Mark Zuckerman

Why the Nats placed their bet on SÃ¡nchez, not Roark

December 20, 2018, 7:42pm

Place your bets now. Who will have the better season: AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez or Tanner Roark? You know the comparisons are inevitable after the Nationals traded Roark to the Reds last week and then signed SÃ¡nchez Thursday evening to take his place as the club's No. 4 starter. As everyone said at the time, the Roark trade could only be judged after it was known who would occupy the spot he held for the better part of five seasons. This is the bet Mike Rizzo and the Nationals made, that...

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Source: SÃ¡nchez gets two-year deal from Nats, plus 2021 option

December 20, 2018, 1:01pm

Nationals

Source: SÃ¡nchez gets two-year deal from Nats, plus 2021 option

The Nationals, in need of a No. 4 starter since last week's trade of Tanner Roark, have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with veteran right-hander AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez, according to a source familiar with the signing. The deal is pending a physical and also includes a club option for 2021. The Detroit Free Press reported SÃ¡nchez will make $19 million over the two guaranteed seasons (2019-20). A longtime Nationals nemesis during a 13-year career with the Marlins, Tigers and Braves,...

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Thursday morning Nats Q&A

December 19, 2018, 7:07pm

Nationals

The Winter Meetings have come and gone. Tanner Roark is no longer a National. Matt Adams is again a National. Bryce Harper still hasn't decided what he's going to be in 2019 and beyond. There are a few more shopping days until Christmas, so perhaps the Nats could get something done before everyone breaks for the holidays. But more and more it looks like any big news - certainly any news involving Harper - is going to have to wait until January. We, of course, never stop discussing baseball...

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In appreciation of Tanner Roark

December 18, 2018, 7:24pm

Nationals

Because the trade occurred late in the Winter Meetings last week, and because the Nationals have made more news since, Tanner Roark's departure for Cincinnati perhaps hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. Consider this, then, one final acknowledgement of Roark's career in Washington. Because it was significant, it was very good at times and it may not be as easy to replace as some would like to believe. Did Roark have his faults? Sure. Especially over the last two seasons, he...

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Adams jumped at chance to re-sign with "A-class organization"

December 18, 2018, 9:48am

Nationals

Adams jumped at chance to re-sign with "A-class organization"

From the moment he departed Washington for St. Louis (via a late-August waiver claim) Matt Adams made it clear he'd be interested in returning to the Nationals next season. He wasn't just saying it to be nice to his former employer. Adams officially rejoined the Nats today after passing a physical, the last step toward finalizing a one-year, $3 million contract that also includes a $4 million mutual option for 2020 (or a $1 million buyout). And the big slugger explained why he was so...

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Nationals' luxury tax bill is nearly $2.4 million

December 17, 2018, 5:47pm

Nationals

The Nationals' luxury tax bill this season is slightly less than $2.4 million, a not-insignificant amount to pay for exceeding Major League Baseball's pseudo-salary cap, but probably not a steep enough penalty to deter the club from making an offer to Bryce Harper that would catapult it over the threshold again in 2019. The Nationals' final payroll for luxury tax purposes was roughly $205 million, according to a report over the weekend by the Associated Press, $8 million above MLB's 2018...

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Infielder from Murphy trade is player to be named in Gomes deal

December 17, 2018, 7:41am

Nationals

Infielder from Murphy trade is player to be named in Gomes deal

The Nationals completed their trade for Yan Gomes today when they announced minor league infielder Andruw Monasterio as the player to be named in their deal with the Indians. Monasterio, 21, was the prospect the Nationals acquired from the Cubs for Daniel Murphy in August. He wound up playing in only 13 games with the organization, all for Single-A Potomac, hitting .308 with a triple and 5 RBIs. The Nationals already had sent right-hander Jefry Rodriguez and minor league outfielder Daniel...

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Aggressive moves show four NL East teams trying to win now

December 16, 2018, 8:02pm

Nationals

Aggressive moves show four NL East teams trying to win now

The National League East hasn't been decided by fewer than seven games since 2012, and the division race hasn't come down to the season's final weekend since 2008. We have no way of knowing yet how it'll play out in 2019, but this much is safe to say: Right now, four of the division's five clubs are acting like they expect to be in the mix. No division has been more aggressive so far this winter than the NL East, with the Nationals, Phillies, Mets and reigning champion Braves all making...

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Reunion with Adams made too much sense for both sides

December 15, 2018, 7:05pm

Nationals

Reunion with Adams made too much sense for both sides

The trading of a player months before he becomes a free agent often comes with an important caveat: "We can always re-sign him over the winter." Truth is, it rarely happens. Whether it's the bad blood a player feels toward an organization for dealing him away or a genuine lack of interest from the club in bringing said player back, these reunions just don't take place very often. In the case of Matt Adams and the Nationals, though, this always felt like a distinct possibility. For one...

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Adams returning to Nats for 2019, with mutual option for 2020

December 15, 2018, 12:03pm

Nationals

Adams returning to Nats for 2019, with mutual option for 2020

Even after he was traded to the Cardinals as the Nationals' season collapsed in August, Matt Adams spoke glowingly of Washington as an organization and a city and said he'd be interested in returning. Turns out he'll be coming back next season. The Nationals and Adams have agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2020, pending a physical, according to two sources familiar with the signing. The deal, which was first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, guarantees Adams $4...

