Earlier this week, the Nationals dodged a bullet when former baseball hero Sammy Sosa opted for likely retirement rather than take Washington’s admittedly measly non-guaranteed $500,000 offer. Bully for the Nats, who won’t have to see wasted green on the bench and whiffs at the plate, but still, it’s a sign of the straits in which the club finds itself that one of the major attempted deals of the offseason was a throwaway contract to a washed up slugger. As the 2006 season approaches, the city’s attention remains focused on the ups and downs of the stadium saga, a distraction that threatens to seriously undermine the value of the club, but the difficulties in settling the Nats into D.C. on a more permanent basis are merely symptoms of a more serious problem with baseball, the league’s antitrust exemption.

In an AP news story from yesterday, Nationals Team President Tony Tavares detailed the problems the club has had promoting itself for the upcoming season. Said Tavares, “You want to be selling good news. With this whole hullabaloo about the stadium and the uncertainty about the stadium, it provides a challenge. There’s a pall over the franchise.” With no stadium deal, there is still doubt in the fanbase about the permanence of the club in Washington. With no stadium lease, there’s no new ownership, which makes it very difficult for GM Jim Bowden to build a winning ball club. Along with general frustration toward the city and MLB, these factors will likely impact tickets sales and attendance. After deciding to locate a team in Washington, baseball is poisoning the club’s chances at long-term acceptance and success.