The fact that the Washington Nationals have a 3-year offer on the table for free agent first baseman Adam Dunn as MLB.com's Bill Ladson wrote Sunday in an article entitled, "Nationals have options if Dunn doesn't re-sign" isn't a revelation as much as a confirmation. (Mr. Ladson himself writes that, "the Nationals have had a three-year deal on the table for three months.") While Dunn reportedly wants a 4-year deal, rumors late this summer had the soon-to-be 31-year-old slugger willing to consider a 3-year deal. Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell noted a month back in an October 7th chat entitled, "Ask Boswell", that former Nats' President Stan Kasten was, "...fighting for it at both ends -- telling Dunn that Washington is the place for him and telling [the] Nats, I suspect, that their current 3-year offer isn't close enough to low-market-value to get a deal Dunn."
"Adam isn't going to sign for $10-million a year," Mr. Boswell said, recommending a 3-year/$36-42M dollar deal instead, while noting that, "...some think [Dunn will] get four years," from some team out there once he hits the open market.
Mr. Ladson's sources are saying that, "...the Nationals are not going to budge from their three-year offer," and won't, "...wait long for Dunn to respond to the offer", since there are other possibilites like Carlos Pena, Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche available as free agents with the Padres' Adrian Gonzalez and the Dodgers' James Loney out there as potential trade targets. In a FOXSports.com feature Sunday entitled, "MLB free-agency predictions", Tracy Ringolsby in recommending the Dodgers as a possible destination for Paul Konkero, says that Los Angeles, "...is looking to deal James Loney." Boston Globe writer Nick Carfado wrote Sunday in an article entitled, "Checking out the offseason marketplace", that Padres' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, "...is seeking Ryan Howard/Mark Teixeira numbers, far too rich for the Padres,":
"So Jed Hoyer is about to be bombarded with offers — possibly from the Red Sox, Orioles, and Nationals, to name three."
The Nationals, who are also in the market for starting pitching, get mentioned by Mr. Carfado in discussions about Cliff Lee, Jon Garland and Carl Pavano. Paul Konerko has been discussed as another potential target at first for the Nats, though Mr. Carfado singles out Carlos Pena as a "possible fit in D.C." Adam Dunn still wants to play first, Mr. Carfado writes, "The A’s, Cubs, or Orioles might give him that opportunity; the Tigers will give him a chance to DH," and Dunn will, "...get one of the bigger deals of the offseason," in Mr. Carfado's opinion. None of the scouts in the FOXSports.com feature have Dunn remaining in the nation's capital, with the Cubs, Tigers and White Sox mentioned as possible destinations.
In New York Newsday's sports writer Ken Davidoff's article on the "Top MLB Free Agents", Mr. Davidoff predicts that the Nats sign Carlos Pena to fill the hole at first and in the middle of their lineup if Dunn departs, with Javier Vazquez moving back to the NL and rejoining the franchise that originally drafted the now-34-year-old right-hander in the Nationals' starting rotation, with Pena getting 2-years/$13M while Vazquez, the Expos' '94 5th Round pick, receives 2/$16M. Brandon Webb, Vazquez? Cliff Lee? I believe two of those three could end up in D.C.
A source close to Lee reportedly told MLB.com's Bill Ladson in an article Sunday entitled, "Nationals to receive audience with Lee", that the veteran pitcher (and Expos' year 2000 4th Rounder) needed to learn more about the Washington Nationals, but Lee would, "listen to what Washington has to say." That was, however, just hours before the first reports came out from the AP, as reported in ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews' article entitled, "Report: Yankees call Cliff Lee's agent", that said the NY Yankees had contacted Lee's people and an offer would be coming soon...