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The Nationals were in the running yesterday to add another pitcher to their already-crowded race for a rotation spot, but this morning, they're still heading to spring training with what they had. They missed out on a chance to sign former Athletics pitcher Justin Duchscherer when he signed with the Orioles late last night. Duchscherer's choice reportedly came down to the Nationals and Orioles, and
When the Nationals brought their first phenom to spring training last year - Stephen Strasburg - they shielded him from the media in large part to get the 21-year-old accustomed to all the attention he'd be facing. Strasburg saw it as unwarranted, and responded coolly to it while he tore through the majors in his first season. The Nationals will have another phenom coming to
Good morning, NatsTown. The beautiful thing about the length of the offseason is it allows room for newsier days (like yesterday) and lighter fare, like we'll have this morning. (And no, this isn't me saying I have nothing to write about. In fact, opportunist that I am, I'm taking this occasion of news sparsity to peer back into the past.) Anyway, just out of curiosity,
Former Nationals second baseman Adam Kennedy, who recently signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners, was arrested last night in California for driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. The news was first reported by TMZ.com, and later confirmed by the Seattle Times, which I've linked to here. Before we get any further, a point Mariners beat writer Larry Stone makes
With Major League Baseball approving Todd Coffey's contract with the Nationals today, the team needed to clear another spot on its 40-man roster. And so, Justin Maxwell's luckless run with Washington could be coming to an end. Maxwell was designated for assignment today, coming off the 40-man roster before a season where it already looked unlikely he would be able to stick in the majors.
MLB.com released its annual list of the top 50 prospects in baseball on Tuesday, and there was only one Nationals player on the list: Bryce Harper. It came as no shock the 18-year-old was ranked as one of the top prospects in baseball, and he took the No. 3 ranking on the list, behind the Angels' Mike Trout and the Rays' Jeremy Hellickson. Now, you'll
If there was one issue that short-circuited the Nationals' offense in 2010 - and threatens to bite them again in 2011 - it's the inability of their top two hitters to get on base. Their leadoff hitters posted a .300 OBP in 2010, while their No. 2 hitters weren't much better at .326. We talked about this a little bit last week with Nyjer Morgan,
Good morning, NatsTown - I know a few of you have been asking about a list of non-roster invitees to major league spring training. This certainly isn't the full list, but there are a few available names of minor leaguers headed to camp: PITCHERS (4) Joe Bisenius Chad Gaudin Ryan Mattheus Tim Wood INFIELDERS (2) Michael Aubrey Brian Bixler OUTFIELDERS (3) Jeff Frazier Matt Stairs
The Nationals designated Shairon Martis for assignment today, taking the right-hander off their 40-man roster two years after he pitched his way onto the Opening Day roster with an impressive spring. The move clears room on the 40-man for Jerry Hairston Jr., whose contract became official today. Martis won five games early in 2009, but was sent to the minors in June of that season
I went up to the Harrisburg Hot Stove Dinner on Saturday night, where a number of Nationals front office executives had stopped by to help garner support for the 2011 season. My main reason for heading to Harrisburg, though, was to spend a few minutes talking to new Senators manager Tony Beasley, who is back in the organization after four seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Happy Sunday, NatsTown - hope you're staying warm. Spring training is only three weeks away, though I suppose that doesn't help you in a practical sense. I wanted to post something quick before 3 p.m., at which point I will turn into a foaming, stark raving mad mess for the rest of the afternoon. I drove up to Harrisburg last night for the Double-A Senators'
ESPN's Buster Olney had an interesting note this morning about 10 players who are hitting a career crossroads this season. And oddly enough, Ian Desmond was one of the players on his list. I'm not going to copy the whole thing - the keener observers around here know how I feel about lifting stuff from behind a paywall, and ESPN Insider is well worth $4.95
We're well into the throes of spring training planning around here - I've spent the better part of the week looking into flights, cars, hotels and the like - and pretty soon, pitchers and catchers will be reporting in Viera. In that spirit, I wanted to post this a couple weeks ahead of time to get some discussion going about what you'd like to see
At this point in the winter, the Nationals have (presumptively) filled most of the needs on their shopping list. They traded for a pitcher in Tom Gorzelanny - though he's certainly not the ace they were hoping to get at the beginning of the offseason - and they've added possible bench contributors in Rick Ankiel, Jerry Hairston Jr., Matt Stairs and Alex Cora. They've fortified
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo held a conference call with reporters this afternoon to discuss the team's trade with the Cubs for Tom Gorzelanny and the signing of Jerry Hairston Jr. Here are the highlights: -- Gorzelanny is not a lock for the rotation, but Rizzo doesn't see him as a bullpen guy, at least not at this point. He'll compete for a spot in
According to multiple published reports, the Nationals have signed veteran utility man Jerry Hairston Jr., who will get $2 million for 2011, along with incentives that could push the total value of his contract to $3 million. The 34-year-old Hairston, who hit .244 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs for the Padres last season, gives the Nationals a versatile presence who can play all
