Mr. Dukes Goes To Washington

Although I'd love to see the Nat's get Dukes I don't see how he'd fit in with Milledge now in town. Would he play RF in place of Kearns, and then maybe we'd shop Kearns around for a half decent young pitcher?

I realize its just a small detail, but Rosecrans writes for the Cincinnati Post, not the Cincinnati Enquirer.

who would the rays get in return for dukes? would they go after cordero?

if so, the rays would have one very strong bullpen this year. i really like what the rays are doing right now. i could see them overtake baltimore this year and possibly even toronto if they play as well as the can. they have 3 solid starters in kazmir, shields and now garza and a fairly capable 4 and 5 pitchers.

Please god, let SteakGrowsOnDmitri and DukesOfHazzard on the same team, with Lastings Milledge in center. I may have to become a Nats fan to watch this.

Please let this happen. For The Dugouts alone.

First Milledge, now maybe Dukes, seems like the Nats are trying to use Dimitri Young to mentor these young and troubled players. Personally I think its a good idea, especially considering what they gave up for Milledge. Milledge and Dukes have tremendous upside, and if they get straightened out the Nats could have uncovered 2 absolute gems.

Yeah, doesn't make much sense. The Nationals should focus on trading for starting pitching.

Oops Steve, I fixed that.

Nats seem (fairly) set with Shawn Hill and John Patterson maybe coming back in the spring. Maybe a back of the rotation vet? Insurance certainly wouldn't hurt...

Jesus, do they have enough outfielders?

This makes:
Pena/Milledge/Dukes/Kearns/Logan/Langerhans

I'm going to be keeping a close eye on Milledge next year. I'm still bummed about that deal.

While obviously ridiculously talented anyone think it could be a marketing tactic aswell as stockpiling talent that the Nationals are targeting young black outfielders? With the demographics of D.C. and the move into a new ballpark it seems to make sense not only in improving on the field performance but a way to build up the fanbase.

One of them is gonna go, but Pena, Dukes, and Milledge all have tremendous upside, that COULD be a force to be reckoned with, or it could be one angry outfield.

Logan and Langerhans aren't going to be anything more than backups, at best, next season, and I think this would set the scene for a trade of Kearns to a team in need of an OF'er, like SD or TEX or CHC.

I really like what Bowden has done lately. Maybe he'll wise up and deal Cordero for a young SP like Pelfrey, too.

Wily Mo is a calm, happy go lucky guy. Between him and Dmitri I think Dukes would be to terrified of being sat upon to act up.

While DukesofHazzard on the Nats would make for some awesome Dugouts, I'm more curious about what the Rays get back here.

If Burnett can't stay healthy this year, and the Rays make a few more of the right moves, I could see them passing the Jays. Then maybe they could finally get that new stadium and actually play outdoors.

I think the Cubs would be a good target for Kearns if you get Dukes.

I'd try and get Prior and Cedeno for him. Seems to solve alot of needs for the nats that way. Granted Prior is a risk, but wouldn't be bad getting cedeno for the nats, and taking the risk on prior.

"Then maybe they could finally get that new stadium and actually play outdoors."

I thought the new stadium was a done deal, and they will be in it for 2012. The pictures of it are awesome.

Obviously depends on what is coming back but right now this doesn't seem a like a great deal for the Rays.

Is this a sign that Dukes is beyond rehabilitation? Is the ticking time bomb inevitable?

And certainly they can find a better trading partner than the Nats? Do the Nats really have top shelf talent in surplus that they can trade?

First, i cant see the Nats trading Cordero and not getting a SP in the deal.

Second i though the cubs were looking for a lefty bat to play in the OF and that would mean they would pass on Kearns.

Third, would the Nats still be in the picture to try and acquire Andruw Jones? I know Dukes is a CF as well but maybe play him in left, jones in ceter, and milledge in RF. All this being said the Nats still NEED PITCHING

Dukes is a great talent, but I don't understand the move at ALL. Will someone please give Wily Mo Pena a chance to play every day? The guy is a freaking beast.

