Marquis Mania in Washington

This time last year, Jason Marquis--one of the biggest names to sign with the Washington Nationals in the days before Jason Werth-- had started three games and lost all of them, limping into the clubhouse after that last one with a 20.52 ERA.

It was obvious that for the first time something was very wrong with his precious right arm. In 12 major league seasons, the 31-year-old had averaged 12 wins per season with a 4.54 ERA. Now, just a season removed from being an All Star, he was the worst starter on a bad team.

Eventually, bone chips were found and surgery was performed. He rejoined the team in August and went 2-6 with a solid 4.29 ERA. Marquis continued that good pitching into 2011; after Friday night's complete game win against the San Francisco Giants, he is now 3-0 with a 2.66 ERA, striking out 6.6 batters per nine-innings while walking just 1.8.

He is tough, he is a competitor, and last year was the first of his career that he didn't play in the post season.

He's a winner.

Many within the organization were hoping that he'd be healthy enough to trade sometime this summer for a prospect or two. He is, after all, in the final year of his two-year contract. But really, trading Marquis makes no sense at all.

The Nationals are expected to begin the 2012 season with a rotation of Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler and John Lannan. The fifth spot could easily be filled by Livan Hernandez or one of the young-but-ready kids working their way up the system.

But Marquis should be that man. He's mature, he wants to win and his past record tells a story of a winner. The rotation needs a veteran presence, a guy who runs the clubhouse who can also still win half of his games.

And that's Jason Marquis.

Before the Washington Nationals can be great, they have to be steady. And to be steady, they must have a pitcher who can be effective every fifth day, someone who can protect the team and give them a chance to win each game he pitches.

Jason Marquis is worth his contract dollars, finally. But to make those millions worthwhile, the Nationals need to extend him for two more years.

And give the rotation's children a chance to grow up.

Bryce Harper Looking Better Every Day

After a slow start, Hagerstown's Bryce Harper is on a tear. In 62 at-bats, the 19-year-old is batting .323-5-18 for the Class-A Suns.

But take a look at what he's done expanded to 550 at-bats, a typical major league season:

Runs: 126

Hits: 180

Doubles: 45

Triples: 0

Home Runs: 45

RBI: 162

Stolen Bases: 36

Walks: 100

Strikeouts: 153

On-Base Percent: .425

Slugging Percent: .645

Ten days ago, he was hitting .235. Today, he's pretty much got the South Atlantic League pitchers figured out. Left there for the entire season, my guess is he'd hit somewhere around .325-30-110 with 30 steals. But I think the Nationals will want to challenge him again, possibly moving him up to High-A Potomac in July.

One thing's for sure though: he's every bit the player we thought he'd be.

Recent Losses Harder Because They've Become Less Expected

Sometimes, being a fan of the Washington Nationals can be very troubling.



Daniel Rosenbaum -- Pitcher



Seven seasons ago they marched into the All Star break in first place in the National League East with a record of 50-31. They added Preston Wilson and Devi Cruz for the pennant run and seemed ready to continue the magic all the way to the World Series.

Buster Onley was even asked at the All Star break if the Nationals could win the division. “Sure, why not!” was his reply.

 The Nationals returned after the All Star break confident and ready. But since then, Washington has gone 361-529, winning barely forty-percent of their games.

And yet throughout all this losing, all the embarrassment, all the jokes and all the refusal of so many quality players to come to Washington, the losses that are beginning to pile up now have been the hardest.





Because they are so close to being so good.

It’s one thing when the team loses 100 games and a quick glance at the rosters of the top two or three minor league teams verifies that there is no help on the way. But that’s not the case now. A quick count finds at least 20 players currently with Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg who will in the next couple of years don a Nationals uniform.



Some will be starters, one or two an all star, and many will fill support roles. But they’ll be here.

For years, the team had to hope that the few minor league players who were supposed to blossom did. Now, players who weren’t being counted on are stepping up.


After a couple of years derailed by injuries, Brad Meyers is 3-1 for Harrisburg with a 2.95 ERA. In 21 innings, he’s struck out 27 and walked no one. Brad Peacock, also with Harrisburg, is 2-1, 1.59, though his control isn’t quite as good as Meyers. In 17 innings, he’s struck out 21 and walked two.



No, the minor leagues aren’t loaded, but they are producing. By 2013, and with a little luck, it could produce an entire roster of capable major league players.

They’re t-h-a-t close.

Tyler Moore -- 1B

And the major league roster keeps showing flashes of brilliance that last a game or two before it returns to the ooze and muck of mediocrity.

The Nationals early season record is about where most of us thought they’d be, though things aren’t boding well for the rest of the season. They reached two games over .500 because an overachieving pitching staff made up for a lackluster offense.

But now—with the exception of Tom Gorzelanny last night—the starters are struggling right alongside the hitters.

No offense. No pitching. No hope?

No way.

These losses are difficult because we all know that hope is coming. Stephen Strasburg will be back by next season and Bryce Harper should be the every-day center fielder by 2013. One or two of those young pitching prospects (Tom Milone, Brad Meyers, Daniel Rosenbaum, etc.) will further embolden the starting rotation.

And really, other than left field and first, the Nationals’ starting eight is pretty much set once Harper makes it to Washington.

It’s because the future looks much brighter that these losses are harder to take. At some point, the Nationals will start winning games regularly and leave this nightmare behind. I mean, you start Stephen Strasburg and have Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos fill the middle of your lineup.

What’s not to like?

So, for now, the losses will hurt a little more because they are less expected. But in the end, the team will likely win 75 or so games this year (I mean, the offense has to warm up eventually) and another Jayson Werth type of free agency signing over the winter should produce a team on the periphery of contention.

It has to happen sooner or later. Really.