The Nationals added another piece to their bullpen today, finalizing a deal with former Brewers reliever Todd Coffey, according to an industry source. The deal is pending a physical and isn't official yet, but it should give the team another hard-throwing veteran who can pitch in the late innings. Coffey went 2-4 with a 4.76 ERA with the Brewers last season, battling a thumb injury
There have been hundreds of hours spent - and millions of words transmitted across the World Wide Web - this winter about the Nationals' primary needs: a No.1 starter, a first baseman to replace Adam Dunn and a marquee free agent to let the rest of the game know the team was ready to spend money. And though there are plenty of differing opinions on
The Nationals agreed to contracts with reliever Doug Slaten and outfielder Michael Morse today, the team announced. The deal means the Nationals will avoid salary arbitration with both players. According to The Associated Press, Slaten will earn $695,000 and can get another $17,500 in performance bonuses - $5,000 for 60 games and $12,500 for 70 games. Morse gets $1.05 million with the opportunity for $300,00
The Nationals' trade for Tom Gorzelanny yesterday certainly doesn't bring them the No. 1 starter they've been seeking all offseason. What it does is drop another entrant in what's already a crowded race for one or two rotation spots. There's no guarantee Gorzelanny will be in the rotation, though his left-handedness and his relative health (compared to some of the Nationals' other candidates) gives him
The Nationals agreed to a contract with left-hander John Lannan for the 2011 season on Monday, avoiding arbitration with the pitcher, who's headed into his fourth big-league season. Lannan's deal, according to an industry source, is worth $2.75 million. Lannan, 26, has been the Nationals' Opening Day starter each of the last two seasons. He struggled early last year, getting optioned to Double-A Harrisburg in
The Nationals, who have been searching for a pitcher all winter, finally got one Monday. And while he isn't the No. 1 starter the team has been trying to acquire, the Nationals are hoping he can give a minor boost to the rotation. The team sent three prospects to the Chicago Cubs for left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, industry sources confirmed Monday. It was not immediately known
The Nationals have signed Alex Cora to a minor league deal, an industry source has confirmed. The news was first reported by Peter Gammons of MLB Network. Adding Cora could give the Nationals the backup infielder they were searching for after parting ways with Willie Harris following last season. The team was looking for another option that could play second base in case Danny Espinosa
When the Nationals signed Chien-Ming Wang 11 months ago, Washington had just finished getting battered with more snow than it had since before it was the nation's capital. And the thinking behind the incentive-laden deal the Nationals gave the pitcher was this: If he came back from shoulder surgery sometime in 2010, he could pair with Stephen Strasburg to give the team's rotation a mid-season
For the second time this offseason, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo sat on a dais to talk about a significant contract he'd given to a free agent. And for the second time this offseason, he fielded a handful of questions from reporters about the starting pitcher he hasn't been able to get. The market for starting pitchers is quickly dwindling, with the Nationals having lost
The Nationals introduced first baseman Adam LaRoche to the local media today, showing off their replacement for Adam Dunn and going to great lengths to stress the point that LaRoche will help their defense. In his introduction, Nationals senior media relations director John Dever said the signing was "consistent with the organizational two-way philosophy," and both general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Jim Riggleman praised
Cross another name off the Nationals' possible list of starting pitchers - and feel free to ask how many names are left on that list. Former Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis, in whom the Nationals had expressed some interest, has agreed to terms with the Royals, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported this morning. Francis, who is coming off a shoulder injury that caused him to miss all
Frank Robinson, who became a Hall of Famer with the Reds and Orioles and was the first manager in Nationals history, was hospitalized this morning with an irregular heartbeat. Robinson, 75, was attending Major League Baseball's owners meetings in Scottsdale, Ariz., when he began feeling dizzy. He was transported to a local hospital, and MLB spokesman Pat Courtney told reporters that Robinson indicated he felt
Since it's the middle of winter - and since some of you are probably making spring training travel plans, while others are looking out the window and wishing for spring, in the words of Rogers Hornsby - I thought I'd pitch in and put together a little travel guide to Nationals spring training in Viera, Fla. You'll spend a lot of time in a rental
New Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche will be introduced in a Friday press conference at Nationals Park, and MASN will air the event live, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The Nationals signed LaRoche to a two-year deal worth $16 million last week. The 31-year-old LaRoche hit .261 with 25 homers and a career-high 100 RBIs for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season and carries a reputation as
Good afternoon. I managed to let the Tuesday Talker List (our fledgling offseason tradition) slip from my mind yesterday, so I'm making up for it with a Wednesday edition. It doesn't bode well for fledgling traditions when the creator of them can't keep them. Anyway, it might be a good thing for fodder's sake that we waited a day, because yesterday, the Washington Post pulled
