 million. Toward the end of the season, Mark Zuckerman of The Washington Times wrote an eye-opening piece that painted a picture of great discord in a Nationals' front office that was so micromanaged by the Lerner family that requisitions needed to be made to buy something as inexpensive as a box of paperclips.

Capping off 2008, the Nationals were unable to persuade free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira to take their money during the finals days of the year. They had offered $185 million over eight years, but he instead signed with the Yankees for $5 million less. The Nationals were even willing to go to $200 million, though Teixeira never gave them that chance. The Nationals have also been linked to a number of other free agents, including left-hander Randy Wolf, second baseman Orlando Hudson, and outfielders Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu, but the nation's capital is not exactly the first choice of most players.

So far, the Nationals' biggest move of the winter may have already been made when they relieved the cost-cutting Marlins of two arbitration-eligible players by acquiring left-hander Scott Olsen and left fielder Josh Willingham in a November trade. While neither player figures to suddenly transform the Nationals into contenders, both are better than the players they'll replace on the roster. Olsen had 4.0 SNLVAR last season, which ranked 57^th in the major leagues; left-hander John Lannan was the only Nationals pitcher with a better mark at 4.8. Meanwhile, Willingham's .289 EqA was topped by only two Nationals with at least 100 plate appearances, first baseman Nick Johnson (.300) and outfielder Elijah Dukes (.297).

"That was a step in the right direction," Nationals manager Manny Acta said of the trade. "We needed to do it because we need to send a message that we're trying to do more than just develop our farm system and our young talent. Fans already saw the brand-new stadium, and now we have to put a better product on the field and be able to start winning and developing at the same time."