A busy day in Nats Town on Thursday. Of course, it began with the departure of first baseman Adam Dunn, who signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. We’ll see what plan the front office can execute to fill that spot in the lineup. It certainly won’t be easy at all, but the money should be there to do so at least.
Meanwhile, at midnight we also had the deadline for tendering contract offers to arbitration-eligible players. Washington agreed to terms with catcher Jesus Flores, slowly but surely working his way back from the devastating shoulder injury suffered 19 months ago, and utility infielder Alberto Gonzalez. The team decided to non-tender catcher Wil Nieves, reliever Joel Peralta and pitcher Chien–Ming Wang. Players set for arbitration cases – if they can’t agree to terms by Jan. 18 – are outfielder Josh Willingham, infielder/outfielder Michael Morse, pitcher John Lannan and relievers Sean Burnett and Doug Slaten.
Not sure what to add about Dunn. Replacing 76 homers over the past two years isn’t going to happen. Instead, the Nats will look to get as much production as possible out of a better defensive option. But ultimately, general manager Mike Rizzo decided that the draft picks he would get for Dunn was enough of a return. Remember, he could have traded Dunn to the White Sox over the summer for prospects. Shades of the Alfonso Soriano decision there after the 2006 season. That netted Jordan Zimmermann (good) and Josh Smoker (not so good – yet anyway).
This time Washington will get the No. 23 overall pick from Chicago in next June’s MLB draft, a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds and their own No. 6 overall pick. That provides a nice chance for Rizzo’s staff to add some impact players to the farm system. Those two extra picks are a result of Dunn’s Type-A free-agent status. The exact total depends on how many compensation picks are awarded. But the Nats should see in the neighborhood of four picks out of about the first 60 in one of the deepest drafts in years.
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