The Nats are saying that they've already spoken to Marion Berry about mentoring Dukes.

Thats going to be one toolsy outfield!

I'm thinking 450 k's as a whole for that outfield. Over/Under?

ive got it

they get dukes

their starting out field will be milledge, dukes and pena.

trade kearns to the cardinals for anthony reyes

makes sense?

If I were the Nats I wouldn't be trading anybody just yet to make room for Dukes.

They don't know if this guy is even mentally capable of making it through a season.

The Nationals will not move Kearns. They love him. Langerhans is not in their plans...Logan is clearly expendable.
The issue that needs to be addressed is what happens with Dmitri if Nick Johnson is healthy. There might be a trade in the works

I'm just excited for the L Milz and E.J Dukes rap album

This is interesting...

A guy like Kearns might be interesting to a team like the Indians ~ who would love to deal a guy like Cliff Lee.

Then, get a package together and ship Cordero + OFer to maybe Mil for a SP.

With the sheer depth for the OF they are building, they could feasibly trade them for the SP they need. I would be watching them closely if I were the other NL-E teams ~ not that they will probably compete, but if they manage to start beating you much more frequently then it will hurt your chances of making the playoffs just the same...

What the hell. What, is it everyone ship their young OF with upside to the Nats week?

Hebrew Natl--

You're referring to those periods in between Nick Johnson's DL stints?

I can easily see Young staying. Spelling Johnson, PH'ing, alternating w/Wily Mo and Milledge. The guy can still hit and is cheap.

What's going on?

Is Jim Bowden assimilating a young, cheap, talented team?

Maybe that DUI woke him up.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with Nick Johnson next year. The Giants could make a play for him, using Noah Lowry as bait.

As far as Kearns, I say keep him in LF and a platoon of Milledge & Dukes in CF, with the two of them splitting duties with Pena in RF as well. Although, a Dukes & Milledge competition could be heated...

It's looking like a very talented baseball team will take last place in the NL East next year. I'm thinking last place in the east is 2 games behind first place in the central. Over/under?

LF - Pena
CF - Dukes
RF - Milledge
Kearns is shipped for Lee
The Nationals might just win an award for these moves. They're outstanding!

Acquiring an expensive centerfielder would kind of negate what a nice trade Bowden just made picking up Milledge. He is much more valuable in centerfield, where big numbers arent expected, although he should produce them sooner or later. If Milledge struggles a little bit this year while getting regular ML at bats for the first time, and posts a .270/.330/.450 it will look better in centerfield, not to mention he plays a much much better centerfield then he does rightfield.

President Bush has just recieved an order of protection against Dukes. He's not allowed within 50 miles of either of his daughters.

"LF - Pena
CF - Dukes
RF - Milledge
Kearns is shipped for Lee
The Nationals might just win an award for these moves. They're outstanding!"

I agree, only switch Dukes and Milledge, I think Milledge has more range then Dukes, especially in center, and from what I hear Dukes has a cannon, though I heard this from a friend and havent ever actually seen him throw in an ML game so I cant be sure.

I don't think he is capable of putting on a condom ...He has alot growing up to do and this is a really a High risk High reward situation with guy that still acts like 15 year emotionaly and mentally...I just won't want to trade for a this guys make up off the field which does effect the on the field performance

Nice buy low situation for Bowden, can't really backfire on him.

Is Jim Bowden in the mafia? Because he seems to be benefiting from a lot of "offers other GMs couldn't refuse."

nrmax,

Oh, if you havent seen him play then you are in for a treat! This kid is amazing ~ his arm is a thing of beauty and he can look like a 10-year vet in the field at times. When people talk about him and his talent, its not unwarranted at all. The only problem is the Milton-Bradley-like mind...

