Reports are that Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham have been traded to the Nationals.
The agent for starting pitcher Scott Olsen and outfielderJosh Willingham said Monday they are being traded from the Florida Marlins to the Washington Nationals. Agent Matt Sosnick said a news conference in the Washington area was being planned for Tuesday.
What the Marlins will get in return is a bit iffy.
The Nats traded away second baseman Emilio Bonifacio, who hit .243 in 49 games last season, and two minors leaguers in pitcher P.J. Dean and shortstop Jake Smolinski, sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons.
There are other reports that say it was a 2 for 2 deal with Smolinski's name being omitted.
At this point, neither side is talking.
We have nothing to say,” Larry Beinfest, the Marlins’ president of baseball operations,...
“If that changes, I’ll let you know. We’re not planning on doing anything tonight.”
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Beinfest said he was aware of the reports of the trade, but declined any further comment.
Nationals general manager Jim Bowden and spokesmen for Florida and Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
And if the above wasn't bad enough, and it sucks, a report speculates on where Bonifacio will fit into the Marlins plans.
Bonaficio is a career .240 hitter, who was traded to Washington for Jon Rauch by Arizona last season. His quickness fills Florida's need to improve its right-side defense.
If this is accurate, Uggla will soon be gone also.
If the players from the Nationals are correct, this is an absolutely HORRIBLE trade!
When you think Bonifacio, think Andino with less pop. The Marlins have a ton of young pitchers who are better and have more of an upside than Dean. All he will be good for is filling out some minor league roster somewhere so the real prospects will have enough teammates to field a team. Smolinski may have a future in baseball but the guy is only 19 years-old so who knows if he will pan out. Oh, by the way, I'm showing Smolinski to be a second baseman, not that it matters.
Unless some names like Zimmerman or Milledge start showing up in the deal, this is one sickening trade and I refuse to believe this is all the Marlins could get for Olsen and Willingham. Then there is the part about trading them within the division. All Beinfest and company succeeded in doing was to make the Nationals better and the Marlins worse.
Yes, yes, I know we have some players in the organization who can, in some manner, take over for Olsen and Willingham. But that is not the point. The point is: we just gave away two major league players for next to nothing.
What are we going to get for Uggla? Some cute sparkly stickers?
This blows.