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As expected, Adam Dunn declined arbitration from the Nationals tonight, according to a release from the MLB Players Association. The first baseman, who's a Type A free agent, could still return to the Nationals if they resign him in free agency, but they would get two draft picks if he signs with another team. Dunn is reportedly seeking a four-year deal worth $60 million, and
Good afternoon, NatsTown. Just a couple quick things for you: --Adam Dunn has to inform the Nationals today whether or not he will accept their arbitration offer for 2011. If he does, the Nationals have their first baseman for next year - and get to continue the back-and-forth dance about his future. If he doesn't, they'll be guaranteed two draft picks should he sign with
The Washington Nationals' biggest offseason pursuit - landing a starter to anchor their rotation - has already yielded a pair of swings and misses, and the team heads into next week's Winter Meetings with a list of options seemingly getting shorter by the day. Another possible target wriggled away from the Nationals on Monday night, when Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa reportedly closed in
We've got some details for you on our first Nationals offseason roundtable of the winter; we're going to meet this Friday for some food, drinks and Nats conversation. Here are the details: What: Our first Nationals offseason roundtable -- stop by for as long as you like and talk baseball. I'd love to say hello and answer whatever questions you have about the Nats. When:
Stephen Strasburg, the Washington Nationals right-hander who captivated the baseball world for two months before tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, was named to baseball's All-Rookie Team this morning, becoming one of 11 players to earn the honor. The team recognizes one player at each position, as well as the top right-handed and left-handed starters and the top reliever. Strasburg went 5-3 with
The Washington Nationals made their first front office hire of the offseason today, naming former Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach Bob Schaefer a special assistant to GM Mike Rizzo, according to a news release. Schaefer had served as Joe Torre's bench coach the last three seasons in Los Angeles, but wasn't planning to be part of Don Mattingly's staff, feeling the rookie manager needed a
The Nationals' inventory of possible free agent pitching targets, already at a dubiously low level, just shrunk by one; former Yankees right-hander Javier Vazquez has signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Marlins, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal. MLB.com's Bill Ladson was first to report the two sides were close to a deal. You can see why general manager Mike Rizzo hedged his
By now, you've probably all seen this. It surfaced early this week on YouTube, and as I write this, more than 22,000 people have watched Ryan Zimmerman tango his way into his AAU buddy's wedding reception before busting out a few dance club moves. I'm guessing a good chunk of that 22,000 is made up of Nats fans, surprised the third baseman could play against
Happy Black Friday, everyone. Anybody got any good leftovers recipes? Things are typically quiet in the free agency market through the holiday weekend, but that doesn't mean there aren't some things going on to talk about and sift through. So here we go: --The Cubs reportedly are interested in Carlos Pena for their first base vacancy, in addition to Lance Berkman, according to the Daily
No Nats news here today -- and I'm hoping Mike Rizzo cooperates and keeps it that way while I'm working through my turkey and watching one of three lopsided football games. I just wanted to check in and wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving. This has been my dream job since I was a kid, and I never let myself forget that, even on
The Nationals made a minor roster move this afternoon, outrighting right-hander Ryan Matheus to Triple-A Syracuse. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster. Mattheus, who was part of the Joe Beimel trade at the 2009 deadline, is coming off Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss almost all of the 2010 season. He will get an invite to big league spring
The news that Danny Espinosa will have hand surgery today is no reason for Nationals fans to panic about the state of the team's middle infield. Numerous players - including Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond, the other two players penciled into the Nationals' 2011 infield - have had surgery to remove the hook of hamate bone in their hands, and Espinosa should be ready to
Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa will have surgery in Baltimore tomorrow to remove the hook of hamate bone in his right hand, becoming the latest Nationals player to have the operation done. Ryan Zimmerman had the surgery on his left hand before the 2008 season, and Ian Desmond missed all of the 2008 season with a stress fracture in his left hamate bone. Catching prospect
