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The Baseball Writers' Association of America has announced the 2012 Hall of Fame ballot, and an original National is among 13 candidates in their first year of eligibility. Vinny Castilla, the third baseman on the club in 2005, makes his first appearance on the ballot, which includes two former American League batting champions, two former league RBI leaders and a former Rookie of the Year.
Major League Baseball has released details about its first competitive balance lottery, which will award extra draft picks to small-market teams beginning in 2013. Not surprisingly, the Nationals are not one of the 13 teams that will be eligible for the first lottery. MLB will choose teams for the new lottery based on their market size and revenue, not based on their payroll. It's not
Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa, who finished sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year race, was named to the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star team on Wednesday morning. Espinosa hit 21 homers in 158 games for the Nationals during the 2011 season. The second baseman finished behind teammate Wilson Ramos in the Rookie of the Year balloting after slumping badly in the second
The Nationals' picture at first base next season got a little more uncertain this week, with the news that Chris Marrero had surgery to repair a torn hamstring and will miss the start of the 2012 season. When paired with the fact that Adam LaRoche is coming off shoulder surgery, Marrero's surgery is certainly an unnerving development at a position where the Nationals looked like
A week from today, the Nationals will set up shop at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, where they'll be looking to cross two items - a veteran starting pitcher and a leadoff hitter - off their offseason shopping list. But it's as clear as ever this morning that they shouldn't expect their hunt for a pitcher to be easy. The Tigers are reportedly interested in
We're back at work on the blog after a couple days off for Thanksgiving; hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday. We'll be gearing up for the Winter Meetings next week - highlighted by a live video chat with MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr and Pete Kerzel on Tuesday at noon - but for now, we're going to take a quick look at a trend
The Phillies decided not to offer right-hander Roy Oswalt arbitration, effectively reducing the price it would cost the Nationals to sign the veteran starter. And though left-hander Mark Buehrle is also high on the team's list of targets this winter, the development could make Oswalt a more attractive alternative. Had the Phillies decided to offer Oswalt arbitration, it would have cost the Nationals a first-round
Among the handful of other sweeping changes in Major League Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement - like a second wild card spot and blood testing for HGH - was one that should be of particular interest to Nationals fans, or at least anyone who has watched the transformation the team has undergone in the June draft the last four years. In 2008, the Nationals drew
Nationals outfielder Michael Morse, who hit .303 and slugged 31 homers during a breakout season, received two votes to finish 19th in the National League Most Valuable Player balloting. The results were announced today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Morse received a seventh-place vote on one ballot and a 10th-place vote on another, finishing just ahead of Mets/Giants outfielder Carlos Beltran. Brewers outfielder
The point was made again yesterday, as Joe Nathan - a 37-year-old closer who used to be one of the game's very best, but hasn't been at the top since 2009 after Tommy John surgery - got a two-year, $14.5 million deal from the Rangers with a $9 million option for 2014: Closers are really expensive. Actually, it's not just closers. Setup men, like the
One of the Nationals' big pursuits of the offseason is the same as one of their big pursuits of the July trade deadline: a center fielder. They, of course, didn't land one in July, backing away from a deal with the Twins for Denard Span when the price got higher than the Nationals liked. Span became more of a target for the Nationals than B.J.
The Nationals added four minor leaguers to their 40-man roster today, protecting a quartet of players who would have otherwise been eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December. As expected, they added catcher Derek Norris and first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore to the 40-man roster, keeping two of their top power-hitting prospects away from other teams, and also added center field prospect Eury Perez and
For as much as the Nationals wanted their fans and a handful of Wilson Ramos' teammates to see him healthy, as much as they needed to put him through a physical examination after his kidnapping in Venezuela last week, the real benefit of Ramos' trip to Washington came a few hours before that for general manager Mike Rizzo. When news first broke that the catcher
The Nationals announced manager Davey Johnson's coaching staff Thursday, adding last year's manager at Triple-A, Randy Knorr, as the new bench coach. Knorr replaces Pat Corrales, who was reassigned to another position in the organization last month As expected, the remainder of the staff that finished the 2011 season with Johnson remained intact. Pitching coach Steve McCatty and hitting coach Rick Eckstein will be in
If you're a devout follower of baseball's wild card system as it's existed since 1994 - and if a 17-year-old system can have devout followers - you should enjoy the 2012 season. Because as the system hits age 18, it's apparently ready to graduate. Major League Baseball's owners voted unanimously today to approve the sale of the Houston Astros from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane.
