In other Nats news the team signed Japanese pitcher Katsuhiko Maekawa to a minor league deal. You may remember I had a bit of fun at the expense of Maekawa and the Nationals a couple months ago when the team was first expressing interest.

But actually I see a no-harm-no-foul situation here. Yes, Maekawa was busted for a drunk-driving hit-and-run and was suspended from Japanese baseball, but I’d be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here. I’m assuming the team has done some extensive background checking. Who knows, maybe he had a serious alcohol problem, which may have affected his performance while he was in Japan (5+ career ERA in Japan). He did put up a 1.82 ERA in the Dominican League. And he is a lefty, so he’ll always have a place in somebody’s home.

I also wanted to mention this funny bit which I found on the Nats blog Capitol Punishment, which like me thinks the move is a low-cost high-reward proposition:

Eh… it’s a low-cost move with no real downside other than [insert cheap Bowden driving joke.] The team’s certainly doing everything they can to prove that chemistry doesn’t matter one farkin’ bit, huh?

I hear that the Nats are also interested in Jerry Priddy, Denny McClain, Ugueth Urbina, Steve Howe, and Ruben Rivera.