It’s been a good long while since Jim Bowden was systematically destroying any hopes Washington Nationals fans had of seeing good baseball, but one of the former general manager’s habits continues: picking up former Cincinnati Reds players. The latest? Laynce Nix.

Nix was a solid backup outfielder and power bat off the bench for the Reds for the last two seasons, and now he’ll get the chance to make the Nationals club. Today, he signed a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training.

Nix will be joining former Reds reliever Todd Coffey, whom the Nationals signed at the end of last month. The good ol’ Nats signing Reds cast-offs. It’s nice to know some things never change.

Now that the Cincinnati Reds have signed all of their arbitration-eligible players and are done on the free agent market, we’re in for a lack of real news until pitchers and catchers report in a couple weeks. But there is one major item I’m sure everyone is waiting with bated breath to hear more about. Will the Reds sign Jason Isringhausen again?

There’s not much news since yesterday when I reported Isringhausen would be throwing for the Reds in Arizona. Mark Sheldon did get comments from pitching coach Bryan Price and general manager Walt Jocketty.

“He threw the ball fine, well enough to feel optimistic that with a Spring Training to build his arm strength, he could get back to being productive again,” Price said. “That is if he can stay healthy, which is a top concern for anybody coming off an arm injury.”

Even with that, the Reds didn’t seem ecstatic about signing him.

“We’re not sure if we will pursue it or not,” said Reds general manager Walt Jocketty. “We’ll discuss it in the next few days. We have quite a bit of right-handed pitching.”

We’ll see if they make the decision, but I am doubtful at this point. I’m afraid Izzy may be done.

The Cincinnati Reds have launched their web page to allow fans the chance to purchase tickets to opening day.

The Reds open the season a bit earlier this year, starting the season on March 31 when they host the Milwaukee Brewers at 2:10pm EDT. And all you have to do to have a chance to be there is fill out the form and hope. Or buy a season ticket. Whichever.

I know I’ll be trying for my chance. I’ve never been to Opening Day before, but it sounds like a fun day, as long as it’s not too cold.

About half a year since they last signed him, the Cincinnati Reds are letting Jason Isringhausen try out for the team again.

Mark Sheldon had a quote from general manager Walt Jocketty on the tryout.

“He’s contacted me and said he was healthy again and wanted to throw for us,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said on Sunday during a Reds Caravan stop. “He’ll throw for [pitching coach] Bryan Price on Monday in Goodyear and we’ll see how he throws and how healthy he is.”

I have to think that Izzy is getting the chance simply because of Jocketty’s experience with him with the St. Louis Cardinals. There’s not really any other reason to explain this. I mean, the Reds are faced with a very crowded pitching staff, and I doubt that a 38-year-old guy who hasn’t had success in the majors since 2007 is going to be able to break through.

In a move that will no doubt not be officially announced for another week or two, the Cincinnati Reds have signed their last arbitration-eligible player to a contract. Edinson Volquez has signed what is believed to be a $1.6 million, one-year deal.

General manager Walt Jocketty had been attempting to sign Volquez to a multi-year deal, but was unsuccessful.

“We’ll see if they’re up for doing more later,” Jocketty said Sunday from a Reds Caravan stop in Lexington. “We tried to do a multiyear deal. They just wanted to concentrate on the one year now. [Volquez’s agent] had a few cases and wanted to get the arbitration thing out of the way.”

I think that the Reds escaped an unnecessary risk here. Given Volquez’s recent Tommy John surgery, I’m not sure how wise it would be to sign him to a long-term contract. Let him prove he can be healthy for more than a year, first.

The signing means the Reds will not have to tear down Volquez in front of an arbiter, and he won’t have to hear such things as, “You and Johnny Cueto have hairstyles that are too similar.”