Wed, Jul 13, 2005 at 3:00pm

NATS LAND NEEDED OUTFIELDER

The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder Preston Wilson from the Colorado Rockies for pitcher Zach Day, outfielder J.J. Davis and cash.

What does it give the Washington Nationals
All season the Nats have struggled to find a solid third outfielder to play alongside Brad Wilkerson and Jose Guillen. Now they have one. They've also struggled to score more runs than they allow, despite leading the NL East. Now they have some help in that capacity as well. The one thing the Nats have to watch out for with Wilson, who will play center, with Wilkerson switching to left, is his inability to hit away from the friendly confines of Coors Field this year. Still, he showed enough power away from there in his years with the Marlins to suggest he'll give them enough of a bat to make them much better. Meanwhile, the cash helps pay the remainder of his hefty salary.

What does it give the Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are always on the lookout for relatively young pitchers who can keep the ball down in the zone and Day fits that bill. His nice sinker should fit in fine at Coors Field and the 27-year-old entered this season with a solid track record in two-plus big-league seasons. But just as there's something to watch out for with Wilson, so it goes for Day. He's proven to be terribly injury prone and, in fact, was on the disabled list at the time of this trade due to a broken wrist suffered in late May. However, he is said to be healthy now and should be in the Rockies' rotation before long. As for Davis, he's still fairly young and has the kind of power that would suit Coors Field. For now, though, he's just a depth guy.

Fantasy impact

Player focus

Colorado Rockies

cash considerations

J.J. Davis OF

Zach Day SP

Washington Nationals

Preston Wilson OF