From the Nationals:

The Washington Nationals today selected right-handed pitcher Jesus Colome and recalled catcher Josh Bard from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League, placed catcher Jesus Flores on the 15-Day Disabled List (retroactive May 10) with a right shoulder contusion and designated right-handed pitcher Logan Kensing for assignment. Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Colome pitched in nine games with Syracuse, notching three saves and holding opponents to a .244 batting average. He recorded nine strikeouts against two walks in 10.1 innings at Triple-A. In 10 games during Spring Training, Colome went 2-0 with four saves and a 0.90 ERA (1 ER/ 10.0 IP). The 31-year-old was one of just three relievers to go “wire-to-wire” last year in Washington’s bullpen, joining right-handers Joel Hanrahan and Saul Rivera. Last season, he had a 2.25 ERA and held opponents to a .176 batting average in 31 appearances beginning June 30.

Bard was a member of the Nationals’ Opening Day roster and appeared in seven games before he was optioned to Syracuse on April 20. The 31-year-old signed with Washington as a minor-league free agent, March 21. Over the last four seasons, beginning in 2006, Bard ranks favorably among baseball’s regular catchers with a .356 on-base percentage (8th) and .280 batting average (tied for 12th).

Flores, 24, has missed the last four games after he was injured while playing defense on Saturday (May 9) at Arizona. He has batted .311 with three doubles, two triples, four home runs and 15 RBI in 26 games with the Nationals this season.

Kensing, 26, went 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA in 6 relief appearances with the Nationals, after he was acquired from Florida in a trade on April 29.

From the Nationals:

The Washington Nationals today selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Ron Villone from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and designated left-handed pitcher Mike Hinckley for assignment. Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Villone, 39, is 56-59 with 85 holds and a 4.75 ERA (591 ER/1119.1 IP) in 654 games (93 starts) spanning 14 seasons with Seattle, San Diego, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Pittsburgh, Florida, New York (AL) and St. Louis. The previous four seasons (2005-08), Villone posted a .203 (76-for-375) batting average against when facing left-handed batters. Villone pitched in 74 games for the Cardinals last season, posting a 4.68 ERA.

Villone signed with the Nationals as a minor-league free agent on April 11. In eight appearances with Syracuse, Villone walked two, struck out 5 and posted a .160 batting average against en route to a 2.35 ERA (2 ER/7.2 IP).

Hinckley, 26, posted a 4.66 ERA (5 ER/9.2 IP) and issued 11 walks in 14 relief appearances with Washington.

To watch Hinckley’s Chico like blooper pitch from last night, click here.  It’s a few seconds in.

Zimmerman goes for 25 tonight…

On the Sony picture, How Do You Know? about a Nationals reliever…

…Hollywood actors Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson are in talks to act in James L. Brooks” upcoming romantic flick, featuring Reese Witherspoon in the lead…

…basically a love triangle featuring the three actors, wherein Wilson and Paul fight it out for Witherspoon’s love…

…While Paul plays a white-collar executive vying for Witherspoon’’s affections, Wilson plays a professional baseball pitcher, who is also in love with Witherspoon…

And a fun quote of the day from ESPN’s MLB Draft Blog:

Seattle is in an interesting spot in this draft, selecting No. 2 overall and finishing as the runner-up in the Stephen Strasburg sweepstakes. Short of the “Washington Natinals” misspelling the San Diego State right-hander’s name and calling out the wrong identification number, the Mariners will choose among the likes of Scheppers; 1B/OF Dustin Ackley; RHP Alex White; RHP Aaron Crow; prep arms like LHPs Tyler Matzek, Matt Purke and RHP Shelby Miller; and perhaps SS Grant Green, whom the Mariners have seen on several occasions this spring.

Good:  Yahoo Sports reports that the Nats entered the bidding for the free-agent first baseman with a seven-year, $150 million offer.

Bad:    The AP reports that the organization released RHP Jesus Colome.  I’d love to know what they have planned for our bullpen.

