Well done Bowden, now make the same type of move with Cordero-

Bowden is filling holes but he still needs a LHH power bat for the No. 6/7 spot in the lineup AND a least one more starting pitcher. It interesting seeing Bowden pick up young talent and/or veteran players with very little in resources or quality trading talent.

Keith Law likes the trade!! Wow, the guy has some smarts after all….
Remember, the Mets still have Johnny Estrada (S/R) who was paid $3.4M last year and is arbitration eligible for 2008. With Schnieder at $4.9M a year, the Mets will not keep both Schnieder & Estrada. They may non-tender Estrada who would become a free agent at which time the Nationals can attempt to pick him up (1/2 yrs) but it will cost them $3.7 a year.

What does the trade mean for Maxwell? His move to the Nats is now blocked by Milledge, Pena and Kearns. Could be part of a trade?

I don’t think Flores is ready. He will need some time in the minors.

Tofu Dog: are you talking about Brian Barton from the Indians? I saw him play several times and I think he could start. I think he is much better then a 5th outfielder.

Bowden said he was working on this trade for 4 months. We know he was working on the Wily Mo trade for 2-3 months. We don’t know what other deals he’s been working on. In a radio interview, he indicated that while the Nats might not be signing any big free agents, they could be involved in trades as a way to improve the team.

Therefore, it would not surprise me that he would trade Cordero or Rauch for a starting pitcher, probably young veteran (age 25-27) type since they have enough of their own young prospective starters. The Giants, Bewers & Rangers need a starter AND the Cubs, Indians & Tigers may decide to invest in a younger closer. The deals could revolve around the secondary players in the deals. Of course, there’s always Lopez to talk about.

Next week’s winter meetings may be VERY INTERESTING!

The Nationals are not a near term candidate (next 1-3 years) to compete for a World Series and by the time they likely will be ready, Schneider & Church will be on the back end of their careers and most likely would not be part of the roster (age or dollars). Milledge on the other hand will only be 23 years old next year and should be entering what would be his prime years when they are ready to compete.

I love the trade too BUT get a hold of you enthusiasm. Casto can play 3B, 1B, LF & RF but not 2B (that experiment at Harrisburg never happened) AND he has to prove he can hit ML pitching especially as PH. The Nats could use a 4th OF/PH who can also play CF just in case (sounds like Langerhans instead of Casto). The Nats have a young LHH outfield prospect in the the minors who could help in 2009 - Marvin Lowrance. His power numbers are getting better and he had a very consistent & good 2007 year.

They need another LHH starter but where do you play him. Zimmerman, Pena, Kearns and Milledge are RHH starters. Guzman & Lopez are switch-hitters and either Johnson(L) or Young (switch hitter) will play 1B. That leaves the CA position. Flores is a RHH BUT Johnny Estrada of the Mets is a switch-hitting catcher who can fit nicely at Nos. 6-8 in the lineup. I hope Bowden did not outsmart himself by not taking Estrada as part of the Milledge deal and waiting for the Mets to non-tender him which means he can go anywhere.

Finally, I’m not sure they know what to do with Maxwell yet. If he has a big 2008 year he becomes a valuable trading tool but the Nats are not sure what will happen to Pena & Milledge; therefore, it would be nice to have any insurance policy (Maxwell) just in case. But the future with Marrero, Englund, Burgess, etc. is not great.

Hard to do that….. and I think that Casto can fill in at 2B a game here and there… I never said he should play regularly.. I think that Casto is a commodity due to his versatility and make-up more than his talent or production. We obviously need a 4th OF now…. who’s it going to be? And he almost HAS to bat left handed.. Brian you were exactly right in your earlier answer and it’s why I’m excited. Schneider and Church will be “pushing the envelope” in three or four years… perhaps they could have been key pieces but I never thought that either quite fit that bill.. Joe Gibbs talks of “core Redskins” and I think it vital to ID that core - that group that will be with you for a decade. Anybody who isn’t in that group in my mind is expendable. I would also add a few more to the category of good players who just don’t quite fit that core - Nick Johnson comes to mind…. Guzman…Lopez…. perhaps Kearns… and it goes without saying Young and Belliard. Cordero. If I had to hazard a guess I’d bet that all of these will be gone within 3 years…but we get a guy with Milledge’s upside who is only 22? In a decade he will be 32 years old….. I call that a potential franchise cornerstone…

“From his days as the Expos/Nationals GM, Minaya had an insight into Church and Schneider. But in manager Manny Acta, a Mets coach in 2005-06, Washington had an insider glimpse into Milledge. And Acta always felt the Mets clubhouse culture was unfairly critical of Milledge, who really does need to tone down the audacious cockiness.”

“But Acta knows the positive of that attitude. Milledge is fearless. He was not afraid of the majors or New York. He tends to give too many at-bats away. But not in pressure spots. He loved the big stage. As a former teammate of Milledge said, “he’ll win games for you. The better the pitcher, the bigger the moment, the better the player.”"

“It will be up to Acta to get Milledge to concentrate full-time, and Acta’s first year in Washington when he worked with a dubious cast that included Dmitri Young, Felipe Lopez and Robert Fick suggested he was good for this task. And, remember, just a year ago Milledge was being compared to a young Gary Sheffield. So this is a good piece of clay with which to work.”

“That is the biggest problem with this deal by Minaya. In 2007, Milledge was beset by injury and more bad behavior that the NL talent evaluator said has “turned people off since high school.” So Minaya sold Milledge at a low value. My gut says that even if Milledge had another dubious year in 2008, he would still fetch a Schneider/Church level deal.”

Only Omar can make a trade like that! He would have been better to clear out some more old timers than guys like Lastings. Thank goodness Omar is on the other side now.

Good to see another toolsy guy. A prospect is just that! He hasn’t proven his worth yet, but may blossom…or not.
One thing is for sure, the Nats will be among the leaders in strikeouts, with Pena, Milledge, Kearns and Lopez. Only Kearns gets walks. Hopefully there will be lots of key homers.

Interesting on Brad Wilkerson. Unless he has changed since he left, he can’t hit right handed pitching. He only hits left handers. I used to dislike him but would love it when the opposition brought in lefty’s to pitch to him. He would kill ‘em, especially Bobby Cox and the Braves.