The Week in the Ones that Got Away

In Jim Bowden's first two years here, he established a virtually unbroken record of giving up young players for old, improving for declining, cheap guys under team control for expensive soon-to-be FAs, and more players for fewer in return, which I believe is a prime reason why the 2008 version of the Nationals is the worst yet. As a service to our readers, we provide a regular update on how some of the young 'uns that Bowden gave up are faring lately.

• Juan Rivera (traded with Maicer Izturis for Jose Guillen): Rivera picked up where he left off before the break, hitting .304-.360-.609 over his last seven games. Here he is blowing open yesterday's Orioles game with a laser shot homer.
  
• Maicer Izturis: Strangely still hitting third for that wacky, wild Mike Scioscia, Izturis has slumped since the break hitting .192.
  
• Armando Galarraga (traded with Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge for Alfonso Soriano): I covered this already. This guy's for real. Boy, Smoker and Zimmermann better pan out or that deal will look awful at the end of the day.
  
• Daryl Thompson (traded with Billy Bray, Gary Majewski, Brendan Harris, and Royce Clayton for Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez): Thompson last pitched July 13 and picked up the win for AAA Louisville, going 6.0 and giving up 2 ER, 5 H, and 3 BB with 4 Ks.
  
• Bill Bray: At this point, if I had to pick the player involved in the Kearns-Lopez deal who will have the most total value long-term, I think it would be Bray. You could argue for Kearns, but Bray is really showing why he was a #1 draft pick for the Expos back in the day. Bray has pitched in 7 of 9 games since the break, giving up just 1 ER in 6 IP.
  
• Brendan Harris: Harris has hit an empty .250 with 2 BBs since the break. He's not a top SS, but if we still had him there wouldn't be so much pressure to overpay for for E-Bone and Guzzy.
  
• Gary Majewski: The Mulletted One dropped his ERA to 4.12 with 3 scoreless since the break. His velocity is still off a bit, but his K rate is finally back up over where it was even at his best in 2005 and his command is better than it's ever been. I hope we get to see him next weekend, and I hope he gets a nice round of applause.
  
• Darrell Rasner (claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees): Rasner went 5.2 and gave up 2 ER on 4 H, 4 BB, and 2 Ks while picking up the win over the Twins.
  
• Scott Downs (released): Downs, the best left-handed reliever in baseball the last two years, went five more scoreless this week, lowering his ERA to 1.51.
  
• Val Pascucci (released, November 2004): Valentino had a six-game hit streak snapped yesterday. He was 6 for 27 with two homers and seven walks. He has 77 BBs in 106 minor league games this year.
  
• Alejandro Machado (selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Twins in November 2006): Emilio Bonifacio's top comp in the 2008 Baseball Prospectus Annual hit .348 with 5 doubles and a homer with 4 RBI and 4 runs over his last 6 games in AAA.