Byron Kerr

Nats re-sign Purke to minor league deal (updated with quotes)

November 17, 2014, 11:05am

Three days after releasing Matt Purke, the Nationals announced that they have re-signed the left-hander to a minor league deal and invited him to major league spring training. Releasing Purke allowed the Nats to remove him from their 40-man roster. This is good news that the Nationals can still have Purke in the organization as he completes his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old Purke was limited to eight starts in 2014, going 1-6 with an 8.04 ERA. His career has been...

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Baseball Prospectus No. 10 Nats prospect: Wilmer Difo

November 16, 2014, 7:51am

Nationals

Baseball Prospectus No. 10 Nats prospect: Wilmer Difo

The Nationals prospect list took a mild hit this week with the announcement that left-hander Matt Purke has been released by the team. Purke had been a part of the organization's top 10 in prospects since his arrival from the 2011 draft, but shoulder and elbow injuries derailed his opportunity to excel with the Nationals. But the Nationals' top 10 prospects are still chocked full of potential, especially with the addition of a few new names that had just arrived from last year's draft. So we...

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Nationals release Matt Purke

November 14, 2014, 6:08am

Nationals

The Nationals have released touted left-hander Matt Purke, according to the team's transactions page. Purke, the Nationals' No. 10 prospect, had recently been activated from the 60-day disabled list. The current 40-man roster lists 39 players. Purke was a third-round selection out of Texas Christian University in the 2011 draft and had signed a major league deal worth close to $4.2 million. He did not pitch much at the pro level in 2014, going 1-6 with an 8.04 ERA in eight starts for Double-A...

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Senators Hot Stove Dinner date set; Mesa wins nailbiter in Arizona

November 13, 2014, 8:55am

Nationals

Senators Hot Stove Dinner date set; Mesa wins nailbiter in Arizona

The Double-A Harrisburg Senators have announced their 5th annual Hot Stove Dinner will be January 24, 2015, at the Best Western Central Hotel and Conference Center in Harrisburg. Headlining the event will be former Senators Josh Johnson, Steven Souza Jr. and Michael A. Taylor, as well as a special appearance by Doug Harris, the assistant general manager and vice president of player development for the Nationals. Johnson played with the Senators from 2010-2013. In 2012 and 2013, he split time...

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Moore and Rivero continue to roll in offseason league play

November 12, 2014, 5:37am

Nationals

Moore and Rivero continue to roll in offseason league play

In Arizona Fall League play, Surprise defeated Mesa 5-1 on Tuesday. Left-hander Felipe Rivero had another solid outing, twirling five innings, scattering six hits and allowing no earned runs in a no-decision. He gave up one run, one walk and struck out three on 76 pitches, 50 for strikes. Rivero has now surrendered only one earned run in his last 10 innings. This is in contrast to his first four starts, in which he gave up 13 earned runs. His ERA is down to 6.08. A source tells me Rivero is...

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Taylor's big season could be springboard to more of the same in 2015

November 10, 2014, 8:50am

Nationals

Taylor's big season could be springboard to more of the same in 2015

Outfielder Michael A. Taylor had a solid season at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse that earned him a a tour with the Nationals in August and a September call-up. Taylor got into 17 games with the big club. His first big highlight came when he slammed a home run against the Mets at Citi Field. He also had three doubles, eight hits, five RBIs and earned three walks, batting .205. The jump that Taylor made in one season is a big story. I remember interviewing Taylor after he was named...

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Mesa keeps winning, plus Moore update

November 07, 2014, 3:38am

Nationals

The Mesa Solar Sox have a good roll going, winning their last three games. On Wednesday, the Solar Sox won 11-2 over Glendale, highlighted by seven runs in the sixth. Derek Self (1-0) notched his first win of the Arizona Fall League season, going two innings, scattering three hits, one walk and allowing just one run. Self now has an ERA of 1.29. Self tossed 36 pitches, 23 for strikes, in facing 10 batters. On Thursday, Mesa dropped first-place Salt River 4-2. Spencer Kieboom contributed an...

