Rodriguez received a deal worth $6 million over two seasons. The 38-year-old is likely being brought on board for his leadership — a trait that has been severely lacking in Washington the last few years.

As far as his production, Rodriguez isn’t close to his prime but he’s still pretty good. He hit .249 last year with ten homers, 47 RBIs, 55 runs and 23 doubles.

If all goes as planned, Flores will be seeing the most action behind the plate. Rodriguez will fill in when needed and help Flores master the position while also working with the young pitching staff.

Honestly, his contract sounds a bit inflated for a player who doesn’t produce much anymore but it’s difficult to fault the Nationals for looking for veteran help.

Pudge Rodriguez is moving on to the Nationals (Image: Zuma Press)

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After starting the season 26-61, the Nationals went 33-42 under Riggleman. That performance was apparently good enough to earn the gig for the 2010 baseball season.

For the second straight season, the Nationals finished with the worst record in baseball. The team didn’t have many bright spots anywhere on their roster.

Riggleman has to find a way to breathe life into a franchise that has a loser’s mentality. Going into every season, Washington has the mindset that they aren’t going to have a chance at the postseason. We’ll see if Riggleman can refocus his bunch for 2010.

As it stands, the biggest name in the franchise has never played a game for the Nationals. Stephen Strasburg, the first overall pick of the 2009 baseball draft, is a pitching prospect with a huge amount of potential. If he can jump to the big league level in 2010, that may give Washington a fighting chance — to both win games and keep the fans excited.

Jim Riggleman - Washington Nationals (Image: Zuma Press)

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Stephen Strasburg signs with the Washington Nationals (Image: Zuma Press)

Strasburg is one of the highest rated baseball prospects of the last twenty years. A starting pitcher for San Diego State, Strasburg was simply dominant on the college level. The lanky right-hander has an overpowering fastball and a devastating curveball in his arsenal. In his 2009 season, he was 13-1 with a 1.39 ERA. Perhaps most impressive were his 195 strikeouts in only 109 innings of work.

The Nationals were facing a lot of pressure from their fans to get this deal done. Last year they had the worst record in all of baseball. This year, that is again the case. Considering that the Nationals gave Strasburg a deal bigger than any draft pick in baseball history, they were willing to step up to the plate and spend the money to bring in an elite prospect.

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Currently, Washington has a 26-61 record — which is good enough for the worst record in all of baseball. After finishing with the worst record last year, Riggleman will have his work cut out for him in regards to changing the atmosphere in the Nationals clubhouse.

Washington’s main problem is their pitching. They’ve given up 489 runs so far this season. Only the Cleveland Indians have given up more runs. The Nationals have actually put 381 runs on the board, which is in the middle of the pack.

Mike Rizzo, who is currently the Nationals general manager, thinks the change to Riggleman could help the ballclub put more wins on the board.

Said Rizzo: “We feel with a different voice and possibly a different feel in the clubhouse that we can have a more successful second half of the season.”

Manny Acta Fired (Image: Zuma Press)

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5) Baltimore Orioles
Although the Orioles have a handful of very good players on their squad, the team as a whole is heading to another season without a postseason appearance.

4) Cleveland Indians
Before the season started, the Indians were an American League sleeper pick. Now? They just appear as if they are asleep.

3) Pittsburgh Pirates
Not long ago, the Pirates seemed to be on the right track. But with eight straight losses, the Pirates are headed back down to the cellar.

2) San Diego Padres
Although their record of 13-19 isn’t horrible, they have been outscored by 38 runs — the worst in all of Major League Baseball.

1) Washington Nationals
Who else? Everyone knew the Nationals were a bad team heading into the season and they currently have the worst record in baseball at 10-20.

The Washington Nationals are the Worst of the Worst (Image: Newscom)

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The deal is over five years and will keep Zimmerman in the fold as they try to build the team around him. On the year, Zimmerman is hitting .275 with two homers and ten RBIs. The 24-year-old out of the University of Virginia has played with Washington since 2005.

His best season came in 2006 when he hit 20 homers and collected 110 RBIs and 84 runs while hitting .287. Last season, he struggled with injury and only hit 14 homers while driving in 51 runs.

Zimmerman was originally a first round pick in 2005.

Ryan Zimmerman Video:

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With the win, the Marlins are now 10-1 on the season. That marks the best start in franchise history after 11 games.

The team that took the loss on Saturday isn’t new to the loss column. The Washington Nationals are now 1-9 after ten games.

The Nationals actually appeared to be heading to a victory with a 6-3 lead going into the ninth inning. But after the Marlins got within 6-4, Hermida hit a two-run blast to tie the game.

On the game, Hermida was 3-for-6 with three runs and five RBI. He entered the game with only one homer and three RBIs.

2009 Florida Marlins Season Preview Video:

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Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers may have given up in their hope of re-signing Manny Ramirez. If that is the case, Dunn is the next logical option for Los Angeles. He’s not quite as talented but he can replace most of the bop in the middle of the lineup that Ramirez provided.

Baltimore Orioles
After striking out in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, the Orioles may throw big money at Dunn in hopes that they land a franchise level player. The Orioles are desperate for a big bat and a positive personality if they hope to keep fans around in 2009.

Washington Nationals
Like the Orioles, the Nationals are looking to rebound after missing out on Teixeira. While the team still has a lot of holes, a big bat in the middle of the lineup is arguably their most glaring need. Dunn could fit right in and be the cleanup hitter for the foreseeable future.

Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have a lot of talent and always seem to be right on the edge of actually making a postseason run. With a lot of their bats going quiet at the end of the 2008 season, adding Dunn’s bat may be just the thing to help the Cubs make noise in the playoffs.

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The Angels’ offer is believed to have been an eight-year contract worth at least $160 million. Sources indicate that the Angels didn’t believe they were still in the running and didn’t want to waste time on a lost cause.

Now that the Angels have dropped out, the remaining four teams in the running are the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox recently said that they were no longer in the running, however many baseball insiders believe that talk from Boston was simply a contract negotiating ploy.

Now that the Angels are out of the running, they could look in a variety of different direction. One option is Manny Ramirez, the former Red Sox who finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other bats they could be looking at include Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu. If the Angels opt for pitching, one option could be closer Brian Fuentes. Fuentas would make sense since the Angels lost Francisco Rodriguez to the New York Mets earlier in the offseason.

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CC Sabathia
The 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner pitched great for the Milwaukee Brewers after they aquired him in a midseason trade. The Brewers want to keep him and are reportedly willing to give him $20 million per year for the next five years. However, it is also being reported that Sabathia is being wooed by Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.

Ryan Ludwick
In 2008, Ryan Ludwick had a breakout season. He got named to the National League All-Star team and was simply a force in the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup. The Cardinals appear ready to bring Ludwick back into the fold, however the Atlanta Braves are believed to be making a push for his services.

Derek Lowe
Almost every team in baseball could use a veteran starting pitcher who could also become a closer if need be. With that in mind, there’s no wonder that Derek Lowe is getting a lot of attention already in free agency. The Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to want him back but both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets are believed to be quite interested.

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