Major League Baseball

Washington Post staff writer Barry Svrluga was online Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 2 p.m. ET to talk about the latest baseball news.

The transcript follows.

____________________

Barry Svrluga: Greetings, Nationals fans. Might as well talk about the team while we still can assume, I guess, that it'll be here for a while.

Hope everybody had good holidays. We don't have Jorge to deal with today, so let's get started.

_______________________

Rosslyn, Va.: Happy New Year, Barry.

Are the Nats still down on Ryan Church as the starting CF? Many of the articles I've read repeatedly mention "sources" who see Brandon Watson as the favorite. Is this a continuation of the "injury-prone" nonsense?

Barry Svrluga: I wouldn't say the Nationals are "down on" Ryan Church at all. Remember, he was slated to be the starting CF last Opening Day, and Bowden and others still believe in him as a hitter. Yes, there are concerns about his being prone to injuries (some teammates thought he was "soft" last year). But the thinking on Watson is what one person in the organization described to me as "dreaming a little bit." They hope that he develops and can be a major league leadoff hitter, because his skill-set (read: fast legs) fits best in the lineup at the top. That would give them excellent fourth and fifth outfielders in Church and Marlon Byrd, and would give them someone swift at the top.

It's almost like hoping Endy Chavez would work out last year. And, of course, we know how that turned out.

_______________________

Anonymous: I don't quite understand how the finalization of the deal between MLB and the DC Government is now the reason that an owner can't be decided. When last season began, MLB said they hoped to name an owner by the All Star break and this was not at all linked to finalization of the nightmarish stadium deal. After that, they kept stretching it out, and we were led to believe by, uh, some members of the media, that the hold-up to announcing an owner in the fall was simply the involvement of the White Sox in the W.S. As inaction continued, and the date for the final Council vote neared, suddenly the decision was linked to the finalization of the stadium deal. Then we have DuPuy's piece yesterday. Am I missing something, or is this just part of the ongoing process of treating us like we're not intelligent enough to have, like, a memory? Thanks.

washingtonpost.com: Baseball to Seek Arbitration Over D.C. Stadium ( Post, Jan. 4 )

Barry Svrluga: Well, I wouldn't say we were led to believe by, uh, some members of the media that the delay was linked to the White Sox' playoff fortunes. One Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of said team and chief negotiator, said during the playoffs that he wouldn't be able to turn his attention to DC until his team was eliminated.

Baseball's thinking is this: They don't want to name an owner without a lease because if, as expected, they name on of the local groups (Lerner or Malek), they don't want the DC Council to have extra leverage with that group so that they're able to extract more money. (I'm not endorsing that line of thinking; merely presenting it.)

_______________________

College Park, Md.: Thanks for taking my questions. The projected lineup and pitching staff doesn't appear to be all that different than last year, which may be a good thing (what do you think?), but one thing still bothers me: SS. Is there any hope of removing Guzman's bat from the lineup? Is Soriano going to raise a fuss about playing LF? Do the Nats have a shot at finishing above .500? Thanks again.

Barry Svrluga: The lineup, as I see it (and let's say Brandon Watson grabs the leadoff job) would look something like this:

Watson -- CF

Vidro -- 2B

Soriano -- LF

Guillen -- RF

Johnson -- 1B

Zimmerman -- 3B

Schneider -- C

Guzman -- SS

Starting pitcher

No, there's no way to move Guzman now -- and no intention to do so. The good thing: Could he really be any worse than last year? If he hits .250, it'd be considered a huge bonus. Yes, Soriano is going to raise a fuss about the outfield, and it could be the defining issue of the spring. And can they finish .500 again? I'd say doubtful, but not because of the lineup. There are too many questions in the rotation.

_______________________

Mullican, Mass.: Are the Nationals set on picking their backup catcher from Wiki Gonzalez, Alberto Castillo, or Mike DiFelice?

Barry Svrluga: This is one offseason goal that hasn't been met yet, but it appears they might be headed in that direction. One possibility is to use newly signed Robert Fick, who has caught quite a bit in his career, as a backup catcher if the others don't come through, but that wasn't the plan when they signed Fick. It appears, for now, that losing Gary Bennett as a free agent to St. Louis might be more costly than they originally thought.

_______________________

Chantilly, Va.: Barry,

With The Post taking over the airwaves can we expect to hear the new station dedicating some non-game airtime to the nats?

You, the Boz and your arch-nemisis Jose would be great on the radio.