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Felipe Rivero with bounceback win for Mesa

November 05, 2014, 6:13am

Nationals

Felipe Rivero with bounceback win for Mesa

Left-hander Felipe Rivero has had some rough outings and had to fight through an injury during his first few weeks in of Arizona Fall League play, compiling a 1-4 record. On Tuesday, he bounced back in a big way with five solid innings, allowing only one hit and one earned run in Mesa's 3-1 win over Salt River. It was the longest outing of his six AFL starts this fall. It was also the fewest hits and runs the 23-year-old Venezuelan had allowed in a game for Mesa this season. Mesa extra coach...

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Moore leading Dominican Winter League in power numbers, plus AFL Mesa update

November 04, 2014, 6:32am

Nationals

Moore leading Dominican Winter League in power numbers, plus AFL Mesa update

First baseman Tyler Moore is batting .375 (15-for-40) through 12 games in the Dominican Winter League for Toros del Este, with a league-leading five homers, 16 runs and 11 RBIs. He also leads the league with 14 walks. He is leading the league in OPS at 1.294 and on-base percentage at .519, while ranking second in slugging at .775. This is exactly what Moore needed to do: Keep in baseball shape and display that his bat is clicking as he goes after the backup first base/outfield spot next season...

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Renda nets base hit in Fall Stars Game, Mesa ready for second half

November 02, 2014, 9:53am

Nationals

Renda nets base hit in Fall Stars Game, Mesa ready for second half

The Arizona Fall League East Division All-Stars downed the West All-Stars 6-2 in Saturday's AFL Fall Stars Game. Dalton Pompey and Roman Quinn combined for three hits and four RBIs in the win. Nationals second base prospect Tony Renda went 1-for-2 with a single and a strikeout. It was certainly an honor for Renda to be involved in this All-Star game and again helps his profile. It also is important for Renda to continue to get these at-bats against top competition. He started the AFL with...

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Adam LaRoche was a true leader, set the tone on and off the field for Nationals

October 31, 2014, 6:23am

Nationals

Each year, options are picked up or aren't. Players become free agents. Players move on, new players are welcomed in. So it was certainly business as usual when it was announced that options will not be picked up on veterans Rafael Soriano and Adam LaRoche. One can understand the business reasoning behind each move. But it is still tough to take when you realize that players like Soriano and LaRoche will not be on the 2015 Nationals roster. Especially LaRoche. I spoke to LaRoche before and...

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Catchers Severino and Kieboom coming along well at the plate

October 30, 2014, 7:47am

Nationals

Catchers Severino and Kieboom coming along well at the plate

The Mesa Solar Sox stand at 10-8-1 and in second place in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. Catcher Pedro Severino continues to excel at the plate, batting .280 through seven games. He had a 4-for-5 game on Oct. 22 at Scottsdale, and has a triple, three RBIs, one walk and one run. Severino hit .247 for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals and was a South Atlantic League All-Star in 2013. His defensive skills are ahead of his bat, as is the case with most young catchers. But to...

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Renda, Kieboom shine in Mesa's latest AFL game

October 28, 2014, 7:50am

Nationals

Renda, Kieboom shine in Mesa's latest AFL game

The Mesa Solar Sox are hitting the ball very well in the Arizona Fall League after a somewhat slow start. On Monday, a pair of Nationals prospects again made good contact, supplying all of the Solar Sox's RBIs in the game. Second baseman Tony Renda celebrated his selection to Saturday's Fall Stars Game with a 2-for-5 performance that included a double and a run scored. His run-scoring single in the top of the ninth tied the game at 3-3 and forced extra innings. He has raised his average to...

