MVN: Most Valuable Network

Right about now, I was supposed to be describing how Scott Olsen was traded to the Texas Rangers for one of their young catching cornerstones, Max Ramirez, Taylor Teagarden or Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Instead, I'm going to have to describe how Olsen and Josh Willingham were traded to the Washington Nationals for Emilio Bonifacio, P.J. Bean and Jake Smolinski. And I don't know how I'm going to do it.

2008 was Olsen's best year talent wise. With a good bullpen behind him, he could have won 8-10 games. After having trouble staying in control of his life let alone his fastball in 2007, the improvement he showed in less than a year was incredible. Realistically, the 25-year-old himself could have garnered this package.

Instead, the Nationals get the Marlins to throw in Willingham, who, despite his nagging back injury, continued to be a poor man's Adam Dunn in terms of OBP and a Donald Trump's Dunn in terms of strikeouts in 2008, not to mention what he provided defensively collecting seven outfield assists in less than 100 games.

With Andrew Miller set to re-enter the rotation and with the emergence of Cody Ross, both Olsen and Willingham were expendable but not at this price. In return, the Marlins get two second basemen, one of which has 60 career games under his belt and one of which just underwent major reconstructive knee surgery and will be out for 6-8 months when they already have two potential franchise players at the position in Dan Uggla and Chris Coghlan. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal perceives that either Florida will move Uggla to third base, his natural position throughout his minor league career, and move Jorge Cantu to first in order to make room for Bonifacio at second... and let Coghlan, who mashes lefties, waste away in the minor league system of a team that hit .233 against them last year. Rosenthal also mentions the possibility of an Uggla trade. After this, I'm scared to death of what we might accept for him.

I'm going to go to bed. Hopefully I wake up and all three of these guys are in Texas and Ramirez is a Marlin.