You can go ahead and cross another top tier starting pitcher off the Nationals wish list for this offseason. After some exploratory talks during the Winter Meetings, the trail on Carl Pavano has gone cold, and he will not be signing with Washington, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

The Nationals are out of the Carl Pavano sweepstakes, MLB.com has confirmed. Published reports have indicated that the right-hander is set to re-sign with the Twins.

"I'm not in any active talks with the Nationals," Pavano's agent, Tom O'Connell, said Thursday night.

Missing out on Pavano is probably a little bit of a gift as well as a curse for the Nationals. Sure, they don't get one of the top remaining free agents to help bolster their rotation, but they also don't have to give a big contract to someone who is well on the wrong side of 30 and has a spotty, at best, injury history.