According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, Matt Holliday is going from Oakland to St. Louis for 3 highly valued prospects, including St. Louis' first picks from 2007 and 2008.

Why is this important for the Nats, you ask?  Well, St. Louis was rumored to be interested in Adam Dunn or Josh Willingham if they couldn't swing a deal for Holliday, so this removes a potential landing spot.

Though rumors on Dunn are few and far between, it's believed that Philadelphia still has interest in Willingham (they need a RH Bat) and that Nick Johnson could still go to San Francisco.

Stay tuned for more as it happens.

Folks - just a reminder about the "Thanksgiving in June" food drive this weekend at Nationals Park, in conjunction with the Capital Area Food Bank:

WHAT:                The Washington Nationals will host the fourth annual Thanksgiving in June Food Collection, benefitting the Capital Area Food Bank,  when they face the New York Mets, Friday June 5 through Sunday, June 7. Fans may donate non-perishable food items at the Nationals Park Center Field Gates beginning two-and-a-half hours before game time through the fourth inning. Requested food items include canned proteins such as tuna, chicken or peanut butter, canned fruits, 100% fruit juices, pasta, rice, soups, and cereals. The Capital Area Food Bank distributes food throughout the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, in which approximately 200,000 children are at risk of hunger– 56,000 in the District alone. Nationals fans donated over 1,500lbs of food during the 2008 Thanksgiving in June.
 
WHO:                   Washington Nationals & Capital Area Food Bank 
                               
WHEN:                Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets
                               
Friday, June 5      7:05pm        Gates Open 4:30pm                                               
Saturday, June 6  7:05pm        Gates Open 4:30pm                                          
Sunday, June 7    1:35pm        Gates Open 11:00am

WHERE:            Nationals Park Center Field Gates 

That's right folks - it's time for a blog-off, and I'm going mano-a-mano with the King of the Hutch - Hendo.

I was noodling the free agent market the other day, seeing who was available, when I was struck with the idea of adding Bobby Abreu to the Nats - or more accurately, why the Nats aren't even rumored to be interested.  Below are my 5 reasons to sign the lefty OBP machine:

1. The Nats need a left-handed presence in the lineup.  And by presence, I don't mean just someone who is left-handed, I mean someone with talent who is left handed.  Aside from the switch-hitting Cristian Guzman, the best lefty batter the Nats had was Willie Harris, who hit .251 with 13 HR and 43 RBI.  Abreu went .296 (plus .045) with 20 HR (plus 7) and 100 RBI plus 57).


2. Speaking of Numbers - If Abreu was a Nat last season, he would have been a team leader in several categories. His .296 batting average would have been second to Guzman, his 20 HR would have led the team (by 6), as would his 100 RBI (by 39).  Abreu's .371 OBP would have been 4th (of those playing more than 50 games), and his .471 slugging pct would have been 3rd (of those playing more than 50 games).  His 22 steals would have been second on the team to Lasting Milledge.


3. Health.  Abreu played in 156 games last season, The only Nat who came close to that much playing time was the aforementioned Willie Harris, who played in 140.  Abreu has had 550 AB every season since 1999.  No Nat comes close, though Ryan Zimmerman has never played a full season with less than that many.  He has also played 9 of his last 11 years in baseball with the NL East Phillies, so he has long standing knowledge of the division.


4. The Nats don't have an experienced leader or clubhouse presence.  I hate to say it, but this is a huge thing that Nats lack as part of the "plan".  At some point the youngsters like Milledge, Dukes, Flores, etc, need to learn from someone who is there, and we can be frank - Nick Johnson is a basket of injuries and Dmitri Young isn't going to be around to help, not with his own issues.  The Nats need an experienced position player to talk to these guys about winning and effort, and that won't be Ronnie Belliard or Josh Willingham.


5. He's relatively cheap.  There, I said it.  Recent rumors have him linked to the White Sox or Mets, and the numbers being tossed around are 1 year, 8 million dollars.  Wouldn't you, as the Nats, consider spending 2 years at 10 million, plus an option of some sort for a 3rd year?  You were going to spend $180 million over the next 10 on Mark Teixeira, and you'll spend in the 7-10 million range on powerful yet strikeout prone Adam Dunn, who has similar numbers, yet bats .060 points lower, and is a worse defender.

