I was really hoping Dukes would take the job when it was handed to him with Kearns down and Hammer back in left, but unless he really gets it together the rest of the way, I wonder if he’ll be starting out there in April twenty-ten…

I do not think Dukes is the long term answer. According to fan graphs data he is below average both offensively and defensively in RF this season. Only just on the defense, but still. He was defensively dreadful in CF. Meanwhile, TAWH has outstanding defensive stats in LF. Gold glove quality for several seasons now. He hits RHP very well. Justin Maxwell has similar defensive numbers to TAHW in his short sample space and hits lefties very well. Until we find a permanent solution, I think platooning the TAWH and Maxwell in LF and moving Willingham to RF is the answer. I would bat the platoon in the two hole because of the onbasepercentages and speed of the players. Sorry Guzman. I want to keep you, but not in the two hole.

Wow, I missed the fact that this Morse guy has made brief appearances in the last two games. I’ve never heard of him. According to his stats page on Yahoo Sports, he’s hardly played in the majors in the last 4 seasons, including this year. He hit .278 in 230 AB way back in 2005. Since then, he’s only had 72 AB in the major leagues, until today.

I remember that when Stras signed – a NL scout went through the Nats and gave his assessment of where they were (might have been reported on the Post…I cant recall). They went through the ‘cornerstones’ of the team. In terms of outfield, he mentioned Hammer and Morgan…but Dukes was an obvious omission of players who would be with the Nats for years to come. I got to thinking that if other NL scouts see that – then Im sure that the Nats probably do too.

I wouldnt mind holding him for a few more seasons given that he seems to be keeping out of trouble off the field. His on field performances have been patchy. I think its one of those situations where you can probably afford to take a chance on Dukes for the high upside and see how you go. There isnt too many that would come in and do a better job on the team – probably with the exception of TAWH and Padilla – bit both wont give you the kind of the explosive play that Dukes could. As others have said – he’s only 25 – which is young for a hitter. I think id be willing to give him another season before making some hard choices on his future. By then, we should be in the playoff race and a veteran corner man might tip the balance on the WS. :)

I find it interesting to see Elijah’s stats right after this topic was posted on Aug. 22. In the 12 games since then, he has at least one hit in 10 of those games. In another game, he only had a pinch-hit appearance and he walked. So he’s only been kept off base in just one game of the last 12.

He has 5 multi-hit games over that stretch. He’s 16 of 34 for a .471 average. He has raised his season average to a respectable .260, from the woeful .233 on Aug. 22. This is the best he has hit since mid-April.

Does he look at Yahoo Sports and thus federalbaseball.com? Maybe, maybe not. But clearly something woke him up after Aug. 22. I’m not sure what this means though. Is he a player that needs someone else to push him to perform? That might not be a good sign. But if someone on the team recognizes this, then they could help to keep Elijah motivated and focused on his game.

Bob Carpenter and Rob Dibble mentioned that Dukes is not a true everyday player in terms of durability. He just can’t seem to stay free of injury if he starts every day. They said that he probably needs at least one day off every week of the season to remain healthy. That sounds about right. That would also free up some playing time for the utility players/backup OFs that the Nats have next year, whether it’s Maxwell, Padilla, Willie Harris and/or someone else. This type of schedule could help keep the bench guys sharp.

IF he could maintain a .270-.280 average consistently, he could be the long-term answer at RF. He does have 52 RBI with less than 300 AB. That’s a pretty solid number for a no. 6 hitter.

but, I am willing to give him another year to prove me wrong. But I still think my platoon idea mentioned above is worth considering.