Why Sign Adam Dunn?

ESPN.com's Keith Law makes very interesting points in his most recent blog post about Adam Dunn and the Washington Nationals.

From ESPN.com:

""Developmental concerns aside, the big question for the Nationals is this: Why? Dunn won't be around long enough to be part of the first winning Nationals team. Even if Dunn has one of his best years, the Nationals are still the favorite to finish last in the NL East and unlikely to finish above fourth. As mentioned above, they have done a terrible job of using the trade market to restock their farm system—a route that Oakland, Texas, and Cleveland have recently used to vault their systems into the top five in the game—and the tepid market for Dunn this winter doesn't bode well for his trade value. Dunn didn't net a draft pick for Arizona, so there's no reason to assume the Nats will get a pick or two for him after 2010.

Dunn's contract becomes $20 million for a few meaningless wins over the next two years. Moves like that don't usually push a franchise backward, but they don't push it forward, either.""

I don't think anyone in their right mind believes the Nationals can compete in 2009 or even 2010. Law is 100 percent right here.

This brings us to the question: why did the Nationals spend $20 million bucks on Dunn when they still remain a long distance away from competing for a playoff birth? It seems illogical and somewhat stupid on the surface, but I see exactly where GM Jim Bowden was going with this move.

You have to understand how insignificant the Nationals have become in the Washington DC area. Sure, the Nationals have a nice, new stadium for fans to watch a game in.  The problem was they had no players who fans actually wanted to come see play. There was no buzz. No reason to get excited.

Hell, one can only get so excited about watching a bunch of retreads and young guys struggle to avoid losing 100 games in a season.  The cellar seems to be this team's ceiling.

So that's why Dunn means so much to the Nationals. He gives the fans a reason to care.

In the past, the Nationals have not had a power presence in the middle of their lineup.  With Dunn, that void could very well be filled.  The once futile lineup now has an actual presence and a good chance to score some runs and stay competitive.

Most importantly, this move shows that the front office actually gives a damn. For too long, the Nats front office simply signed the best retread they could find instead of trying to sign major free agents.

As a result, no one wanted to go to Nationals Park, and the Nationals failed to build anything substantial. The signing of Dunn should at least give fans the hope that the Nationals are willing to go after and sign big name free agents—even if they have to overpay.

This team will not make the playoffs in 2009. There is a very good chance that they could lose 90-plus games again and finish 20-plus games out of first place. But Dunn is a symbol that yes, there might actually be a better day for the Nationals in the near future.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say 2012. Any guesses?