Sammy, No! No!

The Sosa to the Nats rumors, just like the Larkin to the Nats rumors are alive. Again. Ugh.

From the context of the article, it appears that Bowden was the one who initiated contact.

What's always been the major deal-killer in this is that Sosa has a clause in his contract kicking in an ungodly $18 million option if he's traded. There's a new wrinkle though:

While Sosa's contract with the Cubs guarantees an $18million salary if he is traded, that figure can be negotiated. Agent Adam Katz is believed to have told clubs that Sosa would not play for less than $10 million in 2006.

I find that hard to believe. Either the terms are in the contract or they're not. If they are, you can't negotiate salary down, without adding a benefit (see: Rodriguez, Alex and Sox, Red).

One possible benefit would be extending his contract--and would probably be the most likely possibility. That's not palatable either. Sosa's old, and if last season's stats weren't a fluke, on a significant downspin in his career.

So he's a bad idea because: 1. He's expensive. 2. He's declining. 3. You'd have to extend his contract an additional year and 4. We don't need any more freakin' outfielders!

I hope this is a case of Jimbo just trying to get his name in the headlines. Sosa would handicap this franchise for years--far more so than the few million being frittered away on the left side of our infield.