The Washington Nationals, a third way through the season, seem to be a "top down" team. The major league roster, thought just a year ago to be thin and less than talented, is showing perhaps just enough talent to contend for the National League Eastern division crown. But while the Nationals are looking good right now, they're minor league system seems bereft of Many "cant miss" guys. Instead, you come accross a bunch of career minor leaguers just enjoying the opportunity to wear a baseball jersey one more time. What happened? Lots of things.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, no major league team produced more quality home grown players than the Expos. Gary Carter. Andre Dawson. Warren Cromartie. Larry Walker. Moises Alou. Rondell White. On and on it went. Their high point came in 1994, when the Expos were leading the NL East with a buch of career Expos players. Of course, the strike erased their first place standing and, as attendance dropped in the years that followed, those quality players were sold and traded to keep the team afloat.

Since then of course, the Expos have suffered from a lack of money and an ownership group who suffered from a lack of caring. They traded all of their stars for prospects who never seemed to pan out. Then, Omar Minaya became the GM of the Montreal Expos. With the team just a couple of games over .500 in 2002, Minaya decided the team was in a pennant race and traded 3 prospects to the Indians for Bartolo Colon. The Expos ended the year winning 83 games and Colon was gone with the free agent wind. How are those "prospects" doing?
#1 Grady Sizemore, Cleveland
2005 projected statistics: .284 average, 171 hits, 24 doubles, 17 triples, 15 homers, 70 rbi's, 22 steals
TSN scouting report: Sizemore is a 5 tool talent who will make several all-star squads during his career.
#2 Cliff Lee, Pitcher, Cleveland
2005 projected statistics: 17-8, 3.26 ERA -- 54 walks & 153 strikeouts
TSN scouting report: Quality 4 pitch arsenal with heat in the low 90s. Consistent 15 game winner in the bigs
#3 Brandon Phillips, 2B, Cleveland
Currently in minors
2004 statistics with Buffalo [AAA] .303 - 8 - 50, 14 steals, .376 OBP & .430 SLG
TSN scouting report: Can line the ball all over the field and is developing good power for a middle infielder. Has the tools to be an "elite" infielder.

Earlier in the season, Maniya acquired Lou Collier from the Mets for a promising outfielder

#4 Jason Bay, OF, Pirates
Rookie of the year last year
2005 projected statistics: .283 - 31 - 85 -- .372 OBP, .530 SLG
TSN scouting report: A quality player who will continue to get better. While he's just under super-star status, he will have a tremendous major league career.

Collier was hitting .252 at Milwaukee when the trade came down. He had spent parts of several seasons with the Brewers, so his ceiling level was well known. He played at Ottawa for the rest of the year and was then cut. He was cut by the Phillies last December and has yet to sign with any club. His TSN scouting report: "A light hitter who has an especially hard time hitting righthanders. A borderline utility player." At the time of the trade, Jason Bay was at AA where he was on pace to hit .294 with 17 homers and 80 rbi's.

Why do you trade a player with tremendous potential for a player who has already shown that he doesn't have what it takes to be a regular in the major leagues? Because Omar Minaya thought he needed a utility infilelder for his pennant run. Less than six months later, Collier was cut. Less than 2 years later, Jason Bay was the NL Rookie of the Year. Ouch.

The good news is this happened when the team was still in Montreal. Jim Bowden and the crew is laying the foundations for a quality minor league system. It isn't there yet, but it will be. We'll take a look at who's actually in the system tomorrow. Bot I gotta warn you: it's not great news.

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 11:29 AM