Nats Waive Cordero; Pena Re-ups

From the Washington Nationals this afternoon:

NATIONALS OUTRIGHT THREE PLAYERS TO SYRACUSE, ANNOUNCE WILY MO PENA HAS EXERCISED OPTION ON 2009 CONTRACT

The Washington Nationals today announced they have outrighted right-handed pitcher Chad Cordero, right-handed pitcher Ryan Wagner and infielder Pete Orr to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. All three players elected free agency. The Nationals also announced they have rejected a $5 million club option on outfielder Wily Mo Pena, who subsequently exercised a $2 million player option for the 2009 season. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcements.

Pena, 26, has batted .241 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 101 games with the Nationals since being acquired from Boston on August 17, 2007 in exchange for a player to be named (first baseman Chris Carter). He is a .253 hitter with 77 home runs and 225 RBI in 560 big league games spanning seven seasons with Cincinnati, Boston and Washington.

The 26 year-old Cordero pitched in only six games last season and had season-ending right-shoulder surgery on July 8. Cordero’s 128 career saves rank second on the franchise’s all-time list behind only Jeff Reardon (152). He departs having pocketed 113 of the 157 saves recorded by the Nationals since 2005.

Wagner, 26, did not pitch in the big leagues in 2008 while working his way back from June 5, 2007 SLAP repair surgery on his right shoulder. He is 11-9 with 30 holds and a 4.79 ERA in 148 games with Cincinnati and Washington.

In 2008, the 29 year-old Orr batted .253 with seven RBI in 49 games in
his only season with the Nationals.

BOTTOM(FEEDER) LINE: This was totally predicted. Cordero couldn't return to the team for any kind of guaranteed money with his injury, and after Bowden told the media before Cordero about their intention to non-tender him, Cordero certainly wasn't going to do any favors for the team. Hopefully he gets healthy and someone gives him a fair shot, but I think it'll be into the season, just like Freddie Garcia this year, before someone signs him.

Wagner never fully recovered from his labrum surgery, like most who have it done. I will be shocked if he's ever a useful MLB player again. Orr will sign somewhere for organizational depth.

Pena, however, is another story. The Nats are stuck with him, and he with them. If it really was the injury keeping him from producing last year, the $2M salary won't look so bad. Then, the Nats will give him a two-year, $5M per deal just like Young and Guzman. I kid. Seriously though, if he still looks terrible in spring training, it'll be interesting to see if the Nats eat his salary, since outfield is one place on the team that they actually have some talent, and it'll be tough to carry Pena's dead weight all season, unless they hide him like they did Meathook this summer.

Photos (c) C. Nichols 2008.

Ayala Implodes, Nats Lose 6-4

San Francisco--The Washington Nationals took a precarious 4-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning against the home-standing San Francisco Giants Wednesday night, and turned the game over to set-up man Luis Ayala as scripted. But as Ayala has done much of the season, he struggled, got behind in the count, walked a man, and surrendered three earned runs to erase the lead and lose the game 6-4.

Ayala (1-6, 5.77) was called on to start the eighth inning and had trouble from the start. The first batter he faced, Nats killer Bengie Molina (lifetime .400 hitter against the franchise) lead off with a solid single to left center, completing an 3-for-4 night for him. D.C. native Emmanuel Burriss then pinch-ran for the sloth-like Molina and promptly stole second. Ayala issued a four-pitch walk to first baseman John Bowker, and after a eight pitch at bat, despite falling behind 0-2, Rich Aurilia finally found a pitch to handle: a hanging breaking ball right down Broadway The veteran hammered the offering to straight-away center field for a two-run double, wresting the lead away. Omar Vizquel, hitting just .183 in this, his 21st big league season, followed with his own double to center, and it was all over but the crying for the Nats. Ayala was allowed to remain on the hill to get the final two outs, but the damage was done.

Washington tried to mount a response in the ninth inning as Ryan Zimmerman (3-for-5) singled with one out and Jesus Flores was hit with a pitch with two outs. But Kory Casto, pinch-hitting for Ayala, could not deliver the blow that would tie the game up to force extras, as he struck out against the Giants All Star closer Brian Wilson.

The Nats actually had a late-inning lead to protect thanks to a three-run inning of their own. Against tiring Giants starter Kevin Correia in the sixth, Austin Kearns singled to lead off, and on the very next pitch, catcher Jesus Flores drilled a pitch to the left field bleachers for his sixth home run of the season, and team leading 41st and 42nd RBIs. Several batters later, pinch-hitter Johnny Estrada singled to center, driving in Ryan Langerhans, who was aboard via a double to right field. Red-hot Willie Harris (2-for-5) followed with a single to put two on with two outs, and Manager Bruce Bochy finally went to his pen for lefty Alex Hinshaw. Hinshaw, one of several rookies in Bochy's bullpen, calmly got All Star Cristian Guzman to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning without further damage. As it turned out, Hinshaw may have won the game right there.

Collin Balestar started for the Nationals and despite some early struggles settled down to pitch fairly well overall. He went five full innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks, striking out two. Steven Shell, Charlie Manning and Saul Rivera all followed with shutout performances through the sixth and seventh innings before Ayala came on. Giants rookie Geno Espineli, making just his second appearance since his recall last week, pitched two-thirds of an inning to earn the victory, and Wilson recorded his 27th save of the season.

The Nats finish the series with San Francisco, hoping to avoid the sweep, at 3:35 eastern time today with Tim Redding (7-4, 4.17) on the hill. The Giants send out hard-luck starter Matt Cain (5-8, 4.08).

