NATIONALS DODGE BULLET: JAVIER VAZQUEZ SIGNS WITH MARLINS



Livan & Javier: From the Same Mold

Bill Ladson of nationals.com is reporting that Javier Vazquez, who had been courted by the Nationals this off-season, has signed with the Florida Marlins.

Vazquez, 34, signed a one-year, incentive-laden contract after a 10-10, 5.32, 8.9/3.7/6.9 disaster with the Yankees. The number of teams he could sign with were limited, partly due to his poor 2010 performance and partly because he wanted to play in a city near his family's Puerto Rican home.

I am very thankful for many things during this Thanksgiving weekend, including the Nationals not signing Vazquez to any length of contract.

Prior to his comeback year with the Braves in 2009 (15-10, 2.87), Vazquez averaged just 13-12, 4.50 from 2004 through 2008. For his career, he's averaged 12-12, 4.26 over a full major league season.

During those same seasons (2004-2008), our own Livan Hernandez averaged an almost identical 13-12, 4.57 and last season was 10-12, 3.66, allowing almost a full run less per nine-innings pitched than Vazquez.

If the Nationals were able to sign Hernandez to a minor-league contract in 2010 and resign him to a nominal major league deal for 2011, why would Javier Vazquez cost the team any more?

And really, why would the team even want another end-of-the-road, end-of-the-rotation type of pitcher?

Returning from last season are John Lannan, Jason Marquis, Jordan Zimmerman and Livan, and all are guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation.

When Stephen Strasburg returns in August or September, he'll grab that fifth and final spot.

That means that as of right now, Yunesky Maya, Ross Detwiler, and J.D. Martin--who have all succeeded to some extent at the major league level--don't even have a major league job.

The only way that adding another aging pitcher to the rotation makes sense would be if the Nationals are looking to trade quantity for quality, perhaps moving Lannan and Detwiler as parts of a package for the Royals' Zach Greinke. And if that's not the plan, a young and maturing team doesn't need Livan-1 and Livan-2, i.e. Hernandez and Vazquez.

This is a win-win signing. It's good for the Marlins for getting Javier Vazquez and good for the Nationals for not getting him.