Nationals Farm Authority for the win!

Crap, got new-posted.
-------------------------------------------
@JiM: In addition to that list, M.Chico & G.Mock could serve as "spot" starters, should one of the starting 5 have a short-term problem (like we haven't seen that before).

Posted by: BIM | July 24, 2008 1:26 PM

I'm sorry. Is the appropriate way to 'let Larry Reynolds know' over the airwaves of a sports radio station? A lot of people have Cordero's name on the back of their jerseys Bodes. Maybe we'll hitch on to another MLB team next year just like the Chief will. I don't root for logic alone.

If Jimbo is the GM next year, not a chance that Chad is a Nat.

Best Case? Jimbo is gone and Chad signs a two year deal for 1 Million a Sesaon and 2010 incentives to earn up to $8 Million if he comes all the way back.

Hey now that is a win win.

This is completely unrelated to the post above, but I'm curious. Is Bernadina another AAAA guy for us (such as Langerhans, Orr, etc.), or could he be something more? He's been raking in AAA (1.271 OPS, which he obviously won't/can't keep up), and before that he hit well in AA (.872 OPS). He didn't hit much at all while up with the big club, but that sample size is pretty small (40 plate appearances). Thoughts?

to anon: Yeah, NFA posted the report on the Chief late last night/this morning. At some point, we hope to paraphrase the Who and be able to say "we won't get scooped again". (Shoutout to CiL).

jm is great. but one thing the nats do have is 2 great radio guys. so no need for that. just hit the dial.
Posted by: dk | July 24, 2008 1:10 PM

dk: You & I finally agree on something. Charlie & Dave are great together in the booth - I'm usually listening to the radio while at the computer on mlb.com
Posted by: BIM | July 24, 2008 1:21 PM

aaahhhh common ground. love---love will keep us together......

To me, this decision is only questionable for the timing and the way it was "announced." It makes all the sense in the world to try to save some money on '09 Cordero, but it needs to be handled in such a way that a healthy '10 Cordero still wants to play for the team. The 980 comments and the tone of the email cited above make it sound like Bowden couldn't care less about Cordero, his health, or his future. Maybe that's true, but it's a fairly shabby way to treat somebody who's been a mainstay of the franchise for 2-3 years. That kind of thing may not matter in the short run, but it helps create (or destroy) the perception of the Washington ballclub as a team players want to play for.

Looking forward to the "chEEEEEP" crowd turning this into a discussion about whether or not the Nats should throw $6m out the window watching Chad rehab.

@535: I think Bernadina could be a good CF/4th OF for the Nats; He got tossed in the deep end of the pool this year because of the ML roster situation last month. Let's see what he looks like later this year, and in ST for 2009 before writhing him off as 4A.

@dk: Easy spud, that's only one of a multitude of things where we find common ground.

I appreciate the hat tips but I just posted something I heard on WTEM. No real scoop on my part.

@Brian: You beat the WaPo - that was my point. Keep up the Great work on NFA!

just kidding. the move makes sense, but I too question the way it was handled.

What does "overpaid" mean? Are you actually Mark Lerner? The team can clearly afford to have some big contracts on the books, so what's the problem? Now, I grant you that whether either of these guys would be willing to come here is a whole different story.
_________________
To think that either Texeira or Sabathia would be willing to come to DC is a bit, um, naive. When you've got Boston and NYY trying to get you to sign a contract, when they say money is not a problem, why would the Lerners WANT to sign them? Sure, make a run and ask their agents, but when the market gets established, don't waste money on them. Whoever gets them will have overpaid.

Posted by: SF Fan | July 24, 2008 1:06 PM

The way it sounds like Bowden handled this decision was totally unprofessional. Imagine finding out that you're getting fired - not from your boss, or anyone within your organization - but reading it on the front page of the newspaper. I imagine that's pretty much how Cordero feels at this point. Forget that he's been a fan favourite - that's a flat-out rude and unprofessional thing to do to ANYBODY.

To bad there will be absolutely zero ramifications for Bowden over this...