Baseball talk on the radio is seriously lacking in the Washington radio market.

washingtonpost.com: Washington Post Radio Station to Debut in March ( Jan. 4 )

Barry Svrluga: Someone just stopped by and asked if I'd be announcing the game, then writing a story about it. Not so.

For those who haven't heard, Bonneville International and the Post announced today the formation of Washington Post Radio, which will be carried on the space on the dial where WTOP once was. And we've reported -- though it hasn't been announced -- that the Nationals are close to finalizing a deal to put their games on 1500 AM as wel as 107.7 FM.

I would think you'd give a heavy dose of baseball on the radio on the new network. At least listeners will get better reception than on the old WFED.

_______________________

Davenport, Iowa: So our Houdini-like GM couldn't escape from the padlocked trunk of this job for one bound to Boston. But, with the Astros signing PW and the Cards taking Spivey, he was able to turn Tomo Ohka and Zach Day into nothing in a matter of six months. Will he have turned Brad Wilkerson into nothing, or is Soriano going to stick around, for at least the first half of the year?

Barry Svrluga: Absolutely fair points. Ohka turning into nothing at this point really, really hurts, and Bowden admits that that's the one move from last year that really sticks out as a negative (Ohka for Spivey). How much better would the rotation look with Ohka in it headed to spring training?

Soriano: The Nationals now have a marquee chip that they didn't have before, and you're right to view it as you are. They must assess their chances of signing him to a multi-year deal, or consider what they can get for him in July. If he brings back a bevy of young prospects or a frontline pitcher, it could be a good deal. If he plays here this year and leaves as a free agent, it will, no doubt, be a horrendous one.

_______________________

Frankfort, Ky.: Losing Gary Bennett is costly? You watched the guy play in person 50 or 60 times last year. There's nothing damaging about losing Gary Bennett. He was horrible at blocking the plate, and, were it not for Guzman, would have been the team's worst hitter, by far.

You could pick any of those minor league catchers at random and do just as 'well'.

Barry Svrluga: A fair point, Frankfort. Some of the pitchers on the staff -- notably John Patterson -- liked throwing to him, though.

_______________________

Re: Soriano: Doesn't he know how this team works?? Seriously, what is his problem? If he keeps this up, he's likely to get a very lukewarm fan reaction come spring. Kinda like how we respond to Jorge.

Barry Svrluga: If he is received by the fans like the readership receives Jorge, I pity him. I truly pity him.

_______________________

Crystal city, Va.: Broadway played very well in Peoria (AZ), as did Harris. Both seem blocked on the major league roster. Are they back to being considered potentially useful parts/prospects? Were there others who helped themselves? I'll discount Zimmerman's #s as being tired.

Barry Svrluga: Those two players -- 1B Larry Broadway and INF Brendan Harris -- definitely did the most to help themselves at the Arizona Fall League. Broadway is one of the Nats top prospects, and he battled injuries all year. He seemed to right himself in the fall league. Some in the organization were down on Harris at points during the year, but he continued to hit in the minors, and then tore up the fall league. There's a chance Harris could battle for a spot backing up Zimmerman at third on the major league roster. Broadway is all but certain to begin the year in the minors.

And yes, that was more baseball than Ryan Zimmerman had ever played, so excuse his struggles in the fall league.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: Fick as the backup catcher? Isn't he a LH just like Schneider? It would seem that Frank Robinson/Eddy Rodriguez would prefer a RH option to give Schneider a day off against a tough LHP.

Barry Svrluga: Indeed, that is part of the problem with Fick serving as the backup catcher -- the fact that he hits from the left side, just like Schneider. But the Nationals missed out on their top targets as right-handed hitting backups in Todd Pratt and John Flaherty. I just point out that Fick could buy some time back there because he caught 28 games for SD last season. Is it ideal? Absolutely not.

_______________________

Connecticut and L: Hey Barry:

Welcome back to chat ... I don't know what the deal is, but Jorge always comes across as an a**. I am happy to see a man of reason and discernment back behind the screen.

What's the latest on your book? Release still scheduled for the spring?

Barry Svrluga: I will not comment on whether Jorge is an a** or anything else involving multiple asterisks. I will let the public speak.

The book: Due out March 28, just a few days before the opener in New York. Thanks for asking.

_______________________

Please Address the REAL Issue !: your words..."Might as well talk about the team while we still can assume, I guess, that it'll be here for a while"

MLB vs DC.... Arrogant vs Stupid.

What is the inside thinking on this ?

