In the article that Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore published Friday entitled, "Adam Dunn says he hasn't changed view on contract talks", in which Nats' first baseman Adam Dunn expressed his frustation with having to answer questions about possibly being traded, the 30-year-old big middle-of-the-order bat told Mr. Kilgore that he's removed from the process of getting an extension before his 2-year/$20 million dollar deal with Washington ends, preferring to leave those talks to his agent, "...I don't know anything about this kind of stuff. I stay out of it. I hate that crap." "Employee number 44", as Dunn referred to himself, also denied the rumors ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweeted last week which claimed that, "...Dunn has just about lost interest in working out a long-term deal with the Nationals," and on Saturday MLB.com's Bill Ladson posted a story on his blog, "All Nationals All The Time" entitled, "Rizzo doesn't like offers for Dunn -- so far", in which Mr. Ladson quoted, "A baseball source familiar with the Nationals situation [who] doesn't think they will trade first baseman Adam Dunn before the non-waiver trade deadline," because the Nats', "...general manager Mike Rizzo doesn't like the offers for Dunn," he's received so far, though it's made clear the Nats are still exploring their options...
But then on Sunday, the WaPost's Mr. Kilgore noted via Twitter, (@adamkilgoreWP) that, "For what it's worth, the #WhiteSox, a team linked to Adam Dunn trade rumors, have had a scout here in Florida all series watching the #Nats," and Chicago Tribune writer and syndicated columnist Phil Rogers reported, in an article entitled, "Phil Rogers' whispers: White Sox's Crede almost ready again," on the sort of deal Dunn's agent was trying to secure for his client:
"Adam Dunn is looking for a deal of at least four years for $60 million after having to settle for a two-year deal with the Nationals in his first run at free agency. The Nats want to keep him, but not at that price. It's likely he will be traded, with the Yankees, Angels and White Sox at the head of the list."
Right up until Adam Dunn signed with the Washington Nationals in February of 2009, the Nats were stating openly, as Washington Post writer Chico Harlan wrote at the time in a 1/8/09 Nationals Journal article entitled, "Nats Draw Line With Dunn, Hudson", that Dunn was, "...asking for [a contract] larger than Washington anticipated. And larger than Washington is willing to pay." After he'd signed with Washington, (with no better offers on the table than what then-GM Jim Bowden was offering), Dunn told MLB.com's Bill Ladson in an interview entitled simply, "Q&A with Adam Dunn", that he'd, "...thought it would be a lot more teams involved, but it just didn't work out that way," and asked if he'd been frustrated by the process of finding a free agent deal, the then-29-year-old outfielder told Mr. Ladson that he, "...was very frustrated,":
"...because I didn't know where I was going. I like to have a plan. I like to know where I'm going. For it to take that long, it was very frustrating."
If Dunn's looking to finally cash in on the deal he was told he would get last time he was a free agent, he might find himself on the market again, because 4-years at $15M per is more than I imagine the 30-year-old slugger getting from the Nats, and more than he's going to get from an AL team that wants him as a DH once he hits the free agent market....I'm with Dunn, I'm tired of all this talk, 13 days for the Nationals to decide what to do with Adam Dunn....