Mark Zuckerman

Rule 5 draft success stories are few and far between (updated)

December 09, 2020, 7:31pm

The first virtual Rule 5 draft is set to be held today at noon Eastern, and who isn't excited about that? Well, hardly anyone's excited about it. Unless you work for a major league club's player development unit, are a rabid follower of third-tier minor league prospects or are one of the players whose livelihood is actually at stake today, you really have no good reason to pay more than glancing attention at this event. This is especially true for the Nationals, who essentially have been...

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Juan Soto honored as All-MLB first-team outfielder

December 09, 2020, 3:44pm

Nationals

Juan Soto honored as All-MLB first-team outfielder

Had there been a 2020 All-Star Game, Juan Soto and Trea Turner almost certainly would've found their way to Dodger Stadium to join the rest of baseball's best for a couple of days. But with no Midsummer Classic during a 60-game season that didn't even begin until late July, Soto and Turner are left to be honored in a different fashion for their standout performances this season: Soto was named tonight as a 2020 All-MLB first-team outfielder, while Turner was recognized as one of three...

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What should Nats prioritize in search for new corner outfielder?

December 08, 2020, 6:19pm

Nationals

What should Nats prioritize in search for new corner outfielder?

We've talked for weeks about the Nationals' need for a new corner outfielder, and that need officially became official Tuesday when Adam Eaton (surprisingly?) returned to the White Sox four years after they traded him to Washington in one of the most significant trades in club history. The Nats, of course, could've retained Eaton had they picked up his $10.5 million option for 2021. They chose not to, and that decision revealed the following about them: 1) They didn't believe the...

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Eaton reportedly returning to White Sox on one-year deal

December 08, 2020, 7:59am

Nationals

Eaton reportedly returning to White Sox on one-year deal

Adam Eaton's tenure with the Nationals officially ended today when the free agent outfielder decided to return to the organization that sent him to D.C. in a blockbuster four years ago. Eaton has signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the White Sox that also includes an $8.5 million club option for 2022, according to NBC Sports Chicago. The deal is pending a physical. It's a somewhat surprising return to the South Side for Eaton, who spent the 2014-16 seasons with the White Sox before...

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On the importance of rotation depth

December 07, 2020, 7:46pm

Nationals

The Nationals' acquisition Monday of Rogelio Armenteros didn't generate much buzz, nor should it have. A 26-year-old right-hander with five games of big league experience claimed off waivers? That's not exactly blockbuster material. But the move did offer up a reminder of an important but oft-overlooked area of concern for the Nationals and all clubs: rotation depth. Armenteros isn't going to make the Nats rotation out of spring training. If he somehow does, a bunch of things have gone...

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Nats claim righty Armenteros, adding starter with options

December 07, 2020, 10:33am

Nationals

Nats claim righty Armenteros, adding starter with options

Seeking more rotation depth, especially those with minor league options, the Nationals have claimed right-hander Rogelio Armenteros off waivers from the Diamondbacks. Armenteros, 26, has only five games of major league experience (with the Astros in 2019) but has been a starter with potential throughout his professional career. He missed the 2020 season while recovering from surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow. The Diamondbacks had only claimed Armenteros two weeks ago after Houston...

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Lack of Winter Meetings reminds us things aren't normal yet

December 06, 2020, 8:52pm

Nationals

Lack of Winter Meetings reminds us things aren't normal yet

The baseball world should be gathering this morning in Dallas for the Winter Meetings. Thousands of club executives, managers, agents, minor league front office staffers, equipment manufacturers, job seekers and media members should be spending the next four days participating in what essentially amounts to an annual convention for professional baseball. Except it's not happening. There are no Winter Meetings in 2020. The coronavirus has claimed another victim, and while this one obviously...

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Choice to quickly re-sign with Nats was easy for Harrison

December 04, 2020, 6:56pm

Nationals

Choice to quickly re-sign with Nats was easy for Harrison

Josh Harrison had dealt with the downside of free agency, twice. After waiting by his phone the entire winter of 2018-19, the veteran utility man finally got an offer from the Tigers after players had already reported to Lakeland, Fla., for spring training. Then, following an injury-plagued season in Detroit, he was left with little choice but to accept a minor league offer from the Phillies with an invitation to big league camp last winter. Given that frustrating backstory, Harrison departed...

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Ross doesn't regret opt-out decision, ready to return in 2021

December 04, 2020, 11:17am

Nationals

Ross doesn't regret opt-out decision, ready to return in 2021

As March turned to April, then May, then June and finally July, Joe Ross anxiously watched Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association negotiate a plan for the sport to play the 2020 season under unprecedented circumstances. Ross, like so many of his fellow players, acknowledged there were financial issues that needed to be sorted out before the season could commence. But he was more concerned with the lack of time and attention that seemed to be being spent on figuring out the...

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New additions won't matter if returning Nats don't improve

December 03, 2020, 6:43pm

Nationals

New additions won't matter if returning Nats don't improve

What do the Nationals need in order to become a contender again in 2021? At this point, surely you can rattle off the list of needs. A power bat to join Juan Soto and Trea Turner in the heart of the lineup. A No. 4 starter to replace AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez. A catcher. A left-handed reliever. Those are the obvious needs, and they all need to come from outside the organization. But there's an equally important need that we tend not to talk about as much: The Nats need several players already on...