I've been discussing this with a few of you in the comments section of a couple blog posts early this afternoon, so I thought I'd distill some of those conversations into a more thorough piece of analysis: The Nationals offered Adam Dunn arbitration today, which mostly gives them protection if he leaves in free agency. I don't believe he would take the arbitration offer unless
The Nationals made perhaps their most widely-expected move of the offseason today, offering free agent first baseman Adam Dunn arbitration. The move, confirmed by a team source, means the Nationals would get two draft picks if the slugger signs with another team. If Dunn decided to accept arbitration, he would likely make $15-$16 million with the Nationals next season, though they'd be right back where
There have been a pair of high-profile free agent moves today, both of them pertaining in some way to the Nationals. The Giants resigned first baseman Aubrey Huff (thought to be a possible replacement for Adam Dunn) for $22 million over the next two years. And the Tigers, one of the top suitors for Dunn, gave $50 million to catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez today, locking
When the Nationals decided to keep first baseman Adam Dunn at the trade deadline, hanging on to the slugger after a month of fielding offers for him, general manager Mike Rizzo saidthe thing that gave him comfort in keeping Dunn was the knowledge that, at worst, the Nationals would be getting two draft picks if Dunn walked in free agency. But to get those picks,
The National League MVP results were just announced, with Cincinnati's Joey Votto coming one vote from a unanimous victory. That's the obvious selection, and Votto deserved it, though I would have taken a long look at Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez if I'd had a vote this year. Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman finished 16th, showing up on eight of 32 ballots and not finishing higher than
The Nationals' PR staff just sent an e-mail to commemorate what happened six years ago today, when the principals of the recently-relocated Montreal Expos announced at Union Station that the team would now be called the Washington Nationals. So, in that spirit, I wanted to take a minute and give you a chance to share your memories of that day. How optimistic were you at
I was alerted to this glorious piece of information tonight by my good buddy Dave Campbell, who covers the Twins and other sports for the AP in Minneapolis. Apparently, Twins right-hander Carl Pavano - who's a free agent this winter and has drawn some interest from the Nationals - is a finalist for something called the 2010 Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year
There are varying theories around baseball about how much wins and losses matter in the minor leagues, what can be gained from victories at a level when individual development is the primary goal. But if there is something to be gained from team success - and if that translates to the Arizona Fall League, with teams made up of top prospects from a handful of
Bryce Harper will start the Arizona Fall League title game for the Scottsdale Scorpions, batting seventh and playing right field. It's the last opportunity for the 18-year-old to showcase his talents in the elite prospect league, where he's built an impressive case for himself in his first taste of pro ball. Harper hit .343 in his first nine games in the AFL, playing on Wednesdays
The Nationals made a trio of roster moves tonight, putting first baseman Chris Marrero and relievers Adam Carr and Cole Kimball on their 40-man roster. Those are largely procedural moves, meant to keep the players from being eligible for next month's Rule 5 draft. But they put some weight behind each player's standing in the organization. Marrero's placement on the 40-man roster isn't a surprise;
The Cliff Lee sweepstakes are heating up, and more and more, it's looking like they could end with the result almost everyone predicted at the end of the season: with Lee wearing pinstripes. Even Nolan Ryan, the Rangers president who is making a spirited effort to keep Lee in Texas, seems to believe he will be outbid for Lee's services. The Nationals are pushing for
I'm trying to pin down a date for our first offseason get-together, and I'm thinking about shooting for something either next Saturday, Nov. 27, or the following weekend (Friday, Dec. 3 or Saturday, Dec. 4). Any thoughts on that? I know next weekend is Thanksgiving, so there might be a number of people out of town. But we've also got some college students in our
As Bryce Harper's time in the Arizona Fall League has gone on, one thing has become increasingly apparent: The 18-year-old belongs. The elite prospect league hasn't fazed Harper in the least. He has hits in seven of the nine games he's played, and he's produced with the steadiness of a veteran player. Harper still hasn't logged loads of time in the outfield, but his work