Good morning, NatsTown. My locally sensitive leanings are telling me I should say I hope you're all surviving in the snow, even though my Minnesota upbringing is telling me to laugh hysterically at all of you for treating an inch of snow like it's a big deal, especially when you should be battle-hardened from last year's multiple Snowpocalypses. But I digress... A couple notes for
One of the joys of covering the Nationals for the past several years has been regular interaction with Stan Kasten, the team's president. Kasten was omnipresent, never hiding in an office where the media couldn't find him. He was visible in good times and bad. He was never at a loss for words, often holding court for reporters and relishing the opportunity. More than most
The Nationals' list of needs, at this point in the offseason, is relatively short and well-defined. They'd love to get a starter, but only at the right price, and an established reliever would give their pitching staff another boost. From a position player standpoint, they really only need one more piece: a utility player who can spell Danny Espinosa at second base and possibly help
A happy Monday morning to you in NatsTown - things are well here this morning, after the Packers' 21-16 win over the Eagles in the first round of the NFC playoffs. To see the Packers exorcise two of their biggest playoff demons - Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles - in one day was pretty unexpected from my point of view, and with both the
Now that we know the Nationals aren't getting Matt Garza (he's officially headed to the Cubs) and are likely out of the running for a starter (unless they sign someone like Jeff Francis), it looks increasingly likely they will have a smaller payroll than last year. They have 14 players signed for 2011, at a total cost of $51.5 million. At least two of those
We talked this morning about how almost all of the Nationals' offseason moves have been made with the chief aim of improving their defense, and from a sabermetric standpoint, that looks to have worked. Taking the changes in the Nationals' lineup for 2011, and assuming each player performs the way he did in 2010, the team should save about 18 runs next year. But there's
If the Nationals field the Opening Day lineup on March 31 that most would expect on January 7 -- Ivan Rodriguez, Adam LaRoche, Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Roger Bernadina, Nyjer Morgan and Jayson Werth -- it's questionable they'll be any better offensively than they were last year. What should be fairly clear, though, is that they'll be better defensively. The main focus of
Heading into the 2011 season, the Nationals' bullpen might be the strongest component of the team, but they apparently aren't done upgrading it yet. Team and industry sources said Washington is still in pursuit of another reliever who can pitch in the late innings and close if young arms like Drew Storen or Henry Rodriguez can't get the job done. The Nationals have a surplus
The Nationals are not actively pursuing Carl Pavano, the top starting pitcher left on the free agent market, according to multiple team sources. General manager Mike Rizzo spoke with Pavano's agent, Tom O'Connell, about the pitcher last month, but sources said the Nationals are not seriously discussing the pitcher internally. The 35-year-old Pavano is seeking a three-year deal, and the Nationals are not willing to
The Baseball Writers' Association of America released the results of the 2010 Hall of Fame voting this afternoon, with pitcher Bert Blyleven finally getting the call from Cooperstown in his 14th year on the ballot. Roberto Alomar was also voted into the Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility. There were seven players on the ballot with connections to the Nationals/Expos franchise. A
Now that the Nationals have Adam LaRoche in the fold, they've bought themselves another two years of relative certainty at first base. Since they came to Washington, the Nationals haven't been able to find any reliability at the position in anything more than two-year chunks. They had Nick Johnson mostly healthy in 2005 and 2006, but turned to Dmitri Young in 2007 and pieced the
Now that the Nationals have their first baseman, having agreed to a two-year, $15 million deal with Adam LaRoche, we can start making some reasonable projections about how the team's 2011 lineup will look. If the season started tomorrow, here's my guess at the team manager Jim Riggleman would field: CF Nyjer Morgan SS Ian Desmond 3B Ryan Zimmerman RF Jayson Werth 1B Adam LaRoche
The Nationals have agreed to a two-year deal with first baseman Adam LaRoche, two industry sources confirmed. I haven't confirmed the terms yet, but one industry source said the deal is in the neighborhood of $16 million. UPDATE AT 10:30 P.M.: The deal is actually worth $15 million, and as the Washington Post first reported, there's a $10 million option for 2013 with a $1
The Nationals remain in the race for pitcher Carl Pavano, the top free agent starter left on the market, but the right-hander is still entertaining interest from a handful of teams, according to a source with knowledge of the process. The Twins, who the 35-year-old has pitched for the last two years, have strong interest in Pavano. But the source said there are still more
Earlier this offseason, we'd been kicking around a variety of baseball topics in this little space called the Tuesday Talker List, where I ask for your opinions on a baseball topic and chime in with my own later in the day. The demands of hot stove developments and the holidays have pulled us away from that, but for the first Tuesday in a new year,
A good Monday morning to all of you lovely readers - it was certainly a good Sunday afternoon for me, with the Packers beating the Bears to edge their way into the NFC playoffs. They play in Philly next Sunday at 3:30 p.m. I'm not thinking about going up there for the game - that much - but has anybody been to Lincoln Financial Field?
A happy new year to all of you in NatsTown. Hope you enjoyed the final hours of 2010, and that 2011 is getting off to a good start for all of you. And, in the spirit of beginning the year on a good note, I thought I'd put together a little blog post that is bound to make many of you angry: The lyrics to
