Florida Trades Willingham, Olsen to Nationals

by R.J. Anderson on Nov 10, 2008 8:02 PM EST Comment 10 comments

Per ESPN.com: The Florida Marlins have traded LF Josh Willingham and SP Scott Olsen to the Washington Nationals for INF Emilio Bonifacio, P Philip Dean, and SS Jake Smolinski.

Olsen is not very good, back-to-back years of tRA* over five. Reduced swinging strike rates and decreased groundball rates have sparked a decrease in production from the young southpaw. Willingham is a patient hitter capable of mid-.800 OPS, but an iffy defender in either corner. In fact, I'm really not sure what this means for the Nationals current crop of outfielders, including Elijah Dukes and Lastings Milledge, both acquired around this time last year. I suppose Austin Kearns (and or) Willy Mo Pena are more likely to be moved.

The Marlins get three younger players, including Bonifacio, who was just acquired last July for Jon Rauch. He's seemingly a solid defender, but worse offensively than incumbent second baseman Dan Uggla by a longshot. Dean and Smolinski are a few seasons away, and frankly I don't know enough about either to comment with any degree of accuracy.

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The Marlins didn't have much use for those guys

but you’d think they would try to get something for them.

Ah well, they’re off to a better place. Still, I doubt they got as much value for Willingham and Olsen together as they did for Jacobs alone, which just isn’t right.

by Daniel Berlyn on Nov 10, 2008 8:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Bad trade by the Marlins, it seems

Olsen is at least league-average and Willingham can provide solid power.

Mother---- him and John Wayne!

by MerryGoByeBye on Nov 10, 2008 11:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If Olsen is league average I am a chinstrap penguin

by Graham on Nov 11, 2008 1:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry

My bad. I meant to say Olsen has potential to be league average, at least.

Mother---- him and John Wayne!

by MerryGoByeBye on Nov 11, 2008 1:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This really looks sketch for the Marlins

Personally, I think the Nats came out on top, for now. An OF of Willingham-Milledge-Dukes is pretty sound offensively (if Dukes keeps up 2008). But then, Harris is one of the best defensive OF in the game. Big ??? here though.

Olsen eats innings. Nats have young pitchers in Lannan, Balester, Martis, and Zimmerman in the wings.

I think Pena is going to get flat out released, and Kearns benched.

This.

by Blicks on Nov 11, 2008 12:01 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

That outfield would also have some disastrous defense, assuming that Dukes wasn't awful because of his injuries.

by R.J. Anderson on Nov 11, 2008 8:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This from Keith Law

Jake Smolinski has a good swing, geared for contact, but he lacks a clear everyday position. He can play left but lacks the power to be more than a fringy regular there, and he didn’t adapt well to second base this year. He also had major knee surgery this month, repairing tears to his MCL and ACL, and will be out into 2009.

P.J. Dean is an aggressive strike-thrower with a solid-average fastball and a below-average curve that you could see improving to average, but he’s also an undersized right-hander without much velocity projection and is probably four years away from having big-league value. It’s not much of a prospect return for the Marlins.

by jcmitchell on Nov 11, 2008 12:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs