Byron Kerr

Baseball America Nats No. 7 prospect: RHP Andry Lara

February 09, 2020, 2:22am

This should be the year Nationals fans can track the progress on the field of the No. 7 prospect in the system, according to Baseball America, right-hander Andry Lara. Lara just turned 17 on Jan. 6)and is a hard-throwing starter who is not afraid to go after hitters. The Coro, Venezuela, native is expected to get some work in the Nats' Rookie-level system. Baseball America's Nats correspondent, Lacy Lusk, said Lara appears in the Nats Top 10 because the right-hander is versatile for his...

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Baseball America Nats No. 8 prospect: RHP Mason Denaburg

February 05, 2020, 5:17pm

Nationals

Baseball America Nats No. 8 prospect: RHP Mason Denaburg

The Nationals would like to see 2018 first-round selection Mason Denaburg build innings this upcoming season after battling through nagging injuries in 2019. The 20-year-old starter dealt with a shoulder issue that prevented him from enjoying most of his 2019 campaign. Baseball America Nats correspondent Lacy Lusk agrees this is an important year coming up for Denaburg. The right-hander is locked in as Baseball America's No. 8 prospect in its latest Nationals Top 10. No. 8 Mason Denaburg "The...

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Baseball America Nats No. 9 prospect: SS Yasel Antuna

February 03, 2020, 5:40pm

Nationals

Baseball America Nats No. 9 prospect: SS Yasel Antuna

At No. 9 on the Baseball America top 10 Nationals prospects list is 20-year-old shortstop Yasel Antuna. Antuna is from Peravia, D.R., and is a switch-hitter who battled injuries in 2019, which held him to only three games for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nationals. In 2018, Antuna played in 87 games for Single-A Hagerstown. The infielder slashed .220/.293/.331 with 14 doubles, two triples, six homers, eight stolen bases and 27 RBIs. Baseball America Nationals correspondent Lacy Lusk says...

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Baseball America Nats No. 10 prospect: LHP Seth Romero

January 31, 2020, 12:27pm

Nationals

Baseball America Nats No. 10 prospect: LHP Seth Romero

Counting down the Nationals' top 10 prospects in 2020, according to the latest Baseball America list, we begin at No. 10 with southpaw Seth Romero, the club's first-round selection in 2017. Romero worked his way back from Tommy John surgery last season and is expected to make his first appearance in minor league play since 2018. I caught up with him in last year's spring training to see how well his rehabilitation from the injury was going. 10. LHP Seth Romero The 23-year-old Houston native...

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Roessler uses analytics as one tool to help Nats hitters get better

January 28, 2020, 2:36am

Nationals

Roessler uses analytics as one tool to help Nats hitters get better

Pat Roessler was formerly the hitting coach for the Mets, most recently in 2018. He takes over as the assistant hitting coach for the Nationals this season. His resume is stacked with stops as assistant baseball coach at Old Dominion University (1983-1988) to years in the big leagues. The University of Arizona product was a minor league hitting coach in the White Sox system from 1988 to 1994, the Expos hitting coordinator from 1995 to 1997 and the Pirates chain from 1998 to 1999. He coached...

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Soto: "I don't think I am better than anybody, but nobody is better than me"

January 22, 2020, 7:38pm

Nationals

Soto: "I don't think I am better than anybody, but nobody is better than me"

It was quite the year for Juan Soto and the Nationals. The 21-year-old slugger completed his second full season with the Nats, smacking five homers and 14 RBIs in the postseason, guiding the franchise to their first World Series title. "To be champions feels really good," Soto said on 106.7 The Fan from Nationals Winterfest. "Everything we done with the team, everything, in the clubhouse, everywhere we go, everything we've done feels really (good) to be a champion right now." Soto got to...

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Strickland now at full health, hopes for calm seas ahead

January 21, 2020, 1:33am

Nationals

Strickland now at full health, hopes for calm seas ahead

Reliever Hunter Strickland allowed three homers in two games against the Dodgers in the 2019 National League Division Series. But the right-hander had his moments for the Nationals that helped calm down a beleaguered bullpen and he is back for the 2020 season. Strickland remembers his wife, Shelley, was a bit nervous when he got the call to join the Nats. He spent the first part of the season with the Mariners after five seasons with the Giants. And when he arrived in D.C., his new teammates...

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Insights from Doolittle and Menhart at Nats Winterfest

January 17, 2020, 3:49am

Nationals

Insights from Doolittle and Menhart at Nats Winterfest

Here are some great insights from the Nats Winterfest last week at Nationals Park. Closer Sean Doolittle shared about his time starting out in pro baseball when he arrived as a hitter. After suffering through several injuries, it was suggested to Doolittle that he switch from position player to pitcher. He then slowly made the transformation and got himself to the big leagues. "I definitely took the scenic route to get to the major leagues," Doolittle said on 106.7 The Fan on Sunday. "In...

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Hudson motivated to recreate 2019 run in return to Nats

January 14, 2020, 12:13pm

Nationals

Hudson motivated to recreate 2019 run in return to Nats

The Nationals officially announced the re-signing of reliever Daniel Hudson this morning. The pitcher that recorded the final three outs in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series to send the Nats to their first title comes back to D.C. on a two-year contract worth a reported $11 million. Hudson was a major part of literally saving the Nats' regular season and then decisively ending the final game with a swinging strikeout of the Astros' Michael Brantley. He went 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA with six saves in...

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FredNats on schedule for new stadium opening April 23

January 13, 2020, 2:11am

Nationals

FredNats on schedule for new stadium opening April 23

A top official for the Fredericksburg Nationals said the construction of the team's new home is on schedule, and that he is confident the venue will be ready for the 2020 season. The parent Nationals' high Single-A affiliate - formerly the Potomac Nationals or P-Nats - is moving to Fredericksburg, Va., from its previous home in Woodbridge, Va. The club began playing in Woodbridge in 1984 as the Prince William Pirates and now moves south with the dreams of a state-of-the-art stadium soon...

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With 10 years of major league experience, Castro sees value in being a mentor

January 07, 2020, 1:05pm

Nationals

With 10 years of major league experience, Castro sees value in being a mentor

New Nationals second baseman Starlin Castro met with the media via conference call Tuesday, and the veteran said he had realized how good the Nats were going to be while playing 19 games against them last season. With his season over in Miami, Castro then was able to become a fan of the team as the Nats battled the Astros for the world title. "I saw every game with them at home and I root for them," said the former Miami Marlin. "I didn't know I was going to sign with them, but I root for...

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Freeman's consistency and versatility keys to his success

January 07, 2020, 6:08am

Nationals

Freeman's consistency and versatility keys to his success

Infielder/outfielder Cole Freeman has put together two of the most consistent seasons in his first two campaigns in the Nationals organization. Along the way, Freeman has proven his ability to excel as the level of competition intensified. In his first season out of LSU in 2018, Freeman played in 122 games with low Single-A Hagerstown, slashing .266/.354/.371 with 32 doubles, three triples, three homers, 26 stolen bases and 43 RBIs. The next season, he was even better. In 2019 at high Single-A...

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Report: Cabrera returning to Nats, adding to infield depth

January 04, 2020, 5:55am

Nationals

Report: Cabrera returning to Nats, adding to infield depth

General manager Mike Rizzo is moving quickly to shore up the Nationals infield as the team prepares to defend its championship in 2020. Veteran Starlin Castro came to terms with the Nats on Friday, and Rizzo has now returned an important mid-season addition from last year to his potential roster for the upcoming campaign, agreeing to a deal with AsdrÃºbal Cabrera, according to reports posted via Twitter. The 34-year-old Cabrera hit .323 in 38 games with the Nats, coming over after the Rangers...

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Free agent choices for lefty bat at first base

December 31, 2019, 8:00pm

Nationals

Free agent choices for lefty bat at first base

Here is a look at some of the left-handed hitting first base possibilities for the Nationals on the free agent market, besides the potential of bringing back Matt Adams. Eric Thames, 33, can play first base and the outfield, and slashed .247/.346/.505 in 2019 with 25 homers and 61 RBIs for the Brewers. Mitch Moreland, 34, plays first base and right field, most recently with the Red Sox. He slashed .252/.328/.507 in 91 games with 19 HR and 58 RBIs. Greg Bird, 27, has dealt with plantar fascia in...

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On Soto as possible MVP, the shuffle and a long-term deal

December 29, 2019, 3:53am

Nationals

On Soto as possible MVP, the shuffle and a long-term deal

After an amazing breakout campaign in front of a national audience all the way to the 2019 World Series title, Nationals left fielder Juan Soto is primed to have another big season. He is going to walk a lot. He's going to hit a lot. And a lot of those hits will be homers. Could he be in the running for MVP in the National League? Of course. But it will not be easy. Thanks to an October to remember, good pitches to hit will be at an even higher premium for Soto in 2020. Angels slugger Mike...

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Then and now, Strasburg helps lead new generation of Nats

December 27, 2019, 2:46am

Nationals

Then and now, Strasburg helps lead new generation of Nats

With Stephen Strasburg signing a new deal to remain with the Nationals for the remainder of his career, it is interesting to look back and see how far the hard-throwing right-hander has come since the day he was drafted in 2010. General manager Mike Rizzo has had a front row seat to see how Strasburg has evolved over the years in his quiet, unassuming way into a leader in the clubhouse. Strasburg was selected first in June 2009 to be a part of a hopeful turnaround for the Nats, who had lost 205...

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Scherzer-Strasburg relationship continues to evolve

December 26, 2019, 12:53am

Nationals

Scherzer-Strasburg relationship continues to evolve

It was mid-July of a 2018 season that was getting away from the Nationals. In an 8-5 loss to the Braves, right-hander Stephen Strasburg and teammate Max Scherzer got into a verbal back-and-forth after the San Diego State product was lifted following a rough start. The camera caught the two in heated discussion - presumably about Strasburg's outing - before they quickly left the dugout and headed down the stairs to the home clubhouse. Following that loss, the Nats fell 6 1/2 games in back of...

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Noll could get a shot with Nats again in 2020

December 23, 2019, 5:57am

Nationals

Noll could get a shot with Nats again in 2020

The Nationals could still be searching for an answer at third base and second base heading into the 2020 season. One player who could fill that opening is Jake Noll, who got a taste of the big leagues last season in eight games. He went 2-for-12 with a double and two RBIs with the Nats after a very impressive 2019 spring training. His two-out RBI double at Colorado on April 24 was his first major league base hit. His first major league RBI was a memorable one: a walk-off walk to beat the...

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Best of 2019: April 9 comeback win at Philly

December 22, 2019, 5:59am

Nationals

Best of 2019: April 9 comeback win at Philly

Entering final week of 2019, let's take a look back at some of the most exciting and intriguing regular season wins for the Nationals on their road to their first World Series title. We will focus on a handful signature wins, looking at one or two from each month. Here a few of the best regular season victories of 2019. We start with a comeback thriller in Philadelphia. No. 5: April 9, 2019: Nationals 10, Phillies 6 (10) Stephen Strasburg allowed six runs early and the Nats found themselves...

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Gio Gonzalez joins White Sox; many former Nats now free agents

December 20, 2019, 1:28am

Nationals

Gio Gonzalez joins White Sox; many former Nats now free agents

Last week, former Nationals starter Tanner Roark got a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays for two years, worth $24 million. He has pitched for the Reds and the A's. Reliever Blake Treinen has a one-year contract with the L.A. Dodgers for $10 million. This week, southpaw Fernando Abad returned to the Nats on a minor league deal and an offer to head to West Palm Beach, Fla., for 2020 spring training. Meanwhile, Gio Gonzalez is moving to the Chicago White Sox. He joins former Nats Lucas Giolito and...