Nolasco went 14-9 with a 4.51 ERA, 147 strikeouts, and just 33 walks in 2010. You can't argue with the decision to cut his season short, the Marlins are well out of the playoff race and there is no need to continue to put Nolasco in harms way. The one good thing you can take away from this injury is that it does not involve his arm or shoulder, which keeps his expectations high for next season. Nolasco will be back in time for spring training, but this is not Nolasco's first go around with an injury, you have to hope this does not become a common trend.

The New York Mets have traded outfielder Jeff Francoeur to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Joaquin Arias.

Getting rid of Francoeur was inevitable. It's a shame because his personality is exactly what this Mets team needed when he came over from the Atlanta Braves last season. But he just flat out did not produce, got into bad habits, and now finds himself in a better situation with the Rangers, who are already preparing themselves for the post-season. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers use Francoeur. Arguably, he has the best outfield arm in baseball and could be used as a late game defensive replacement. If that's the case, you hope that his bat won't be too big of a liability.

September baseball has arrived with the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies separated by only 2 games.

I have said that the Braves are in the drivers seat, and I still believe that, but don't be surprised if the two teams flip flop their position in the standings a few times before seasons end. The Braves hope that their magic doesn't run out in September with the Phillies relying on their experience. At this point, I just can't see the Braves not coming out of this season without a division title. They look like they have the magic to carry them deep into October.

Ben Goessling of MasnSports.com reports that Nyjer Morgan has been suspended eight games by Major League Baseball in light of his recent aggressive behavior:

"Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan was suspended eight games for "three separate incidents" in the last week, Major League Baseball announced moments ago. The news release mentioned Morgan's collision with Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson last Saturday, the taunts he directed at Marlins fans during the 10th inning of Tuesday's game and his role in Wednesday's brawl after Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad threw behind him in the sixth inning."

The aforementioned suspension is separate from the suspension which Morgan is currently appealing, one which he received after throwing a ball into the stands in Philadelphia on Aug. 21. In total, Goessling points out that Morgan could miss 15 of the Nationals final 28 games.

UPDATE: Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post is reporting that manager Jim Riggleman has also been suspended for his actions in the benches clearing brawl:

"MLB also suspended Manager Jim Riggleman two games "for his aggressive actions during the bench-clearing incident and for the intentional actions of his pitcher [Doug] Slaten after a warning had been issued earlier in the game," according to the announcement from MLB. Riggleman also was fined an undisclosed amount for his comments about the incident.."

Analysis:

Washington Nationals team president Stan Kasten told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that the club plans to be more aggressive than they've ever been this offseason:

"This winter, the Nationals still plan to be "more aggressive than we've ever been" to upgrade their club, team president Stan Kasten told Rumblings. And they'd still like to bring back Adam Dunn. But if Dunn leaves as a free agent and "we don't have that, we have to replace it," Kasten said.

So in the big picture, Strasburg's injury "has not changed any of our strategies going forward," Kasten said."

That's quite a statement considering the Nationals already will see their payroll jump next year as it is. Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and Livan Hernandez are scheduled to make a combined $5.25 million more than they made this season. On top of that Josh Willingham, Sean Burnett, Tyler Walker, John Lannan, and Michael Morse will all likely receive raises through arbitration.

However if what Kasten is saying is true and the Nationals do actually look to be the most aggressive they've ever been, that will mean a lot considering the clubs push for Mark Texiera two years ago where the club was willing to offer him a $180 million dollar contract. Few at the time gave much credibility to that offer, as no one believed that anyone would want to go to Washington at the time. However, now the Nationals are armed with exciting young talent and if they truly are willing to throw around money, it could go a long way this winter.

Potential 2011 Free Agents:

UPDATE: MORGAN SUSPENDED AT LEAST 8 GAMES

Nyjer Morgan entered the 2010 season as the darling of the Washington Nationals. After coming over from Pittsburgh in a trade which sent maligned outfielder Lastings Milledge out of Washington, the 28-year-old, seemingly out of nowhere, had one of the best seasons in baseball.

Morgan finished with .307/.369/.388 with 42 stolen bases and a wOBA of .340. Combined with his dominant outfield play (27.6 UZR) and steady run scoring ability, the 28-year-old posted a very good 4.9 WAR. He endeared himself to D.C., first as a stellar outfielder who could get it done with the bat, and then as a quirky guy who often preferred you refer to him by his gentleman name, Tony Plush.