Barry Svrluga: The inside thinking is that Arrogant occasionally has the upper hand on Stupid, but you never know what Stupid might do next, which makes Arrogant uneasy.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Sayonara Rick Short -- I was there when he got his first hit during that incredible June run -- man RFK was rocking that day. Can't wait to read that page in "National Pastime." (Curious what the epilogue in that sucker is going to look like too - are you considering adding a loose leaf supplement w/the latest updates at the point of sale?)

Barry Svrluga: The Rick Short story that day was really incredible, and yes, that was back when RFK rocked.

I think the epilogue to the book will come with a separate orthopedic backpack becuase it's sure to be twice as long as the current text.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Which is more likely at this point: Soriano signing a long-term deal with Nats before the season or Soriano being traded before the season?

Barry Svrluga: I would take the second option if presented just those two. But I think the most realistic option is that he's traded sometime in June/July.

_______________________

Downtown, 6th and D St., NW: Can't Rick Short play the outfield? A leadoff hitter who flirts with .400 shouldn't be ignored.

Barry Svrluga: He might be able to play the OF, but if he does, he'll do it in Japan. The Nationals sold him to the Japanese League last month.

_______________________

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: Please tell me there Soriano trade talks are not dead. I first liked the trade, but now that I realize he is an idiot, I want him traded. Hopefully if the Tejada to Boston deal falls through, Boston will be desparate enough to make a nice offer to the Nats.

Barry Svrluga: Bowden, certainly ,will listen to offers for Soriano now, next month, and into the season. But keep in mind this: There are no guarantees on Jose Vidro's knee being back in shape, and therefore no guarantees that Vidro will be the player everyone in the Nationals organization remembers from 2001-02. If he's not, the Soriano problem could work itself out. He might end up at second anyway.

_______________________

Boyds, Md.: The problem with trading Soriano in July is that his stats will be depressed somewhat by RFK, and his attitude might be bad. Factor those in with a high salary, and there might not be any clubs looking to aquire him in anything other than a salary dump. Probably not much chance of the Nats getting a haul like the Mariners got for Randy Johnson, huh?

Barry Svrluga: Yes, but people in baseball front offices get paid to analyze stuff like that. If he has, say, 10 homers at the all-star break, and someone in a hitter-friendly park such as Fenway or Houston, etc., says, "Hey, he'd have 15 if he played here," then the deal could be made quite easily. Fans don't analyze numbers in a vaccuum; therefore, executives certainly don't.

However, is there the potential the Nationals, after this year, could end up with absolutely nothing for Wilkerson, Sledge and the minor league pitcher Galarraga? Absolutely.

_______________________

Viera, Fla.: Are there plans to re-start your Spring Training blog? We certainly can't get enough Panera jokes.

Barry Svrluga: I will be a bit late to spring training this year (Winter Olympics assignment keeps me in Italy until end of February), but I would imagine there would be some sort of blog developing when I return -- or even before.

Ah, Panera. I went the whole holiday season without thinking of ye.

_______________________

Boise, Idaho: How much of a say does Bob Boone have in the front office? Given the reorganization and his friendship with Bowden, I fear the answer will be too much.

Was Boone the one who asserted that Preston Wilson was a good defensive outfielder?

Barry Svrluga: Boone certainly has Bowden's ear, but he also goes and does whatever Bowden asks. The two work closely together, and Bowden relies on Boone as an evaluator quite a bit. Was he THE reason they traded for Wilson? No. But he did see Wilson several times, and Boone did think he'd be better defensively. That was a poor job of scouting by the entire organization.

_______________________

All Baseball Fans In DC Area: Barry:

Happy New Year! Is it unrealistic to believe that the Nationals may go into their 2nd season with no new owners?

Barry Svrluga: Happy New Year to you, all baseball fans.

Yes, that is very realistic. Amazing, huh?

_______________________

Denver, Colo.: "Yes, but people in baseball front offices get paid to analyze stuff like that. If he has, say, 10 homers at the all-star break, and someone in a hitter-friendly park such as Fenway or Houston, etc., says, "Hey, he'd have 15 if he played here," then the deal could be made quite easily."

Vinny Castilla and Preston Wilson could probably think of at least one front office who has a hard time with math.

Barry Svrluga: An excellent point, Denver.

How's the air out there? Vinny was asking.

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md.: So the Nationals will now be broadcast on the new Washington Post radio station? So the WaPo will have a financial relationship with the Nationals? Doesn't that sort of create an ethical minefield for journalists? Or at least the appearance of such?

Barry Svrluga: I think it creates the appearance of a conflict of interest for the reporters assigned to cover the team. But the way it has been described to me is that the Post will not have a "financial relationship" with the Nationals. The Post will provide the new radio station with content (news reports, analysis, etc.), but the station is owned by Bonneville, not the Post.

