Lake Monsters Dean, Smolinski traded

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- A pair of 2008 Vermont Lake Monsters, pitcher P.J. Dean and infielder Jake Smolinski, were part of a five-player trade between the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins on Tuesday.

Dean, Smolinski and Nationals infielder Emilio Bonifacio were traded by the Nationals to Florida for Marlins outfielder Josh Willingham and pitcher Scott Olsen.

Dean went 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 10 starts for the Lake Monsters during the 2008 season. A seventh-round selection by the Nationals in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Dean allowed just two earned runs over 37 innings in his first eight starts of the season.

After beginning the 2008 season with Class A Hagerstown, Smolinski joined the Lake Monsters in early August after coming off the disabled list. The Nationals' second-round pick in the 2007 draft, Smolinski hit .306 (30-for-98) with 17 runs, eight doubles and nine RBIs in 24 games for Vermont.

Bonifacio hit .243 (41-for-169) with 29 runs in 49 games last season for the Nationals after being traded to Washington from Arizona. Willingham hit .254 (89-for-351) with 15 homers and 51 RBIs in 102 games for the Marlins, while Olsen was 8-11 with a 4.20 ERA in 33 starts for Florida.

This marks the second straight year that Lake Monsters players have been traded during the offseason after playing in Vermont. Pitcher Glenn Gibson was traded by Washington to Tampa Bay for Elijah Dukes in December of 2007.