(Photo by Reuters Pictures. Let's face it: Lastings MIlledge was set up to fail in 2009.)
"And what we got, we addressed two of our biggest needs: athleticism and speed and defensive ability in center field ... and a bullpen guy that we can have control of for the next three years."
(Mike Rizzo, via Washington Times, 6/30/2009)
"We are open for business. We improved two of our greatest needs. We have a great character guy in Morgan. We have our center fielder."
(Mike Rizzo, via Nationals dot com, 6/30/2009)
Piece by piece, Mike Rizzo begins dismantling Jim Bowden's monstrosity. If only Mike could tell you what his two greatest needs are.
Nyjer "Nook Logan sans HGH" Morgan and Sean Burnett are a bandaid at best; certainly don't address any of the long term needs.
And so, we bid farewell to Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan. Hello Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett. *shrug*. Okay.
Kearns or Belliard will be gone tomorrow. If we were sports betting men we'd put our money on Belliard.
But we're still not sure why the organization was so quick to give up on Milledge, though. "Attitude" issues aside, he was set up to fail in 2009 - he wasn't a centerfielder, and he wasn't a leadoff man. And it showed. But I thought this Plan (uppercase "P") business was all about upside, and keeping an eye on long term goals?
Meanwhile... Nyjer Morgan is pumped up! And judging by his enthusiastic response to the deal, he seems confused about which team he just got dealt to:
"My thoughts, I'm pretty pumped up, because I'm flattered when you have a team like the Nationals and they really want you. I'm almost out of words."
(Nyjer Morgan, via Nationals Journal, 6/30/2009)
A team like the Nationals? Well, at least he didn't compare them to a 600 lb. J-Lo.