Closing the Book on Logan Kensing

Not nearly as dramatic as the Elijah Dukes firing, Logan Kensing was also sent packing. Kensing was one of the most frustrating Nationals to watch last season. He was claimed from Florida to bolster the leaky bullpen. After several dicey outings, he was sent to Syracuse, where he dominated. Enough so, Rizzo gave him a second audition in July when all the other young pitchers were ailing. He was better, but failed not only to match his form with the Marlins, but even to go more than a few outings without torching the stadium like Jim Brown in "The Running Man."

Prior to Tommy John surgery in 2006, Kensing had been a solid starting option in the minor leagues. In preparation for bringing him up to the big club and a young, crowded rotation, they converted him to a reliever. That is when the elbow issues arose. After recovering from the surgery, Marlins management never moved him back into a starting role, and he became labeled as a reliever. He never really developed the control required to consistently get major league hitters out, but always appeared to be better than replacement level...

Until last season.

Honestly, I don't know where the strikeouts went, but with out the ability to get one per inning to offset the 4+ BB/9, he was doomed. Maybe 2009 was an aberration, but starting off slow didn't help his cause. The front office knows he is capable of crushing the International League, and unless they were going to allow him time to try his hand at starting again (not the worst idea), he offered little value to the 2010 Nats.