"It'll be interesting to see what they do with Nick Johnson next year. The Giants could make a play for him, using Noah Lowry as bait"

...Another interesting idea! The Giants do have plenty of 1B depth (the only hitting position they have depth at), but if Johnson can play the OF I could see something like this taking place as well. Will be an amazing SP rotation with Lee and Lowry? Nah, but will be light-years better then what they used last year when they werent as bad as some would expect. Add to it upgrades in the OF ~ well, like I said, I would be watching real closely if I were the Mets/Braves/Phillies...

RF - Kearns
CF - Milledge
LF - Pena
Bench - Dukes

While Kearns had a rough first half of the season last year, he really kicked into high gear towards the end of the season, and if he has even a mediocre spring training, his greater degree of maturity and outstanding defense will keep him on the field for Manny. Manny LOVES defense.

That being said, Logan and Langerhans are as good as gone, and the nats will probably get very little to nothing in return for them.

toshiro's right about the whole Johnson/Young role. Dmitri will play plenty, and there's no way they'll trade him.

I'm going to stick out my neck and say there's NO WAY the nats ship Kearns, but then again, the Schneider move took me by surprise...

OH, and as for pitching, which so many people readily critic the Nats for, it's stronger than you might think - not great, but not terrible either. Combine that with a very strong bullpen, and the collective pitching staff is pretty strong actually...

Hill
Bergman
Patterson
Redding
Chico

Once the above start to fall apart:
Lannan
Hanrahan
Detwiler
Ballester

And the cool thing is that these reserves are all going to be real good pitchers for the Nats in the future...

Most of the National's problems last year occured at the beginning of the season when Patterson was pitching rusty and injured, Williams was pitching, and so was Speigner.

darkstar, I knew he could rake, and i have seen him play more then a few times, just havent gotten a chance to see him try to throw somebody out from the outfield. Despite his .190 average, he still hit a homerun every 18 at bats, have a nice BB/K ratio, and figure out how to get a .700 ops while hitting below the mendoza line. It will be fun seeing him play in Washington.

darkstar1661-
From watching Dukes play in High School and with the Rays, I gotta tell you that calling his mind Milton Bradley-esque is doing an injustice to Milton Bradley. Every time he struck out, 44 times in 220 PA last year, that man needed to be avoided by EVERYONE. I thought he was gonna kill somebody in the dugout. His upside is incredible though, but I just don't think he is remotely close to being able to handle being a professional athlete. I understand guys can turn it around after being labeled as malcontents, Carl Everett comes to mind, but I really think Dukes is just crazy. To his credit, I think he believes in dinosaurs though.

ARod-
New stadium was just proposed by the Rays organization. They still have 20-something years left on their lease at Tropicana and would need to destroy Al Lang Field, a St. Pete Baseball staple, before they can move forward. A lot is depending on a vote next year by St. Pete residents on whether to allow it or not... makes sense why they're unloading talented but troubled guys. Hopefully BJ is safe despite that DUI a while back.

As someone who just moved to the DC area I'm glad to see some great young talent headed in this direction. Plus a brand new park to watch all these kids grow up in.

I will definitely pay money to see Millege and Dukes and Pena in the OF. Even if only 2 out of the 3 live up to their potential the Nats will be worth watching for once.

Yeah, that OPS and HR rate is rather impressive with the BA less than his weight huh…

As far as on the field ~ he is one of those where if you have a game playing in the background while you do chores around the house, you see a play out of the corner of your eye and youre instantly glued to the screen thinking to yourself “who the F* was that” as you wait for the replay. Upon seeing the replay you are mesmerized to find out that it’s the 23YO headcase in his 5th game or so since recall to the majors ~ all you can think of is watching the rest of the game hoping to see him again defy what you thought was even possible…

Only problem I possibly see though is the Vlad factor. Guerrero of course has a monster arm and should be one of the best of his time at gunning guys out. That’s not Vlad though; he not only wants to be the best of his time, but wants to also be the best ever if possible. What results is his ego puts him into a situation where he commonly hits the stands or LFer while needlessly trying to gun a guy out at 3B. Because he has a mentaility of “I can do anything:, his arm becomes almost a hindrance instead of the blessing it should be…

DRayDude,
“but I really think Dukes is just crazy. To his credit, I think he believes in dinosaurs though.”

