Closeout Sale

Everyone Must Go!

It would make me very happy to think that Mike Stanton is just the first of a veritable flood of free agents and role players the Nats will be jettisoning this weekend, but sadly he is likely the first and only. What, there's no trade market for Deivi Cruz? The devil you say! Oh, well. Thanks to Mike for a solid contribution, and for getting us something on his way out the door. Mike Stanton: The Anti-Junior Spivey.

Nationals Farm Authority has the lowdown on our two newest pitching prospects. The verdict? Eh, pitching depth is pitching depth.

March of the Smulyans

Maybe we should all start coming to terms with the idea that The Nats are going to be owned by a carpetbagging failed former owner. The Post is reporting that Jeff Smulyan's Emmis Communications Corp. is chipping in $100 million toward the price of the team. The Nationals would be a subsidiary of Emmis, run by Smulyan. Can you say undercapitalized, boys and girls? And the local luminaries that joined Smulyan's group? They'd still be there, as limited non-decisionmaking partners.

To his credit, Capitol Punishment picked up on this yesterday, ahead of the Post even.

Quote o' the Day

From Bill Ladson's Nats Mailbag: "[T]he top priority is re-signing Carrasco, who, next to Chad Cordero, was the best pitcher on the team." Ummm, Bill... you're the Nats beat reporter... you've met Livan Hernandez and John Patterson, right?