Nationals sign Royce Clayton!! and Felix Rodriguez!

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060202&content_id=1305427&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was

This IS NEWS!!!

I hope Clayton is our starter!!

[Uncle Dak]

Sweet! Clayton looks a lot better than Guzman!

[KingJ]

Our current depth chart at SS:

C. Guzman
R. Clayton
D. Jackson
J. Carroll

I wonder if Carroll will ever manage to play a game this season.

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

Our current depth chart at SS:

C. Guzman
R. Clayton
D. Jackson
J. Carroll

I wonder if Carroll will ever manage to play a game this season.

He'll get some time at 3rd unless Harris makes the team.
He'll pinch hit and run.

[Bob Hannah]

He's a solid ballplayer and could spell Zimmerman as well.

This is typical Bowden. Not having much of payroll to work with, the onwership and stadium situations unclear, he seems to be doing with infielders what he did with outfielders last year.

Look for him to try and deal with other teams in ST. Another scenario- if another team gets hard hit with injuries in Florida, the bargain basement signings Jimbo pulls off have their value increase as gaps need to be filled.

[tonypug]

He's a solid ballplayer and could spell Zimmerman as well.

This is typical Bowden. Not having much of payroll to work with, the onwership and stadium situations unclear, he seems to be doing with infielders what he did with outfielders last year.

Look for him to try and deal with other teams in ST. Another scenario- if another team gets hard hit with injuries in Florida, the bargain basement signings Jimbo pulls off have their value increase as gaps need to be filled.

Wasn't Guzman signed to a lon term deal. Of course RENTA- ROYCE will just be for a year at most. He will probably be moved to another team before the season is over.

[Bob Hannah]

Wasn't Guzman signed to a lon term deal. Of course RENTA- ROYCE will just be for a year at most. He will probably be moved to another team before the season is over.

Guzman got a four year deal at about $4 mil per year (YIKES!!!) as one of Bowden's first moves as GM.

No doubt Clayton or someone else will be moved. With the restrictions Bowden has moneywise, he seems to stock up on used parts that are sevicable, but have seen better days. Again, maybe trying to catch lightening in a bottle. If one or two of these guys get hot they'll help the team and/or could be used as bait for a contender needing to fill gaps. It worked for Carrasco and Loaiza as FAs.

[KingJ]

Hopefully Page can build some trade bait. He set Larry Broadway, Brandon Watson, Rick Short, Tyrell Godwin, and Brendan Harris straight after seasons of mediocry as the minor league hitting coach.

[KingJ]

I also have a prediction at 1B:

Daryle Ward does well in AAA and gets called up
Bowden trades Nick Johnson in midseason
Ward becomes the starting 1B

That signing had me thinking classic Bowden bait-and-switch.

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

I also have a prediction at 1B:

Daryle Ward does well in AAA and gets called up
Bowden trades Nick Johnson in midseason
Ward becomes the starting 1B

That signing had me thinking classic Bowden bait-and-switch.

KingJ!!

Whoa! You think Ward will become the starting 1B and that Johnson will be traded! Johnson was argurably our best player last year! :eek

[Ryan25Zimmerman]

If Johnson gets traded, it would be Ward backing up Broadway. But it makes sense Bowden planning on trading Johnson. He was only signed to a one-year deal keep in mind :noidea

[KingJ]

Whoa! You think Ward will become the starting 1B and that Johnson will be traded! Johnson was argurably our best player last year! :eek

Not exactly happy with it either, but I think that is Bowden's plan: Hope Ward will get back on track with his career in AAA, trade Johnson in July to fill any holes we have, and make Ward the starting 1B.

Zimm: I doubt Ward would be the backup to Broadway. Ward has more experience and was a favorite of Frank Robinson to be 1B a few years ago. Broadway was allocated to AA so Ward could start in AAA.

[Ryan25Zimmerman]

Not exactly happy with it either, but I think that is Bowden's plan: Hope Ward will get back on track with his career in AAA, trade Johnson in July to fill any holes we have, and make Ward the starting 1B.

Zimm: I doubt Ward would be the backup to Broadway. Ward has more experience and was a favorite of Frank Robinson to be 1B a few years ago. Broadway was allocated to AA so Ward could start in AAA.

Hmm, well I guess I'll just have to hope for Broadway to show up ward
My perspective on sports, is the future comes first. So I would start Broadway over Ward. I don't know why I'm like this. I guess that's why I switched from a Yankees fan last year. Along with that I finally wanted to get into baseball and I thought choosing a new team would help. I guess if Johnson does go, I'm rooting for Broadway.