Dave at Bottom Feeder Baseball and I have been talking this morning about whether RHP Ryan Wagner ever left the organization.  Yesterday, Peter Gammons wrote that Wagner was eligible for the Rule V Draft and Dave quickly pointed to NFA to back that up.  So despite the official release and an AP story reporting that Wagner elected free agency when being outrighted to Syracuse, in fact he just accepted the assignment.  Dave pointed out the transaction history here.

I also wanted to encourage you to read this feature piece on Kim Ng.  It talks about her style and impressive qualifications to be the first female general manager.

From the Nationals:

First baseman Dmitri Young has been outrighted to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League.

The Nationals’ 40-Man Roster now stands at 35.

The Nationals announced today that pitchers Chad Cordero and Ryan Wagner, as well as infielder Pete Orr were outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse. All three players declined the assignment and elected to become free agents. After that whole radio station fiasco, we knew it was a long shot for Cordero to be back in 2009, but to outright him and basically just give away his talent seems like such a waste to us. Cordero is young, talented and was a big part of the Nationals, we think this is a move the team is going to regret big time. Kristen has long been a fan of Ryan Wagner, and we are sad to see him let go as well. When healthy he showed some good stuff.

In the same release, the Nats announced that Wily Mo Pena has picked up his $2 million player option for 2009. So we lose Cordero, Wagner, and Orr but get Wily Mo back. Does this seem a bit off to anyone else?

From the Nationals -

The Washington Nationals today announced they have outrighted right-handed pitcher Chad Cordero, right-handed pitcher Ryan Wagner and infielder Pete Orr to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. All three players elected free agency. The Nationals also announced they have rejected a $5 million club option on outfielder Wily Mo Pena, who subsequently exercised a $2 million player option for the 2009 season. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcements.

Pena, 26, has batted .241 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 101 games with the Nationals since being acquired from Boston on August 17, 2007 in exchange for a player to be named (first baseman Chris Carter). He is a .253 hitter with 77 home runs and 225 RBI in 560 big league games spanning seven seasons with Cincinnati, Boston and Washington.

The 26 year-old Cordero pitched in only six games last season and had season-ending right-shoulder surgery on July 8. Cordero’s 128 career saves rank second on the franchise’s all-time list behind only Jeff Reardon (152). He departs having pocketed 113 of the 157 saves recorded by the Nationals since 2005.

Wagner, 26, did not pitch in the big leagues in 2008 while working his way back from June 5, 2007 SLAP repair surgery on his right shoulder. He is 11-9 with 30 holds and a 4.79 ERA in 148 games with Cincinnati and Washington.

From the Nationals:

NATIONALS OUTRIGHT RYAN LANGERHANS & LAVALE* SPEIGNER TO SYRACUSE, CHARLIE MANNING CLAIMED BY CARDINALS
The Washington Nationals today announced that outfielder Ryan Langerhans and right-handed pitcher Lavale Speigner cleared waivers and were outrighted to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. The Nationals also announced that left-handed pitcher Charlie Manning was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made these announcements.

The Nationals now have 36 players on their 40-man roster, not including five players on the 60-Day Disabled List.

Langerhans, 28, batted .234 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 73 games with Washington this season, and hit .310 with three home runs and 31 RBI in 62 games with Triple-A Columbus. Speigner, 28, appeared in seven games with the Nationals, going 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA, and went 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA in a combined 35 games (one start) with Columbus and Double-A Harrisburg. Manning, 29, had a 1-3 record with a 5.14 ERA in 57 relief outings with the Nationals, after beginning the season with Columbus where he had six saves and a 1.95 ERA in 19 appearances.

It’s actually Levale.  Their error not ours, though I guess if you pitch like he has people aren’t going to spell your name correctly.  Sending Speigner and Langerhans to the Nats new home in Syracuse makes sense.  Now, what do you make of Manning being claimed by the Cardinals?  Charlie went 1-3 with a 5.14 ERA in 57 games.   Lefty Hinckley is likely to get a good look at a spot in the bullpen after a great September.  Could anyone else could step into that role?