"And now, for something completely different"... In a perfect world, could the Nats' FO find a way to do the following? 1)Trade PloD to the NYY for a AA or high-A prospect, 2)cut Estrada when LMillz is ready to return, 3)offer W.Harris a contract for next year, and 4)stop JBow from negotiating contract terms in public?

I love NFA!

this is a good move for the nats! Cordero should have been traded during his all-star year or the next year. He is not worth it right now... Look at how John Patterson never came back from his injury.

Bernadina has promise but he needs to learn how to shorten his swing and someone needs to teach him that it is ok to hit for average and not try to hit the "5 run homer" every time

New posted!

"Colome is like death by paper cut for me."

Thanks dcbatgirl, I needed a laugh.

Let's play two!

Section 535,
Some centerfielder for the Giants started his Major League career either 0 for 34 or 1 for 34 (the memory grows fuzzy). I'm not putting Bernadina in the same class with Mays but I don't think the final chapter has been written on his MLB career. Let's hope he comes back strong.

Let's play two!

"Colome is like death by paper cut for me."
Thanks dcbatgirl, I needed a laugh.
Posted by: SlowPitch63 | July 24, 2008 2:03 PM
-------------------------------------------

@slopitch & dcbat: Yeah, but it looks like really, really good paper in the right light.

Wow, I'm SO glad Bowden didn't settle for too little in a trade for Cordero at last year's trade deadline. Whew!

Just to be clear folks...

All of the quotes that I have seen of Jimbo regarding Chad Cordero stated that Cordero was informed of the decision through his agent - which is absolutely the proper channel - and I presume before the story broke, and before the comments on WTEM.

I am a bit surprised that the Nats made it public at all - they could have said nothing, and then come back in October saying that they had negotiated an extension for Cordero at XX terms, thus avoiding arbitration (and a public relations nightmare).

They need a communication consultant.

Watching the Clippers play on milb.com, E-Boni is 2-4 today leading off and playing 2B in his first game.

He did just get caught stealing 2nd too though...

Bowden has to be gone after this season, right? I can't imagine that he'll survive after this awful year when Kasten didn't want him as GM in the first place. I don't want to think about suffering through another year with Jimbo at the helm.

Aside from whether or not the move makes good business sense, the way that the communication was handled does seem very tacky given what we've seen and heard to date.

Posted before I'd seen Wigi's comment (you're too fast for me, man!).

Wagner's getting lit up in that game. 5 er in 1 ip.

That's 1.0 IP and 4 batters faced in the 8th inning with out recording an out, (single, single, homer, walk).

All teams know Corderos struggles and won't be willing to sign him to a big contract. The Nats seemingly have a handle on this and will likely be able to sign him on the cheap next season. Thus, they'll be able to throw some donero another way in order to beef up the team. Makes sense to me. play ball

They should have let Willie Harris pitch the eighth last night. Willie Harris can pitch and play centerfield at the same time.

On the plus side, Iam Desmond went 2-5 with a walk and 2 runs scored for Harrisburg.

Since his return from rehab he's 5-14 with 3RBIs, 1 2B & 2SO/0BB

Bowden has to be gone after this season, right? I can't imagine that he'll survive after this awful year when Kasten didn't want him as GM in the first place. I don't want to think about suffering through another year with Jimbo at the helm.

Posted by: John | July 24, 2008 2:19 PM

Jim Bowden can't hold my jock when it comes to screwing up a franchise. C'mon Carlos Silva, Jarrod Washburn, Richie Sexson, Kenji Jojhima . . . those are MISTAKES. None of this piddling non-tendering a relief pitcher with a bum shoulder.

Jim Bowden:Mark Lerner : : Vinny Cerrato:Dan Snyder

I'm very curious if Bowden did in fact notify Cordero's agent before he went public with the non-tender news on the radio.

If Cordero didn't know about it because his agent didn't tell him that's no big deal. If Cordero didn't know becaue Bowden hadn't bothered to notify Cordero or his agent before running his mouth...well that (and wearing leather pants) are firing offenses.