So there it is.  I know Hendo will have some good, valid, objective reasons against Bobby Abreu - but I am sure it's just because he's a dirty Yankee-hater.  Kidding, of course.

Please comment below, I'd love to hear your thoughts for or against a move like this.  I think we can all agree that the Nats need to do something, at this point.  They don't have the raw talent to be the $40 million payroll wonder, like the Rays of 2008.

Yes, I know Jim Bowden knows more than I do. I still have a right to question, however. At the time of this writing, Wilson was (in the hitter friendly confines of Colorado, no less) hitting .258, with a meager .322 on base percentage (OBP) and was slugging around .491. Yes, these numbers are also close to his career averages. How, then, will he transfer to the Nationals, especially in a ballpark where long balls go to die? I understand this is a team built on pitching and defense, but the rationale for adding Wilson was to add pop to the lineup, and I don't see much‚Äö especially considering he was in the top 10 in the NL for strikeouts. We dumped Endy Chavez for being a free swinger, so why did we grab Wilson? I'm willing to wait this one out before giving a final verdict, but I gotta say, I'm skeptical of this one.

I do, however, like the Mike Stanton pickup. The Nats bullpen was getting tired, and in this signing they got a serviceable pitcher on the cheap with a good track record and he's another lefty. In fact, Lefties were hitting around .150 against him (righties hit around .480) so we now have a left handed specialist to get out guys like Carlos Delgado and a guy who can eat an inning or two if the team gets behind.

I'm waiting for the next deal though. Bowden keeps preaching pitching, yet we have had two trades (Spivey and Wilson) were we gave up a pitcher for a hitter. Sure, we'd never have Spivey if Ryan Drese hadn't been there, but we are getting closer to the point where we might need a more experienced starter who can go deeper into games.

If only we could clone Livan Hernandez.

Until next time, see you on the message boards. Sign the Petition!

Yes, I know Jim Bowden knows more than I do. I still have a right to question, however. At the time of this writing, Wilson was (in the hitter friendly confines of Colorado, no less) hitting .258, with a meager .322 on base percentage (OBP) and was slugging around .491. Yes, these numbers are also close to his career averages. How, then, will he transfer to the Nationals, especially in a ballpark where long balls go to die? I understand this is a team built on pitching and defense, but the rationale for adding Wilson was to add pop to the lineup, and I don't see much‚Äö especially considering he was in the top 10 in the NL for strikeouts. We dumped Endy Chavez for being a free swinger, so why did we grab Wilson? I'm willing to wait this one out before giving a final verdict, but I gotta say, I'm skeptical of this one.

I do, however, like the Mike Stanton pickup. The Nats bullpen was getting tired, and in this signing they got a serviceable pitcher on the cheap with a good track record and he's another lefty. In fact, Lefties were hitting around .150 against him (righties hit around .480) so we now have a left handed specialist to get out guys like Carlos Delgado and a guy who can eat an inning or two if the team gets behind.

I'm waiting for the next deal though. Bowden keeps preaching pitching, yet we have had two trades (Spivey and Wilson) were we gave up a pitcher for a hitter. Sure, we'd never have Spivey if Ryan Drese hadn't been there, but we are getting closer to the point where we might need a more experienced starter who can go deeper into games.

If only we could clone Livan Hernandez.

Until next time, see you on the message boards. Sign the Petition!

Yes, that's right -- it's the column that neither Pedro nor Ian wanted to see!

I want to start a movement. We beat Pedro. Jose Guillen went 3-3. Nats are the tops of the NL East. We're Pedro's new daddy.

Yes, I know -- this is the first time Pedro pitched against the Nats as a Met. I also know that the Yanks are his real daddies. But -- the Nationals are about rebirth -- new season, new team, no more Expos. Their record this season proves that. Pedro is also having a rebirth, one in a Mets uniform. You know what a rebirth means‚Äö He needs a new Daddy.

Anyone in for t-shirts?

