Still want a legitimate reason to stay away from Pavano. Top 35 in every single repeatable statistic for SPs the last two years once he got healthy. He's a #2 SP.
OK, PCan, joking aside. I've looked carefully at Pavano's stats, and tried to ignore the fact that millions of Yankee fans have only contempt for the guy.
I see a pitcher who has thrown two good seasons out of twelve in the majors. One was 2004, so long ago that it is irrelevant. The other was last season. Before, and in between, Pavano has never had a season with less than 1.2 WHIP. Outside those 2000, 2004, and 2010, he has had an ERA of 4 and 5. He strikes out about 5 batters per nine innings, walks 2, so he's yet another control pitcher...a Jason Marquis except for 2004. The numbers look consistent, except for 2004 and last year.
The numbers suggest that Pavano's 2010 was an unusually good season, but that he is consistently mediocre. Not dramatically better than the pitchers the Nats have.
However, Pavano only costs money.
I think it would be a mistake to trade any of the few tradeable players the Nats have. Sure, if the Royals will take N Morgan and a reliever other than Storen for Greinke, then that's fine. Unlikely, however.