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A quarter way into the season, with several positives to be pleased with, but several more negatives to be concerned about, the first major restructuring of the Washington Nationals has occurred. It came at a time when the team sits at the precipice between a good first season and a bad one. To be sure, most all of the negatives were uncontrollable, be it a bad break or a bad outing. Regardless, GM Jim Bowden showed that he will not allow poor play to continue, regardless of the reasons.

Many of my fellow bloggers, and a few of the columnists in the local papers, have begun to question manager Frank Robinson's style, that he is to blame for many of the players problems. When you have 25 players on a roster, there will always be some chafing between personalities. But for every Zach Day who has had a bad year under Robinson, there is a Nick Johnson who is excelling. I personally favor Robinson's "yank 'em before they sink you" mentality. The chance of a pitcher who has given up 5 runs in the first 2 innings to suddenly find his "stuff" is minimal. Put in a pitcher who will give you a chance to win. No, the blame for this first "freefall" of the season doesn't lay at the feet of the manager.

And, hey folks, it's not like we're Tampa Bay, or Kansas City, or the Rockies.

The Nationals made nine roster moves on Thursday in an attempt to shake up a team who is just not getting the job done. Let's look at these moves:


CLAUDIO VARGAS - PITCHER
G-O-I-N-G
In the words of that famous British game show host, "You are the weakest link. Good bye!" Vargas was recalled from New Orleans and pitched brilliantly in his first game for Washington, giving up but one unearned run in six innings of workagainst Arizona. It's been downhill from there. He [likely] ended his career with a 2005 record of 0-3 and an ERA of 9.23. He went from brilliant to bum in two innings. He has been designated for "assignment," meaning he could be traded, released or demoted. Regardless, he'll never see RFK again wearing the red, blue and gold of Washington


ZACH DAY - PITCHER
G-O-I-N-G
This was the hardest transaction to watch unfold. Day has always been considered a pitcher of tremendous potential, someone who would someday finally break out and win 16 games in a season. Day tantalized first the Montreal fans, then us, with a game here and there where he utterly dominated the opposition. Those games, however, were always the exception, and not the rule. His scouting report on the TSN website describes a pitcher with a 97mph fast ball and a sinker from "hell." The report concludes that Day will be a #2 or #3 "top of the rotation" pitcher for "a long time." Well, maybe in New Orleans, but not in Washington. For the season, Day was 1-2 with an ERA of 6.75 before being sent down. His career numbers showed that potential described in his scouting report. Day is 19-21 with an ERA just over 4.00. This was to be the year that he broke out and saw his stats match his ability. In fact, I wrote a column in February where I said that Day was the "x" factor for the team, that a good season by him would equal a good season for the Nationals. It just wasn't meant to be.


T.J. Tucker - Pitcher
C-O-M-I-N-G
Before being injured, Tucker pitched in six games and five innings earlier in the season, giving up no runs and striking out two. For his career, Tucker is 13-9 with an ERA of 4.35. He has three good pitches and commands all 3 very well. He can be combatative on the mound, and rarely gives up regardless of the pitch count or the situation. His weight can be a problem at times, and because his fastball barely reaches 90mph, he has to have control of his other pitches or he'll be whacked on a regular basis.


TYRELL GODWIN - OUTFIELDER
C-O-M-I-N-G
Godwin was a Rule V draftee from the Blue Jays organization last year. If you're looking for power, forget. Godwin has 10 career minor league home runs in more than 1200 at basts. For Godwin, its all about speed, having stolen almost 90 stolen bases in the minor leagues. The Nationals are very high on Godwin, but wanted him to spend the year in New Orleans piling up the at bats. They just couldn't afford to keep him there any longer -- the offense is just to bad.


SUNNY KIM - PITCHER
C-O-M-I-N-G
With a career record of 7-9 and an ERA of over 5.00, it begins to make sense that he has spent the first quarter of the season at AAA New Orleans. He has, however, done everything asked of him, as he comes to D.C. with a winning record and an ERA under 3.00, very hard to do in the offensive minded Pacific Coast League. Kim has a fast ball that tops out in the mid 90s range, a nice curve and a good straight change. He's good with runners on base, but his mind tends to drift when the bases are empty. Good coming out of the bull pen, but his pitches are those of a starter.

Also, pitcher John Patterson was placed on the disabled list and outfielder Termel Sledge was placed on the 60 day DL, though he WILL be out for the rest of the year. Jon Rauch's torn labrum will likely keep him out for the season as well.

None of these moves will change the fate of the Nationals for 2005. These are all small parts of a large puzzle, individuals who can help but not enough to make a real difference. These moves were more of a wake up call to the players on the team, a 2X4 to the forehead to grab their attention.

That said, is there any less chance that the Nats won't get sweeped this weekend in St. Louis? Probably not. And that's the problem