This will be new for all of us. It'll be interesting to see how it develops from here.

_______________________

Downtown, 6th and D St., NW: 1. What was done to RFK over the winter? Did they at least enlarge the scoreboard?

2. If they couldn't get Preston "car crash" Wilson to move to left field, what makes them think that the all-star Soriano will?

3. when will there be a Grapefruit League schedule available?

Barry Svrluga: Hello, 6th and D NW.

1. Not much that I know of. I think we can expect a similar park next year. I will certainly be checking as we get closer to opening day.

2. You ask an excellent question. I am anxious to find out the answer.

3. Yes. The Nationals' web site recently posted the team's spring training schedule:

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=was&m=3&y=2006

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: Any idea why Dave Shea will not be back as the Post is reporting? I thought he and Slowes worked very well together.

Thanks!

Barry Svrluga: I talked to Dave this morning, and he had just heard the news. He's a good guy, and it's too bad it didn't work out. I know there were some in the organization who thought he sounded too much like a New Englander -- which, of course, they knew when they hired him, because that's where he's from. But I really don't have the specifics right now as to why he wasn't retained.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Since you are the "Viceroy of Viera," what are the closest training camps of the other MLB teams to that fair realm for spring training planning purposes?

Barry Svrluga: I am going to take that nickname and run with it, oh Ace of Arlington.

The Braves' training site at Disney is less than an hour away, and the Mets in Port St. Lucie and Dodgers in Vero Beach are within 90 minutes straight south on I-95. Jupiter, where Cardinals and Marlins train, is less than 100 miles as well.

But make no mistake about it: Viera's an outpost, and this comes from the Viceroy.

_______________________

Scetion 314, Row 6: Any news on the Nats arbitration players? Nick Johnson, Patterson, Schneider and Soriano.

Also, when do you think the Nats will get around to signing/renewing young pre-arbitration players like Cordero, Church, Majewski....

Barry Svrluga: No movement on the arbitration guys yet, but team officials are working on them, and they don't expect to go to arbitration with any of them. The renewable guys will be done just before or during spring training. Those are usually the last deals to be finalized.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Happy New Year.

I can see it now. 107.7/1500 Washington Post Radio. All Svrluga. All the time.

Barry Svrluga: Thanks Mom. Didn't know you had moved to Arlington. Let's have lunch some time.

_______________________

Great Falls, Md.: It's been mentioned that Armas' contract might have incentives in it. Do we have any idea what they might be, or how expensive he could get if he's (stop laughing) actually healthy?

Barry Svrluga: I need to go back and check on this, but it won't be terribly expensive. He has to pitch a certain number of innings -- and it's high, say in the 160-180 range, before he gets any money. I think that's a good way to handle a guy who's been beset with injuries -- pay for performance.

I'll report the specifics as soon as I can. Thanks for the reminder.

_______________________

Washington. D.C.: Call me an optimist, but I think the mediation will force the two sides to, in fact, compromise. What are some of the possible outcomes which can result from the mediation or arbitration? Can the arbirators order MLB to name an owner?

Barry Svrluga: Washington, you are an optimist.

There, I said it.

As I understand it -- and my colleagues Tom Heath and David Nakamura spend more time on this than I do -- the arbitrators will decide whether the agreement the District signed with MLB is binding and, therefore, whether the Council has any say in changing the deal. Naming an owner will be part of the fall-out of getting a lease done.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Hi Barry, Happy New Year to you!

What's is the word (if any) on trading away Jose Vidro? The Kerry Wood rumor died quickly, but have you heard anything since? I hear that the Pirates are looking to unload Craig Wilson...

Barry Svrluga: That Kerry Wood rumor was, I fear, reported irresponsibly. I can't find anyone who thinks there was anything to it.

Trading Vidro is a tricky matter. If you dealt him now, you wouldn't get the kind of return that he would warrant if he's ready to be a .300-15-90 guy again. So if their intent is really to trade him -- and not Soriano -- then they have to do it deep into spring training, after he's (presumably) proved he's healthy. That still leaves the team reporting to spring training with an awkward situation at 2B.

_______________________

Georgetown: What did you think of the Bob Dupuy editorial in yesterday's Post.

washingtonpost.com: Why the Stadium Deal Isn't Done (Post, Jan. 3)

Barry Svrluga: I thought it was good to provide MLB a forum where they could clearly state their position. But it was provided so the public could look at the argument and draw conclusions, not so the beat writer could.

