Breaking: Nationals release John Patterson – Chatter, The Wash. Times
I didn’t see this coming – John Patterson has been released by the Nationals. Begin the speculation!

Chatter got broke the story at 1:48 p.m.

UPDATE 2:24 p.m.: John Patterson Released [With Update] – Nationals Journal, The Post

Patterson has no hard feelings (as well he shouldn’t, he met his wife — a former Miss D.C., while with the club), but feels he was caught between Manny Acta‘s “get outs” mentality vs. Jim Bowden‘s “throw the fastball.” Okay, that reveals the braintrust might not be on the same page. For a guy as odd as Patterson, that must have been very difficult to deal with this spring.

Why did the cut him though? I guess they couldn’t trade him and must have been out of options (I cannot remember off the top of my head.) I can’t help but find it a little impulsive by Bowden. I think he has some explaining to do, though I can see why Patterson would be frustrating. Still, can Shawn Hill expect this kind of treatment since both have very similar careers?

UPDATE: 2:44 p.m.: Patterson speaks [Mark Zuckerman] – Chatter, The Wash. Times

Patterson had a nonguaranteed $850,000 contract which the Nats aren’t on the hook for now. I’m sure someone will read into this development that the Nats might be acting cheap. I’ll be the first.

UPDATE: 3:04 p.m.: Bowden’s explanation [Mark Zuckerman] – Chatter, The Wash. Times
“We’ve done everything we could possibly do. He just never got the stuff back.”

UPDATE: 4:57 p.m.: Management’s side – Nationals Journal, The Post