58-year old manager Jim Riggleman just keeps getting chances despite getting awful results. The Nationals were only 69-93 (42.6%) under Riggleman last year. They are now 102-135 (43%) under Jim Riggleman in his first two years in charge. Riggleman somehow has managed in the majors for 10 years despite never making the playoffs and his teams are a combined 534-714 (42.8%) on his watch. If the Nationals are going to surprise in the N.L. East in 2011, they are going to have to do it despite being overmatched almost nightly in the dugout.

The Washington Nationals will likely be going with a closer by committee approach to start the 2011 season. That is because 23-year old righty Drew Storen had a rough spring. Storen pitched in 54 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 4-4 with 5 saves, a 3.58 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. He only gave up 48 hits while whiffing 52 batters in 55 1/3 innings last year which shows that he has the stuff to close. Storen will likely be the full-time closer at some point in 2011 as they have high hopes for him.

26-year old righty Tyler Clippard really stepped up last season for the Nationals. Clippard pitched in 78 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 11-8 with 1 save, a 3.07 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He only gave up 69 hits in 91 innings last year while whiffing 112 batters which shows just how nasty he was. Clippard has now pitched in 121 games (2 starts) in his first three years with the Nationals and he is 16-11 with 1 save, a 3.01 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Clippard might get some saves for the Nationals this year but they might want to keep him working as the set-up man because he’s pretty darn good in that role.

28-year old lefty Sean Burnett is also a candidate for some saves in 2011. Burnett pitched in 73 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 1-7 with 3 saves, a 2.14 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He has now pitched in 106 games (0 starts) in his first two years with the Nationals and he is 2-8 with 3 saves, a 2.45 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Burnett is a very effective lefty and he will do a solid job for the Nationals again in 2011.

30-year old righty Todd Coffey will likely help out the Nationals in the middle innings in 2011. Coffey pitched in 69 games (0 starts) for the Brewers last year and he was 2-4 with a 4.76 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. He has now pitched in 369 games (0 starts) in his first six years in the majors and he is 19-17 with 11 saves, a 4.15 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.

28-year old righty Chad Gaudin will be the Nationals’ long man in the pen in 2011. Gaudin pitched in 42 games (0 starts) for the Yankees and A’s last year and he was 1-4 with a 5.65 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. He has now pitched in 258 games (75 starts) in his first 7 years in the majors and he is 35-39 with 2 saves, a 4.61 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. Gaudin might also get a spot start or two for the Nationals in 2011.

31-year old lefty Doug Slaten will be the situational guy from the left side for the Nationals in 2011. Slaten pitched in 49 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He has now pitched in 175 games (0 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 7-6 with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Slaten will likely have another solid year as long as the Nationals don’t let him pitch to too many righty hitters.

24-year old righty Collin Balester pitched really well for the Nationals last season after they decided to use him out of the pen. He pitched in 17 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He whiffed 28 batters while only allowing 15 hits in his 21 innings with the Nationals last year. But, he did walk 11 batters which is too many. Balester has now pitched in 39 games (22 starts) in his first three years with the Nationals and he is 4-12 with a 5.35 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.

27-year old righty Garrett Mock is a longshot to help the Nationals in 2011. Mock pitched in 1 game (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA and a 2.70 WHIP. He has now pitched in 55 games (19 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 4-13 with a 5.17 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP.

24-year old righty Henry Rodriguez will start the 2011 season on the D.L., but the Nationals have high hopes for him. He pitched in 29 games for the A’s last year out of the pen and he was 1-0 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP as he whiffed 33 batters in only 27 2/3 innings. Rodriguez has now pitched in 32 games (0 starts) in his first two years in the majors and he is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. Rodriguez could develop into a late reliever down the road for the Nationals.

28-year old righty Joe Bisenius was brought back on a minor league deal over the winter. He pitched in 5 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 0-0 with a 9.64 ERA and a 2.57 WHIP. Bisenius also pitched in 34 games (0 starts) in A+AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 4-0 with 1 save, a 3.05 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP as he whiffed 46 batters in only 38 1/3 innings.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE NATIONALS BULLPEN IN 2011: B

The Washington Nationals have acquired 24-year old righty starting pitcher Erik Davis and cash considerations from the Padres for 27-year old righty swinging infielder Alberto Gonzalez. Davis pitched in 27 games (all starts) in A+AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 14-3 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. He has now pitched in 73 games (51 starts) in his first three years in the minors and he was 32-9 with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Davis wasn’t one of the better prospects of the Padres but he definitely knows how to win. Alberto Gonzalez played in 114 games for the Nationals last year and he was 46 of 186 (.247 avg, .578 OPS) with 19 runs scored, 0 homers and 5 RBIs. He played in 236 games in his three years with the Nationals and he was 140 of 526 (.266 avg, .652 OPS) with 59 runs scored, 2 homers, 47 RBIs and 1 stolen base. With Jerry Hairston in the fold for 2011, Gonzalez became expendable and the Nationals got a nice arm in return for him.

The Nationals have placed righty reliever Henry Rodriguez on the 15-day disabled list due to a minor arm injury. They will likely have him work a little more at extended spring training and maybe on a minor league rehab assignment before coming to Washington. Righty starter Chien-Ming Wang and righty reliever Elvin Ramirez have both been placed on the 60-day D.L. Wang is still having problems with shoulder fatigue. He won’t pitch until at least early May due to his shoulder. Elvin Ramirez has a case of shoulder soreness. He was a Rule 5 Draft Pick over the winter, so the Nationals will likely take it very slow with a lengthy rehab assignment before making an decisions on him.

The Washington Nationals have dealt 30-year old lefty swinging Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers for 21-year old righty swinging 2B/3B/OF Cutter Dykstra and cash. Morgan played in 136 games for the Nationals last year and he was 129 of 509 (.253 avg, .633 OPS) with 60 runs scored, 0 homers, 24 RBIs and 34 stolen bases. Morgan played in 185 games in his two years with the Nationals and he was 196 of 700 (.280 avg, .687 OPS) with 95 runs scored, 1 homer, 36 RBIs and 58 stolen bases. The Nationals finally decided that Morgan wasn’t worth the problems he was causing both on and off the field. Rick Ankiel will take over as the starting CF for the Nationals in 2011. Cutter Dykstra played in 100 games in A-ball last year and he was 110 of 353 (.312 avg, .827 OPS) with 66 runs scored, 5 homers, 39 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. He has now played in 238 games in his first three years in the minors and he is 228 of 831 (.274 avg, .757 OPS) with 146 runs scored, 16 homers, 89 RBIs and 49 stolen bases.