This Year vs. Last Year

Dexys and I just got off the phone to discuss the Castilla/Guzman signings. And during the course of that phone call, I actually convinced myself that the Castilla/Guzman signings do not make the Expos/Nats worse and arguably make them ever so slightly better. The proof is, unfortunately, in the woeful stats Les Expos put up last year from the left side of the infield:

Expos 3B, 2004:

.243 BA/ .277 OBP / .451 SLG - .728 OPS, with 32 HR (all Tony Batista) and 110 RBI.

Expos SS, 2004:

.242 BA/ .293 OBP/ .341 SLG - .634 OPS, with 9 HR and 53 RBI.

Ugh.

Now look at the career stats of the new Nats:

Castilla, career:

.280 / .324 / .489 - .813

Ok, you're right, I know. Now Castilla, career not at Coors Field:

.258 / .297 / .433 - .730

Hey, that's a slightly higher OBP than last year!

Guzman, career:

.266 / .303 / .382 - .685

Hey, that's marginally better (+.10 OBP and .41 SLG) than last year!

What's more, the salaries of Castilla/Guzman ($3.1 and $4.2 million) are $200k less than last years' salaries for Orlando Cabrera and Tony Batista ($6 and $1.5 million).

So Bowden picked up at least .004 in team OBP and perhaps .002 in team SLG while saving $200k over last year! This should at least translate into .05 additional victories this year.

Baby steps, Nats fans. Baby steps.