NATS NOTES: Washington has lost two in a row, and are 4-6 in their last 10 games. Overall, their record stands at 38-63, tied for worst in the majors, and 16 games behind Philadelphia and New York Mets, tied for first in the NL East.

CF Lastings Milledge, on the DL since June 28 with a right groin strain, has hit well during his minor league rehab stint with Triple-A Columbus and the team hopes to activate him during the series with the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend.

GM Jim Bowden, on a talk radio appearance and later confirmed by other media sources yesterday, indicated the team would not tender P Chad Cordero a contract at the end of the season. Cordero, who apparently was not made aware of this before Bowden's public announcements, was surprised by the news. Cordero responded, "I'm shocked he would say it now and make it official. It's a bit upsetting. It's early. I understand that it's a business."

Photo (c) C. Nichols 2008.

Cordero Out Four to Six Weeks

The Washington Post reports erstwhile closer Chad Cordero will be out four to six weeks with an acute tear if his latissimus dorsi.

I'm sure no one that reads this blog will be surprised to hear about Cordero's injury. But there are some interesting things to ponder regarding this situation.

1) Has Cordero been injured in this manner all along and the reason for his lack of velocity and this one last throw the muscle single snapped? Was his joint structurally sound all along and the doctors just missed the muscle injury?

2) Or is the muscle injury simply symptomatic of the joint injury? You know, the one where there's a "click" in his shoulder but he doesn't feel any pain?

3) The Nats haven't announced a corresponding move with Cordero going on the DL. Is there the chance that when LoDuca is ready (today or tomorrow) they simply activate him and the team carry three catchers??? Is that even remotely possible? Cause we all know if a team is struggling to score they should carry THREE CATCHERS!!!

Update on Closer Chad Cordero

Washington, DC--Washington Nationals closer Chad Cordero visited renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday, and as far as the team is concerned--for now--Cordero is healthy enough to pitch. According to a team spokesman, Cordero is suffering from rotator cuff tendinitis and will not require surgery unless there is further injury and will not require a stint on the disabled list..

Nats GM Jim Bowden spoke briefly before the game on Cordero's health. "We were very pleased with the negative MRI today. Dr. Andrews was encouraged," Bowden stated. "We just need to get him to work harder, build up his arm strength." When he was asked about Cordero basically going through a 'spring training' period, Bowden quipped, "Whether he's been throwing 78-80 or 85-87 he's been getting them out." But Bowden conceded that Cordero does need to regain his velocity to be an effective major league pitcher, "Now that he has a specific new program to build the strength up hopefully the velocity will come sooner rather than later."

Cordero was unavailable to pitch Wednesday against the New York Mets as he was travelling back to Washington from Birmingham, AL. He should rejoin the team and be available for Manny Acta's bullpen Thursday or Friday depending on discomfort from the dye injection for the MRI, according to Bowden.

In other injury news, Bowden indicated that both Elijah Dukes, on the DL with a strained hamstring and Dmitri Young, on the DL with a strained lower back, were 7-10 days away from rejoining the team at the minimum. "You know, we're gonna make sure that they're one hundred percent before we put them back on the field so there's no re-injury."

BOTTOM LINE: There's a good chance this is a lingering problem all year long. Despite the sugar-coating by team officials and Cordero himself, the lack of velocity and acknowledged "clicking" in his shoulder are barometers of injury. The team willkeep a close eye on Cordero, his strength and conditioning and his warm-up procedures to hopefully returnt he erstwhile closer to his normal duties.

Update on Closer Chad Cordero also posted at DC Sports Box

Is Cordero Hurt?

Deposed closer Chad Cordero pitched last night against the Mets in his second outing since returning from the disabled list. And while he did not give up a run, it was a troubling appearance none-the-less. His "fastball" was in the high 70s and only maxed out at 82 MPH by his last pitch. This, obviously, is troubling.

Mark Zuckerman with the Times had a blog entry about it, and since I wasn't in the locker room I didn't talk to Cordero, Acta or Bowden. But from reading what's been written there, on the Post.com and elsewhere, it's apparent the Chief isn't right.

Here's a snippet from the Post's article:

But when closer Chad Cordero came on in an innocuous, eighth-inning situation just to get some work in, alarms rang out throughout the organization. Cordero's warm-up pitches were so shockingly slow that Manager Manny Acta and pitching coach Randy St. Claire visited the mound before he began the inning. His first pitch, a fastball, registered at 76 mph on the scoreboard radar gun. It took him 15 pitches to top 80 mph. He topped out at 82 mph. Somehow, he worked a scoreless inning, allowing only an infield single.

"I wasn't hurting at all," Cordero said. "I didn't have enough time to warm up."

Taken at face value, it's easy to believe Chief. It was chilly and according to the Svrluga's story a "communication gaffe" was the reason Cordero didn't have enough time to warm up. But reading between the lines is easy when it's spelled out in a senior-sized font. Cordero obviously isn't healthy.

Here's Manager Manny Acta's most salient quote, again borrowed from the Post:

"What do you do?" Acta said. "He says he's fine. He has no pain. He's going to continue to pitch. Just right now we're going to have to pick and choose our spots, because I really don't feel right now, the way he's throwing the ball, I should trust him to save a game here."

I can answer Acta's rhetorical question: See the doctor again! The original MRI showed no structural damage. But something is wrong. His velocity was down all spring, then he felt sharp pain in the bullpen warming up opening day. He has since returned but can't throw anywhere close to his normal 89-92 MPH. I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the Internet. This is an obvious case of "young guy gets hurt for the first time in his career and tries to play his way through it".

Here's hoping he doesn't do any permanent damage while trying to play through his current injury.