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Oct 4, 2006


WASHINGTON - The season for the Washington Nationals may have ended this past
Sunday, but there is no offseason for the front office. Our agenda is set for
the winter.


< A top our list of issues is Alfonso Soriano. He became the player we thought
he would when we traded him for Brad Wilkerson last December. He captivated
the hearts of Nationals fans along the way as he made history.

Over the weekend, I saw a sign at RFK that read, “Steal 2nd. Steal 3rd. Just
stay home. DC [hearts] Soriano.” Just like you, we would like to keep
Alfonso a National for years to come. Today will bring the first of many
discussions we have planned with Alfonso and his agent, Diego Bentz, to keep
him here.

While Soriano has established himself as one of the game's premier sluggers,
we face several major questions: How much of our payroll can be dedicated to
one player? How does he fit into our team's plans, both short term and long
term?

Likewise, Alfonso has several major questions to ask himself including, what's
more important: Getting top dollar or signing with a team where he is already
comfortable?

< The second major issue is our managerial search. We are looking for the
very best candidate to rebuild our team and lead us to a championship. We
will not divulge publicly whom we are considering, but we want only the best.
Our goal is to have a manager in place before the winter meetings that begin
Nov. 13.

< Third, we will continue the process of building our team the right way:
through scouting and player development, stressing pitching and defense. We
aim to upgrade our staffing in both scouting and player developments and make
those two departments the industry's best.

Building upon the signing of Esmailyn Gonzalez, we will continue to emphasize
the importance of the international market. We will expand our presence in
Latin America, as well as tap into a new resource: the Pacific Rim.

For fans looking for a quick fix through free agency, be patient. We do not
figure to be a major player in the free agent market this year. But will be
bargain hunters, especially on the pitching front. Our scouts will explore
the depths of the earth in order to upgrade our pitching staff.

< Meanwhile, outfielder Ryan Church will spend this winter in the Mexican
League, a league dominated by the breaking ball. If Ryan can improve on
hitting the soft pitch away, he will improve his chances for next season.

Kory Casto is one of seven players going to the Arizona Fall League, which
consists of baseball's top high-level prospects. Kory will work on his
transition to the outfield, hopefully giving him a shot to make the big
league club in the spring. Ian Desmond and Marco Estrada will play in the
Hawaii Winter Baseball League, which consists of baseball's top lower-level
prospects. Desmond hopes to continue to make strides offensively, while
Estrada is looking to make up time loss to injury.

The Nationals are on a mission to build a first-class championship
organization. Thanks for your understanding and patience during this process.

This will be my last article for the year. Thank you for all of your support.
I look forward to writing for you again in February when Spring Training
begins.