Embattled 'distraction' Bowden resigns as Nationals GM

"Like anyone else, I have made mistakes in all areas of my personal and professional life, but I leave here with the true belief that I have done nothing intentionally to harm the Washington Nationals or Major League Baseball," Bowden said in a statement released by the team Sunday.

He met last year with FBI investigators looking into allegations of skimming of signing bonuses and it was reported last weekend by SI.com that Bowden's actions are being looked at as far back as 1994, when he was GM of the Cincinnati Reds.

"I am disappointed by the media reports regarding investigations into any of my professional activities," Bowden said in his statement. "There have been no charges made, and there has been no indication that parties have found any wrongdoing on my part."

Players were informed of Bowden's resignation in a team meeting immediately before he met with the media. Despite the circumstances, his departure was a surprise to some who enjoyed a long relationship with Bowden.

"It was a much bigger deal outside the clubhouse because we really didn't talk about it," said outfielder Austin Kearns, who was scouted in high school by Bowden before signing with Cincinnati. "It didn't bother anybody in here. We're just getting ready to play. It's something that's over our heads."

Bowden's resignation came three days after Jose Rijo, a special assistant to Bowden, was fired by the Nationals.

That was fallout from a MLB investigation that determined a top baseball prospect from the Dominican Republic who received a $1.4 million signing bonus from the Nationals lied about his age and name.

"We all believe it is imperative that we honor the integrity of the game and that fans be able to concentrate their attention and affections on the game and players on the field," Kasten said in a team-issued statement. "Jim has maintained his innocence, but recognized that he had become a distraction, and with great grace determined to do what was best for the team and his players."

The 47-year-old Bowden joined the Nationals, who were then owned by MLB, as interim vice president and general manager in November 2004 after a stint as an ESPN commentator. The interim tag was removed by Kasten in June 2006 and Bowden was promoted to senior vice president and general manager on Feb. 28, 2008.

During Bowden's tenure, the Nationals drafted third baseman Ryan Zimmerman with the fourth overall pick in the 2005 first-year player draft and helped reinvigorate the team's moribund minor league system.

Bowden engineered several notable trades, bringing outfielders Kearns from Cincinnati, Wily Mo Pena from Boston, Lastings Milledge from the New York Mets, Elijah Dukes from Tampa Bay, and pitcher Scott Olsen and outfielder-first baseman Josh Willingham from Florida. His last major move came Feb. 11 when he landed slugger Adam Dunn with a two-year, $20 million deal, giving Washington's lineup the power threat it lacked in the middle.

Bowden became the youngest general manager of a major league franchise when he took the reins in Cincinnati as a 31-year-old in 1992. Three years later, the Reds reached the NL championship series.

He began his major league career in 1984 in the Pirates' media relations department and later moved to the New York Yankees' front office before joining the Reds in 1989.