Nationals Farm Authority

the park’s closed. The Moose out front should have told you.

I’m going on vacation. NFA will not be updated again until December 2.

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional

• Pastora de los Llanos: Frank Diaz CF - 1/4 1R

Liga Mexicana del Pacifico

• no Nationals played

Liga de Beisbol Dominicano

• Aguilas Cibaenas: Bernie Castro 2B - 0/4

Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico

• Box scores for Puerto Rican winter leagues yet to be posted (season began on 11/11)

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional/Liga Mexicana del Pacifico/Liga de Beisbol Dominicano

• no games

Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico

• Box scores for Puerto Rican winter leagues yet to be posted (season began on 11/11)

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional

• 11/19 Leones de Caracas: Marco Yepez LF - 0/1 1R 1BB 1K
• 11/19 Leones de Caracas: Armondo Galarraga SP - 6IP 6H 1R(1ER) 2BB 1K
• 11/19 Pastora de los Llanos: Frank Diaz CF - 1/3 1R 1RBI 2BB 1K double
• 11/20 Pastora de los Llanos: Frank Diaz CF - 1/4 1K

Liga Mexicana del Pacifico

• no Nationals played

Liga de Beisbol Dominicano

• Aguilas Cibaenas: Bernie Castro 2B - 1/4 1R

Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico

• Box scores for Puerto Rican winter leagues yet to be posted (season began on 11/11)

Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament

11/18

• USA (4-0) 9 defeated Panama (1-3) 3
• Mexico (2-2) 7 defeated Canada (3-1) 2
• Nicaragua (2-2) 6 defeated Guatemala (0-4) 1
• USA: Brendan Harris SS - 0/1
• Nicaragua: Ofilio Castro SS - 0/0

11/19

• USA (5-0) defeated Canada (3-2) 2
• Panama (2-3) 12 defeated Guatemala (0-5) 1
• Nicaragua (3-2) 4 defeated Mexico (2-3) 2
• USA: Brendan Harris 3B - 1/2 1R 1RBI double
• Nicaragua: Ofilio Castro SS - 1/4

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional

• 11/17 no Nationals played
• 11/18 Leones del Caracas: Marcos Yepez PH - 0/0 1BB
• 11/18 Pastora de los Llanos: Frank Diaz CF - 2/5 1R 2RBI 1HR
• 11/18 Pastora de los Llanos: Jason Stevenson SP - 5.1IP 4H 1R(1ER) 1BB 1K; Win
• 11/19 boxscores pending

Liga Mexicana del Pacifico

• 11/18 no Nationals played
• 11/19 no Nationals played

Liga de Beisbol Dominicano

• 11/18 Tigres del Licey Tony Blanco LF - 1/1 2RBI
• 11/18 Aguilas Cibaenas Bernie Castro 2B - 1/4 1R 1RBI 1SF 1SB
• 11/19 Tigres del Licey Tony Blanco 1B - 1/3 1R 1BB
• 11/19 Aguilas Cibaenas Bernie Castro 2B - 4/5 1R 1RBI

Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico

• Box scores for Puerto Rican winter leagues yet to be posted (season began on 11/11)

H/T to Chris over at Capitol Punishment. Word has leaked (WTEM report) that the Nationals have signed utility man Marlon Anderson to a 2-year deal. Anderson is, at best, Carlos Baerga with a little bit more mobility … and the ability to play in the OF.

What does that mean to the current Nationals?

Thanks to Jamey Carroll for everything he’s done but there is a 0% chance he’s coming back.

Rick Short. We hardly knew ye. Good luck with the recovery from the shoulder surgery.

Brendan Harris has more than likely played his last game with the Washington Nationals. Harris could reasonably play 2B and 3B for the Nats in 2006. He’s now more than likely to be shopped in the off-season. Ideally, it will be in a move for someone like Juan Pierre from Florida.

Bernie Castro should start apartment shopping in New Orleans. Unless he can clearly beat out Damian Jackson, he’s a victim of a numbers game.

Rotoworld sums the signing up perfectly.

A two-year deal? We’re sure it’s not for a lot of money, but that’s still too much of a commitment. The Nationals are signing Anderson because he hit .321 in 56 at-bats as a pinch-hitter last season. He’s an upgrade over Carlos Baerga, but he’s not someone who should get more than one start per week

———- UPDATE: Contract terms are 2 years $1.85M. Ugh. This is not an efficient use of limited resources for a role player. I refer you to Ryan for his swearalicious thoughts.

The Nationals press release has two quotes I want to focus on:

“It makes it tougher to find a spot and see where I fit on this team,” [Jamey] Carroll said. “We signed a couple of infielders. For the team, it strengthens the club. Anderson is a good role player. He has done a great job wherever he has been.”

I will echo something Yuda said over at Gameday, “Pure class, Jamey Carroll.” And,

“They let it be known that they had interest in me. Things with New York didn’t pan out the way I thought,” [Marlon] Anderson said. “The Nationals gave me an offer. With the things that I do [off the bench], I thought it was a fair deal. It was more than anybody else was offering.”

More than anybody else was offering? No kidding.

FYI. The Elias rankings of the free agents has been released. The Elias Sports Bureau compiles rankings of all major leaguers by position, based on their performance over the previous two seasons. If teams offer arbitration to a free agent and lose him to another club, they’ll receive compensation if he’s classified as a Type A (top 30% at his position), Type B (31-50%) or Type C (51-60%) player.

Type A player compensation = signing team’s 1st-round pick plus a supplemental 1st-rounder

Type B player compensation = signing team’s 1st-round choice

Type C player compensation = supplemental 2nd-rounder.

