No Washington Nationals' Prospects In MLB.com Top 50...
The announcement of the Top 10 of MLB.com's Top 50 Prospects this afternoon was the last chance for a Washington Nationals' prospect to find their way onto the list, but as I clicked through them all, from 10 down to 1:
10. Colby Rasmus (St.L)
9. Neftali Feliz (TEX)
8. Alcides Escobar (MIL)
7. Travis Snyder (TOR)
6. Madison Bumgarner (SF)
5. Cameron Maybin (FLA)
4. Rick Porcello (DET)
3. Jason Heyward (ATL)
2. Matt Wieters (BAL)
1. David Price (TAM)
There was nary a Nationals' name to be found...Which means that DC doesn't have a single prospect in the Top 50 in baseball...in MLB.com's opinion at least...Last year, you'll remember, Washington was represented at #'s 31 and 37 on MLB.com's 2008 list, by Chris Marrero and Ross Detwiler, respectively, but neither player was included on this year's list, and both had fallen behind even within the organization after trouble-filled '08 campaigns.
Well...Maybe We Made ESPN.com' Keith Laws' List of Free Agent Destinations...
You'll have to be an ESPN Insider to read this one, but I'll spare you the suspense, Keith Law's article entitled, "Best fits for Top 5 free agents", does not list the Nationals as a likely destination for free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, Mr. Law says the LA Angels are the "Best Fit", with Baltimore's Orioles as the "Best Alternative"...The Nationals don't appear anywhere on the list...
...But DC does get a mention in FOXSports' Ken Rosenthal's 12/5 report entitled, "CC, Burnett in no hurry to make decisions", where Mr. Rosenthal also updates on the Nationals' interest in Mark Teixeira, writing:
"Teixeira, meanwhile, continues to be a target of the Nationals, whose owner, Ted Lerner, has spent extensive time with the player's agent, Scott Boras, according to major-league sources."
Whether or not the Nationals do actually sign Teixeira, the revelation of the fact that Mr. Lerner himself is meeting with Scott "Maximum" Boras is a development that fills me with hope for Washington's chances of eventually signing another Scott "Maximum" Boras client...That's right, Future Nationals' #1 Pick, pitcher Stephen Strasburg...Build those bridges...
WINTER LEAGUE ACTION!!!...
Friday In The DWL...
After a night off Thursday, the Dominican Winter League's Tigres del Licey were back in action last night against Aguilas Cibaenas, at the Tigres' home ballpark, Estadio Quisqueya, where the crowd was treated to a high-scoring affair that ended with Aguilas ahead 12-10 after 31 hits and 3 errors, one of which was committed by the Nationals' infielder, and Tigres' third baseman, Ronnie Belliard, who went 3 for 4 at the plate to make up for his play in the field...DC infielder Anderson Hernandez, starting at second for Licey, was 0 for 4 with a walk, a K and a run scored in the Tigres' loss.
Venezuelan Winter League...WDJD?
Thursday night, 12/4, the Navegantes del Magallanes traveled to play the Cardenales de Lara in Estadio Antonia Harrera Gutierrez, where the Magallanes dropped a 4-1 road game to Lara, but Jesus Flores, the Navegantes' DH, was 1 for 3 with the team's lone RBI, to lift his AVG to .227 in Venezuelan Winter League play.
ZIMMERMAN'S ABOUT TO GET PAID LIKE...?
MLB.com's Bill Ladson has a post about the Nationals' negotiations with the face of the franchise, 2005 1st Round pick, Ryan "The Kids Call Him Zim" Zimmerman, entitled, "Zimmerman, Nats not close to deal" at MLB.com's Hot Stove Blog, and Mr. Ladson has a full-length article, entitled, "Zimmerman must wait for multi-year deal" at the Nationals' official site, both of which report that Washington will wait until after the Winter Meetings to begin discussions with the Nationals' third baseman on what should be his first big money multi-year deal...
I took a look at Zimmerman's value last year, in a post entitled, "THE KIDS CALL HIM ZIM!!! The Nationals Call Him Tulowitzki...How does Ryan Zimmerman see himself?", where I linked to a 2/24/08 article by Washington Times' writers Thom Loverro and Mark Zuckerman entitled, "No movement in Zimmerman talks", where DC GM Jim Bowden stated the team's stance on the negotiations:
"'We've made it very clear to [Zimmerman and (agent Brodie) Van Wagenen] that if Ryan is willing to sign a contract that is similar to what all the other good young players are signing for -- and there's been a whole bunch of signings, as you all have seen in the last year -- if he's willing to do a market signing, we are prepared to do that with him...We're not going set all new markets with him. We're not going to change the pay scale of Major League Baseball for one player."
In MLB.com's Bill Ladson's recent article, the MLB.com writer brings up the same argument again when he writes that during the last negotiations between Zimmerman and the team:
"Washington vowed not to break the bank, but it was willing to give Zimmerman a contract that was similar to Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who signed a six-year, $31 million deal last January. Sources indicated back then that Zimmerman wanted a bigger contract."
What kind of deal would you give Zimmerman? Is there any chance Ted Lerner can talk to Zimmerman's agent like he's been talking to Scott Boras? Can you please give Zimmerman a deal before signing Teixeira for $25-$30 million a year? Cause Zimmerman's demands might get crazy after that happens...which it won't...in my opinion...SIgn Zimmerman, Please.