Lastings Milledge brings his tools to the District.

Where Are They Coming From

In 2007, the Washington Nationals went 73-89, which was good for fourth place in their division. The two win improvement over their 2006 campaign pushed the Nats out of the basement for the first time in five years. The solid hitting of Dmitri Young led the Nats last season on offense with a .320 batting average. One major problem for the Nats last season was their pitching. The best pitcher for the Nationals last season was relief pitcher Jon Rauch. Rauch last year led the team with eight wins, and his 1.10 WHIP was a team best.

Players Added

Going into the offseason, the Washington Nationals knew they had to improve their starting pitching and try to get solid bat to work with Dmitri Young.

Early in the offseason, the Nationals made a deal with the New York Mets that brought in outfielder Lastings Milledge. Milledge last season hit .272 with 7 home runs and 29 RBI in just 59 games. At just 22 years old, and with a boatload of potential, Milledge could be in for a long career. Watch for Milledge to take over in centerfield while hitting .280 with 15 to 20 home runs and about 50 RBI.

A week after the Nats traded for Milledge, they went out and picked up another young outfielder. The Nationals and the Rays agreed on a deal that sent the troubled Elijah Dukes to the capital city. Dukes had some personal problems in the past, but the Nats think that his talent out weighs his off the field problems enough to give a second chance. Dukes was the opening day starter last year for the Rays due to multiple injuries in the outfield; in 52 games he hit a minuscule .190 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI. Last season Dukes hit eight of his 10 home runs in just a 31-day span and he can steal bases. Keep an eye on Dukes this year as he will likely start the year in the minors, but he will be the first one called up if there is an injury to any of the outfielders.

After the Yankees demoted him to the minors last season, Tyler Clippard will receive another chance in the majors after the Nationals traded for him. Clippard last season was 3-1 with a 6.33 ERA in six starts, but if he can reduce the walks and the home runs, he could still be a star. Last year, Clippard gave up six home runs and walked 17 batters in just 27 innings. If the Nationals can work out some mechanical problems in Clippard’s throwing motion then he will be a starter for the Nats this year. Watch for Clippard to start 30 games and win 12 of them while pitching six or seven innings per game for the Nationals.

The Nationals and journeyman Aaron Boone agreed to a one-year deal worth $1 million. Boone will not play much as the back up to Ryan Zimmerman and Dmitri Young, and his knees will not allow him to be an everyday player anymore. Boone will bring some much needed veteran experience with him that will help mold the younger players ahead of him on the depth chart into better and more responsible players. Last season Boone hit .286 with 5 home runs and 28 RBI in 69 games. Boone was having a solid season until he hit the DL in July with a bad knee that eventually required surgery.

Paul Lo Duca and the Nationals agreed on a one-year deal worth $5 million. Lo Duca says that he went with the Nats because he felt wanted and he going to get many chances to face his old team. Less than a week after the Nationals signed Lo Duca he appeared in the infamous Mitchell Report as a purchaser of performance enhancing drugs. Last season Lo Duca hit .272 with 9 home runs and 54 RBI. Currently Lo Duca is recovering from a knee injury suffered while working out a few weeks ago. Lo Duca will be ready for the season opener and will this .280 this year with 10 home runs and 60 RBI.

The Washington Nationals added a back up catcher this week for the recently signed and injured Paul Lo Duca. Johnny Estrada and the Nats agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.25 million. Estrada is coming off knee and elbow surgeries of his, but he is healthy right now. Once Lo Duca is healthy, expect Estrada to be riding the bench for the majority of the season.

Players Lost

While the Nationals have made a good amount of trades this off-season, they have not given up any players of importance. The one trade that cost them the most could turn out to be their best deal of the off-season.

Brian Schneider and Ryan Church went to the Mets in the trade that brought Milledge to town. Church last season hit .272 with 15 home runs and 70 RBI. Watch for Church to be the everyday right fielder for the Mets in 2008. Church will likely improve his batting average while breaking out with 25 home runs and 100 RBI with his new team. Schneider on the other hand had a tough season last year hitting just .235 with 6 home runs and 54 RBI. With the Mets Schneider will be the new starting catcher, and will receive plenty of chances to knock in runs with the best hitting line up in the National League. Look for Schneider to improve his average and to knock in 75 RBI.

The Nationals sent rookie relief pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo to the Yankees in the trade that brought Clippard to Washington. Albaladejo went 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 14 appearances with the Nats last year, and was 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in Triple-A Columbus. The Yankees will likely use Albaladejo as a middle relief pitcher if they keep him in the big leagues. At just 25 years old, his young arm has yet to experience the grueling schedule of the major leagues. Watch for Albaladejo to appear in 40 to 50 games this year for the Yankees.

Move Still To Come

The Nationals have not been involved in many discussions involving any big name players currently but they still need to acquire a starting pitcher that will stay healthy and will not break their bank either. Of all the players that are left in free agency, only three players could fit the bill for the Nats, but all three problems of their own.

• Kyle Lohse would be a good fit for the Nationals if they can talk him down on his contract demands. Lohse went into the off-season looking a three deal in the range of $33 million. With a 63-74 record and a 4.82 ERA, one would have to ask who in their right mind would pay $11 million per season for a losing pitcher. If they can get Lohse to agree on a one-year deal for the $2.5 million range then they would be set. Washington fans, do not get your hopes up because this move is highly unlikely but would be a good fit for both.


• A return trip to Washington for Livan Hernandez could be in the making. Hernandez’s ability to eat up lots of innings every year would be huge for the nationals who need a starter that can pitch more than two and a third innings. Hernandez could give the Nats around 10 to 15 wins and would be a lock to eat at least 200 innings.


• Kris Benson could be an option for the Nationals as a last resort. If the Nats cannot pull of a deal for any other pitcher, they make take a chance with Benson. Benson missed the whole 2007 season with a torn Labrum. In 2006, he went 11-12 for the Orioles. Benson highlighted his stuff a few teams in December but no bought it when he could not throw at 100 percent. If he can prove to the Nats some time in mid-February that he is healthier than they saw in December they might invite him to Spring Training.

What to Watch for in Spring Training

In spring training this year, look for the young new comers to show case their stuff, while the veterans fine-tune their game for new season. Some position battles of interest could be the battle between Wily Mo Pena and the rest of the outfielders heading into the season. Pay attention to Pena especially because he has the talent to be an everyday player if he can figure the tricky curve ball. His fielding is questionable but he has showed some ability in the field while playing the tricky right field in Boston. Felipe Lopez will be locked in a battle with Christian Guzman as well for the starting shortstop job. Lopez was the everyday player last year but Guzman showed he could play well when got the chance. Along with the everyday players headed to spring training the Nats invited 23 players to compete for one of the few roster spots available this year in spring training.

Pitchers

• Mike Bacsik


• Bobby Brownlie


• Tristan Crawford


• Michael Hinckley


• Ray King


• Arnie Muñoz


• Michael O'Connor


• Steven Shell


• Jason Stanford


• Dennis Tankersley


• Jim Ed Warden

Catchers

• Humberto Cota


• Chad Moeller

Infielders

• William Bergolla


• Luis Antonio Jimenez


• Pete Orr


• Antonio Perez


• Ed Rogers


• Yurendell de Caster

Outfielders

• Jason Dubois


• Alex Escobar


• Tommy Murphy


• Jorge Padilla