The Nationals made a pair of moves today that took players off their 40-man roster in advance of Friday's deadline to add players to the roster and protect them from the Rule 5 draft. Right-hander Cole Kimball, who saw a promising first year in the majors cut short because of shoulder surgery, was claimed off waivers by Toronto. And outfielder Corey Brown, who came to
Welcome to another "What If?" Wednesday, where we take a look back at a moment that had a significant effect on the Nationals and how things might have turned out if one event had gone just a little bit differently. Today, we're going to track a ways back, back before the Nationals were even likely to move to Washington, and revisit what might be one
Less than a week after he was abducted in front of his home in Valencia, Venezuela, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos returned to the field Tuesday, working out with the Tigres de Aragua, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League team he was planning to play with this winter. Ramos has said he wants to play winter ball in Venezuela despite the incident, to thank the fans in
We're firmly in the hot stove league season now, and this will be one of the hot-stoviest (to coin a phrase) stories you read on this blog. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo met with Bob Garber - the agent for pitchers Roy Oswalt and C.J. Wilson - at the general managers' meetings in Milwaukee yesterday, according to a report in the Washington Post. The Nationals
Mike Rizzo boarded a plane for Milwaukee this afternoon, as he'd been planning to do for months and as most general managers in baseball were doing this week for the annual GM meetings. It's a routine trip that, as of Friday morning, Rizzo didn't know if he'd be making. At that point, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos' whereabouts were still unknown, and the team's front office
Baseball's postseason awards announcements began today with the National League Rookie of the Year results, and the Nationals wound up with two players in the top six of the race. But their two rookies weren't even among the top three choices in a loaded NL East field. Catcher Wilson Ramos finished fourth in the vote and second baseman Danny Espinosa was sixth in the balloting.
It's a Monday morning in the middle of November, and there is no pins-and-needles wait for news out of Venezuela, no piano wire-tight drama about what might happen to Wilson Ramos. We're just back to regular old hot stove news, and it's refreshing. Anyway, the general manager's meetings begin today in Milwaukee, and the Nationals can return to their offseason pursuits knowing Ramos is safe
Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who returned safely to his family on Friday night after being abducted in Valencia, Venezuela on Wednesday, intends to play for the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League on Wednesday, according to family friend/PR representative Marfa Mata. Mata tweeted this afternoon that Ramos will make his winter ball debut for the Tigres at home against Caracas, where he
Just a quick anecdote this morning from Nationals pitching prospect Ryan Tatusko, who is pitching for the Bravos de Margarita in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League this winter. The Bravos were playing at home against the Cardenales de Lara on Friday night when it was announced over the public address system that Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos had been returned safe from kidnappers. When the news
His dramatic return to his family concluded - after Venezuelan authorities rescued him from his kidnappers at the end of a dramatic gun battle - Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos is still wrapping up his harrowing week before getting things back to normal. A family friend said Ramos has spent the afternoon with the Venezuelan criminal police department (CICPC), debriefing with authorities about yesterday's events and
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo released a statement this morning after speaking with catcher Wilson Ramos, who was rescued from abductors last night in Venezuela: "I am happy to announce that I have spoken directly with Wilson and he assures me he is unharmed but eager to be reunited with his family," Rizzo said. "He asked me to thank all who played a role in
Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who was abducted in front of his home in Valencia, Venezuela, on Wednesday night, has been found safe by Venezuelan authorities, according to reports out of the country. Ramos was kidnapped on Wednesday night, and his disappearance had touched off a tense two days as his family awaited word from Venezuelan police that the 24-year-old would return safely. At Nationals Park
The last time most of the people huddled outside the center field gates at Nationals Park tonight were inside the stadium was Sept. 25, when the place was rocking with the optimism of 37,638 fans who could see better days on the horizon. On a pleasant Sunday afternoon, the Nationals shut out the Atlanta Braves, winning their final home game of the year with Ross
While there have been a number of developments early this afternoon on the kidnapping of Wilson Ramos - some of them hinting at progress in the search to find the Nationals catcher and the men who took him - authorities in Venezuela are still short of their ultimate goal. A report by Ultimas Noticias in Venezuela said that there are more than 300 law enforcement
More than 36 hours after Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped at his home in Valencia, Venezuela, his family has still not heard from the men who took him, according to multiple reports out of the country. The catcher's family spent the night praying for his safe return, encircled by a growing vigil of people outside the 24-year-old's home, according to reports. Marfa Mata, a
Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who was kidnapped at his home in Valencia, Venezuela, last night, was signing an autograph outside his house when he was kidnapped, according to a report in the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal. The report says two trucks passed by his father Abraham, his brother David and his cousin. When his family realized what the men in the trucks were intending to
Of all the players he coached during his year and a half in Washington, Dan Radison had the most unique relationship with Wilson Ramos. The wiry first base coach, born in St. Louis and long past his playing days, was separated by a generation and a continent from the thick 24-year-old catcher. But they shared Venezuela. Radison had spent eight seasons managing in Ramos' home