Plus he took almost all of Jose Vidro's contract and still gave me two warm bodies.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

@ Bill Bavasi: Bowden just hasn't had the chance to screw up the team with horrible free agent signings. Give him time.

This is a prime example of how the "Hate Jimbo Crowd" jumps to conclusions. They assume that Jimbo broke the news on SportsTalk 980 before he talked to Chad's agent. How it most likely went down was, he told Chad's agent before he broke it to the public on 980, which would have been standard procedure.

Jimbo is wearing thin on me as well but, for the Love of Pete, give the man a little bit of a break.

hey, who is Bowden's manager? maybe a few of us could let him know via NJ we want him non-tendered next year - no wait - how about right now? I think this really shows the loyalty of the Nats Front Office. Chad was a work horse for us and was never on the DL (only out for bereavement last year) and this is how he's treated right after season ending surgery that maybe could have been prevented had the Nats been more careful with him rather than letting him pitch when his velocity was off so badly? He deserves much better than this. Ah, but isn't it becoming typical of the Nats? Look at how they treated HOF Frank Robinson. I don't think anybody on this team is really untouchable. This FO is full of stale air and lame promises.

Sign the Fire Jim Bowden petition! For Chief's sake!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/fire-bowden

[quote]I thought I was going to wake up this AM to hear on WTOP that the Nats have released right hand reliever Luis Ayalya. Of course that would be the logical thing to do but hey this the Nats and logic is not part of the vocabulary of management.[/quote]

so... tippycanoe, would you then complain middle of the 09 season when ayala had figured out his problem and was pitching to a sub-3 era that the nats FO just doesn't know what it's doing and should never have released him in the first place?

the guy has a good track record before this season. it's foolish to DFA someone who's only 30 for having a bad half-season. he has a career 3.26 ERA and prior to this year only one season with an ERA above 3 (3.16). releasing him now would be a sign of poor management by the FO. it's not like he's hurting the team's chances of making the playoffs. and if he can find himself again, he could be a good setup guy for a few more years for this team. isn't that part of what this season is about now? learning who will be useful pieces for this team for the next few years? it would be different if this was a guy with no track record, but he's not. he's he's had four seasons of good pitching and 1/2 a season of bad pitching.

[quote=LaC]What does "overpaid" mean? [/quote]

i think in this context it would mean "over market price." i.e., if everyone else set the market around $18m/season, then the nats would have to pay $20m/season to convince them to come to DC. thus "overpaid" in relationship to the market.

I'm not part of the Jimbo Fan Club but I'm not part of the Hate Jimbo Crowd either.

All praise to Brian for breaking this story yesterday evening when he was astonished to hear it; even more astonished that Steve Czabin and Andy Pollin knew so little that they didn't even realize that this meant the Chief was being released, and that they had a huge scoop; and even more praise to Brian for his very knoweledgeable post!

Do we know that Cordero and/or his agent first learned of the non-tender on WTEM...uh, SportsTalk980...uh, ESPN980... or in the paper? Isn't it just possible that communication between the club and the player/agent occurred BEFORE the radio interview (maybe even a while ago - "while ago" being a vague unknown time in the range of days to weeks)?

Hrmmm?

Logical choice of catcher for the NYY is Moose's old personal catcher - Wil Nieves not PLD. What do you think the Nats would get in return?

So the discussion has gone from blaming the hitting coach to blaming the TV announcers.
Posted by: QFT | July 24, 2008 2:34 PM

bwahahahahaha. sounds good 2 me.

Snippet from the team site:

When reached by phone, Cordero was not happy to hear the news.

"I'm shocked he would say it now and make it official. It's a bit upsetting. It's early," Cordero said. "I understand that it's a business."

Sign the Fire Jim Bowden petition! For Chief's sake!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/fire-bowden

Posted by: Steven on Capitol Hill | July 24, 2008 2:39 PM
___________________________________________

Holy Crap. Please get a Life for our sake.

You read it here first!

