Watching these two sorry franchises argue over the merits of Milledge, Morgan, and Stammen is like watchng two seven-year-old boys in a playground having a "Mr. Olympia"-style pose-off. They're flexing with all their might, but there are no muscles here, boys...

heh... his throwback uniform is appropriate.

Is that really the kind of move such a messed up franchise should make? Getting something for Lastings might make sense, but Morgan's got to be a spare part at best. I suppose they don't see him that way.

As a Pirates fan, I'm certainly all for trading Morgan. He's hopefully the last in the long line of fast guys who can't really hit that Littlefield's GM era produced. He isn't young, rarely drives the ball, and doesn't even make very good use of his speed. Not the kind of guy you want on the roster potentially blocking younger, better players.

Morgan could be a valuable short-term acquisition for the Nationals, and certainly worth Milledge, given just how many outfield options the team has. I'm sure he's not worth Milledge AND Stammen, though, except if the 2009 Nationals were in the playoff hunt. According to comment in TA, Pirate fans think they need a starter and middle infield help. While the Nationals have lots of options at the former, they've not got so much at the latter.

I might actually do Stammen for Morgan straight up, thinking about it. Don't think the Pirates would, though.

But I'm guessing the deal's now dead. The Amazing Kasten doesn't like it when the press exposes what's hiding in his garage laboratory. I'm half-convinced that the reason that Acta is still in the job is because Rosenthal broke the story before Kasten had actually done the deed of firing him.

Nationals need to fix their defense, so I'm in favor. But giving up Milledge should not require giving up another prospect.

If I was the Pirates, I would do this, I think (maybe). Milledge still has a chance to put things together. The odds of him doing that may be low at this point, but they aren't nonexistent.

I'd do this deal for three reasons

1) get rid of the remnants of the Bowden era and Milledge, who will always be a jackass.
2) they desperately need speed and defense. It can't be Jose Reyes, so it will have to be a Morgan type.
3) I don't see much downside, even if Morgan isn't great. Does anybody project Milledge as a star at this point? The Nats have all kinds of young, unproven pitching, and Stammen is way down the prospect list.

Can't we just bring back Nook Logan?

Does Nook have a .345ish OBP?

I'd do it. Deal from a surplus to address a weakness.

Morgan's not great, but what other options are there for the Nats? (And Langerhans isn't really an acceptable answer)

ZIPS says Milledge will put up an 800 OPS the rest of the year! Why don't I believe that?

I could see that in the International League...

get rid of the remnants of the Bowden era and Milledge, who will always be a jackass.

Seems pretty apparent from this story that the Nats have given up on Milledge as a franchise, which makes Acta's staunch support of him just a few months back rather embarrassing in retrospect.

Now if we just get them to do something about Hanrahan, we'd really be getting places. Manny's continual insistence on throwing him out there to get repeatedly shelled is incomprehensible to me, because the man has no business setting foot on a big league field right now.

I don't understand why anyone would go out of their way to acquire Nyjer Morgan. He's 28 years old, has 600 major league PAs, and has hit .281/.348/.373, as primarily a left fielder. Yes, he's really fast, but he's not even a very good base stealer. He's a poor man's Fred Lewis.

For all his problems, Lastings Milledge has a better career OPS than Morgan, and he's four years younger.

Morgan is an excellent defensive player, Endyesque, as a leftfielder. If he's as good at center as he is in left, he's definitely a capable starter with a .720 OPS.

If you trust UZR, Morgan has been an above-average player so far this year. His projection is probably right around average, maybe a little higher.

You trade for Nyjer Morgan because you believe he can play center field. Heck, a team like the Brewers should trade for Morgan for a bench player who can play all three outfield positions, and then see if he can start in center field next season if Cameron leaves as a FA.

Milledge unfortunately often plays defense as though he's auditioning to be one of the Three Stooges.

You trade for Nyjer Morgan because you believe he can play center field.

If you're a contending club with a need for a defensive replacement in CF and/or a pinch runner, than it makes sense to not worry too much about Morgan's complete lack of upside. The Nationals are not that team. Milledge has taken, to put it mildly, a big step backwards this season but it makes no sense to swap upside for a nice spare part.

If you're a contending club with a need for a defensive replacement in CF and/or a pinch runner, than it makes sense to not worry too much about Morgan's complete lack of upside. The Nationals are not that team. Milledge has taken, to put it mildly, a big step backwards this season but it makes no sense to swap upside for a nice spare part.

Well, sure. But the Nats also have a problem of having 6 outfielders and none of them capable of playing center field. It gets to the point where a player like Morgan's lack of upside still weighs over Milledge's potential, especially after you wreck the relationship so utterly.

Now if we just get them to do something about Hanrahan, we'd really be getting places.

Hanrahan could do the job that Acta's consigned Colome to just as well. Colome is ahead of both the recently DFA'd Kip Wells and Hanrahan on my list for doing something about. It went (1) Colome, (2) Hanrahan, (3) Kip Wells. Now it goes (1) Colome, (2) Hanrahan. Somehow I don't feel progress has been made.

What's up with Hanrahan? Odd to see a guy striking out over 20% of batters faced but have a .431 BABIP.

Heck, a team like the Brewers should trade for Morgan for a bench player who can play all three outfield positions, and then see if he can start in center field next season if Cameron leaves as a FA.

That's why they traded for Jody Gerut. It hasn't worked out so far but he's got less than 30 AB's as a Brewer. I still have some hope.

What's up with Hanrahan? Odd to see a guy striking out over 20% of batters faced but have a .431 BABIP.

without actually watching him it would tell me that he has no consistency

Morgan's not great, but what other options are there for the Nats? (And Langerhans isn't really an acceptable answer)

Langerhans to Seattle. I've always wanted to see him get another chance. Nats get Mike Morse who has no place with the big league club.

Milledge unfortunately often plays defense as though he's auditioning to be one of the Three Stooges.

Then he's not going to the Red Sox- his performance against the Monster two years ago was Shemp-esque.