When former Nationals manager Jim Riggleman was working as a field coordinator in the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system, he took a handful of trips to Venezuela to scout the team's players that were largely without incident. Upon arriving in the national capital of Caracas, Riggleman got the usual warnings - about choosing neighborhoods wisely at night, arranging transportation ahead of time and the
Authorities in Venezuela believe they have found the car used to kidnap Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, according to a report by the Venezuelan TV station Globovision. Tarek El Aissami, the Venezuelan minister of interior and justice, said the vehicle was found abandoned in the town of Bejuma, about an hour away from where Ramos was kidnapped in Valencia, according to the report. Authorities in Venezuela
As of this morning, there have been few new developments out of Venezuela in the kidnapping of Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos. Kathe Vilera, the spokesperson for Ramos' Venezuelan team, the Tigres de Aragua, tweeted this morning that Venezuelan authorities are working on the case, but also tweeted that Ramos' kidnappers still have not contacted his family. Jose Grasso, the president of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball
Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped at his home in Valencia, Venezuela, his winter ball team, the Tigres de Aragua, has confirmed. The news was first reported by Rafael Rojas of the Meridiano newspaper in Venezuela (Spanish language report). The Nationals have not yet issued a statement on the news, but we'll be following it throughout the evening. Check back throughout the night for
Welcome to another "What If" Wednesday, where we take a trip back in time to see how things would have worked out for the Nationals if they had made a different decision way back when. Today, we're going to look at one of the team's biggest decisions early in its time in Washington: the choice not to trade Alfonso Soriano at the 2006 deadline. If
We're a few days into free agency, with still almost a month to go before the Winter Meetings, but the rumor mill is cranking hot and heavy. And the team driving many of the rumors is in the Nationals' division. The Florida Marlins, all set with a new manager (Ozzie Guillen) and about to get a fresh windfall of cash from a new ballpark, look
The contingent of Nationals players - Michael Morse, Collin Balester, Ross Detwiler and Chien-Ming Wang - who went to Taiwan as part of Major League Baseball's 2011 Taiwan All-Star Series have returned home. And by all accounts, they had a memorable experience. Balester just tweeted this video of Taiwanese fans outside the team's bus, with the caption, "This is how many fans were by our
Bryce Harper drove in a run in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game and, Derek Norris and he both managed to get on base with a walk, but neither of the future Nationals did much else in the elite prospect league's all-star game on Saturday. Harper and Norris started for the AFL East team, which lost 11-2 to the AFL West team. Harper drove
The Nationals held a conference call a few minutes ago to officially announce the signing of Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year deal. Here are a few highlights from what general manager Mike Rizzo had to say: * The Nationals discussed an option for 2013 with Wang's camp, but Wang and his agent, Alan Nero, wanted to stay away from the option year so that the
It's been assumed since the end of the season that Chien-Ming Wang would be back in a Nationals uniform in 2012. Now that it's official that he will be, the Nationals' rotation has some shape for next season, and it's clear the battle to get a spot in it will be heated. Here's what we know: Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann are virtual locks to
The Nationals have agreed to terms with Chien-Ming Wang on a one-year deal, pending a physical, according to a team source. The team had been trying to re-sign Wang for next season after he returned from shoulder surgery that had kept him out for two years, going 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA. The deal gives Wang a base salary of $4 million, plus incentives. Last
Longtime scout Ron Rizzi, who has evaluated the Nationals along with the majors' other East Coast teams in his time with the Dodgers, will join the Nationals as a special assistant to general manager Mike Rizzo, according to a baseball source. Rizzi made his mark with the Dodgers signing several players out of Venezuela, including pitchers Ronald Belisario and Carlos Monasterios, who each reached the
Utility player Brian Bixler, who played six positions in 79 games for the Nationals last season and gave them a capable defender off the bench, was claimed off waivers today by the Astros, according to an email from the Nationals. Bixler hit .205 in 83 at-bats, walking seven times and stealing four bases in six attempts. He saw much of his playing time in the
Once again, Bryce Harper has charged out of a slow start against players several years older than he is. He's homered four times and driven in 14 runs in his last five games in the Arizona Fall League, and he is tied for fourth in the league with five homers. With a .970 OPS against some of the best prospects in baseball, Harper once again
The Nationals have until midnight to finish deals with their eight players who are about to become free agents, and since the end of the season, it's been clear that their top priority among those players is right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. By the end of the night, the team could have a deal squared away with him for next year. Wang's agent, Alan Nero, said
Welcome back to another "What If?" Wednesday, where we'll continue to look at a moment in Nationals history that could have had significant ramifications if it had turned out differently. Today, we'll look back to the final weekend of the 2008 season, and what it meant for the 2009 draft. Heading into the final four games of 2008, the Nationals were on track to have
Michael Morse had an RBI double for a team of major leaguers who claimed a rain-shortened 7-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the first game of the 2011 Taiwan All-Star Series on Tuesday night. The game, played at Xinzhuang Stadium in Taipei, will be broadcast on tape delay tonight at 9 p.m. on the MLB Network. The five-game series continues with Games 2 and 3
Based on the seemingly endless string of flashy plays Danny Espinosa made at second base in 2011, Nationals fans were hoping - expecting? - to be tuning into ESPN2 tonight at 10 p.m. to see if Espinosa would be recognized with a Rawlings Gold Glove Award. This programming note, with a hint of disappointment: Other 10 p.m. viewing options include local news on FOX, "Body
