Nationals Sign Jerome Williams, Brandon Claussen
The AP is reporting that the Nats inked Jerome Williams and Brandon Claussen today for their rotation. Along with Tim Redding and John Patterson, they’ll give the Nationals some semblance of a rotation.
Williams, 25, lost the Cubs’ fourth starter job to Sean Marshall with a lousy spring in 2005. He got a couple of starts in April but was sent to Triple A by month’s end. The A’s claimed him off waivers in September but didn’t use him. The righty has strong groundball tendencies and a 4.03 career ERA.
Claussen, a southpaw, turns 28 in May. The Yanks traded him to the Reds for Aaron Boone back in ’03. Claussen had a solid 2005, making 29 starts with a 4.21 ERA. He had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in August of ’06 and won’t be ready for the start of the ’07 season.
Nationals Make Offers To Starters
The Washington rotation currently consists of John Patterson and a lot of question marks. Actually Patterson is a question mark himself right now. That’s why Jim Bowden has made offers to five starters.
The Nats would like to retain Tony Armas Jr. and/or Ramon Ortiz. Additionally they’re after Steve Trachsel, Jorge Sosa, and Jerome Williams. Bill Ladson reports that the offers range from a minor league deal (Williams probably) to $3MM.
Nice to see Jerome getting some love – I know he was lousy last year, but he does have the ability to post a 4 ERA in the NL.
Mets Could Add Tomo Ohka
According to Ken Davidoff of Newsday, the Mets are likely negotiating with free agent righty Tomo Ohka. Omar Minaya is familiar with Ohka from his time in Montreal.
Three teams have looked at Ohka’s medical records, and one NL East team besides the Mets is in the mix. The Marlins and Phillies don’t make sense, leaving the Braves or Nats as possibilities. Washington made Ohka an offer a month ago but it wasn’t enough.
UPDATE: The Washington Post confirms that the Nationals are still in the mix.
Click here to view my full profile on Ohka.
Nats Demand Red Sox Pitchers For Chad Cordero
According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox remain interested in Nationals closer Chad Cordero. The info may be in contrast to an article in the Boston Globe yesterday, which indicated that the price was too high on "name" closers.
The Nats are fond of pitchers Craig Hansen and Michael Bowden, but favor 22 year-old righty Clay Buchholz. Baseball Prospectus’s Kevin Goldstein ranks Buchholz a touch above Bowden, mentioning "three plus pitches at times." Buchholz finished 2006 in High Class A. All three pitchers are quality arms with a lot of upside.
Cordero turns 25 in March. He’s got three full seasons under his belt. He features fine command and has been unhittable throughout his career. He was bitten by the longball in 2006, but it looks like a fluke to me.
Reaction To The Vidro Trade
As expected, Mariners fans are up in arms about this deal. Check out Lookout Landing or U.S.S. Mariner if you don’t believe me. Nationals blogs, on the other hand, are ecstatic.
There is just no way to rationalize that trade. None. I’m guessing that it was like one of those Emperor’s New Clothes things in the Mariners’ front office when this thing came to fruition. No one would admit to Bavasi that his trade was downright awful. I tried to defend the Horacio Ramirez acquisition a little bit, but the Vidro trade just can’t be rationalized.
Who would’ve thought the Ms would swap Fruto, Snelling, and Soriano for Ramirez and Vidro? Ramirez may have been nontendered and Bowden would’ve gladly sent Vidro away for much, much less. I actually thought it was the Nats paying 75% of Vidro’s contract to in effect purchase the two prospects. That it’s the other way around and a vesting option was added is laughable.
Mariners Acquire Jose Vidro
The Mariners have traded Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto to the Nationals for second baseman Jose Vidro, according to the Washington Post. The Mariners intend to pay $12MM of the $16MM remaining on Vidro’s contract for 2007-08. Jim Bowden did well.
Vidro, 32, hopefully will not supplant young Jose Lopez as the starting second baseman. In getting into 126 games last year, Vidro had his healthiest season in a while. However, his power seems to have evaporated and he’s not exactly nimble in the field. Sure, he’s cheap, but he’s not particularly good. He’s little help at 2B or DH.
Snelling is another oft-injured player, though he is only 25. Many of his injuries have been the result of bad fortune, but he’s been through a lot. He’s still a good gamble for a team like the Nats.
Fruto is just 22 and is a high-upside arm with three plus pitches, according to Baseball America. He hasn’t started since ’03 but maybe the Nats will want to reinvent him.
Some Mets’ Notes
The Mets have resigned relief pitcher Guillermo Mota to a 2-year/$5MM contract, according to MLB.com. Mota was acquired from the Indians back in August and went 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 18 games for the Mets in 2006. He’ll be in New York for his 34 and 35 year seasons.
The Mets also lost top catching prospect Jesus Flores in the Rule V Draft today to the Washington Nationals. Though Jesus was still in the St. Lucie (A-advanced), he was considered to be the heir to the backstop once Paul Lo Duca was ready to move on. Flores will now be forced to play in the same stadium where he broke his thumb in an exhibition game at the start of the 2005 season.
""We’re disappointed, because we like Jesus a lot, but we’ll see how the process plays out," said Mets director of Minor League operations Adam Wogan."
The Mets are also still slated to meet with Barry Zito soon.
Nationals Rumor Roundup
I know I don’t give a lot of love to the Nationals on this blog, so here we go. Late last night, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson weighed in with all sorts of rumors.
Chad Cordero can be had, albeit for a steep price. The Red Sox want him. According to the Washington Post, the Mets love Cordero, but Bowden wants Lastings Milledge and then some. Specifically, Bowden wants a top prospect, a near Major League ready starter, and one more pitcher.
Ryan Church has been connected to the Phillies, Royals, Cubs, Pirates, and Tigers. Seems that Nats can’t wait to get rid of him. Specifically, the idea of sending Church to Philly for Ryan Madson has surfaced. That one doesn’t suit Washington though. Meanwhile, the Bucs are backing off.
Nobody wants Jose Vidro, but Jim Bowden would love to unload him.
There could be some chance of Rodrigo Lopez ending up a National, but no serious offer exists. Ladson doesn’t think Lopez makes sense for the Nats. It may have been a three-way proposal with the Tigers mixed in, but that one didn’t get far.
Edes On The Manny Meetings
Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe is all over the Manny Ramirez dealings.
The Angels will meet with the Red Sox tonight, but would have to bite the bullet and part with Scot Shields to get the deal done. Why are they so reluctant to do this? Come on. Its Manny. Boston is also interested in Orlando Cabrera, Ervin Santana, and Jered Weaver. You can count Weaver out. That’s silly.
The Giants might get in on it instead. The buzz is that the Nats could wedge their way into a three-way trade involving the following players: Chad Cordero, Noah Lowry, J.J. Putz, and/or Rafael Soriano, and Jimmie J.J. Walker.
Earlier this afternoon Edes talked to a Dodger official who rated the team’s chances of acquiring Manny at 5% at best. So you’re saying there’s a chance.
Nationals Sign A Million Minor League Free Agents
U.S.S. Mariner has a rundown of the slew of minor league free agents recently signed by the Nationals.
They label Tim Redding as the creme de la creme. Redding, 29 next year, posted some fine numbers in Triple A this season: 3.40 ERA, 2.6 K/BB. He’s got to be better than many current fifth starters in the bigs.
You can also read up on why they are down on Jason Schmidt and Alfonso Soriano.