You know those John Lannan-to-the-Red Sox (or Tigers) rumors? Well, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo threw a bucket of cold water -- okay, a cup of it -- on them today.
But Mark Zuckerman, the Nationals Insider for our friends at CSN Washington, says a deal to Boston (or Detroit, or elsewhere) is still possible because "Lannan isn't going to be part of the Nationals' Opening Day rotation, not unless someone else on the staff gets hurt".
Rizzo, writes Zuckerman "is intent on getting something of value in return for Lannan. He'd love to acquire a big-league center fielder, though that's probably a pipe dream. The more likely offer will be for a mid-level prospect, perhaps somebody targeted for high-Class A or Class AA who could be big-league ready by the end of 2012 or early in 2013."
Lannan is 27, left-handed, and, says Zuckerman, can "pretty much be penciled in for 30 starts and a sub-4.00 ERA". Zuckerman says that's "hardly a unique commodity", though the Sox would be delighted to get such production from a back-of-the-rotation starter.
Will a deal happen? Stay tuned.