D'Meat Returns and Cooperstown

I'll have much more on our trip to Cooperstown later in the week, but wanted to comment on the Nats resigning Dmitri Young.

Everyone knows I'm in D'tank for D'Meat. We share more than a general body size/type. We both developed Type-2 Diabetes as adults and are learning how to cope and thrive with the disease. So on one hand I'm very glad the Nats offered him the extension he signed over the weekend. There are plenty in the media that are decrying this move, particularly Keith Law, who I tremendously respect, on ESPN.com (scroll down to second story).

What I think this really says is that Nick Johnson isn't coming back, and the Nats have no one in their organization ready to play first next year. I said as much in a blog when we saw Johnson in spring training, now the Nats are saying it with their wallets. Look, if you include this season, the Nats effectively are getting Young for 3 years and $10.5m, an average of $3.5m per. Not too much dough for your starting 1B, especially if--and this is the biggest point--there's no one in the minors pushing him.

No, D'Meat isn't going to hit .330 over the remainder of the contract. But if he hits .280 and keeps a seat warm for Chris Marrero, who will in all likelihood end up at first in 2009 or 2010, or someone else, who cares? His teammates love him. The casual fans love him. He seems to have cleaned up his health, his personal life and his game. His teammates love and respect him. The team can afford it. It's not like his contract is going to keep the Nats from signing any of their draft picks.

On the surface this may be a bit of a head-scratcher. Dig a little deeper though and maybe the logic makes a bit more sense.