“It Hath the Primal Eldest Curse Upon It”

Polonius thought Hamlet had it bad, but that was before the Nationals.  New Washington manager Jim Riggleman went 0-for-4 against the Cubs at home this past weekend .  Then with the Mets playing sans Beltran, Reyes and Delgado, Riggleman pulled Zimmerman and Willingham to even the odds.  Cha-ching!!  Zero and five.  The only rational explanation is a curse, a bad one.  But so far no self-respecting haint will lend their name to it.

It is easier to find an analyst to predict a rosier future for the economy than someone who believes in the Nationals.  However, Sports Illustrated’s Ted Keith recently took the leap of faith in an on-line article.  He has written nothing since then, so it may have cost him his job–that’s what happens when you mess with a curse.  But Keith believes the signs of renewal are there even if the Nationals themselves are having none of it.

In the SI article, Keith puts his money on Mike Rizzo the “acting” GM in Washington who says in the article that he is treating the job “like it is mine long term.”  Rizzo’s personal portfolio is rich in positive long term potential despite the serious downside in the short term.

In the short term he has to sign Stephen Strasburg in the next month, trade Nick Johnson in the next two weeks, and hire a manager to sort through it all for next season.  Neither of those tasks is going to be easy.  Boras is threatening to take Strasburg to Japan.  Nick Johnson’s power numbers are down and his glove needs oil.

Rizzo has expressed his confidence in his ability to get the Strasburg deal done.  Alluding to his successful signings of Schwerzer and Upton–both Boras clients–in Arizona, he has moved forward quietly, but without any of the empty bravado that characterized Jim Bowden’s high profile negotiations.

Of the Strasburg signing, Keith Law over at ESPN says the signing will happen.  “Stick your fingers in your ears until they announce the press conference,” said Law recently.  Law has never been positive about the ability of prior Nationals management to do anything, so the temptation is to believe Law knows something we don’t.

Trade gossip around Nick Johnson has quieted as well and is ominously like the silence around Strasburg.  But Johnson is not the only player who is likely to be dealt.  The Nationals sent Elijah Dukes down to Triple-A Syracuse for the same inconsistent effort that earned Lastings Milledge a ticket out of town.  At times Dukes looked as though he was on the verge of a break though.  Can Rizzo find anyone who is looking to shed salary for Duke’s upside?  Will any of it break the curse?

When Washington has been willing take on salary–as they did with Josh Willingham and Steve Olsen from the Marlins–they have been able to improve their weak roster.  Rizzo has a steep hill to climb though, and there are just not that many teams like Pittsburgh and Florida who will trade for what Washington can offer.

The next month is likely to “spell” whether Mike Rizzo removes the “Acting” from his GM title.  Getting anything of value for Dukes or Johnson and signing Stephen Strasburg will improve the talent pool in DC and give the faithful something to look forward to next season.  The Nationals will likely showcase Strasburg for a few September appearances if they can keep him out of Japan.

Keeping talent away from the Nipponese may provide the Nationals with their manager of the future as well. Bobby Valentine’s contract with the Chiba Lotte Marines expires at the end of this season and he has said he wants to return to the States.  Dave Sheinin handicaps the managerial lottery in the Washington Post with Bob Melvin , Bobby Valentine, and Ed Yost getting early consideration.

Mike Rizzo has links to Melvin, but that will only be a factor if Rizzo can deliver on the very tall order he has on his plate right now.  If in the next month he can bring Stephen Strasburg and other showcase talents to Washington, the Nationals will become Rizzo’s team.  He will own it and get a big say in the new manager.

If Rizzo fails, the Nationals will be in a very deep hole–even deeper than they find themselves now.  It’s hard to imagine things getting any uglier, but if Rizzo fails there will be voodoo dolls on sale in the team store and they will go like hot cakes, selling better no doubt than the season tickets.