Uh-Oh, Odalis

Don't be too quick to pencil Odalis Perez into the 4th slot in the 2009 Nationals rotation. According to ESPN, Perez is having second thoughts about the $850K non-guaranteed minor legaue contract he verbally agreed to a few weeks back. It did seem like a really good deal for the Nats, but at the same time I'm not sure how much better the market for Odalis is going to get when guys like Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez are still looking for work and getting offers in the $1.5M range.

Perez wants the Nats to increase the contract amount and guarantee his money, saying: "I will not accept any minor league contracts with no safeguards." Nevermind the fact that he accepted that exact contract prior to 2008 and had in fact agreed to do it again. Lesson for all you 1Ls coming off your first semester of contracts: Verbal agreements aren't worth the paper they're written on. Get it in writing. In the meantime, it sounds like Odalis will join Pedro in using the WBC as a showcase.

Should the Nats rework Odalis's contract? I'm torn. He did yeoman work for the rotation in 2008, and his performance was clearly worth more than $850K, but like my broker said before I stuffed him in the trunk and rolled that car into the lake, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Perez would be a nice security blanket, and if he's willing to take a 1-year guaranteed deal in the $2M range, he's worth having around.

Any more than that though, and it's time to roll the dice with Hill, Balestar, Zimmermann, Mock, Clippard, Martis and the AAA hordes. Remember, Odalis was plucked from baseball purgatory in 2008, following in the proud tradition of Esteban Loiaza and Tim Redding before him.

Plus, I just hate guys who welsh on their deals.