INJURIES

We look to be on an upswing -- Vidro back, Johnson soon to follow, and Church after that. I'm making the call today -- if we can get a good, serviceable starting pitcher, the Nats have a great shot at the Division or the Wild Card. Remember -- the majority of the rest of their games are at home, where they have the best record in MLB, and even if they go .500 the rest of the way it's still a 90+ win season.

Yes, that's right -- it's the column that neither Pedro nor Ian wanted to see!

I want to start a movement. We beat Pedro. Jose Guillen went 3-3. Nats are the tops of the NL East. We're Pedro's new daddy.

Yes, I know -- this is the first time Pedro pitched against the Nats as a Met. I also know that the Yanks are his real daddies. But -- the Nationals are about rebirth -- new season, new team, no more Expos. Their record this season proves that. Pedro is also having a rebirth, one in a Mets uniform. You know what a rebirth means‚Äö He needs a new Daddy.

Anyone in for t-shirts?

INJURIES

We look to be on an upswing -- Vidro back, Johnson soon to follow, and Church after that. I'm making the call today -- if we can get a good, serviceable starting pitcher, the Nats have a great shot at the Division or the Wild Card. Remember -- the majority of the rest of their games are at home, where they have the best record in MLB, and even if they go .500 the rest of the way it's still a 90+ win season.

I'm tired of hearing that stat. It's killing me. You check the newspaper, you turn on the radio, you watch Baseball Tonight on ESPN, you hear about run differential. Everyone says "blah blah blah, the Nats are overrated since they have a negative run differential. There is zero chance they'll make the playoffs, no one with a negative RD makes the playoffs."

Wrong.

I quote Mr. Tom Boswell, from his weekly Nats e-mail, courtesy of Washington Post -- " First, what is the best result ever by a team that has ever been outscored for the season? Answer: The ' 87 Minnesota Twins were outscored by 20 runs, but won the AL West, then won the World Series. If anybody says the Nats can't possibly go to the playoffs with such a statistically unimpressive team, tell 'em Washington just might win the Series, because it's already been done."

He also offers a list of teams that (recently) were very like the Nats.

¬? The '97 Giants (-9) won the N.L. West title. ¬? The '95 Rockies and '95 Dodgers were only +2 and +25 respectively, but Colorado was the wild card and the Dodgers won the N.L. West. ¬? The '90 Red Sox were just +35 but won the A.L. East. ¬? The '89 Orioles , another team managed by Frank Robinson, only outscored the league by 22 runs. But they went 87-75 and stayed in the pennant chase until the final weekend. ¬? The '87 Expos were a paltry +21 but won 91 games. ¬? The '85 Reds were +11 but won 89. ¬? The '84 Royals were -13 but won the AL West.

Yes, the Nats are a long-shot contender. No, I don't expect them to meet up with Minnesota in the World Series (did I just say Minnesota?). But it's time for people like Peter Gammons of ESPN, John Donovan of Sports Illustrated and even our own Boz to stop dogging them about run differential and realize that RFK is so unlike any other stadium in the league, and Run Differential may just not apply to a team that plays 81 games there, instead of crazy home-run parks like Camden and Fenway.

It's time for them to go back to school‚Äö the old school. And Frankie Rob's team is teaching the class.

A WORD TO THE NATS MARKETING FOLKS

I appreciate the Nats e-mails from nationals.com, but please don't mass disperse an e-mail about renting the luxury box behind home plate. 90% of your recipients cannot afford the 3 grand to rent the place for one game. Most folks pay less than that for 2 season tickets. Target some corporate clients if you need it used. A word to the wise, though -- all that does is remind the normal, everyday folks of how many things at a ballpark they cannot afford in any decent sized quantity -- like $6 beers and $8 poorly made chicken fingers, let alone the over-priced replica jerseys.

I'm tired of hearing that stat. It's killing me. You check the newspaper, you turn on the radio, you watch Baseball Tonight on ESPN, you hear about run differential. Everyone says "blah blah blah, the Nats are overrated since they have a negative run differential. There is zero chance they'll make the playoffs, no one with a negative RD makes the playoffs."

Wrong.

I quote Mr. Tom Boswell, from his weekly Nats e-mail, courtesy of Washington Post -- " First, what is the best result ever by a team that has ever been outscored for the season? Answer: The ' 87 Minnesota Twins were outscored by 20 runs, but won the AL West, then won the World Series. If anybody says the Nats can't possibly go to the playoffs with such a statistically unimpressive team, tell 'em Washington just might win the Series, because it's already been done."