Interesting Cordero Note
On my commute home, I was listening to Nats GM Jim Bowden's weekly appearance on 980's The Sports Reporters. During the weekly demonstration of their lack of baseball knowledge, hosts Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin uncovered an interesting bit of news about injured RHP Chad Cordero.

When asked about the contractual status of Cordero, Bowden commented that he was still under team control but it was unlikely the Nats would tender him for the 2009 season (paraphrased).

Before anyone gets too off track (like Czaban & Pollin), here is a thumbnail of how a player's contract is handled.

For this discussion, we are going to ignore the concept of options and focus strictly on service time and the contractual aspects. (We are also going to skip over Super 2 because it's not germane to the point)

Once a player assumes a spot on the active roster (25-man from April to August 31 and up to 40-man in September), he begins accruing service time towards free agency. Any time spent on the active roster (or on the DL ... important for Cordero [note: for those CBA nerds like me, correct me if I'm wrong about the 60-day & service time ... it's important]) counts towards this service time. From years 0 through the end of their 3rd season (ignoring Super 2), teams control the contract tendered to a player within the parameters of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (certain raises based on comparable service time, NOT necessarily performance).

Once a player reaches three years of service time and until they accrue at least six full years of service time, the contract is handled through the arbitration process. First, A club must offer contracts to players under its control by December 12. This in essence ties the player to the team for at least one more season. This must happen to prevent a player from becoming an immediate free agent (this is typically the non-tender stories you hear about).

Next, a player in this range of service time can accept the contract offer or if they are unhappy with the offer, request an arbitration hearing. Typically teams and players will continue negotiations during this period in hopes of avoiding arbitration. If no decision can be reached, the following steps happen (courtesy of Cot's):

In January, the player and the club each submit a salary figure for arbitration. The parties may continue to negotiate until the case goes before a three-person panel of professional arbitrators between Feb. 1-20.
At the hearing, each party has one hour to argue its case and 30 minutes for rebuttal. The player is required to attend and generally represented by an agent. A club executive or attorney usually represents the club.
Criteria the panel may consider include the player's contribution to the club in terms of performance and leadership, the club's record and attendance, "special accomplishments," the salaries of comparable players in his service-time class and, for players with less than 5 years of service, the class one year ahead of him. The parties may not refer to team finances, previous offers made during negotiations, comments from the press or salaries in other sports or occupations.
The panel, without opinion, awards the player a one-year, non-guaranteed contract at one salary or the other. If the player is cut before the 16th day before the season begins (March 14, 2007), he is entitled only to 30 days' termination pay. If the player is cut during spring training but after the 16th day before the season begins (between March 15 and March 31, 2007), he is entitled only to 45 days' termination pay.
Now that I've got all of that out of the way, here is the deal with Cordero. Chief will have five plus years of service time at the conclusion of the 2008 season. This means the Nationals could still "control" his contract for the 2009 season, assuming they were to tender him a contract.

This is where Bowden's comment comes into play. By suggesting that the Nationals would not tender him a contract, the Nats would in essence make him a free agent immediately.

Why would they do this?

Primarily it is because of Cordero's current salary of $6.2M, his uncertain health over the next season plus, and the arbitration process. By tendering him a contract, the Nationals put themselves in a position where Cordero could request arbitration. And by the rules of arbitration, the Nats could offer him no less than 80% of what they paid him in 2008 or $4.96M (for the sticklers, his 2008 contract was not part of the arbitration process). Compounding this is the fact that Cordero will have enough service time at the end of the 2009 season (6+) to become eligible for major league free agency.

That's an awful lot of money for a player rehabbing from labrum surgery. Surgery that has a recovery time of 12-18 months, meaning Chief's return to the field (not necessarily the majors) is somewhere between July 2009 and spring training 2010. A player who could go anywhere he wants after the 2009 season.

Given that, the Nats are rightly cautious in tendering him a contract.

What this does not mean is that Cordero's days as a National are over.

This is the point which Czaban and Pollin failed to grasp.