…Hahaha! Classic! And its hard to say “doing an injustice to Milton Bradley” in the mentality department, but you might be correct. Actually, maybe I should have said Albert Belle ~ he was exactly the same, possibly as bad. His teammates have said that he ran the clubhouse so strictly that it felt there would be ice building up in the whirlpools, all because Joey liked it cold. It took MadDog Hershiser to come in and put him in his place a little, but even then the beyond-gone mind-state didn’t go completely away. There was actually a clause in Belles contract which allowed for an allowance to cover the damage he would do to visiting clubhouses after he had a “bad day”; which “bad day” to him was 2-4 with a 2B and 3 RBI but 2 SO that he felt he got owned on…

The following are statements offered following

the Nationals’ acquisition of outfielder Elijah Dukes from the Tampa Bay Rays:

Stan Kasten, Nationals President

“The decision to acquire Elijah Dukes was not a simple one. From a purely baseball perspective, all our evaluators agree he has the talent to be a quality major leaguer. From a franchise standpoint, we want to make sure Elijah is determined to be a quality contributor off-the-field as well.

“Let me emphasize that though Elijah’s history may be very different from other players on our team, he will very definitely be held to the same high standards. We believe the Nationals clubhouse, manager, organization, and fans give Elijah Dukes his best chance to succeed and grow.”

Jim Bowden, Nationals Vice President and General Manager

“Elijah has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order impact bat who is capable of playing all three outfield positions. We spent many months investigating, researching and studying all the issues on and off the field regarding this transaction. This decision, however, is more than an educated gamble. The support of our manager, coaches, front office and active players were a major factor in this decision. Our organization is determined to help Elijah turn his life around off the field and continue his development as a player.”

Manny Acta, Nationals Manager

“I’m looking forward to working with Elijah. I recently saw him play in Winter Ball and am convinced he can be a solid addition to our ballclub. He has assured me he will come to Spring Training ready to play. I’ve already talked to some of my players and know they share my enthusiasm about welcoming him to Washington. He could be real difference-maker.”

Elijah Dukes

“I am excited about getting a fresh start with an up-and-coming franchise like the Washington Nationals. It’s an important move for my career and gives me the chance to prove myself both on and off-the-field. I appreciate this opportunity and am looking forward to meeting the fans of Washington, DC as we move into a brand new ballpark.”

"I will definitely pay money to see Millege and Dukes and Pena in the OF. Even if only 2 out of the 3 live up to their potential the Nats will be worth watching for once."

Exactly, even if the Nats stink, it is nice having a lot of young talent. I remember when Reyes and Wright broke in with the Mets, and even though the team was still pretty bad, those guys generated so much excitement they were still fun too watch. Its all about bringing in guys that are fun too watch. Atleat a 4th or 5th place team with some great young talent can be fun to watch. Nobody wants to watch a bad team filled with no upside players that is going nowhere.

For what its worth, I've noticed on a few occasions last season that people posting on raysbb.com saying they had met Dukes, and thought was a really nice person. Takes time for the fans etc.
I really hope that he can grow out of his anger problems enough to have a productive career, get a big contract and relax.

Oh what a joke that quote by Dukes is. He's not capable of putting together 3 coherent sentences together, like that. Now if the quote was, "You dead, dog! MF Rays gonna pay!" then I would believe it.

For those not familiar with Dukes and his antics, don't make long range plans with this clown because you will be disappointed. He suffers from the classic "coddled athlete syndrome." Until he gets over "the world owes me" attitude he will never make it. I am not sure he is there yet, or if he will ever be.

Score this as a win for Andrew Friedman and the Rays. He salvaged having to release Dukes outright last June. The fact that he got more than a pack of sunflower seeds underscores the fact that this was a classic example of addition-by-subtraction!