I wrote the other day about Washington Post columnist Dave Sheinin's article entitled, "Rough Winter for NL East", where Mr. Sheinin expressed the opinion that, "...in the context of the rest of the NL East, the Nationals are having an absolutely fabulous winter," and I also included a quote from Nationals' Team President Stan Kasten in another Washington Post article by Thomas Boswell entitled, "Nats Go All In", where Mr. Kasten says, "'We've had a terrific offseason.'"

(ed. note - "O.K. Well. How about another opinion...")

NY Daily News' columnist Bill Madden wrote Sunday, in a section of an article entitled, "A tale of two stoves: While Yankees break bank, Red Sox hit bargain bin", which was subtitled, "Winter winners and losers", that in his opinion, the, "Biggest losers? So far it's overwhelmingly the Braves, Cardinals and Nationals," and Mr. Madden sounds just like a DC blogger as he continues, "As for the Nationals...":

"...the Lerner ownership continues to do everything possible to kill baseball in Washington for a third time. After non-tendering their winningest pitcher,Tim Redding(10 wins) because they didn't want to pay him $3 million, they made a frivolous and futile run at Teixeira and were likewise spurned by Milton Bradley. Thus, nothing has been done to improve the worst team in baseball last year. It's only a matter of time before respected Stan Kasten whose talents have been wasted by the Lerners, leaves to take the Toronto Blue Jays’ presidency."

(ed. note - "Wow, uh, yeah...these NY writers aren't, uh big on the subtlety...they're, uh, I, uh, I guess 'blunt' is a good word for it...uh, for what they, uh, are...they did use possessive apostrophes on "Blue Jays' presidency" though so there's something...uh, Sorry, next topic...")

At the Nationals Journal, Washington Post writer Tracee Hamilton's post entitled, "Kasten to Syracuse", puts the brakes on all the Nationals/Yankees-Nady/Swisher trade talk that was circulating yesterday, describing the story as, "...one of those viral rumors that suddenly is reporting based on everyone else's reporting," (ed. note - "What's he talking about?"), and Mr. Hamilton quotes two sources, "Dave" (ed. note - "Sheinin, I presume?"), who says, "...the Yankees had no interest in what the Nationals were offering," and Boston Globe writer Nick Carfado, who provides a list of teams vying for Xavier Nady that does not include the Nationals.

...And while we're at it, refuting some stories out there...Baseball Prospectus** writer John Perotto comes down on Washington Post writer Chico Harlan's side, as opposed to MLB.com's Bill Ladson's, when it comes to the Nationals' interest in two of the big name free agents that remain on the market, Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson. Mr Ladson had written the other day in an article entitled, "Nats unlikely to sign top free agents", that "a source" told him, "Dunn and Hudson overpriced themselves out of Washington," while Mr. Harlan, in an article entitled, "For Nats, Prices Must Come Down", wrote that the Nationals, "...have not stopped pursuing Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson...":

"For now, Dunn and Hudson are asking for contracts larger than the Nationals anticipated and are willing to pay."

Well, Baseball Prospectus' writer John Perrotto, in article entitled, "Every Given Sunday: Not Actually Getting Ink Done", predicts where the remaining major free agents will end up and Mr. Perrotto says Adam Dunn will end up in DC, citing the first baseman/left fielder's relationship with DC GM Jim Bowden, and as for Orlando Hudson, Mr. Perrott writes:

"The O-Dog has received zero offers, and the Nationals are biding their time and waiting to sign the Gold Glove winner to a one-year deal with a low base salary that would be loaded with performance bonuses."

(ed. note - " ** = You'll need a Baseball Prospectus membership to read this article in its entirety.")

(A final ed. note - "...We'll be back tomorrow with Hall of Fame news...Will Tim Raines or Andre Dawson get the nod and go in with the Expos' pinwheel cap? News from the Hall and A WINTER LEAGUE WEEKEND ROUNDUP..." coming Monday night, there's some scheduled "down time" here at the SBN and this thing's about to cut...