It's not that the Washington Nationals don't want Mike MacDougal, at least according to what they've said in the press, it's just that they don't want to pay him what he'd be due to earn should it go to arbitration. Whether or not they're serious when they say that they'd like MacDougal back, or when they said they'd consider bringing back Scott Olsen, who was also non-tendered earlier today, who knows...? DC GM Mike Rizzo told Washington Post writer Chico Harlan, in a Nationals Journal post entitled, "Nats tender Olsen, MacDougal", that, "...you never know. They'll be free to discuss with all 29 other clubs, but suffice to say I'd be very comfortable if they're wearing the Washington Nationals uniform next season."
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No word yet on whether or not the rest of the arbitration-eligible players, (Jason Bergmann, Wil Nieves, Jesus Flores, Josh Willingham, Sean Burnett and Brian Bruney) have been tendered contracts, though the Nationals have until midnight tonight to make decisions on each...Jason Bergmann played for $439,000 last year, on his fifth-straight one-year deal. Nieves signed for $400,000 as a free agent in '08, and resigned in '09 for $445,000, his fifth one-year deal...Jesus Flores earned $411,500 in his third year in the majors...Sean Burnett, in his 5th-year with the Pirates last season, earned $485,000....Bruney avoided arbitration by signing a 1-year/$1.25M dollar deal with the Yankees in January of '09....Mike MacDougal was in the last of a three-year deal with the White Sox when they bought him out for $3M, ($2.65M salary + $350,000 buyout), making him available for the Nationals, who signed the soon-to-be 33-year-old right-hander to a minor league contract...Olsen, avoided arbitration after being dealt to DC and signed for one year and $2.8 million...
While Olsen's labrum surgery is well-documented, less has been said about the hip surgery Mike MacDougal had in mid-October. Washington Times' writer Ben Goessling wrote in a Chatter post entitled, "MacDougal has hip surgery" that the 32-year-old right hander underwent, "...arthroscopic surgery on his right hip in Vail, Colo., on Tuesday, repairing an injury that hampered the right-hander during the last week of the Nationals’ season." Mr. Goessling wrote at the time that MacDougal should be ready for Spring Training...will he be brought back to DC? They obviously brought Bruney in in case he's not...and there is that Storen kid...?