_______________________

Rockville, Md.: Another problem with Fick as the backup catcher is that he's a horrible catcher. I think some are being more than a bit unrealistic in expecting offense from the backup catcher. What we want is something like Bennett who the pitchers like throwing to and who can get a hit once in a while. Gonzalez, Castillo and that other guy all fit the bill.

Barry Svrluga: I think a town is truly developing into a baseball town when people spend part of a January afternoon discussing the merits of differnt people as the backup catcher.

_______________________

Farragut West-ish: Barry,

Would you please explain the day-to-day responsibilies of the various coaches? What do the first and third base coaches do outside of gametime? What does the bench coach and bullpen coaches do, well, ever? Thanks. See you in Viera.

Barry Svrluga: Hello, Farragut. There are a few coaching staff questions on the chat, and I'll answer them here.

The Nationals need new coaches for the bases and in the bullpen and as a hitting coach. There are some in the organization who would like Mitchell Page, the former hitting coach for the Cardinals who served as a roving instructor for the Nationals last year, to be the hitting coach, but Page might be reluctant to take a big league job because he is still in the first two years of being a recovering alcoholic.

The bench coach, which will be Eddie Rodriguez, as it was last year, does a lot of different things. In Rodriguez's case, he even makes out the lineup -- for Robinson's approval or disapproval. He also helps with in-game strategy and is a general sounding board. The bullpen coach keeps the relievers into the game, offers scouting reports on hitters, makes the relievers aware of situations that might arise, etc. The base coaches can help by pitching batting practice and running other drills -- but I have to say, the third base coach, in particular, is judged by how many runners he gets thrown out at the plate.

_______________________

1500 AM: So, come march, will these chats become a call-in talk show? Broadcast live from Panera, in vierra fl perhaps? I'm eagerly anticpating the vocal stylings of svrluga...

Barry Svrluga: I see banners on the sides of buildings, myself -- hopefully interactive ones.

_______________________

Harrisburg, Pa.: Does the Orioles "mishandling" of the Burnitz signing speak to the perceived lethargy in that organization?

Barry Svrluga: We were just discussing this in the office today. Certainly, there are many things wrong with the Orioles -- and I can't speak to them first-hand, as my colleagues Sheinin and Arangure can. I'd expect the Orioles to get a good, hard look this spring in which people try to figure out what has gone wrong there.

_______________________

Anonymous: If they don't want to name an owner without having a lease, then it should have been clear that an owner wouldn't be named until last month at best. In the meantime, we were lied to/misled.

Barry Svrluga: Misled, I think, is a very, very good word for it. Bud Selig himself spent much of last year saying a new owner would be named "very soon." It simply wasn't possible without that lease, and that, as we've seen, was never close to being a done deal.

_______________________

16th and M: If the stadium deal for the Anacostia site completely falls through, will MLB look to relocate the Nats to another city?

Barry Svrluga: That is an undercurrent of the message from MLB right now, certainly.

_______________________

Stanton Park, DC: Hey Barry - who do you see leading off for the Nats next season? Looking at the current roster, none really stand out. Guillen, Johnson, Vidro, and Soriano (should they be able to play together) should make up the 2-5 hitters. So, now you're left with Guzman (.298 career OBP - ouch!), Church (.335), Schneider (.323), and maybe the most attractive candidate, Zimmerman (.419).

I thought one of Bowden's goals for this offseason was to acquire a leadoff hitter. None of the position players acquired so far (Jackson, Anderson, Fick, Soriano) are qualified to take on that role.

Barry Svrluga: Answered above, I believe, but some in the organization really hope Brandon Watson -- who hit .355 with 15 doubles in 88 games at Class AAA New Orleans -- can fit in at the top of the order. He'd have to make a leap to do it, but his skills fit there.

_______________________

Winter Olympics and Spring Training: Do you know approximately when you'll be at each?

Will you be too busy with the Winter Olympics to write any Nats features like last February (there are many new faces already)?

What events are you covering in the Winter Olympics?

Barry Svrluga: Thanks for caring.

I will be at the Winter Olympics from Feb. 6 until Feb. 28, and will likely report to Viera after having a cup of coffee at home in DC. I'd say by March 5 or 6.

The esteemed Dave Sheinin -- along with Thomas Boswell -- will be at spring training for much of that time. Don't worry. You won't be short of Nats news.

_______________________

Barry Svrluga: Folks, there's tons more questions, but I'm already over my time limit. Thanks so much for joining, and we'll try to do at least one more chat before I leave for Europe. There's plenty to talk about.

Thanks again.

_______________________

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.