Day One of the Winter Meetings have kicked off and so far little but speculation and conjuncture has come out of the Washington Nationals camp and many are unsure of what direction the team and General Manager Mike Rizzo are headed this week as they wheel and deal in Dallas, Texas.
Unsure of his future with the Nationals also is right-handed reliever Todd Coffey. Bill Ladson reports Coffey is unsure if he will be returning to Washington for another go around. Coffey finished the 2011 campaign with a 3.62 ERA in 69 games and will be looking to talk to Rizzo about any possible future with the team at the Winter Meetings sometime this week. Coffey is also well known for his aggressive mad dashes from the bullpen to the mound in an effort to pump himself up. These sprints have appropriately been labeled "Coffey Time."
While not a prime player, Coffey could certainly help out a Nationals bullpen who tended to rely a little too heavy on relievers Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen in 2011 and who will need more arm help in 2012. On whether he'd like to return to Washington Coffey said:
"In my heart of hearts, if it's the right contract, I would look to definitely come back to the Nationals."
Not much is known if other teams are interested in Coffey's surfaces but Ladson says a source told him there are two teams in the National League East and NL Central and three teams in the American League West that have showed interest.