THE BELTWAY BOYS: So-So A No Show, All Is Good To Go-Go

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So-So A No Show, All Is Good To Go-Go

[February 15th] -- Well, the great Sammy Sosa adventure is over. Adam Katz, Sosa's agent, has told Nationals general manager Jim Bowden that he will not accept the team's non-guaranteed offer to join the club for 2005.

Just too beneath him, I guess. I'm beginning to wonder if he was stringing the Nationals along in hopes of finding a "better fit" [read: more money] elsewhere. Why else would the mercurial [read: cheating] outfielder have waited for almost two months before making his decision, just days before spring training.

Props to big Frank Thomas, who took a similar contract to renew his career with the Oakland Athletics. He wasn't bigger than the game, it seems. Sosa feels that he's above and beyond having to prove himself [read: run during spring training] after all he's done for major league baseball. Hurrumph.

I was initially for a Sosa signing, but at the expense of Alfonso Soriano and not Ryan Church and Marlon Byrd. It was never my hope to see Sosa in the same outfield with Soriano and Jose Guillen. Now, the team will again look "in house" for their third outfielder; a position that Church or Byrd [but not Watson] should ably fill.

Thanks, Sammy. You saved the Nationals the embarrassment of seeing another quality player traded to the hinterlands so that you could bat .220 in Washington.

# posted by Farid Rushdi @ 11:11 AM

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Rasner Rocks For Yanks

What was it that Jim Bowden said when he lost Darrell Rasner to the Yankees through waivers last winter? Wasn't it something like, "C'mon, it wasn't like he was going to make an impact at the major league level?" Well Jimbo, it seems like some of your "minor" transactions are coming back to haunt you.

Rasner, a 6'3" righty from Carson City, Nevada, was waived February 11th by the Nationals, just a couple of weeks before the start of spring training. He was picked up and assigned to 'AAA' Columbus. He had some injuries this year, but it didn't effect his pitching. In 58 innings for the Clippers, Rasner went 4-0, 2.76. But wait. There's more.

Pitching on Sunday against the Twins, Rasner pitched 6 strong innings, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits. In two starts, he's now 1-0, 1.17.

What do you always like to say, Jim, something about "You can never have enough pitching?" Let's see, you waived Rasner, and he's starting for the Yankees. You waived Claudio Vargas, and he's starting for the Diamondbacks. You waived Byung Young Kim, and he's starting for the Rockies. You traded Tomo Ohka for a guy no longer in the major leagues, and he's starting for the Brewers.

Jim, if I were you, I'd stay away from the waiver wire. Seems like you haven't figured it that it's supposed to help the team, not hurt it.

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Big Changes, Little Names

Big happenings? Nah. Just happenings. Zach Day was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies and Capitol Punishment is reporting that the Nats have claimed him off the waiver wire. So we ended up getting Preston Wilson for nothing. That's nice. Billy Traber, he of the tight leash, was sent down to New Orleans and replaced by Mike O'Connor.

That's all well and good, but don't look to any of these moves making a difference in the play of the team. But hey, it's something to talk about. Right?