We've been doing a little redecorating around here, and I just wanted to call your attention to a couple things that look a little different on the site: --First, you'll probably notice that the commenting window at the bottom of each blog entry looks a little different. We've redesigned it to make it a little cleaner and easier to use. But as such, those of
Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa, who impressed the team with his six homers in a September call-up, had a big night yesterday in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He hit for the cycle, going 4-for-4 with a walk and driving in four runs. In his last three games for the Leones de Ponce, he's 7-for-11 with a pair of homers. Those are Espinosa's only two homers
As most baseball beat writers do, I make a fairly regular habit of perusing the work of my counterparts around the game, to keep track of what's going on with other teams and spot trends that might be cropping up. That's particularly important this time of year, and the theme is obvious: Everyone wants pitching. And for the Nationals, this is a particularly bad year
The rumors started yesterday, when FOXSports.com reported the Marlins were planning to trade second baseman Dan Uggla and mentioned the Nationals as a team that could be interested. That confirms what I've heard and suspected for a while; general manager Mike Rizzo drafted Uggla when he was with the Diamondbacks, and like Brandon Webb, Uggla is one of the players Rizzo is quickest to mention
Jesus Flores, who has been playing with the Navegantes del Magallenes in the Venezuelan Winter League, was taken off his team's roster last week with a strained calf while the club was on the road. But he is scheduled to e re-evaluated this week and could be added back to the roster soon, a Nationals spokesman said in an email. The Nationals don't believe the
The postseason awards parade has started, and in one of the most competitive Rookie of the Year races in history, the Nationals came up empty. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA as a rookie but had his season cut short because of Tommy John surgery, did not receive a vote. Neither did shortstop Ian Desmond, who hit .269 with 10 homers,
I've been spending some time looking at the Nationals' projected payroll for 2011 this morning (detailed breakdowns are available at Cot's Contracts and Baseball Reference). The short of it: The Nationals are going to have plenty of money to make a splash this winter. They've got $29.15 million committed to seven players - Ryan Zimmerman, Jason Marquis, Livan Hernandez, Yunesky Maya, Ivan Rodriguez, Stephen Strasburg
Let's say the Nationals aren't able to sign Cliff Lee this winter. That seems a likely possibility, considering the number of other teams involved in the bidding for the free agent left-hander and the price it would take to land him. That, then, would shift the Nationals' quest for a No. 1 starter to a couple of lesser lights on the free agent market, or
I'm back at the home office this morning after a fantastic vacation on the West Coast -- though I'm guessing you probably didn't miss me too much because of the great work Pete Kerzel did in my absence. Thanks, Pete, for filling in so well and allowing me to take a stress-free break. It was a busy week for the Nationals, what with new uniforms,
That warmth emanating from the hot stove delayed the semi-regular check of Nationals' prospects' exploits in the Arizona Fall League, so let's spend a few minutes seeing how the Scottsdale Scorpions are faring against the rest of the AFL. Last night, the Scorpions topped the Phoenix Devil Dogs, 5-1. Nats farmhand Steve Lombardozzi led off, played second base and went 1-for-4 with an RBI single
Ryan Zimmerman won't suffer through the awards season without any hardware at all. The Nationals' third baseman was named the winner of a Silver Slugger on Thursday. The award, presented by Louisville Slugger, is given to the best offensive player at each position in each league, and Zimmerman's career-best .307 average with 25 homers and 85 RBIs were judged by Major League Baseball's managers and
The Nationals have secured outright waivers on right-hander Joe Bisenius, who has elected to become a free agent. The 28-year-old Bisenius posted a 9.64 ERA in five outings with the Nationals in 2010, his first major league action since a cup of coffee with Philadelphia in 2007. He struck out five and walked six in 4 2/3 innings. However, at three minor league levels of
Utility man Pete Orr, who spent all of last season with the Nationals' Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, has signed with Philadelphia as a free agent. The 31-year-old Orr played parts 2008 and 2009 with Washington, hitting .253 with a homer and 17 RBIs in 76 games. He's shown versatility in 555 major league games with Atlanta and the Nationals, playing second base, third base, shortstop, right
The Nationals have made acquiring a front-line starting pitcher a priority this offseason. By virtue of that goal, they will be linked to any decent starter who is on the free agent market or available by trade. And while the Nats have an interest in the top free agent pitcher available, lefty Cliff Lee - and, according to general manager Mike Rizzo, have already made
