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• According to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal's article last weekend entitled,"Sources: Valentine could return to Japan as coach", Bobby Valentine, the 59-year-old skipper for hire was, "...not actively pursuing the Nationals' opening," on the bench. When asked, however, if the, "...(Cleveland) Indians' job interested him," Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Paul Hoynes quotes Mr. Valentine from an email in an article entitled, "Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell can talk to Tribe...", stating:

"I would be honored to talk with the guys who run the club."

• I'm willing to bet that right now this is the prevailing sentiment amongst most professionals seeking employment in the Major Leagues when they compare positions with Washington's Nationals to those available elsewhere. Former Atlanta Braves' director of scouting Roy Clark made the decision to join DC though, as was reported everywhere yesterda--(ed. note - "What? What's that? Jim Bowden's Tweeted opinion of the Roy Clark signing? Why do we need to know that? Oh...here it is, Twitter away, I guess I have no control..."):

"Roy Clark, new Asst. GM for Nationals, a huge pick-up! Nats now have 4-Power Evaluators in Rizzo, Clark, Boone and Kline! Future is bright..."

(cont.)...

• "Kline", if you aren't feverishly devouring each and every bit of news coming out of the DC Front Office, is Kris Kline, a scout who followed Mike Rizzo from Arizona to Washington, who is due to be introduced (any day now) as the Nationals' new Scouting Director, replacing Dana Brown, who departed for an Asst. GM job in Toronto. Kline's promotion and the hiring of new Nationals' Asst. GM Roy Clark have been widely reported, no word on why the Washington Nationals have delayed the official announcements, though Washington Post writer Chico Harlan writes in his Nationals Journal post entitled, "Nats Bolster Front Office", that the announcement could come today.

• In MLB.com's Bill Ladson's blog post on Kline's promotion entitled, "Kris Kline becomes scouting director", Mr. Ladson writes that Mr.'s Rizzo, Clark and Kline, "Together...will be the go-to guys regarding the 2010 First-Year Player Draft." Mike Rizzo's already on record talking about the annointed #1 pick in twenty-ten, Bryce Harper, the soon-to-be 17-year-old, 6'3'', 205lb catcher out of Las Vegas, who's already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and is currently enrolled in college in order to earn a GED and eligibility in the upcoming draft. When asked in a Nationals Journal post by Washington Post writer Chico Harlan entitled, "Q&A with Mike Rizzo" if Harper's selection with the first pick was a given, Mr. Rizzo replied:

"No. I'm just saying it's not a given. I haven't seen him yet, and he certainly hasn't separated himself like Strasburg did last year." 

I wonder what Bryce Harper thinks about possibly playing in the nation's capital? I wonder what Jim Bowden thinks about Bryce Harper?