Nationals Maintain Their Interest in Free Agent Sosa – The Post
For some reason, Jim Bowden appears to still be interested in Sammy Sosa. At least Bowden is not offering a guaranteed contract…yet. I maintain my distaste for signing a washed up primadona with a trail of baggage stretching from here to Chicago.

Also, the Nats are looking at making former Expo/Yankee/Ranger John Wetteland the bullpen coach. RHP Felix Rodriguez and 1B Daryle Ward are being offered minor league deals to attend spring training.

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Mayor optimistic about fixed lease – The Wash. Times
Oh boy, Anthony Williams is optimistic, should we be optimistic too? Probably not, because the article does not present enough evidence to me that the mayor is not just believing in the way he wants things to be instead of the way things are in real life.

Oh and if/when this gets done, one bank (The Post) probably won’t be lending any money for the project.

There is more from The Wash. Examiner too — Mayor: Stadium deal progressing. Williams is suggesting this is ultimately up to Linda Cropp, the council chair. Some demands the council has made:

Nationals will be District-based for tax purposes – Reasonable, but I don’t know how MLB goes about that sort of thing.

Guaranteed construction costs to avoid “open checkbook problem” – Sounds nice, but does it work in the real world?

All development rights in the area outside the stadium will benefit the District – Who else would they benefit?

An initiative to rebuild youth baseball, requirement for 50 public appearances per season by the team, increased numbers of tickets available to underprivileged youth and a commitment to hire District residents – Again, reasonable.

If city misses March 1, 2008, deadline to open new facility, baseball will pay to play in RFK Stadium for 12 months. – No chance.

©MMX William F. Yurasko