Ryan Zimmerman had an emphatic message for Mike Rizzo as the Nationals' general manager begins to navigate free agency in an attempt to improve his club this offseason: Re-sign Adam Dunn. Speaking after the Nationals unveiled their new uniforms during an invitation-only event at the Stars and Stripes Club at Nationals Park on Wednesday night, Zimmerman said that any defensive shortcomings Dunn may possess are
Ryan Zimmerman won't be adding a second Rawlings Gold Glove to his collection after all. The National League Gold Glove winners were just announced and Cincinnati's Scott Rolen took the honors at third base. It's the eighth Gold Glove for Rolen, his first since 2006. The Reds, whose .988 fielding percentage led the majors, won three of the National League's nine positional awards. Zimmerman took
The Potomac Nationals, the Advanced Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals who play in the Carolina League out of Woodbridge, Va., have named Josh Olerud as their new general manager. Olerud joins the P-Nats from the Rockford RiverHawks of the independent Northern League, where he was general manager and vice president of sales for two years. During his tenure, the RiverHawks saw significant growth in
Today is the start of a potentially award-laden 48 or so hours for Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. The Rawlings Gold Glove winners for the National League are scheduled to be announced this afternoon at 3:30 p.m., and Zimmerman is in the running to collect the prized hardware for a second consecutive season. This evening, he's one of the models who will help the Nats
On the eve of the National League Gold Glove winners announcement and the Nationals' new uniform unveiling, here's a look at how some Nats players with big league experience - and one hot-hitting minor leaguer - are faring in winter league competition. Roger Bernadina: Playing for Navegantes del Magallanes in Venezuela, Bernadina is hitting .267 (4-for-15) with a double and one RBI through five games.
Former major leaguer Brian Daubach announced this morning on an WEEI Radio interview in Boston that he has been named the manager of the Nationals' Low Single-A affiliate, the Hagerstown Suns of the South Atlantic League. The 38-year-old Daubach hit .259 with 93 homers and 333 RBIs in an eight-year major league career that included stints with Florida, Boston, the Chicago White Sox and New
Nationals manager Jim Riggleman used the occasion of his college homecoming over the weekend to stump for a minor league baseball team in Cumberland, Md., the Allegany County seat that was once a key transportation and industrial hub in western Maryland. According to The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pa., (and thanks to the eagle eye of Nationals Buzz correspondent Kristen Hudak), Riggleman visited Frostburg State University
Twenty-eight of the 50 prospects selected last November to participate in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Showcase appeared in the major leagues in 2010. Nationals farmhands Michael Burgess and Cole Kimball, who represented the organization in this year's game, played in Surprise, Ariz., on Saturday night, hope history repeats itself. Burgess, a 22-year-old right fielder who played for Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg in
The midnight deadline passed without the Nationals coming to terms with any of their remaining free agents. As a result, as of 12:01 a.m., first baseman Adam Dunn, right-hander Miguel Batista and outfielders Willie Harris and Kevin Mench are free to negotiate and sign with any major league club. Neither Dunn nor general manager Mike Rizzo responded to messages left Saturday asking whether any headway
The clock is ticking on the Nationals, who can negotiate exclusively with their four pending free agents - first baseman Adam Dunn, right-hander Miguel Batista and outfielders Willie Harris and Kevin Mench - until midnight tonight. After that, all four are free to work out a deal with any major league club. Of course, Dunn remains the most pressing issue on general manager Mike Rizzo's
The Nationals on Saturday secured outright waivers on left-handers Scott Olsen and Jesse English. Olsen has elected to become a free agent, while English was outrighted to Triple-A Sryacuse but will become a free agent at 5 p.m. today. The 26-year-old Olsen was acquired in a trade with Florida on Nov. 10, 2008, granted free agency last Dec. 12 and re-signed by the Nationals the
Does a .247 average and five RBIs in 119 at-bats warrant a raise? In the case of Nationals utility infielder Alberto Gonzalez, the answer may well be yes. The 27-year-old Gonzalez was among 20 players deemed to have achieved "Super Two" status, effectively giving him an extra year of arbitration. Gonzalez's two years, 135 days of major league service easily beat the new cutoff of
