AFL UPDATE...

With the Peoria Saguaros' loss and the Mesa Solar Sox' win, we once again have a tie for first in the Arizona Fall League's American Division, as both teams are now 17-8...After the Solar Sox kicked the Phoenix Desert Dogs around for 13 hits and 11 runs, the Saguaros surrendered 10 and 7 to the Scottsdale Scorpions, who claimed a 7-3 win to improve to 9-16, good for third, 8.0 games behind both Peoria and Mesa in the three-team AFL American Division...

Nationals' prospect and Peoria reliever Ross Detwiler got knocked around by the Scottsdale batters, as the lefty allowed a single between two K's and then a two-run blast to Astros' first base prospect Mark Ori to give Scottsdale a 6-1 lead over Peoria after five. Detwiler's line, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 K's, 1 HR given up, and a 2.00 ERA after he exits. The runs scored on Ori's homer are the first two Detwiler's given up this Fall in 6 games and 9.0 IP. Another DC arm Adam Carr works the bottom of the eighth for the Saguaros, and he needs 17 pitches to get a K and two groundouts and give Peoria a chance at a 4-run ninth...which fails to materialize...

OF Leonard Davis started in left for the Saguaros and was 1 for 4 with a double, a K to end the top of the eighth and a .333 AVG at the end of the day. The double is Davis' second of the Fall to go along with 2 triples, 2 HR's and 11 RBI's, after the 24-year old Expos' 8th Round pick in '04 hit a total of 28 doubles, 5 triples, 25 HR's and 56 RBI's at three levels of the DC system this past season. 

Bonifacio vs Hernandez...Prelude To A Spring Battle...

The Tigres del Licey welcomed Estrellas de Oriente to Santo Domingo's Estadio Quisqueya tonight and took a 7-5 decision from the visiting squad. DC second base contender Emilio Bonifacio, leading off and playing right tonight for the Tigres, was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored, and fellow Nationals' '09 second base possibility Anderson Hernandez was 1 for 4 with an RBI, a walk, a K and now,  a .400 AVG so far this winter for Licey's Tigres. Bonifacio committed a two-out error in the seventh on a ball hit by Mets' outfielder Fernando Tatis, keeping the inning going and allowing Estrellas de Oriente to score three runs and pull within one at 6-5 Tigres after six and a half before a Cubs' outfielder Felix Pie's single doubles the lead to 7-5 where it stays 'til it ends...

In Case You Somehow Missed It...

DC pitching prospect Collin Balester's got a blog going over at mlbblogs.com called Bally's Blog, where the prospective DC starter in 2009 tells you all about his offseason...

...and MLB.com's Bill Ladson has been making regular contributions to MLB.com's Hot Stove Blog, with his last entry sort-of answering the titular query, "Which Nationals are on trade block?"

...Did you just say, Giambi? No wonder you removed your name...

In an uncredited Washington Times' article entitled, "Nats outright Young", the anonymous author reports the DC GM Jim Bowden is at the MLB GM meetings in California, and he's:

"...seeking trades that could land a first baseman. Failing that, he could try to get involved in a free agent market that boasts high-priced first basemen Mark Teixeira, Adam Dunn and Jason Giambi."

Can you imagine a Nick Johnson/Giambi platoon at first for Washington next season? They could have one serious mustache competition, but with the oversized glove, (meaning defensively), Johnson is light years ahead of the offensively superior Giambi...If Washington misses out on Teixeira and Dunn and somehow ends up with the Giambino at first in '09...well, at least I could cheer for the other 8 Nationals...I just can't take this name drop seriously, sorry...

• -Today at 2:00 pm EST, it's the results of the SB Nation's voting for the NL MVP...Check back and make your case...Pujols or Howard?