What I imagine is in the works is the Nationals working with Cordero to reach some sort of equitable arrangement where they do to have to pay him $5M for a 2009 season which may not be in the cards. The Nationals are likely looking for a discounted rate for the 2009 season with a team option for 2010. Basically a deal that will pay Cordero not to pitch in 2009 (or pitch very little) at a lower rate with the team able to recoup some performance in 2010 ... at the very least.

It's something that certainly deserves to be watched. But a point missed by the guys at WTEM.

Posted by: Brian | July 23, 2008 5:47 PM

Logical choice of catcher for the NYY is Moose's old personal catcher - Wil Nieves not PLD. What do you think the Nats would get in return?
Posted by: QFT | July 24, 2008 2:44 PM

forget that. nieves got game. even though they got em buried. give him lopuca and estrada.

I'm not part of the Jimbo Fan Club but I'm not part of the Hate Jimbo Crowd either.

Posted by: natsfan1a | July 24, 2008 2:42 PM

___________________________________________

1a,

I don't see you as a Hater...of anyone.

Sheesh, that's what I get for pausing while writing to take care of a PC issue someone was having... I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that it's just possible that the Nats FO isn't completely brain dead...

give estrada.

stumpy is perfect for the back pages with his newly croiffed beard.

Thanks, 505/203.

Let's see how the next week shakes out at the ML level and how the draft signings go for the next three weeks before we make a final judgement, but for the upcoming season, we'll need to solidify the following positions: 1)2B- (Bonaficio, or a Harris/Belliard platoon), 2)CL- (Hanrahan, Zinicola, or others), 3)1B- (the current $10.5M Slick/DaMeat "pu-pu platter" or others), and 4)SP- (Go for a true #1 via FA, Re-sign Redding & another #2-3 FA, let everybody go & promote from within, or a combination thereof)? The 2009 salary is estimated at $49-55M. What do you do?

This is from MLBTR;

Nationals Plan To Non-Tender Chad Cordero
By Tim Dierkes [July 24 at 10:56am CST]
Odd timing for this. Nationals GM Jim Bowden said last night he plans to non-tender former closer Chad Cordero after the season.

Non-tendering Cordero is a no-brainer for the Nationals. He's earning $6.2MM this year, so the least they could pay him in '09 is $4.96MM if they go through the arbitration process. Cordero had labrum surgery on July 8th.

Bowden expressed desire to bring Cordero back on a low base salary with incentives instead. He may have already destroyed his goodwill with Cordero, as the pitcher was shocked and upset by the early announcement.

colome is actually colomB, or more appropriately, the Lcolome.

bowden blows. ive tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. but he is a loser. lets boycott, and if it works we can move on to snyder.

Also from MLBTR involving our old fried Vidro. No mentions of any LoDuca rumors anywhere...

Latest On Yankees-Washburn Talks
By Tim Dierkes [July 24 at 11:12am CST]
According to Peter Abraham:

One trade the Yankees could make now if they wanted would be Kei Igawa and a B-level prospect to Seattle for LHP Jarrod Washburn and DH/1B Jose Vidro. The Yankees would take on $16 million (plus a $500,000 buyout for Vidro) while shedding the $9.4 million owed to Igawa.

So for roughly $7.1 million, you get Washburn for this year and next and Vidro for this season. Washburn would likely want something to waive his no-trade clause, which includes the Yankees.

I agree with Abraham - that seems pretty reasonable. As he says, you can just DFA Vidro. Washburn alone is worth it, as long as the prospect isn't anyone special and he doesn't demand a ton for the no-trade compensation.

Understood, 231, except the initial poster claimed that *whoever* gets them will have overpaid, not just that if the Nats get them they will necessarily have to overpay relative to the market because players otherwise won't want to come to DC. The preoccupation with "value" by some fans is bewildering to me; the Nats are a big market team that can afford a big budget. When the time is right (and we can all debate when that might be) they are going to need to act like it and bring in some big-ticket impact players.
________________
i think in this context it would mean "over market price." i.e., if everyone else set the market around $18m/season, then the nats would have to pay $20m/season to convince them to come to DC. thus "overpaid" in relationship to the market.