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Could Lucas Giolito skip high Single-A next season? (Renda named AFL All-Star)

October 27, 2014, 6:20am

Nationals

Could Lucas Giolito skip high Single-A next season? (Renda named AFL All-Star)

In the past, the Nationals have leapfrogged high Single-A Potomac for prospects such as outfielders Bryce Harper and Brian Goodwin. But top pitching talent has usually made a stop in Woodbridge, Va. A new crop of top pitching prospects appear to be headed to Prince Williams County next season. The question is: Will they stop in Potomac and if so, how long will they pitch for the high Single-A club? Right-hander Lucas Giolito, the highest-rated Nationals pitching prospect, dominated the South...

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A look back at Potomac's championship season: Part 3 - P-Nats proved doubters wrong

October 25, 2014, 4:07am

Nationals

A look back at Potomac's championship season: Part 3 - P-Nats proved doubters wrong

The Potomac Nationals defeated Myrtle Beach to win the Mills Cup and the Carolina League title in 2014. It was a sweet victory for the P-Nats prospects, according to manager Tripp Keister, because he believes they kind of flew under the radar despite steadily staying at the top of the standings the entire season. In Part 3 of our series on the Potomac Nationals championship season, we will examine how this team won the title despite not having as much fire power as Myrtle Beach displayed...

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A look back at Potomac's championship season: Part 2 - Managing an evolving roster

October 23, 2014, 10:50am

Nationals

A look back at Potomac's championship season: Part 2 - Managing an evolving roster

One of the most difficult parts of a fielding a winning minor league team is keeping the roster cohesive throughout an entire season. This is a difficult proposition because the main goal of the minors is to get prospects ready for the big leagues and sometimes they are moved up based on injuries or needs the big club has, which leads to a trickle-down effect on the lower levels. In Part 2 of our series on high Single-A Potomac's championship season, we focus on how the P-Nats were able to...

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A look back at Potomac's championship season: Part 1 - Game 3 comeback

October 22, 2014, 5:46am

Nationals

A look back at Potomac's championship season: Part 1 - Game 3 comeback

It is still difficult to watch the World Series, or really any of the playoffs, with the Nationals not a part of the festivities. It is like being sick for a party you were invited to and have been looking forward to for months. But one thing that might bring some satisfaction to a few fans is a look back at the play of the Single-A Carolina League champion Potomac Nationals. In 2014, the P-Nats won another league title despite starting the season with a good set of arms and an offense that...

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Pace of play reaction from Arizona Fall League

October 20, 2014, 8:31am

Nationals

Pace of play reaction from Arizona Fall League

Major League Baseball is looking into the length of games and studying to see if there is a way to speed up the contests without affecting the quality of play. This fall, MLB implemented pace of play rules in select Arizona Fall League games. There is a 20-second pitch clock and a time limit between innings of 125 seconds. There also are no-pitch intentional walks and only three meetings allowed at the mound. Mesa Solar Sox coach Patrick Anderson, who is the manager for the low Single-A...

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Mesa notches 8-4 win behind Rivero and Renda

October 19, 2014, 5:37am

Nationals

Mesa notches 8-4 win behind Rivero and Renda

The Mesa Solar Sox evened their record at 5-5 on Saturday with an 8-4 victory over Salt River in Arizona Fall League play from Cubs Park. Left-hander Felipe Rivero notched his first win of the campaign, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing three hits, three runs (two earned), three walks and striking out two batters to improve to 1-2. He threw 62 pitches, 35 for strikes. Teammate Derek Self piggy-backed the start with his second hold, going 2 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, no runs, no walks and...

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Update on Mesa Solar Sox in Arizona Fall League

October 17, 2014, 8:42am

Nationals

Update on Mesa Solar Sox in Arizona Fall League

Nationals prospects continue to work in the Arizona Fall League. Low Single-A Hagerstown manager Patrick Anderson is an extra coach with the Mesa Solar Sox and provided an update on each Nationals player playing for the team. Second baseman Tony Renda: "He's looking great. He's hit so many balls right on the nose right at people, I feel so bad for him. We all laugh. How many balls can you hit so hard right at somebody and have nothing to show for it like ever? I'm waiting for balls to fall...