He also offers a list of teams that (recently) were very like the Nats.

¬? The '97 Giants (-9) won the N.L. West title. ¬? The '95 Rockies and '95 Dodgers were only +2 and +25 respectively, but Colorado was the wild card and the Dodgers won the N.L. West. ¬? The '90 Red Sox were just +35 but won the A.L. East. ¬? The '89 Orioles , another team managed by Frank Robinson, only outscored the league by 22 runs. But they went 87-75 and stayed in the pennant chase until the final weekend. ¬? The '87 Expos were a paltry +21 but won 91 games. ¬? The '85 Reds were +11 but won 89. ¬? The '84 Royals were -13 but won the AL West.

Yes, the Nats are a long-shot contender. No, I don't expect them to meet up with Minnesota in the World Series (did I just say Minnesota?). But it's time for people like Peter Gammons of ESPN, John Donovan of Sports Illustrated and even our own Boz to stop dogging them about run differential and realize that RFK is so unlike any other stadium in the league, and Run Differential may just not apply to a team that plays 81 games there, instead of crazy home-run parks like Camden and Fenway.

It's time for them to go back to school‚Äö the old school. And Frankie Rob's team is teaching the class.

A WORD TO THE NATS MARKETING FOLKS

I appreciate the Nats e-mails from nationals.com, but please don't mass disperse an e-mail about renting the luxury box behind home plate. 90% of your recipients cannot afford the 3 grand to rent the place for one game. Most folks pay less than that for 2 season tickets. Target some corporate clients if you need it used. A word to the wise, though -- all that does is remind the normal, everyday folks of how many things at a ballpark they cannot afford in any decent sized quantity -- like $6 beers and $8 poorly made chicken fingers, let alone the over-priced replica jerseys.

One word says it all. No one, not even a poor pundit like myself, could have ever predicted the Nats would be on fire this much. They have won 14 of their last 16 and still retain sole possession of the NL East lead. The more amazing part, however, is how they are doing it. They pick up Ryan Drese off waivers from Texas, who was 4-6 with a 6.46 ERA, and turn him around to pitch against an AL team that he had faced before (Texas is in the same division as Anaheim) and he throws an 8 inning 2 hit shutout. His ERA after that performance dropped almost a run. Granted, this performance may not continue, but I refer you to the fact that AL pitchers going to the NL almost always have a huge drop in ERA and perform better. For reference see Clemens, Roger and Martinez, Pedro. Also, Drese is a sinkerball pitcher, meaning he gets a lot of ground balls. The Nats are exceptional defensively, so between his propensity for ground balls and the friendly, no homer confines of RFK, he should be fine as a 5th starter. What really gets me is the performance of Chad "chief" Cordero. He comes on last night with a 1-0 lead, promptly loads the bases -- you read that correctly -- with NO OUTS -- you also read that correctly -- and still gets out of the inning. He struck out two and gave up a pop fly that wasn't deep enough for Darrin "linebacker" Erstad to tag up and bum rush another NL East Catcher. Watching these games is more exhilarating than a Ridley Scott opus. Oh wait -- we couldn't watch last night. You're right, ESPN2 broadcast the game, but it was blocked in the DC area by Comcast for Comcast subscribers using the local viewing rights exemption (despite no local broadcaster showing it) as a new ploy in their legal battle with MASN. When will they realize that the public doesn't care who wins this battle, as long as they can see the Nats? I hear more people blaming Comcast for not showing the games than MASN. SIDE NOTE -- Carlos Baerga, don't be mad at me for what I'm going to say. You're a great part of the Nats and have defined "clutch" several times this season. But dude -- when you run -- I laugh uncontrollably. I giggle like a schoolgirl. You run like your legs are two little pistons, and it looks like you take 3 steps per foot of ground you cover. I point this out when noticeable and other people giggle too. My dad loved it, so when he watches the Nats now he always looks for it. Don't be mad, Carlos, and keep up the good work. If you hear laughter when you run, it's just me. Don't worry.