Posted by: 231 | July 24, 2008 2:40 PM

uhmmm, esturtj - look down one more item and you'd see this gem.

Yankees Looking At Catchers
By Tim Dierkes [July 24 at 10:42am CST]
Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger says the Yankees have inquired on four catchers: Gerald Laird, Paul Lo Duca, Miguel Olivo, and Rod Barajas.

Laird, 28, is expected to rejoin the Rangers Saturday after his hamstring injury. He's a Boras client with a $1.6MM salary this year. He's under team control through 2010, and Ken Rosenthal says the Rangers want young pitching for him.
Lo Duca, 36, will be a free agent after the season. He's got about $1.9MM left on his contract this year. He understands that he's a strong trade candidate.
Olivo, 30, is splitting time with John Buck in Kansas City. Olivo has hit lefties quite well. He has a $2.7MM club option for '09. Rosenthal says the Royals are "aggressively shopping" him.
Barajas, 32, is slumping currently. He has a $2.5MM club option for '09. Eddie Bajek took a stab at projecting the Elias rankings for catchers, and Barajas seems to be right on the border of Type B status. However, he might choose to accept an offer of arbitration. Peter Abraham says that the Blue Jays might be reluctant to trade within the division.

For me, the issue isn't that the decision was made or how it was communicated to Cordero. It was a smart decision, and we have no evidence that Cordero's agent didn't hear this before the chuckleheads at 980 were gifted this news.

For me, the issue is that this decision was made in July, five months before it needed to be made. The Nationals have absolutely nothing to gain by notifying Cordero of the non-tender in July. They do, however, stand to lose ground in future negotiations with Cordero should be be healthy next year. They also don't do wonders for their professional image, either.

It makes no sense for it to go down like this.

New post.

Logical choice of catcher for the NYY is Moose's old personal catcher - Wil Nieves not PLD. What do you think the Nats would get in return?
Posted by: QFT | July 24, 2008 2:44 PM

Well, the Padres got Cla Meredith and Josh Bard for Doug Mirabelli. That to me is probably what the Nats might get for Will Nieves - a decent reliever and a AAAA player. Although the Red Sox were a little more desperate in that they needed someone to catch Wakefield, and Mirabelli was about the only sure thing out there. Remember they gave him a police escort to the game.

As for the Bowden/Cordero dust up... newsflash - Jim Bowden Runs His Mouth Inappropriately. Does this surprise anyone? He does it constantly. It seems from reading the tea leaves that Cordero and/or his agent were informed before JimBo went on 980. I think it was simply embarrassing to the Chief that this was announced in mid-season. It sort of cleaves him from his teammates prematurely.

"For me, the issue is that this decision was made in July, five months before it needed to be made. The Nationals have absolutely nothing to gain by notifying Cordero of the non-tender in July."

Posted by: John in Mpls | July 24, 2008 3:01 PM

----------------------------------

I'm not so sure on that... is it better to let the player know sooner (one wouldn't think it would be a giant surprise) or wait until December? If it was me I think I'd be happier to start working on a deal sooner.

My earlier posts notwithstanding I do think that ANNOUNCING it to the world _now_ isn't the best thing to do (I suppose I should have put a bit more emphasis on "completely" in "completely brain dead" as this this something rubbing right up against a brain dead move). I was just a bit amused that _every_ post up to Wigi _assumed_ that Cordero didn't know before the 980 interview (and we know what assuming does...)...

I didn't mean to imply that I thought Bowden announced on 980 before ever talking to Chad. My point was broader - why announce it publicly now at all? And if you are going to announce it, why not put it in terms conducive to maintaining a long-term relationship with the player? Why burn the bridge? It's not the first time I think Jimbo loses his mind when somebody puts a mic in his face.

flynnie; you got to be serious, Czaban and Pollie basically turn their headsets off when talking to Bowden. If the ball ain't pointy and made out of pigskin they have zero interest!

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