Say Goodbye To Spivey, Escobar & Short
[December 21] - It's too bad that the Boston Red Sox chose to non-tender Jim Bowden.
At midnight Tuesday, the Washington Nationals non-tendered Junior Spivey, Alex Escobar and Rick Short, making them all free agents.
Short has already agreed to play in Japan. The 32 year old, who has hit and hit and hit everywhere he's played, finally got a chance to play in the major leagues this past season and batted .400 with a couple of home runs. Just wasn't good enough, I guess.
The acquisition of Alex Escobar was one of Jim Bowden's first moves as the team's new general manger. He traded prospect Jerry Owens to the White Sox for Escobar, who had failed to hit at the major league level with three different teams during his career. Owens was named to the Southern League all-star team in 2005, batting .331 with 2 homers and 52 RBI's, stealing 38 bases. He had an excellent .393 on base percentage and played well in the outfield. He's ticketed to begin 2006 at the 'AAA' level, although the White Sox have already indicated they will give him the opportunity to replace the departed Aaron Rowand in the outfield.
Junior Spivey is considered by most scouts as one of the 30 best second baseman in the major leagues. A former all-star, the Nationals gave up Tomo Ohka [he of the "I think I'll turn my back on Frank when he comes out to relieve me" fame] who won 11 games in 2005 with Milwaukee and has averaged 10 wins per season over his career.
What's going on around here????
Rick Short was a great story, a good player, but not a difference maker for the Nationals. Jerry Owens, however, may be a starting outfielder for the White Sox in 2006, and Tomo Ohka will probably lope to the mound every 5th day for the BrewCrew and win another 10-12 games as their #5 starter.
And the Nats? The Nationals will have nothing to show for it.
The team will probably sign someone else's non-tender castoff to be their #5 starter, someone like Ryan Franklin who won 8 games and "sported" a 5.14 ERA with the Mariners. And in perhaps the most ironic moment in the Nationals' young history, it's already being reported that Junior Spivey will be signed by the Texas Rangers to play second base, replacing Alfonso Soriano, who wants to play second for the Nationals but can't, and won't play the outfield but should.
I-yi-yi-yi-yi.
And by the way......maybe you have a glitch on your site because I asked about delted posts. I have posted at least three times, not obscene, not vulgar, just commenting on comments, and the next day they were gone.
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