In early 2010 his supreme talent began to look like a flash in the pan though, as the outfielder's batting average fell to .257/.317/.318 with a wOBA of .288 and a UZR of -0.8. Things had turned from fun to stressful for Nyjer, and perhaps as a result his quirkiness began to turn from cute into dangerous. The problems of the season came to a head last night for Nyjer when the outfielder charged the mound after pitcher Chris Volstad threw behind him in the sixth inning. Morgan sprinted to the mound, leaped, and punched the six foot eight Volstad in the face. A benches clearing brawl ensued.

As Morgan's teammates dragged him off the field, he gestured to the Marlins fan base, as if to show them that the Nyjer show was still in town, and they were all paying customers. It was embarrassing, and it was pathetic. What's worse is that Wednesday's brawl was just the cap of a series of events that had turned Morgan from a potential all-star outfielder to a major clubhouse distraction.

First there was the incident where he struck a Phillies fan in the face with a ball after the inning, which he is now appealing a suspension for. Next he received heat both from the Cardinals and his own manager after he unnecessarily ran over Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson. The night before the fight Morgan barreled over a Marlins catcher seemingly unecessarily, forcing him out for the season. He was seen during the next inning swearing at Marlins fans. Of course these incidents were ultimately what lead to the Marlins throwing at Nyjer twice in Wednesday's game. He is quickly making himself one of the most hated men in the game.

This season has slowly turned from one based around the rebuilding of a struggling franchise into a show about individuals. Apparently, Nyjer wants to make sure the show is all about him.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reported today that Rob Dibble will no longer broadcast games for the Washington Nationals:

"In the wake of controversial comments Rob Dibble made about Stephen Strasburg, the Nationals announced today Dibble will no longer broadcast their games. The separation will be permanent, and the Nationals -- not MASN -- made the decision. The Nationals offered no further comment on the matter."

In the past I have been hesitant to rip on Rob Dibble here, or at least give out my honest opinion on the man. The bottom line for me has been that while I was in no way a fan of his antics, I really didn't think it was too productive to bring any more negativity into Nationals baseball than there had been in the past year and a half. Did Dibble drive me crazy with some of the things he said? No question. However there was always the mute button and complaining overwhelmingly about his comments just gave him too much importance.

And why give him another reason to hate bloggers?

Now that Dibble is gone, and the sound is back on my T.V., I think it is okay to reflect on my feelings and critique the Nationals former broadcaster not just as an entertainer but as a professional.

One thing that you can't deny about Rob Dibble is that he cared. He cared about the Nationals success, and he cared about the Nationals players. He cared so much that he was often called a homer, a fanboy, and that side of him undoubtably showed in his broadcasting style. You could often hear him cheering during plays, ragging on other teams despite what the scoreboard said.

According to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com, Danny Espinosa will be one of the Washington Nationals september call ups:

"Danny Espinosa, a shortstop at Triple-A Syracuse and one of the Nationals' top middle infield prospects, will be among the team's September call-ups, according to a tweet from Espinosa's sister Christina....A scout I talked to last month in Philadelphia said Espinosa's athleticism is just a hair behind Desmond's, though both players have a penchant for making errors. Still, the two of them together could give the Nationals one of the rangiest middle infields in baseball next year, if Espinosa proves he can stick in the big leagues."

Espinosa has been one of the hottest Nationals minor leaguers this year, combining between Harrisburg and Syracuse to hit .268/.337/.464 with 22 homers and 69 RBI while snagging 25 stolen bases in 123 games. While most of Espinosa's power came during his time in Harrisburg (18 homers in 99 games, it seems Espinosa has been better with the bat in Syracuse - batting .295/.349/.463 in 24 games since his promotion.

The 23-year-old shortstop was drafted in the third round of the 2008 draft out of Long Beach State, a school well known for producing top infield talent. In the last decade the school nicknamed "Shortstop U," has produced Bobby Crosby, Troy Tulowitzki and now third baseman Evan

Jordan Zimmermann helped put a lot of troubled minds at ease last night. The 24-year-old former top prospect dazzled in his second MLB start since returning from Tommy John surgery last summer, and in doing so inspired hope in Washington to fans worried that prized possession Stephen Strasburg may never be the same.

Zimmermann allowed just one hit, a second inning double to Gaby Sanchez, in six frames of work Tuesday night. He struck out a career high nine batters on the night, while allowing no walks in the clubs eventual 1-0 extra inning loss. The right-hander was so electric that he retired 14-straight batters before being taken out in the seventh inning, including a frame where he struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth inning.

