Nationals Farm Authority

Two roster moves of note this AM:

• Washington (finally) designated Daniel Cabrera for assignment, ending his tenure with the franchise after only 8 horrid starts.  Cabrera could conceviebly be assigned to AAA or traded, but neither is likely to happen.  His final line in 8 starts: 0-5, 5.95 ERA, 2.03 whip and an 0-8 record for the team in those starts.  After one equally miserable apperarance from the bullpen, the Nats had seen enough.
• C Luke Montz was recalled to the Nationals to provide catching cover while C Josh Bard is with his wife for the birth of their child.  He likely only gets a couple games before Jose Flores returns from the DL and the two players switch spots with each other in Harrisburg and Washington.  There’s no “paternity leave” for baseball clubs so the Nationals technically are a man short while Bard is away (Ironically, this topic just came up on Bart Given’s Inside the Majors blog, as something that may be considered in the next contract negotiation).

• These two moves leave the active roster at 24 for the time being.  Does this mean that the Nats plan on offering Mike MacDougal a major league contract?  It only makes sense; MacDougal was effective in Syracuse, throws hard, is a veteran presence and immediately replaces Cabrera in the 8-man bullpen.