Lookout Landing (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
Since 2000 - covering the last ten years - there have been 428 American League starter seasons with at least 150 innings pitched. Here's how Felix's 2009 ranks among them: ERA: #5 FIP: #17 Combined*: #8 * (2*ERA + 6*FIP)/8. A quick and dirty way of still giving starters some credit for their context pitching. This stat sucks and please never use it. Of course, neither ERA nor FIP are adjusted for park,...
FishStripes (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
I'm sure there is a lot more than is about to be reported, but it is all I found for today. First up is Scott Olsen . Nationals left-hander Scott Olsen is arbitration eligible and it's not known if he will remain with the club. --- When reached by phone recently, Olsen said he is not sure what the Nationals are thinking these days, but he made it known that his shoulder is 100 percent. "The medical...
MLB Trade Rumors (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
There's no such thing as an offseason- just different kinds of on-seasons. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com believes the Phillies will find a replacement for Eric Bruntlett among John McDonald, Omar Vizquel, Jamey Carroll, Ronnie Belliard and Juan Uribe. According to Scott Olsen, arbitration-eligible member of the Washington Nationals (for now, anyway), his shoulder is now 100 percent. Larry Stone of the Seattle...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
More photos » by Charles Dharapak - AP 4 months ago: Washington Nationals pitcher Ross Detwiler throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Washington, Saturday, June 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) Browse more photos » Last week, we went with a Fanpost about some of the options that the Nats could or should take a serious look at when Free Agency...
Madam Mayo (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
The venerable literary journal Ascent (edited by W. Scott Olsen) is publishing it's first on-line edition. Check it out-- and Dawn Marano's crackerjack essay of creative nonfiction, "How to Be a Good Neighbor." More anon.
William F. Yurasko (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009
Nationals Prepare for Offseason Makeover - The Post Nationals offseason primer - The Wash. Times The Nationals need to find an assistant GM, farm director and more scouts. They also need to decide who their manager is going to be for 2010. Other decisions -- whether to offer Scott Olsen, who was not very good before having arm surgery, arbitration. I see go for it on that front. As for retaining Jim...
MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com (Free subscription) | 10/05/2009
Chico Harlan of the Washington Post chatted with Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, and posted the full Q&A on his blog. A few hot stove highlights: Starter Scott Olsen had surgery in July to repair a small labrum tear in his pitching shoulder. Having earned $2.8MM this year, the Nats would have to pay him at least $2.24MM in 2010 if they tender him a contract. Rizzo said he's getting health reports on Olsen...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 09/29/2009
It's a universally held notion that the Nats need to fix (replace?) the starting rotation before the 2010 season. The bullpen has some good pieces in MacDougal, Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett so GM Mike Rizzo probably only needs to fill out the depth of the bullpen. We don't need another overhaul like we had twice this year. CF was a huge problem until the Nyjer Morgan trade. Likewise, 2B and/or SS...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 09/14/2009
Nationals News Former Nationals Dmitri Young spoke with Chico Harlan, and it sounds like he's getting ready to retire . In another move away from the Jim Bowden era, the Nationals are getting close to fully reestablishing themselves in Latin America . The Nationals may not have a great record, but Josh Willingham thinks they can compete with anyone . The Cristian-Guzman-to-Second debate has received...
MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com (Free subscription) | 09/02/2009
First up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Nationals. Their commitments for 2010: C - Jesus Flores $412K C - Wil Nieves - $445K+ 1B - Adam Dunn - $12MM 2B - Alberto Gonzalez - $400K SS - Cristian Guzman - $8MM 3B - Ryan Zimmerman - $6.25MM IF/OF - Willie Harris - $1.5MM IF - Pete Orr - $600K+ LF - Josh Willingham - $2.95MM+ CF - Nyjer Morgan - $412K RF - Elijah Dukes - $412K OF - Justin Maxwell...
Federal Baseball (Free subscription) | 08/31/2009
More photos » by Morry Gash - AP Washington Nationals starting pitcher Collin Balester could rejoin the team as early as Sept. 1 when the major league rosters expand. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Browse more photos » With September 1 literally just hours away, major league teams can expand their active roster to include anyone occupying a spot on their 40-man roster. Traditionally, teams have...
Another Cubs Blog (Free subscription) | 08/25/2009
Even if the Cubs win, they still lose Since the Cubs saw them last (7/16-7/19), the Natinals offense has produced at exactly the same rate (.332 wOBA), but their pitching has become even worse (from 4.68 FIP to 4.81). Not really that surprising, considering their best pitcher (Zimmermann) has gone under the knife with TJ surgery. What has improved is their defense - they went from a comical -33.4...
The Hardball Times (Free subscription) | 08/07/2009
One of the more under-the-radar deals of the off-season involved two low-budget teams looking to gain ground in the NL East. On Novemeber 11th of last year the Marlins sent Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen to the Nationals for Emilio Bonifacio and two prospects. The Marlins avoided having to go to arbitration with two players who had enough playing bulk and quality numbers to get decent-sized contracts....
The Washington Times (Free subscription) | 07/27/2009
As soon as Washington Nationals team doctor Wiemi Douoguih began operating on pitcher Scott Olsen, a decision crystallized that could be one of the key points of the team's offseason. The 25-year-old left-hander was perhaps the centerpiece of a trade that brought him and outfielder Josh Willingham from the Florida Marlins for second baseman Emilio Bonifacio. But surgery Thursday to mend the small tear...
FishStripes (Free subscription) | 07/24/2009
I know Scott Olsen isn't with the Marlins , but still, he is family . Nationals left-hander Scott Olsen underwent surgery Thursday to repair a small labrum tear in his left shoulder. The 25-year-old Olsen, who was scratched from two starts in the past week because of persistent back muscle tightness, was diagnosed with the shoulder injury after an examination Monday by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews....
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