Wire Taps: MLB.com's Bill Ladson - Washington Nationals' Scott Olsen Becomes A Free Agent.

In the last few minutes, MLB.com's Bill Ladson (@washingnats) reported via Twitter that the Washington Nationals, "...secured outright waivers on LHPs Scott Olsen and Jesse English", and Olsen, the 26-year-old left-hander acquired along with OF Josh Willingham in a November 8, 2008 deal with the Florida Marlins, according to Mr. Ladson, "...elected to become a free agent." The Nationals re-signed Olsen to a 1-year/$1 million dollar deal after granting him free agency last December, but the injury-plagued pitcher struggled through another campaign in 2010 and was shut down late in the season with shoulder issues after a move to the bullpen didn't work out. 

(6-12) with a 4.63 ERA (72 ERA+) in 28 G, 26 starts over two seasons in D.C., Olsen walked 52 (3.3 BB/9) and struck out 95 (6.7 K/9) in 143.2 IP for the Nationals.

Jesse English, a 26-year-old left-hander selected off waivers from the San Francisco Giants last winter, "has been been outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse," Mr. Ladson reported, but, "he will become a minor-league free agent at 5 pm today." English made seven appearances for the Nats in 2010, but his season ended in July when he had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow.

• Seven hours after that, at 11:59:59 pm EST, the Nats' big middle-of-the-order bat Adam Dunn will become available league-wide when the Nationals' window to exclusively negotiate with the free agent first baseman ends and Dunn can start talking to other teams along with the entire class of free agents. Any chance Dunn signs in the next twelve hours? Not likely...