Guess who might be the next GM of the Nationals?

by esoteric on Feb 25, 2009 2:54 PM PST Comment 43 comments

That's right, it's our old friend Tony LaCava:

The Nationals, according to multiple industry sources, are strongly considering firing general manager Jim Bowden and replacing him with Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava.

Bowden has been implicated in a bonus skimming scandal in the Dominican Republic and is reportedly being investigated by the FBI. Jose Rijo, the former major-league pitcher and a special assistant to Bowden, has taken a leave of absence in wake of the allegations.

I remember how many of us were surprised and even initially disappointed when LaCava was passed over and the M's job was instead given to Zduriencik. ("Who? This old-school guy? BAH!") Because the Nationals are the world's most cursed franchise, this now means that -- assuming this all comes to pass -- LaCava will turn out to be an absolute screw-up, and the M's will have narrowly escaped disaster by snagging GMZ.

I've been telling myself this all season long: at least ONE of my teams is turning things around.

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Damn it, I was hoping Bill Bavasi

by Mariner John on Feb 25, 2009 2:58 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

In some poetic way this would almost please me.

Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

by esoteric on Feb 25, 2009 3:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So did I

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Wyomingroutes.org & Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Feb 25, 2009 3:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That's what I thought when I saw the post.

Griffey come home

by Taylor H on Feb 25, 2009 3:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Indeed.

I had heard the news already. I thought it would be nice if we could make trades lopsided trades with him.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Feb 25, 2009 5:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

We might get Jay Bruce, Strasburg, and more for Washburn!

BOOYA! You got Slurved!

by Slurvey on Feb 25, 2009 6:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How would we get Jay Bruce from Washington?

by Mariner John on Feb 25, 2009 6:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jim Bowden's final trade as Nationals GM would be to get Bruce for a reliever with a hidden injury.

by HARRYP09 on Feb 25, 2009 7:12 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I want to see the Nationals stripped of their #1 pick because of Bowden.

Or at least be barred from drafting anyone who plays for SDSU.

by Wilder. on Feb 25, 2009 3:12 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Get Skip Bayless on this story, stat.

by waldo rojas on Feb 25, 2009 3:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Has he been talking about it?

It has been a few weeks since I have watched First Take.

by Wilder. on Feb 25, 2009 3:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ackley might be capable of playing in the outfield, so there's hope.

by abender20 on Feb 25, 2009 3:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Green is a franchise SS too

But if we get a chance at Strasburg, we bang that pick out. Fast.

by cwel87 on Feb 25, 2009 4:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

:Whoosh:

by Double06 on Feb 25, 2009 4:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

In the words of Omar Little...

“Indeeeeed.”

by abender20 on Feb 25, 2009 4:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

All in the game baby.

Fa show

by DCMariner on Feb 25, 2009 5:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Tear.

by Teej on Feb 26, 2009 12:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I would be very satisfied with drafting Ackley

there’s something I inherently like about drafting toolsy potential center fielders.

by seattlebruin on Feb 25, 2009 4:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd like to see him actually be an everyday center field before drafting him as a center fielder.

And even then, he reminds me too much of a “good” Johnny Damon, Mark Kotsay or Jeremy Reed for me to want him at #2 overall. Or at least that’s what I read and infer through his stats. Does someone with access to more resources want to correct/affirm me here?

As of right now, if we took Ackley I don’t think I’d jump but I wouldn’t scream with anger either. That’s the way I reacted when we took Jeff Clement in 2005.

by Double06 on Feb 25, 2009 4:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll cry if we take Jeff Clement 2.0, aka Grant Green.

by seattlebruin on Feb 25, 2009 4:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not big on Green either.

Then again, I wasn’t big on Tulo or Longo, so I don’t call myself a draft analyst.

If things don’t change (which I know they will) I’d go with Alex White.

by Double06 on Feb 25, 2009 5:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Trojan != Bad

by Mariner John on Feb 25, 2009 5:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jeff Clement isn't bad

by seattlebruin on Feb 25, 2009 6:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I agree that Jeff Clement is a total fag.

by JI on Feb 25, 2009 8:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I wish

by Graham on Feb 26, 2009 7:53 AM PST up reply actions 4 recs

Ackley = best hitter in the draft by far...

…per scouting, according to what I’ve heard. The question on how high he goes is very much directly tied to his glove. If he can prove to be a reasonably decent glove in the OF, then he might be top-5 worthy. Seeing a lot of time at first lately, though.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Mar 3, 2009 11:56 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Perfect

Glad LaCava is being hired for the NLE.

by katal on Feb 25, 2009 4:19 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Expand on this?

As a Nationals fan (it’s my dark side), I’m interested in what you mean by that.

Patriotism, Pepper, Professionalism

by esoteric on Feb 25, 2009 4:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think he means it's a good thing that an extremely good GM prospect is going to the division we are least likely to play against.

by seattlebruin on Feb 25, 2009 4:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yup

by katal on Feb 25, 2009 6:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree.

Lacava was my favorite of our candidates before we hired Jack Z. Obviously wait and see showed we made a great choice, but I still think Lacava could be awesome down the road. Nationals actually have done something right.

And for the Bavasi backers, he will be a Royal within the next couple years.

by Slica on Feb 25, 2009 7:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

So does this all mean that we have to praise Lincstrong for

actually being the most qualified people to make a hiring decision on a GM?

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Feb 25, 2009 8:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I think it is too early to say they are redeemed for all the shit they put us through for the last how ever many years the Mariners have sucked.

by Fin on Feb 25, 2009 9:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think we have reason to praise them, considering all the other bullshit.

But it does appear that they made one fantastic decision, and they should be commended for that. I still wonder if it was a bad process/good result, though. I can’t help but think that they hired Zduriencik because he fit their profile of “middle-aged bald white guy who looks like a real man’s GM.” That might not be fair, but it’s in my mind.

by Teej on Feb 26, 2009 12:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs