July 2007 - Washington Nationals Wiretap

The first Western Hemisphere game of the 2008 major league season will be played at the new Nationals ballpark. And, yes, the president has been invited. The Nationals announced Tuesday they will host the traditional Sunday night opener March 30 against the Braves at Nationals Park, the 41,000-seat stadium nearing completion along the Anacostia River. The major league season begins the week before when Boston plays Oakland in a two-game series in Tokyo.

A woman's request for a restraining order against Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes was dismissed after she failed to show for a hearing Tuesday. Dukes, who was traded last month by the Rays to the Nationals, appeared in court alone. He replied "No" when Judge Raul C. Palomino Jr. asked whether he had anything to do with Amanda Reese's absence. The judge then dismissed Reese's request for an injunction.

Elijah Dukes, whom the Nationals obtained this month in the hopes that he could overcome his legal and behavioral problems, is reportedly facing more trouble in Florida. A Tampa-area woman has been granted a temporary injunction for a restraining order against the former Rays' outfielder after she claimed he sent her threatening text messages last fall. "At this point, I fear for me and my child's life, due to his past history with his estranged wife," Amanda E. Reese, 23, wrote in her petition for the order, according to media reports.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms Saturday to sign left-handed reliever Ray King and utility infielder Pete Orr to minor-league contracts. King made 55 appearances with the Nationals this year, often with the job of retiring just one left-handed hitter, before he was traded to Milwaukee on Sept. 4 for prospect Andrew Lefave. King, who turns 34 next month, is 20-23 with two saves and a 3.43 ERA over nine major league seasons. The 28-year-old Orr spent three seasons with Atlanta. He hit .200 with two RBIs in 57 games this year. His best season came as a rookie in 2005, when he batted .300 with one homer, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases in 112 games.

The Nationals on Thursday agreed to terms with free-agent outfielders Rob Mackowiak and Willie Harris on one-year contracts. Mackowiak combined to hit .278 with six home runs and 36 RBI in 85 games with the White Sox and San Diego last season.

Right-handers John Patterson, Luis Ayala and Ryan Wagner avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to 2008 contracts with the Nationals on Wednesday. The team also announced it did not plan to offer deals to center fielder Nook Logan or left-hander Mike O'Connor by Wednesday's midnight deadline for unsigned players on the 40-man roster.

Catcher Paul Lo Duca agreed to a $5 million, one-year deal with the Washington Nationals because he felt wanted -- and because there will be plenty of chances to face his old club, the New York Mets. "I'm excited to be part of a team that's young and has a chance to win this division," Lo Duca said Tuesday after passing a physical to make the deal official. "The NL East is wide open." Asked what his reasons were for choosing the Nationals, Lo Duca said they "wanted me more," and that he wanted to stay in the National League. Then he paused before adding with a smile, "Getting to play the Mets 18 times." Another former member of the Mets was introduced by the Nationals at the team's sales and marketing center: outfielder Lastings Milledge, who came over in the trade that sent catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church to New York. Lo Duca, a free agent who played for New York the past two seasons, gives the Nationals a veteran to replace Schneider behind the plate.

The Nationals agreed to terms with Paul Lo Duca on a one-year deal on Monday, according to a baseball official. The deal will not be announced until after a physical has been completed. Lo Duca played with the Mets the last two years. In 2007, Lo Duca hit .272 with nine home runs and 54 RBIs. He also helped guide New York to the NL Championship Series against the Cardinals. Lo Duca, 34, will be the everyday catcher, while Jesus Flores most likely will be the backup.

The Nationals on Thursday signed free agent infielder Aaron Boone to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Nationals also signed outfielders Wily Mo Pena and Ryan Langerhans to one-year contracts, avoiding salary arbitration with both players.

The Washington Nationals used the third day of baseball's Winter Meetings to pursue free agent catcher Paul Lo Duca, complete a trade for right-hander Tyler Clippard and actively chase Japanese left-hander Katsuhiko Maekawa, an intriguing prospect who would represent a foray into a new market. "We've been working very diligently," General Manager Jim Bowden said. With the meetings set to wrap up Thursday, the Nationals' pursuit of a catcher to complement 23-year-old Jesus Flores has dominated much of the time of club officials. Bowden reiterated Wednesday that Washington's preference is to trade for another catcher -- with Arizona's Miguel Montero, a left-handed hitter, being the primary target. But their backup plan has been to pursue a free agent, and Lo Duca has been at the top of the list of many of the club's baseball operations personnel since the meetings began. The 35-year-old veteran, however, was in negotiations on a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, and it's possible another club was involved as well. An official who has knowledge of negotiations regarding Lo Duca -- a career .288 hitter who hit .272 with 54 RBI in 2007, the exact same run production as former Nationals catcher Brian Schneider -- said Lo Duca could end up receiving $5 million. The Globe and Mail, based in Toronto, reported the Blue Jays' offer didn't exceed $4 million.