What the Nationals Don't Realize

You can’t rebuild a team as bad as the 2009 Nats with geezers.  Sad but true.

The Nats have already signed 38 year old Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez to a two-year deal, they are close to signing 39 year old Eddie Guardado for 2010, and they are reportedly interested in 43 year old John Smoltz.  Yeesh!  That’s a lot of old guys a long ways from their glory days.

I’m pleased to see “Steady Eddie” is still around, but he really hasn’t been a good pitcher since his world-beating finish for the Reds in 2006.  That was a long time ago, and the likelihood that he’s going to catch lightning in a bottle at age 39 isn’t good.

Same with John Smoltz.  Yes, he had a fine finish for the Cardinals last year, but he was awfully bad for the Red Sox before that.  At age 43, it’s time for John Smoltz not to have a good full season left in him in.

After going 59-103 and 59-102 the last two seasons, the Nationals need to realize that they aren’t going to be a playoff team (a team capable of winning at least 90 games) before 2011, unless they are really, really lucky.  They need to obtain, play and develop players who can help them contend in 2011.

That being said, the Nationals will almost certainly be foolish not to trade Adam Dunn at the 2010 trade deadline if there is an American League team in pennant contention that needs a DH that can hit.

Jason Marquis and  Brian Bruney are good bets to help the Nationals win in 2011; Pudge Rodriquez, Eddie Guardado and John Smoltz are not.

The only realistic way the Nationals could contend in 2010 is if they had the resources to sign the three best free agents available the way the Yankees did last year.  They don’t, of course, so the Nats need to realize that geezers aren’t going to be around long enough to  get them to the promised land.