Around the League in 30 Days - Washington Nationals

In 2010, the Nationals should adopt the popular slogan around DC, "Yes We Can" with the can in this instance referring to winning 60 games. The Nats, looking to restore some degree of hope to the Mid-Atlantic region baseball, went out and grabbed a plethora of starting pitching. Good starting pitching? Well, that's another story. I'll preface this by saying there's not much needed to compete in the NL East but we'll go there later.

Additions: SPs Jason Marquis ('09 All-Star and SI Juice Bag), Chien-Ming Wang (2 time 19 game winner that hasn't pitched since the Nixon Administration), Livan Hernandez (former All-Star who hasn't pitched since the Hoover administration). Jokes aside, they're a vast improvement over who was shuttled to the bump in 09. Also added to the staff were Brian Bruney (via trade), Matt Capps (to finish games? 5 blown saves and a 5.80 ERA in '09), and lurking somewhere is the flame-throwing Stephen Strasburg (if you don't know him, why are you reading this? Last year's #1 overall pick who just so happens to throw 100+ MPH.)

The Nats also added to their lineup and overall depth. They spent considerable funds on Pudge Rodriguez, who once caught the first pitch thrown out by FDR, to try and mold this staff into something.

Subtractions: After a 59 win campaign, I'm not convinced that anyone that has left the Nation's Capital can be viewed as a subtraction.


Positives in 2010: The starting pitching has to be better - and that's without factoring in Wang for more than 10-15 starts and Livan at all. Marquis, while not great is automatically better than anyone DC had last year. Strasburg is infinitely better than Marquis. Any production from Wang and/or Livan is golden.  Middle of the lineup features pure power. The combo of Zimmerman, Dunn, and Willingham can rip 100 homers and knock in 300+ runs. Will the table setter Morgan (42 SB) be on base enough to matter? What about Guzman? And Pudge? There are still many holes but it starts with one and that one is Stephen Strasburg. The next one is Bryce Harper.

The Electoral College Says - Even in the lowly NL East, the Nats will finish last. I'm pegging them for 68 wins which will get them out of the baseball basement.