"Any time you can get a long-term deal, it's guaranteed money," Schneider said Thursday, "and there's no doubt about it: I want to be with this team. I want to be in Washington. I want to be there for the new stadium. That's what I want."
Bowden, however, said he's unlikely to sign either to a long-term deal before an ownership change.
"I don't like distractions during the season," Bowden said. "But I don't think there's any question that one of my recommendations to new ownership in the overall scheme of plans is to be able to sign your young, arbitration-eligible players that you know are going to be stars to long-term deals to give them the financial security -- and to give the club the ability to avoid the arbitration process with starting players, guys that you need to be happy and want to be happy."
In addition to the players eligible for arbitration, five Nationals are up for free agency following 2005. The most significant is Tony Armas Jr., a talented but snakebitten right-hander who has a history of shoulder problems and will begin this season on the disabled list with a pulled groin.
Whatever happens with the payroll, no one with the organization believes the situation will be as tight as it was the past few years in Montreal. When the Expos found themselves in the wild-card race in 2003, they couldn't trade for new players. Worse, they couldn't even call up players from the minors.
"Demoralizing," Minaya said.
"Devastating," said Manager Frank Robinson.
Nationals President Tony Tavares said that, in the unlikely event the team finds itself in a playoff race this season and a new owner hasn't been found, he might be willing to go to MLB and ask if the team could trade for a more expensive player should Bowden want it. Bowden said that would be out of his control.
"The only thing I'm going to tell you is: I'm going to be very good at spending the money if they give it to me," Bowden said. "I can promise you: I am not shy about getting players. I love players."
