ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears things. Every once in a while he Tweets about them. The last time the subject of such Twitter messages was the Washington Nationals' big middle-of-the-order bat, Adam Dunn, Mr. Olney wrote a fairly long "Twitlonger"-worthy series of messages which explained, to simplify for brevity's sake, that, "Would-be free agent Adam Dunn has just about lost interest in working out a long-term deal with the Nationals." In a Washington Post Nationals Journal article by Adam Kilgore which followed, entitled, "Adam Dunn says he hasn't changed view on contract talks", Mr. Kilgore linked to Mr. Olney's reports when writing:
"Adam Dunn denied the recent suggestion that his desire to sign an extension with the Nationals has waned because the negotiations have lingered so deep into the season."
This afternoon's tweets by Mr. Olney about Dunn, however, we're echoed by at least one other national baseball writer, which doesn't make them any more credible, really, since neither cites an identified source, but since both Mr. Olney and FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal are reporting the same information, here it is:
@Buster_ESPN - "Heard this: The Nationals may attempt to complete talks with Adam Dunn in the next eight days, and if they can't do it, they'll move him."
FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal mentions Dunn...
FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal mentions Dunn this afternoon in an article intriguingly entitled, "Nationals may be playing risky game with Dunn ", in which Mr. Rosenthal writes that, "The Nationals could be playing a dangerous game with first baseman Adam Dunn,":
"Some in the industry believe the team might offer Dunn a new contract just before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, then trade him if he rejects the deal."
Which is essentially the same thing ESPN.com's Jayson Stark wrote yesterday in a section of his article entitled, "Call it simply a 'mediocre' starter market", which was subtitled, "Dunn deal", and quoted a rather unique variation from the source sobriquet wheel, the "baseball man":
"According to one baseball man familiar with those discussions, it has everything to do with the club trying to establish whether it can either get Dunn signed to an extension this month or at least come to a mutual agreement on what it would take to get him signed."
The Nationals, as they have under the Kasten/Rizzo regime through all the free agent and trade talk that's surfaced, have remained, "predictably mum" as the Post's Mr. Kilgore (@adamkilgoreWP) put it in a tweet of his own this afternoon in which the Nats' trade deadline mantra is once again given voice:
"Stan Kasten predictably mum re #Nats' trade deadline plans. Said Mike Rizzo is 'considering any possibility' and will 'cover any ground.'"
The Nats' front office isn't giving up any info, get used to it. Rizzo's Front Office is leak proof...and I'm with Adam Dunn, this has all grown tedious. (ed. note - "Pronounced 'teed-yus" like Van Dyke Parks says it.") Did I mention that Dunn's also on the San Francisco Giants' wish list? An unnamed "source" tells FOXSports.com's Jon Morosi, "...#Giants remain interested in Hart and DeJesus, with Dunn and Cantu also on their list..." July 31st can't come soon enough.