2008, Former Expos with the Nationals

Last year I never got around to write about the former Expos still with, or with the Nationals. So, no time like the present.

Starting with the pitching staff, Chad Cordero is the most notable. He only played in 6 games though, all in April, no thanks to (right) shoulder tendinitis starting at the end of March. Shoulder issues persisted, and landed him on the DL May 2nd, with a tear of the right latissimus dorsi muscle. That is what caused him to miss the remainder of the season. On October 30th, he refused his assignment to Triple-A Syracuse (now the Nationals Triple-A team, not the Blue Jays. The Jays get the Dodgers former Triple-A squad, the Las Vegas 51s, only 2000 (3218 KM) or so miles away as the crow flies or 3600 (5793 KM) driving! More on affiliations in a future post.) and became a free agent. He won't be returning to the Nationals as Jim Bowden said Cordero would be non tendered after the season in July. Cordero was upset that the announcement was made so early. Bowden gave the news out first to a sports talk radio station (Sports Talk 980), and apologised acknowledging he should have told Cordero and his agent first.

Luis Ayala played in 62 games with the Nationals before being sent to the Mets August 17 for a player to be named later (INF Anderson Hernandez August 20). He then played 19 games as a Met. Ayala started with the Expos in 2003 making his MLB debut March 31, 2003. He played in 65 and 81 games for the Expos in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Canadian Shawn Hill was with the Nationals in 2008, and still is. He played a whopping 3 games with the Expos, all in 2004. His MLB debut came June 29, 2004. He was drafted by the Expos in the sixth round in 2000. He made his way up the Expos affiliation ladder starting with the GCL Expos in 2000. Last year he played in 12 games for Washington. His MLB most being 2007 with 16 GP and GS. Injury has caused him to miss a lot of games. He missed all of 2005 with Tommy John surgery.

Jon Rauch was traded to Arizona for 2B Emilio Bonifacio July 22, 2008. He played in 48 games for the Nationals last year, and 26 for Arizona. As an Expo he played in 9, and started 2 (which probably goes to show how 2004 went for the Expos, that is, starting a relief pitcher).

And finally...

Is the injury prone Nick Johnson. 2005 and 2006 were fairly good years for him, only missing a few games due to injury. In 2005 he played in 131 games, starting 126. 2006 he played in 147 games, starting 143. This compared with 73 games played, and 70 games started in 2004 for the Expos. 2005 and 2006 were the two seasons he played the most games since he started him MLB career (MLB debut August 21, 2001). He missed all of 2007 after he fractured his right femur September 23, 2006, after colliding with Austin Kearns on what would be a David Wright bloop triple. So in 2008 he played in 38 games, starting 34. All this in April and May, before landing on the DL for the rest of the season with a torn ligament sheath in his right wrist. He is still on the roster. On a side note, it is worth noting he has been showing good patience at the plate, drawing 110 base on balls in 2006, which tied him for fifth overall in the MLB.

I think that is it. Only Shawn Hill, and Nick Johnson remain with the team.