Dead Man Segwaying

Team lets Bowden twist in the wind

Stan Kasten and the Lerner Family didn't bury Jim Bowden, but they certainly appear to be shopping for plots.

While the FBI continues to investigate Bowen -- and not just "question" as was reported before -- in the bonus-skimming allegations, the Nats' president and team owners spoke up to "defend" their beleaguered GM.

Said Kasten, "Listen, I support everyone who works for the Washington Nationals all the time, period ...  I've told you, I am gonna allow the process to play out. We'll allow the chips to fall where they may, and we're going to look at things honestly and deal with them as is appropriate."

Hardly ringing.

The Lerner family commented, too: "Stan's response will stand as the Nationals' statement."

So there's our Segway-driving ham of a GM dangling in the wind. 

The schadenfreude certainly delights the Bowden haters -- of which there are many -- but what does it serve?

The longer Bowden twists, the worse the situation appears.  And the weaker Bowden becomes.

One way or another, the Lerner family needs to make a decision.  If they support him, say so.  If they think he's going to continue to be a distraction, then let him go.

Nats Farm Authority makes a strong case that indecision harms the franchise, especially with rebuilding the international scouting operation -- something that might not even be possible with Bowden at the helm.

While the latest report doesn't contain any specific new allegations, the change from "questioning" to "investigating" is a big one.

Regardless, it's another misstep in the career of a GM who's done far too little winning.  For every solid move he makes, there are countless player missteps (see: LoDuca, Paul; Young, Dmitri; Kearns, Austin), and plenty of embarrassing situations off-field.

Do the few good things he does outweigh the bad?  Likely not.

And rather than letting him twist in the wind, it's time for the Lerners to cut the string, and let Leatherpants float away, carried away by the power of his own hot air.

Chris Needham used to write Capitol Punishment, where anticipating the Nats' next GM was a monthly occurrence.

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