Nationals Journal - Scott Olsen has been a keeper

Nationals Journal
- Scott Olsen has been a keeper

He certainly has been. Whatever he and Livan! Clip & Save are doing, make every other pitcher in the organization do it too.

Whatever it is, it makes guys pitch way over their heads, at least for now. I goes to show, you take a guy who had been mediocre at best over four major league seasons, throw in shoulder surgery and poof, you have an ace! I know Olsen can't keep this pace up but I also knew he wouldn't be an asset to the Nats this season just a few weeks ago. So what do I know?

I don't know about anyone else, but this first 28 games have been odd. I keep expecting a losing streak, a week full of losses one after the other and it hasn't come yet. I'm still surprised if I turn on the game halfway through and the Nats are leading. I simply don't expect it yet. Perhaps a few more weeks of this win as many as you lose and that will change. And maybe that makes the add old guys to help win a little now strategy valid.

On another note, Colten Willems retirement puts a cap on what looks to be a disastrous 2006 draft. Running down the draft order and seeing emerging players like #28 Daniel Bard 6 slots after Willems . NL ROY Chris Coghlan at #36 Colby Rasmus at 38 Joba Chamberlain at 41 Wade LeBlanc at 61 (2 slots after unsigned Sean Black) how about another young Red Sox Justin Masterson one spot after bust Stephen Englund.

Aside from Chris Marrero (who isn't exactly blowing the doors off in AA so far) you have to go all the way down to 151 to find someone still in the organization who may advance Cory Van Allen.

Two guys have come and gone and come back (and likely won't amount to much in Glenn Gibson and Zech Zinicola.

Doug Fister and Davis Freese were plucked by other teams in Rds. 7 & 9 respectively. Nats 9th rounder Sean Rooney still around but I've no idea about the Nats 7th or 8th rounders.

#289 Round 10 Tampa Bay takes Desmond Jennings a JC OF. Like to have him right about now.

Here's a good one: Round 11 #331 Nats take Desmond Jones? RHP. Pads take at #333 Mat Latos. Ouch

Erik Arnesen, Adam Carr and Tyler Moore are the only other draft picks I recognize. That's a pretty weak draft by any standard.