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Two names possibly coming off second base market

December 14, 2018, 8:34pm

Nationals

Two names possibly coming off second base market

Mike Rizzo's public stance on the Nationals' need to acquire a second baseman has been adjusted several times over the last two weeks. The general manager initially insisted this wasn't a priority and that he was comfortable with a Howie Kendrick-Wilmer Difo combo until prospect Carter Kieboom is ready. Rizzo's tune then changed as he began to suggest he'd be interested in an acquisition, if said player was a clear upgrade over the current group. And by the time he left the Winter Meetings...

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Where things stand halfway through the offseason

December 13, 2018, 7:45pm

Nationals

Where things stand halfway through the offseason

The Winter Meetings are now completed, which means the offseason is now half completed. Yep, it's been 10 weeks since the Nationals' season ended in Colorado, and it's 10 weeks until pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach. So this feels like a good opportunity to take a broad look at the state of the roster, figure out what the Nats have accomplished so far and what they still need to accomplish before they assemble in Florida. Here's where things currently stand ... * The rotation...

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Nats head home minus Roark, but with door wide open for others

December 12, 2018, 6:44pm

Nationals

Nats head home minus Roark, but with door wide open for others

LAS VEGAS - The Nationals came to town Sunday with a short list of roster needs after an aggressive run of moves earlier in the offseason. They leave town today without having filled any of those holes, but having created a brand new one. Wednesday evening's surprise trade of Tanner Roark to the Reds for minor league reliever Tanner Rainey wasn't what most would have predicted would be the club's lone transaction of the Winter Meetings. It left more than a few folks at the Mandalay Bay...

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Nats trade Roark to Reds for hard-throwing reliever

December 12, 2018, 2:41pm

Nationals

Nats trade Roark to Reds for hard-throwing reliever

LAS VEGAS - Asked Tuesday about the possibility of trading Tanner Roark, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo suggested such a move would only happen if the Nationals had already acquired another pitcher to fill that spot in a rotation top-heavy with talent but lacking in quality depth. This afternoon, Rizzo traded Roark to the Reds for a minor league reliever, leaving his rotation - for the moment - short a proven No. 4 starter. "Surprised," Roark said during a hastily arranged conference...

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Boras won't close door on Nationals re-signing Harper

December 12, 2018, 10:44am

Nationals

LAS VEGAS - Echoing what general manager Mike Rizzo has been saying all week, and not what managing principal owner Mark Lerner said last week, agent Scott Boras today insisted the Nationals are not out of the running to re-sign free agent Bryce Harper. "I think when they say the door's open, I would certainly pay attention to what they say," Boras said during the early portion of what turned in a more than hour-long scrum with a throng of reporters today at the Winter Meetings. Despite a...

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Martinez's motto for 2019 Nationals: "Just one more"

December 11, 2018, 11:21pm

Nationals

LAS VEGAS - If Davey Martinez was going to create a motto for the 2019 Nationals, it would be rather simple while also driving home the main point he wants to convey to his players. "Just one more," the manager said Tuesday during his media session at the Winter Meetings. "One more. One more of everything. One more strikeout. One more stolen base. One more walk. Things like that. If we can do that consistently, we're going to win a lot of ballgames." Martinez has already mentioned on...

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Teams inquiring about Roark, but Rizzo wants more pitching

December 11, 2018, 2:04pm

Nationals

Teams inquiring about Roark, but Rizzo wants more pitching

LAS VEGAS - Though multiple teams have approached the Nationals in recent days about Tanner Roark, general manager Mike Rizzo suggested he isn't looking to trade the veteran right-hander and would only do so if he had already bolstered his rotation with another significant acquisition. Responding to a report early this morning by Yahoo! Sports that the Nationals "have engaged in multiple discussions to trade" Roark, Rizzo admitted there have been some talks this week, but only those...

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Do Nats need to restrict Ross and Fedde's workloads in 2019?

December 10, 2018, 3:59pm

Nationals

Do Nats need to restrict Ross and Fedde's workloads in 2019?

LAS VEGAS - The Nationals got the frontline starter they've long coveted last week when they doled out $140 million to sign Patrick Corbin. Might they still be in the market for some back-of-the-rotation help, though? The Nationals, as currently constructed, have four locks to make their opening day rotation (assuming health for all those involved), with Corbin joining ace Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark. The fifth spot, for now, would go to either Joe Ross or Erick Fedde,...

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Nats searching for one player to fill holes at first and second base

December 10, 2018, 2:07pm

Nationals

Nats searching for one player to fill holes at first and second base

LAS VEGAS - The Nationals made it a priority each of the last two winters to acquire a left-handed backup first baseman, wanting to make sure they had not only a potent bat off the bench but also a capable slugger who could take over everyday duties if Ryan Zimmerman landed on the disabled list. And each time they struck paydirt, getting major contributions from Adam Lind in 2017 and Matt Adams in 2018 (until he was traded to the Cardinals once the Nats fell out of the race). The Nationals find...

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Rizzo won't rule out possibility of resuming talks with Harper

December 10, 2018, 9:58am

Nationals

Rizzo won't rule out possibility of resuming talks with Harper

LAS VEGAS - Mark Lerner's surprising, if honest, revelation last week that he expects Bryce Harper to sign with another club this winter was met with understandably strong emotions from all those invested in the most significant free agent storyline of the offseason. But within the Nationals front office, it was viewed less as a firm declaration of the club's resignation to move on from Harper and more as an off-the-cuff remark from the man wielding the most power in the organization. So the...