The Washington Nationals wisely extended the hot-hitting, work horse 2B, Ronnie Belliard, on Monday. I like this move. Belliard is surprisingly affordable and reliable. He's got a great attitude in the clubhouse, and can play decent 3B, SS and 1B. Belliard is also valuable off the bench. The Nationals don't have much to back up this position, at the Major or Minor League levels. Bernie Castro at Triple-A is closest. Really, this was a no-brainer move for the Nats. MissChatter seems to concur, but over at Capital Punishment, the sentiment is "meh".

The news of Belliard's extension prompted Dmitri Young to publicly assert that he too would like to remain with the Nationals. I've liked Dmitri Young for some time now, and he's been an undeniable powerhouse for the Nats this season. However, I do think he should be traded. He's got value NOW and could net some prospects from teams looking to make it to the post-season this year. I've said it before and I'll say it again: don't ask for the moon Jim!

This post was added on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 at 12:42 pm and is filed under Nationals, Trade Rumors . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.