This past Saturday, Washington Post Nationals writer Barry Svrluga reported that the Nationals had made contact with the agents representing both Torii Hunter and Aaron Rowand. In Mr Svrluga's article on washingtonpost.com entitled, "In Need of a Center Piece, Nationals Contact Agents for Hunter, Rowand", he makes clear that this isn't really anything but a routine pass at the free agent centerfielders to show interest. I'd figure the two will probably get offers from about half the teams in the league.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201752.html
The interest in the two over-thirty outfielders can't have Ryan Church, Nook Logan, and Justin Maxwell feeling too comfortable about the team's plans for them next season. There's also trade talk in Bill Ladson's Nationals "Mailbag" which asks, "Is (Felipe)Lopez on the trading block?" (Ladson thinks he might be...)
I've decided to start a new weekly feature here at federalbaseball.com, and I'm calling it, "What Happens When You Lie to a Mets Fan?" I decided to start out with the Boss, a good friend, and slowly-beginning-to-smile-again-Mets-Fan.
"The Nationals are talking to the agents for Rowand and Hunter, and Hunter says he's interested in DC. What are the Mets doing? I heard they're gonna bring back Tom Glavine?" I lie.
"They are not bringing back Glavine. Let him go back to Atlanta. The Mets are trying to trade Lastings Milledge for Johan Santana?" the Boss responded.
"Are they really?" I ask.
"At least in my mind that's what they're doing," the Boss responds, "Does that count?"
Huh? So this time the Mets fan lied back to me...very interesting. We'll see what happens next week...
...but back to the "interest in Rowand and Hunter...Rowand's numbers last season, (.309 AVG, 45 doubles, 27 HR's, 89 RBI's 47 walks, 119 K's and 189 hits in 161 games) at 29 years of age in Philly, and Hunter's season of (.287 AVG, 45 doubles, 28 HR's 107 RBI's 40 walks, 101 K's and 172 hits in 160 games) are going to command far too much free agent dough to make either reasonable for DC. Right?
Is an outfield of Wily Mo Pena, Rowand and Austin Kearns or Pena, Hunter, Kearns, enough of an improvement to justify what Rowand and Hunter will command on the free market? Are either of those two outfields that much better offensively than an outfield of Pena, Church and Kearns or Pena, Justin Maxwell, and Kearns? (Is Maxwell ready?) And what about Nook Logan?
...On a slightly more serious note, tomorrow the Sports Blogs Nation (SB Nation) will be revealing the results of the voting that took place amongst the Nation's MLB Bloggers to determine the winners of the AL and NL Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and NL and AL MVP's in the opinion of this section of the blogosphere...(starting 10/5 with ROY!)
Behind the scenes, there was a tremendous amount of long, impassioned email-exchanging over the voting that took place, with some heated words being digitally tossed, so it should be real interesting to see the results...(Will David Wright get the MVP or Matt Holliday? And you won't believe who some people voted for? Is that enough of a teaser? Ok one more...
I ring my brother Scout, Braves Fan and Source for All Things Baseball and ask him, "What do you think of the SB Nation's choices for AL and NL Rookies of the Year Winners? (Which will be revealed tomorrow 11/6/07, and so are hidden here...)
The NL ROY?
"That would have been my pick," Scout says, "and ---- (the 2nd Pick) could have easily been #1 overall, but ----- came up ----than the rest and still won." (Interesting...Any guesses? Fill in the blanks...)
And the AL ROY?
"I don't know a lot about him to be honest, but everyone likes voting for the ------ guy in the ----- mode, though he's a step up from ------."
And the second overall pick for AL MVP by the SB Nation, Scout?
"I'd like to leave it on a positive note, and I have nothing positive to say about that pick..."
OK til tomorrow then...
*SBN MLB Awards Tomorrow*