OK I'll fess up, I don't follow the trading and finer details of baseball as much as a lot of you guys on this board do. I'm mostly a watch the game root for the team kind of guy. I normally stay out of management discussions because I feel that I'm not knowledgeable enough to really speak on such matters.
That said, I really have to start wondering about Bowden lately. Even if the man just has fantastically bad luck, it's no excuse. Just offhand I can think of two deals and an almost deal that I have problems with:
1) Soriano - we gave up three guys and a hell of a lot of money for a pampered overpaid whiner, who, in spite of it all, doesn't really deserve to be blamed for the situation he's in. He's been nothing but clear on his lack of desire to play the outfield, and I personally am not impressed by his numbers, skill, or attitude. If he's trade bait, then so be it, but would still have rather given Wilkerson another season to prove himself one way or another.
2) Lawrence - great now the guy we're paying $3.5 mil is out for most if not all of the season, and will probably never be the same when he returns. I guess it might be hard to blame Bowden for this, but at the moment, who else can I blame?
3) Sammy Sosa - quit chasing him! I couldn't believe it when I heard that the offer for Sosa was increased, thank god he still turned it down.
I can't think of anything else right offhand, but I'm sure someone else will chime in. I just feel that the Nats are a new team, and we should be investing in future potential, growing a brand new team on our own, rather than throwing money at aging talent in a desperate attempt to aim high right out of the gate.