For Nationals fans it was a breath of fresh air as well as a model of future success. Zimmermann showed in one night of dominance that yes he is the same pitcher he promised to be before injury, and yes, Stephen Strasburg can be too. While Zimmermann isn't quite the elite prospect that Strasburg is, he represents the kind of potential number two starter that championships can be built on, and is an incredibly important part of the future rotation.

Zimmermann used his fastball to paint the corners and keep hitters off balance. Sitting just below 92 MPH on the night, his peak pitch hit 94. He used his heater to pound the strike zone, pitching it for a strike 66% of the time, inducing four swinging strikes. He used that fastball to set up his slider which he threw 14 times for three swinging strikes. In total he only pitched 86 pitches over seven innings while recording nine strikeouts, which is truly remarkable.

With his performance last night Zimmermann may provide one last beacon of hope for the 2010 season as it comes into its final month. The club is no longer in contention, far from it. Their $25 million worth of top picks are not playing in Washington for at least another year, and Adam Dunn appears on his way out. Things may be winding down on the 2010 season, but for me, Jordan Zimmermann is worth going to the ballpark to get a glimpse of.

Braves Blast looks at the good, the bad, and the ugly for the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves have gotten career performances from All-Star Game MVP Brian McCann, Martin Prado, and Omar Infante, not to mention Jason Heyward has had a pretty impressive rookie campaign. Troy Glaus has probably had the most interesting season of them all. In April, it looked as though his career in baseball was over, only to emerge as the team's best player in May. Unfortunately for Glaus, he became another victim of the injury bug that eventually led to the acquisition of Derrek Lee. So essentially, the Braves can thank Glaus for getting injured since they replaced him with a more consistent player.

There was an Oliver Perez sighting last night in Atlanta. I'm sure you have an idea of how he fared.

What a downfall it has been for Ollie. The Mets aren't even giving him an opportunity to "audition" for other teams by keeping him in the bullpen every night. I'm sure he is working hard and truly wants to get better, but the bridge is burned with the Mets. He may not realize it but it would have been better for him to accept the designation to the minors so he can at least pitch more than once every few weeks! One things for sure, Mets fans wont have to worry about bringing Ollie back for 2011...hopefully.

Phillies Nation tries to understand the enigma that is the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies.

I would still consider 2010 one of the "golden years" for the Phillies, but their window of opportunity of closing quick, especially if Jayson Werth leaves in the off-season. Even so, with one month left in the season, you can't write off the Phillies. Anything can happen; the Atlanta Braves are only three games ahead, which is nothing for the team who over came a seven game deficit in 17 days. Circle the date...the Phillies travel to Turner Field for the last weekend of the season in what could be a division deciding series.

In his six years with the Nationals/Montreal Expos, Hernandez has put up a 61-56 record and a 3.89 ERA, as well as 22 complete games in 162 starts.

"I always wanted to come back and play here," said Hernandez. "They give me a chance to come back another year and hopefully more years...It's a dream come true."

The thing I love about Livan is his durability, he is an inning eater and as made at least 30 starts a season dating back to 1998...unbelievable. Even if Strasburg were healthy for 2011, I would have liked to see the team bring Livan back because of his experience and knowledge he can pass down to youngsters like Strasburg, Luis Atilano, and John Lannan.

Livan is one of those pitchers who make the game look easy. His nonchalant mannerisms on the mound make him an entertaining player to watch and a fan favorite. If he wanted to, Hernandez could probably pitch another ten years thanks to his "rubber arm," making him the pitching equivalent of Julio Franco.

By the way, can someone please explain to me why GM Mike Rizzo jumped on the opportunity to extend Hernandez days after the Strasburg announcement but won't even talk to Adam Dunn about prolonging his stay in Washington?

John Lannan earned his sixth win of the season by going 7.2 innings giving up eight hits and one run while striking out four (two coming from Albert Pujols) and walking none. It was nice to see Lannan in control against disciplined Cardinal hitters.

Pitching wasn't the only thing Lannan was good at in this game. In the bottom of the second, following singles by Adam Dunn and Mike Morse, Lannan doubled to left scoring the two base runners and putting the Nationals on the board 2-0.

Washington continued to put runs on the board the following inning thanks to a two run shot by Mike Morse. On the season, Morse is hitting .289 with ten home runs and 27 RBI. For most of the year it seems like Morse has been overlooked, but now he could be turning heads if he continues to swing the bat well.

No four run lead is comfortable, especially against St. Louis, who always find a way to win, but this was Lannan's game, who cruised through the middle innings.