THE STATE OF THE NATS: 2008

Let's be honest. The Nats could make it to the Playoffs in 2008. The team is that close.

Trade Jim and Stan the Man have pulled a few strings and bolstered the bench to deliver what could be the winning combo in the NL East this year. With the Mets in complete free fall - disarray, mark my words tha Willie Randolph is gone by May and the Phillies standing pat AGAIN with not one playoff win...how their fans put up with their ownership crap is beyond me, The Nats have the inside track to go to the penthouse as we move into the most beautiful confines in SE DC!

A check on the team: Please God, no injuries this year!!!!!

1) I personally love Guzman and Belliard up the middle. The talent, experience and leadership are rock solid. That damn injury bug must get the DDT! Felipe is still one of my hopes, but this year will need to prove something more. I think personal problems (non-drug) set the man back last year, but with a strong presence like Dmitri and Manny around, Felipe will get his shot.

2) Zim....what else can we say. The kid has 15 years at 3rd base as long as he doesn't break anything! ;)

3) I like Dmitri, Willy Mo and a healthy Nick Johnson at 1st. Might just be enough power to do it. Let's see how the walls are in the new digs!? Yes, that means Dmitri in LF, but if Milledge or Duke or Escobar (???) can give chase to anything in the gap, "D" can stop anybody with hustle to a single. Kearns? Who's he?

4) LoDuca (minus the steriods) and Flores will be adequate until Flores emerges. I guess now we know where all those doubles went from LoDuca's bat???;) We still may need a catcher this year, and as long as it isn't Fick and the guy who made Robbie cry, I'm OK. I really wanted SD's Barrett. He was a great Expo, and would fill the back stop for years with or without Flores.

5) Pitching: The starters are emerging. Whether Hill, Patterson or someone else can fulfill remains uncertain. I truly want Livan back to chew up innings because statistically if he can do it this year our bullpen will be the force that will get us to the playoffs. It may be lights out as early as the 5th inning this year if everyone stays healthy. I do think we will miss Albalajedo. His fastball was lights out, but still a project. If the kid we got is not damaged goods (Clippard), we may have another starter. We shall see.

6) Still waiting on the kids, but not for long. I'm not going to venture a guess who the phenom will be this year. But trader Jim and Stan the Man can't figure that it is an outfielder by trading for Milledge (sp.?)

Any ideas....I think the rock solid bullpen makes it happen this year as we win a very weak divison as the up and comer.