Ramblin' man is ready to settle down: like every former Expo who made the move to Washington, D.C., Brad Wilkerson could benefit from the franchise's newfound stability and improve his performance

Sporting News, The, April 22, 2005 by Ken Rosenthal

Call him the multi-National.

The Nationals' original plan was for Brad Wilkerson to bat fifth and play left field. Instead, he's batting leadoff and playing center. He also could play first and right and maybe even pitch, if that's what his patchwork team requires.

Wilkerson's versatility is only fitting. The Nationals previously were the Expos, who played home games in Montreal and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and traveled more than any club. Leading a vagabond existence, Wilkerson and his teammates learned to adapt.

Wilkerson, 27, who throws lefthanded, also pitched at the University of Florida, and Nationals interim general manager Jim Bowden says, "I wouldn't be surprised if we got to the point where we asked him to get a lefthanded hitter out."

It isn't clear whether Bowden is joking.

"I think I could do it," Wilkerson says, chuckling. "Before my career is over with, I'd like to throw an inning. But I don't think it's the right time to be thinking about something like that."

Not when Wilkerson is a good enough hitter to produce two 4-hit games in the Nationals' opening series against the Phillies, including his second career cycle.

After going 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in the season opener, Wilkerson found help from an unlikely yet oddly appropriate source--the late Ted Williams, the Washington Senators' last manager.

Wilkerson watched a Williams instructional video on ESPN Classic during the Nationals' day off, then he implemented the lessons.

"When you hear voices like that in your head and see stuff, it's a good thing," Wilkerson says. "Visually, you see how to do it right. Clear the hips. Throw the hands. That's basically what I got out of it."

Wilkerson's statistical splits indicate that he hits best when leading off and playing center. However, his 32 homers last season reflect middle-of-the-order production, and Wilkerson says that his best defensive position is left.

The Nationals' surprise demotion of Endy Chavez late in spring training created their leadoff vacancy, and Ryan Church's groin injury left them with a need in center.

Enter Wilkerson, who says he is comfortable shifting between outfield positions but not between the outfield and first base, where the speed of the game is different.

"All I ask for is consistent days in the same spot," Wilkerson says.

It's the wish of every former Expo--a stable home.

Ramirez's can't-lose deal

At first glance, the move seems illogical. The Cubs signed third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a four-year, $42 million contract extension yet are giving him the chance to become a free agent after the 2006 season.

Do the Cubs want Ramirez, or don't they?

Oh, they want him. But they gave him the escape as a compromise when they wouldn't approach the five years and $64 million that free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre got from the Mariners.

The Cubs got the below-market terms they desired. The risk is that Ramirez, 26, could produce back-to-back monster seasons, forcing the team to renegotiate or find another third baseman--no easy task in today's game.

Ramirez, who as a free agent might have drawn interest from the Red Sox, Dodgers and Angels, says he wants to fulfill the entire contract.

The opt-out clause, however, would allow him to enter the market at age 28--if he were willing to forfeit a guaranteed $22.5 million on the final two years of his deal.

By then, Ramirez's negotiating position could be even stronger, especially if the market continues its resurgence.

Ramirez, a 100-RBI man in three of the past four seasons, figures to get better. Beltre, a superior defender, got his deal after one big year.

The Cubs will be stuck with Ramirez if he declines or is injured. They will pay him even more dollars or lose him if he keeps producing. Ramirez can't lose. The Cubs can.

Blown-by-blown account

Judging from the media coverage, you would think the Yankees' Mariano Rivera is the only closer who struggled in the first week of the season.

Far from it.

Major league relievers produced 33 blown saves in the first seven days of the season. The total included meltdowns by a number of prominent closers, including the Rangers' Francisco Cordero and Padres' Trevor Hoffman.

Keith Foulke, a hero for the world champion Red Sox last postseason, didn't blow a save but allowed a walk-off homer by the Yankees' Derek Jeter and nearly blew a 3-run lead to the Blue Jays.

Moral of the story: Relievers are unreliable.

The Mets are Exhibit A of how a team can falter if it fails to address its 'pen. But the Angels, Giants, Orioles, Phillies and Rangers--all of whom rated their bullpens highly--have struggled to protect leads.

General managers say relievers are the most difficult players to evaluate; their performances often fluctuate year to year. Stricter steroid testing introduces yet another variable, forcing teams to judge which relievers might decline if they go "off the juice".

Rivera's consistency always made him the exception, which is why his early struggles were so alarming.

If Rivera can't be trusted, who can?

speed reads