However, if the signing team picks in the upper half of the 1st round, that choice is protected and it loses its 2nd-round selection instead. If a club signs multiple free agents within the same category, its earlier pick goes to the team which lost the higher-rated player.

Nationals free agents are in bold and blue. Players with rumors connecting them to the Nationals are in bold and green. Type A: Wilson Alvarez (LAD), Brad Ausmus (Hou), A.J. Burnett (Fla), Jeromy Burnitz (ChC), Royce Clayton (Ari), Roger Clemens (Hou), Jeff Conine (Fla), Johnny Damon (Bos), Octavio Dotel (Oak), Erubiel Durazo (Oak), Scott Eyre (SF), Kyle Farnsworth (Atl), Rafael Furcal (Atl), Brian Giles (SD), Tom Gordon (NYY), Mark Grudzielanek (StL), Ramon Hernandez (SD), Trevor Hoffman (SD), Bob Howry (Cle), Todd Jones (Fla), Paul Konerko (CWS), Matt Lawton (NYY), Braden Looper (NYM), Kevin Millar (Bos), Bengie Molina (LAA), Matt Morris (StL), Bill Mueller (Bos), Mike Piazza (NYM), Joe Randa (SD), Al Reyes (StL), Kenny Rogers (Tex), B.J. Ryan (Bal), Rudy Seanez (SD), Julian Tavarez (StL), Ugueth Urbina (Phi), Billy Wagner (Phi), Larry Walker (StL), Jeff Weaver (LAD), Rondell White (Det), Bob Wickman (Cle), Tim Worrell (Ari).

Type B: Antonio Alfonseca (Fla), Rich Aurilia (Cin), Paul Byrd (LAA), Hector Carrasco (Was), Elmer Dessens (LAD), Cal Eldred (StL), Juan Encarnacion (Fla), Shawn Estes (Ari), Carl Everett (CWS), Julio Franco (Atl), Nomar Garciaparra (ChC), Alex Gonzalez (Fla), Todd Greene (Col), Chris Hammond (SD), Scott Hatteberg (Oak), Rick Helling (Mil), Roberto Hernandez (NYM), Jason Johnson (Det), Jacque Jones (Min), Al Leiter (NYY), Esteban Loaiza (Was), Kenny Lofton (Phi), Brian Meadows (Pit), Jim Mecir (Fla), Jose Mesa (Pit), Dan Miceli (Col), Kevin Millwood (Cle), Jamie Moyer (Sea), Mike Myers (Bos), Rafael Palmeiro (Bal), Todd Pratt (Phi), Felix Rodriguez (NYY), Reggie Sanders (StL), J.T. Snow (SF), Sammy Sosa (Bal), Russ Springer (Hou), Frank Thomas (CWS), Brett Tomko (SF), Michael Tucker (Phi), Daryle Ward (Pit), Jarrod Washburn (LAA), Bernie Williams (NYY), Preston Wilson (Was), Eric Young (SD).

Type C (first-time free agents only): Joey Eischen (Was), Scott Elarton (Cle), Abraham Nunez (StL).

Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament

• USA (3-0) defeated Nicaragua (1-2) 7-4
• Mexico (1-2) defeated Guatemala (0-3) 5-2
• Canada (3-0) defeated Panama (1-2) 15-5
• USA: Brendan Harris 3B - 1/3 1R 2RBI 1HR [GW HR in 6th inning]
• Nicaragua: Ofilio Castro SS - 2/4 1RBI 1E

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional

• box scores of 11/17 pending

Liga Mexicana del Pacifico

• 11/16 no Nationals played
• 11/17 no Nationals played

Liga de Beisbol Dominicano

• 11/16 no Nationals played
• 11/17 Aguilas Cibaenas Bernie Castro 2B - 0/4
• 11/17 Tigres del Licey Tony Blanco PH - 0/1

Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico

• Box scores for Puerto Rican winter leagues yet to be posted (season began on 11/11)

Courtesy Tigres del Licey website. For those who don’t speak Spanish, here is the rough translation:

OF Jose Guillen changed his plans. Instead of resting this winter, he plans to play for Licey in late December and hopes to be part of the Dominican team in the World Baseball Classic in March.

He plans to undergo shoulder surgery prior to playing for Licey/Dominican Republic. Guillen will be evaluated Friday by doctor John Uribe in Miami, fly to Washington to participate in a Nationals activity (alternate uniform debut), and return to Miami. Surgery on Monday is probable.

“It is a small operation to clean the shoulder”, said Guillen. He hurt the shoulder sliding last June. “The doctors have informed me this type of operation takes two weeks to heal. Halfway through December I will have the clearance to play”, said Guillen.

He tried to avoid the operation with a rigorous program of rehabilitation, but the Nationals wanted to avoid the risk that the injury returned during spring training.

After playing with the Licey in the winter, Guillen will make himself available for the World Baseball Classic. “It will be a great honor to play for my native Dominican Republic”, said Guillen.

Guillen is in the last year of his contract with the Nationals. “I want to continue to play in Washington, but if I do not sign an extension during spring training, then I will play the season become free agent. I will not negotiate after the season starts”, said Guillen.

Regional Olympic Qualifying Tournament

• USA (2-0) defeated Mexico (0-2) 5-4
• Nicaragua (1-1) defeated Panama (1-1) 6-1
• Canada (2-0) defeated Guatemala (0-2) 12-0 [7-inning no-hitter; mercy rule]
• Brendan Harris 3B - 3/4

Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional

• Navegantes de Magallanes Ender Chavez RF - 0/1

Liga Mexicana del Pacifico

• 11/15 - no Nationals played
• box scores of 11/16 pending

Liga de Beisbol Dominicano

• box scores of 11/16 pending

Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico

• Box scores for Puerto Rican winter leagues yet to be posted (season began on 11/11)