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Some non-tendered outfielders who might interest Nats

December 02, 2020, 6:19pm

Nationals

Some non-tendered outfielders who might interest Nats

As expected, the Nationals tendered their only two remaining arbitration-eligible players (Juan Soto and Trea Turner) before Wednesday's 8 p.m. deadline. And as expected, a whole bunch of notable names were non-tendered by other clubs and became instant free agents. All told, 59 players were non-tendered, joining an already large list of free agents looking for work during what's expected to be a rough winter for everyone. And though the new additions to the list don't include star-level...

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Nationals tender 2021 contracts to Soto, Turner

December 02, 2020, 3:24pm

Nationals

The Nationals tonight tendered contracts to Juan Soto and Trea Turner, their only remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible players, in a couple of entirely expected-but-required transactions. All Major League Baseball clubs had until 8 p.m. Eastern time to either offer 2021 contracts to their players who are eligible for arbitration this winter (generally those with more than three but fewer than six years of big league service time) or non-tender them and let them become free agents. There was...

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With easy tender decisions, Nats will be watching other clubs

December 01, 2020, 6:11pm

Nationals

With easy tender decisions, Nats will be watching other clubs

The Nationals typically go into baseball's non-tender deadline day with some decisions to make. One year ago, they chose not to offer a contract to Javy Guerra (who later re-signed on a minor league deal), were prepared to do the same with Koda Glover before the oft-injured reliever instead announced his retirement, and after some internal discussion chose to retain Roenis ElÃas, Hunter Strickland and Michael A. Taylor. (None of those three players, it should be noted, remain in the...

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Ross agrees to $1.5 million salary, avoiding arbitration

December 01, 2020, 11:29am

Nationals

Ross agrees to $1.5 million salary, avoiding arbitration

Joe Ross and the Nationals agreed to terms today on a one-year, $1.5 million contract, avoiding arbitration, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. With one day remaining before clubs are required to tender contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players, the Nats managed to work out a deal with Ross that establishes his 2021 salary right now, though it was a fairly straightforward process. The right-hander's contract is for the same amount he was due to earn in 2020 before he...

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Stats don't tell story of Nats fans' adoration for Taylor

November 30, 2020, 6:52pm

Nationals

Stats don't tell story of Nats fans' adoration for Taylor

The day will come, perhaps in 10 years or 20 years or even more, when someone will mention Michael A. Taylor's name fondly and someone else will look up the outfielder's stats during his time with the Nationals and ask an understandable question. Why was this part-time player with the .237 average, .291 on-base percentage and more than 10 times as many strikeouts as home runs so popular among Nationals fans? Taylor's career stats, of course, don't really tell his story. Not in adequate...

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Taylor signs with Royals, officially ending 11-year run with Nats

November 30, 2020, 9:50am

Nationals

Taylor signs with Royals, officially ending 11-year run with Nats

Michael A. Taylor's 11-year tenure with the Nationals officially ended today when the enigmatic outfielder signed a one-year deal with the Royals, hoping a fresh start with a new organization will reinvigorate his career. Taylor had been on the open market since Oct. 15, after the Nationals attempted to outright him to Triple-A and he declined the assignment and elected free agency. Though the club was allowed to re-sign him, it seemed clear from the outset the two sides were ready to part...

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Monday morning Nats Q&A

November 29, 2020, 6:47pm

Nationals

Hope everyone had a nice, safe Thanksgiving weekend. As you'd expect, there was no significant news about the Nationals, who like most teams have been awfully quiet so far this offseason. Perhaps that begins to change this week, as November turns to December and pressure builds to address the roster. In the meantime, let's take some time this morning to answer your questions about the team, the offseason to date and the offseason still to come. There's a whole lot that needs to be...

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What item should top Nats' offseason wish list?

November 27, 2020, 8:35pm

Nationals

What item should top Nats' offseason wish list?

Thanksgiving weekend, of course, marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, though obviously this year is a little bit different from the norm. Black Friday did take place, but it wasn't nearly the spectacle it usually is, and for good reason. Baseball's shopping season also is different this year. We've already seen how slow the market has been to develop, and it's probably going to remain that way for a while, at least until clubs know what exactly the 2021 season is going...

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Even in 2020, much to be thankful for today

November 25, 2020, 6:58pm

Nationals

Even in 2020, much to be thankful for today

This traditionally is a day to take a step back and appreciate what we have in our lives, big and small, and give thanks for it. But this year? What are we supposed to be thankful for in November 2020? Actually, there's a lot. Though this certainly has been among the most trying years any of has ever experienced, there have been some silver linings. Block out the big ugly things, if you can, and think about the little things we were treated to this year. We got to watch a baseball season. No,...

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Nationals' options for rotation help starting to shrink

November 24, 2020, 7:36pm

Nationals

This has been, unfortunately as expected, an awfully slow start to free agency across baseball. Teams so far have been reluctant to spend anything resembling significant money, perhaps because they want to wait and see what the 2021 season is going to look like before committing, perhaps because they already intended to make players wait as long as possible in the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement. There has, however, been just a tiny bit of movement the last couple...