The Washington Nationals may be "longshots" to land Cliff Lee, but it's clear they are looking for starting pitching of any kind. One target they've identified is Carl Pavano, who had an excellent season with the Minnesota Twins last season. Pavano's agent said that he's met with the Nationals and considers them to be a possibility for his client.
The Nationals, while trying to land Cliff Lee, aren't wasting any time checking into other pitching options at the Winter Meetings. They met with Carl Pavano's agent, Tom O'Connell, on Tuesday and remain actively interested in the Twins right-hander.
"We met with Nationals officials today," O'Connell said. "It was a productive meeting, and Carl is methodically going through his options."
O'Connell reportedly said the Nationals are "in the mix" for Pavano, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The Twins are also interested in bringing back Pavano, who emerged as a clubhouse leader for them as they made their run to the playoffs.
The 34-year old Pavano went 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA for the Twins last year, but that was his best season in many years. At his age, the Nationals might want to be careful about committing too much money to him.