His last ten starts:
3.03 ERA
62.1 IP
10 times made it into the sixth inning
7 times made it into the seventh inning
Faced, limited strong Boston, New York, Atlanta offenses
This team has been on the receiving end of a lot of crappy luck so far this year, but at least the universe is conspiring to make Jarrod Washburn tradeable at just the perfect time. That's a big deal, because ditching Washburn - even if all we get in return is salary relief and a busted prospect - is a vital step in any well thought-out plan to make this team a contender next season. They can just get so much more for the money than Washburn currently provides.
Make it happen, Lee. For the next week and a half, trying to move Jarrod Washburn should be priority #1. Okay, so if I had my druthers, moving Yuniesky Betancourt would be priority #1, but since no one's talking about that I doubt it's being considered, so realistically, Washburn is it. Move him. Put all of your eggs in this basket if you have to. It's not like you really have anything else to think about, since Ibanez sells himself and the Bedard front's gone cold. This is what ought to be commanding the bulk of your attention, and honestly, if you can't pull it off, that's not going to reflect very well on you. I know teams are getting smarter and all, but a hot pitcher's a hot pitcher, and come deadline time a starter like Washburn shouldn't be that hard to ship off.
Do it. Don't play hardball with anyone. Just do it. Do it do it do it, and don't look back.