Hey!

Hey, Pedro Astacio! Astacio was a really good pitcher once, but this fact was largely unknown at the time. A 5.00 ERA and 200 innings while spending half your time at Coors Field is quite an accomplishment, but he hasn't done anything that cool in a while. Yeah, he was good for San Diego last year, but three years carries more predictive weight than 60 innings, you know? This is where I'd normally go into Ramon Ortiz Signing Mode -- you know, "What the hell, it's not much money and we need depth." But Needham highlighted my objection last week.

It's an interesting gamble, but, again, I'm not really sure how he'd fit in, and it's doubtful that he'd be willing to start the season in New Orleans. As it is, we have three pitchers (most of whom have as many questions as Astacio) fighting for the final two spots. Depth is important in the starting rotation, for sure, but it's easier to have depth with players like Darrell Rasner whom you can send down to the minors at the end of spring training, instead of having to cut them, like you probably would with Astacio.

Regular readers of bitter, pissed-off Nats blogs are going to be hearing "Darrell Rasner" a lot, since Bodes gave him away for -- and I mean this literally -- nothing. Back to the point, the Astacio signing is bad news for Jon Rauch, and I like Jon Rauch, so I don't like it. Astacio isn't good enough to guarantee a spot in the rotation, and his status precludes the roster flexibility that could actually make him useful.

Speaking of Darrell Rasner and bitter, pissed-off Nats blogs, check out this run-down of the Bowden's unforgiveable carelessness with starting pitchers. Some Tomo Ohka would be might good right now.