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• Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo told Washington Post writer Chico Harlan, in a season-ending interview entitled, "Q&A with Mike Rizzo", that the first "order of business" this offseason, (as Mr. Harlan framed it), was to fill positions in the Nationals' Front Office including the "assistant GM and farm director", and if FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal is to be believed, the search, at least, has begun, as Mr. Rosenthal reports, in an article entitled, "Sources: Nats interview Braves' scouting director", that, "The Nationals have interviewed Roy Clark, the Braves' scouting director since 2000, according to major-league sources," with Mr. Rosenthal only mentioning the search for an Assistant GM in the brief post.

A quick Google of the words "Washington Nationals, Roy Clark", will lead everyone who reports on the rumored interview to a 7/24/06 article by Bill Shanks at The Braves Show.com entitled, "Roy Clark turns down Washington Nationals", which reports that the Braves' Scouting Director had turned down an offer to join former Braves' President Stan Kasten as the Assistant GM in DC back in '06, in the position that would eventually be filled by Mike Rizzo himself. Kasten's plan, according to Mr. Shanks, was to, "...implement similar philosophies (in DC) that he had in place as President of the Braves", and Clark was seen, "...as a natural option for Kasten to try and give the Washington franchise a huge presence in scouting and player development." 

• No word from the Nationals on potential hirings, but MLB.com's Bill Ladson did report today, in an article entitled, "Nationals cut ties with Cardenal" that the Nationals dismissed Jose Cardenal, who had acted as the Nationals' "special advisor to the general manager", since being hired by Former DC GM Jim Bowden back in 2004. Mr. Rizzo's going to put his mark on the Nationals' front office this winter, but i'll be more interested in seeing what mark he's able to put on the roster...