Posted by D.J. Short on Monday, June 29, 2009 at 6:33 pm

Unhappy with their current options in center field, the Nationals are reportedly seeking someone who can leadoff, play solid defense, and be under the organization’s control for the next few years — in other words, a real spark plug-type. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask for, right?

It’s part of an endless quest for the Nationals, who thought they found a long-term solution when they acquired Lastings Milledge from the Mets in November of 2007. It looked like a potential heist at the time, as the former first-round pick was coming off a solid season, batting .272/.341/.446 with seven homers and 29 RBI in just 59 games for the Amazins. But all that promise was accompanied by whispers about his attitude, work ethic and competency in center field.

These issues were discussed ad nauseam in New York, both before and after the trade, but aside from a couple minor disciplinary incidents, Milledge pretty much flew under the radar in his first season with the Nationals, batting .268/.330/.402 with 14 homers, 61 RBI and 24 stolen bases. He was simply awesome upon returning from a groin injury on July 25, batting .299 with seven homers, 29 RBI and 11 stolen bases over the season’s final 58 games. After such a fruitful finish, Milledge entered 2009 as a serious breakout candidate, however it didn’t take long to see that his act was wearing thin in Natstown.

Highlighted by some lackadaisical play in center and a 4-for-24 start, Milledge was sent down to Triple-A Syracuse on April 14. While the team insisted that the demotion was performance-based, questions about his attitude persisted, the most prominent of which was when he arrived late for a team meeting leading up to Opening Day. Since the demotion, the Nationals have looked towards Elijah Dukes and Willie Harris to fill the void in center, while Milledge suffered a broken finger in May and hasn’t been heard from since. Center field remains a glaring hole for the team as they have batted just .228 from the position (fourth worst in the majors) with a -10.2 UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) — only the Blue Jays have been worse there. Meanwhile, their leadoff hitters have combined for a lowly .314 on-base percentage.

The club already has Nyjer Morgan and Jordan Schafer in their sights, among others. Morgan, currently playing left field for the Pirates, is batting .270/.346/.350 with 13 extra-base hits, 27 RBI and 18 steals this season. His 64% (18-for-28) success rate on stolen bases is unacceptable, but his 12.4 UZR in left should translate well to center. According to the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette, the Nationals offered Milledge in exchange for the 28-year-old Morgan, but balked when the Pirates also asked for Craig Stammen.

As for Schafer, he was largely a bust after going deep twice in the first week of the season, batting just .204/.313/.287 with 63 strikeouts in 167 at-bats before being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on June 2. Despite his immense struggles at the plate, Schafer showed real instincts in center field, compiling an impressive 9.267 ZR (Zone Rating) in 131 total chances. He’s still viewed as the Braves center fielder of the future, with Nate McLouth eventually moving to a corner position, however with a lackluster NL East, it is possible that the Braves could decide to go all in for a chance at a playoff birth. Snagging Schafer would likely come at a real cost, though (Adam Dunn?).

The Nationals aren’t looking for a quick fix here. They likely won’t be competitive anytime soon. Nope.  What this search represents is a change in philosophy. They have long fielded a team that is too sloppy to make up for their lack of talent. Sure, Dunn will inevitably hit his 40 home runs again this season, but his -12.1 UZR does nothing to lend itself to the spacious Nationals Park. Drafting Stephen Strasburg was easy and they shouldn’t get a pat on the back for it — after all, they lost their way to the top pick. But this search is the first indication that Nationals just might be serious about fielding a real-live major league baseball team.