The Nationals May Need A Plan B

"All contracts are nuts now," a Giants executive said. "Rowand is worth it to us."

At the moment, the Nats are infatuated with their improvement in the minor leagues. Their teams at Class AA (Harrisburg) and high-Class A (Potomac), where most of the game's hottest young talent is found, have flirted with the best records at those levels this season. But the Lerners shouldn't get too happy. Look closer.

The players the Nats have drafted highest and touted most -- such as Potomac's Chris Marrero (batting .230 entering last night) and Ross Detwiler (5.76 ERA) -- have miles to go. Justin Maxwell (.233 at Harrisburg), Cory VanAllen (injured) and Mike Burgess (76 strikeouts in 222 at-bats at low-Class A Hagerstown) aren't quick answers. Garrett Mock and Tyler Clippard, up from Class AAA for starts against the Giants, didn't look any more promising than the rotation already at Nationals Park.

Building a franchise from the bottom up is the best method. But it takes years. And signing free agents periodically along the way -- not just as "last pieces of the puzzle" but as an integral park of gradual improvement -- should be part of that process. This winter, Ben Sheets, C.C. Sabathia, Orlando Hudson and Rafael Furcal will be available. Get one, at least. No excuses.

For now, the only helpful attitude for Nats fans, as they sweat out a desperate few weeks, is the mordant humor of the career big leaguer. The game wants to eat you up, burn you out. But you have to laugh, remind yourself that seasons and careers are long.

Perhaps to keep their sanity as they wait to play again, Zimmerman, Johnson, Kearns, Lo Duca, Cordero and the rest have hatched a plot.

"Maybe we can all go on rehab to Potomac [in Class A ball] at the same time. They've got a good team, but we can probably make it," Zimmerman said, grinning. "If we help 'em win their season championship, Lo Duca says, maybe they'll give us rings."