The Nationals have released right-handed reliever Tyler Walker, according to the team's official Twitter feed. Signed as a free agent Jan. 25, Walker didn't pitch after June 19, a shoulder injury leading to season-ending surgery for a torn labrum. The 34-year-old was 1-0 with a 3.57 ERA in 24 games. He struck out 30 in 35 innings. There's a chance Walker could be ready to
When the Nationals made headlines for tempting Mark Teixeira with a seven-year, $160 million contract in December 2008, the offer was a surprise on a number of fronts. Nationals ownership had a reputation for being - what's a nice way to say this? - a tad frugal, and despite the fact that then-free agent Teixeira grew up about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the
I will be out of the office - and by the office, I mean my couch - for the next nine days on vacation. I'm heading to the West Coast with my wife, going to Napa Valley for a few days before meeting a couple of our best friends in Las Vegas. Don't get too excited about the latter part of that trip; we're probably
As expected, the Nationals declined their 2011 option on second baseman Adam Kennedy this afternoon. Kennedy is a free agent, and the Nationals will buy him out for $500,000, rather than paying the 34-year-old $2 million for next season. The Nationals signed Kennedy last winter, hoping to make him the starting second baseman for 2010. But that plan got cluttered somewhat when Ian Desmond won
A few of you were asking about the health of Jesus Flores earlier in the week, and whether he'd be playing winter ball to continue his rehab from shoulder surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2010 season. Well, Flores has turned up in Venezuela. He was added to the roster of the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League on Monday, and
I caught up with Nationals manager Jim Riggleman a few minutes ago to discuss the hiring of Bo Porter as the Nationals' new third base coach. Riggleman had Porter as a player for part of the 1999 season when he was managing the Cubs, and said he reconnected with Porter when he was working in the Cardinals' organization. The Cardinals share a spring training complex
The Nationals announced this afternoon they have hired former Diamondbacks and Marlins third base coach Bo Porter to be their third base coach for the 2011 season. Porter replaces Pat Listach, who left the Nationals this week to become the Cubs' bench coach. Porter, 38, played six seasons in the Cubs' system and played for Nationals manager Jim Riggleman in 1999 when Riggleman managed the
Elijah Dukes, the former Nationals outfielder who was released by the team in March, is in a Hillsborough County jail in Tampa, Fla., for allegedly failing to pay child support to two women, according to a Tampa Tribune report. Dukes was arrested on Monday in contempt of court; according to the report, and bail has not been set. He was nearly arrested for the same
The Nationals will be represented in the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game by two players - outfielder Michael Burgess and right-handed pitcher Cole Kimball. The elite prospect league announced teams for this Saturday's game, which takes place at 9:06 p.m. Eastern time at Surprise Stadium. Since each major league team had to have at least one player in the game, I'm guessing there was
The Nationals released their full 2011 spring training schedule this afternoon, unveiling a 30-game slate with 15 home games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. It's a slightly shorter schedule than we've seen the Nationals play in the past, bookended by games against the New York Mets on Feb. 28 and March 29. As of right now, there is no exhibition scheduled at Nationals
At midnight this morning, shortly after the San Francisco Giants poured champagne on themselves in celebration of their first world championship since 1954, the new baseball year began. The first day after the World Series marks a kind of turning of the calendar in the baseball world, and for all intents and purposes, we're officially underway with the 2011 season. Players were able to file
It was a pretty quiet day for Nationals prospects on Monday, as the Scottsdale Scorpions lost a 7-4 game to the Peoria Javelinas. Only three players played, and of those three, Derek Norris was the only one who registered a hit. Norris drove in two runs with a double to left in the fourth inning, and finished the day 1-for-4. Michael Burgess and Stephen Lombardozzi,
Nationals third base coach Pat Listach, who came to the team two seasons ago after managing the Cubs' Triple-A team, is headed back to the organization that gave him his start in managing. According to an industry source, Listach is leaving the Nationals to become Chicago's new bench coach under manager Mike Quade, his close friend from the Cubs organization. The source also said the
From 2005-07, the San Francisco Giants won 222 games, languishing out of contention in the NL West after losing the World Series in 2002 and accompanying their franchise player, Barry Bonds, on a joyless march toward Hank Aaron's all-time home run record. Bonds broke that record on Aug. 7, 2007, against the Washington Nationals, who were the Giants' cousins in mediocrity at that point. The
