Dan Kolko

Another move to add catching depth

Another move to add catching depth
The Nationals lost one of the catchers at the high levels of their minor league system earlier this offseason when they released Jhonatan Solano, who was out of options entering the 2015 season. Over the last 24 hours, they've added two catchers who could help improve their organizational depth behind the plate. Yesterday morning, the Nats signed 30-year-old backstop Steven Lerud, a former third-round pick who has only 15 career plate appearances at the big league level but has 807 games of...
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Dan Kolko

Some arbitration notes and minor league signings

Some arbitration notes and minor league signings
There are all sorts of league-mandated deadlines involving arbitration-eligible players during the offseason. And boy, is it entertaining, thrilling stuff. Is that sarcasm jumping off the page at ya, or what? To start the process off, teams must tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players (players with at least three years, but fewer than six years of major league service time) by a certain date early in the offseason. The teams and players then have time to negotiate a deal for the...
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Dan Kolko

A quietly busy offseason

A quietly busy offseason
If you look strictly at the moves that the Nationals have made so far this offseason, it might seem like members of the organization's front office have been kicking back and enjoying some down time over the last few months. We all know that's far from the truth, but in terms of actual additions to the organization, it's been almost entirely minor league deals and trades to improve the club for future seasons. Outside of re-signing a few minor leaguers who were already in the Nats system...
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Dan Kolko

One less middle infield option

One less middle infield option
The second base option most frequently linked to the Nationals this offseason is heading elsewhere, as Ben Zobrist got shipped from the Rays to the Athletics yesterday in a deal that also sent shortstop Yunel Escobar to Oakland. How often do you see a team trade away both of its starting middle infielders in one deal? I can't remember such a case, at least off the top of my head. The Rays saved themselves a good bit of money with this deal, and also got a good bit younger. They were thought to...
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Dan Kolko

An underrated area of strength

An underrated area of strength
Anyone who followed the Nationals closely last season remembers that pretty much from Day One of spring training, manager Matt Williams said he was going to make sure that his team played an aggressive brand of ball, putting pressure on opponents with their baserunning style. That is indeed how things played out for the 2014 Nats. I came across a tweet yesterday from John Dewan, who is the author of the Fielding Bible. Dewan passed along a link that ranked the best baserunning teams in 2014,...
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Dan Kolko

More on Werth's surgery and its impact on the Nationals (surgery a success)

More on Werth's surgery and its impact on the Nationals (surgery a success)
In case you missed the news late yesterday afternoon, Jayson Werth will have surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder today, a procedure that is expected to sideline the Nationals outfielder for two to three months. Werth will have the surgery at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. The procedure, similar to the one Ryan Zimmerman underwent in October 2012, will force Werth to miss at least the first few weeks of spring training, and could leave his status for opening day in...
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Dan Kolko

Werth scheduled for surgery Friday on AC joint in right shoulder

Werth scheduled for surgery Friday on AC joint in right shoulder
Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth will undergo arthroscopic surgery on the AC joint in his right shoulder tomorrow, a source has confirmed, and is expected to be sidelined two to three months. The 35-year-old Werth dealt with inflammation in his right AC joint last season, when he slashed .292/.394/.455 in 147 games. The problem in his throwing shoulder caused him to miss six games in August when pain from the injury got progressively worse. An MRI showed no structural damage and Werth received...
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Dan Kolko

Assessing the starting pitching market a year from now

Assessing the starting pitching market a year from now
We're all well aware by now that if the Nationals are not able to reach contract extensions with Jordan Zimmermann or Doug Fister by the end of the 2015 season, those two will be set to hit the free agent market. That would leave the Nats in a bit of a tough spot - two of their top starting pitchers would then be in a position where they could negotiate with all 30 major league teams. And barring some type of major injury or monster dropoff in production this season, both Zimmermann and Fister...
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Dan Kolko

Matt Williams' ties to a couple of newly elected Hall of Famers

Matt Williams' ties to a couple of newly elected Hall of Famers
The Baseball Hall of Fame grew by four members yesterday, its largest new class since 1955, as Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio all received the call that they are heading to Cooperstown. The selection process and the voting strategies of many baseball writers who receive a ballot (I am not one of them) have come under fire in recent years, and rightfully so. I've seen some submitted ballots that I strongly disagree with, and some viewpoints that I feel are futile at...
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Dan Kolko

A big year upcoming for Solis

A big year upcoming for Solis
The ability and potential that Sammy Solis possesses are clear. A 6-foot-5, 250-lb. left-hander who was a second-round pick out of the University of San Diego in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Solis has been highly ranked on various lists of the top prospects in the Nationals organization since being drafted. The question now is whether Solis, 26, can stay healthy long enough to showcase the talent that has led scouts to believe he could one day be a middle to top-of-the-rotation big league...
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Dan Kolko

Blevins looking to build off strong finish to 2014

Blevins looking to build off strong finish to 2014
The overall numbers posted by Jerry Blevins during the 2014 season probably aren't to the 31-year-old left-hander's liking. After back-to-back seasons of posting an ERA at or below 3.15 and a WHIP under 1.075, Blevins saw his numbers inflated in 2014, as he pitched to a 4.87 ERA and 1.238 WHIP in 64 games spanning 57 1/3 innings. He did have some impressive peripheral numbers, however, seeing his home runs per nine innings get cut in half from where it stood the prior two seasons, and seeing...
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Dan Kolko

Treinen's role uncertain in 2015

Treinen's role uncertain in 2015
Blake Treinen was quite valuable in 2014 as the Nationals' sixth starter, the guy they called upon when one of their starting five landed on the disabled list or when they needed a spot start in a doubleheader. In his first taste of the big leagues, Treinen impressed, posting a 3.00 ERA in his seven starts. He had trouble his third time through the order, but was still effective with his mid- to upper-90s sinker and mix of a changeup and breaking ball. But when the Nationals needed Treinen's...
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Dan Kolko

A different look at the crop of pending free agents

A different look at the crop of pending free agents
We've talked a lot this winter about the crop of pending free agents that the Nationals have and how it will be interesting to see how general manager Mike Rizzo proceeds with that group. When discussing the Nats' list of upcoming 2015 free agents, five names are usually listed - Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, Tyler Clippard and Denard Span. Pretty strong list there, one that contains five major contributors to this squad. But beyond those five, there are a few other players who...
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Dan Kolko

Some of this, some of that

Some of this, some of that
Yesterday afternoon was a bit strange for me. Not only did I actually get a chance to sit in the seats at Nationals Park and watch a sporting event, but there was a hockey rink smack-dab in the middle of the field. Play ba ... wait, no. We'll have to wait a few more months for that. Yesterday's Winter Classic was a very enjoyable experience, largely because it was just such a cool thing to be a part of. The sight lines from my lower-level seat weren't great, and I'll admit that I had...
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Dan Kolko

What's an acceptable result in 2015?

What's an acceptable result in 2015?
Well, hello, 2015. Nice to see you. Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve, and that you're not feeling too beat up this morning after any late-night celebrating that might have gone on. I'll plead the Fifth on that one, personally. Remember a couple of days ago when I said that I wouldn't be attending the Winter Classic and would instead be enjoying the event from the warmth and comfort of my living room? Well, consider me a liar. I was offered a ticket to today's...
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Dan Kolko

A closer look at Zobrist

A closer look at Zobrist
There is usually minimal action in between Christmas and New Year's when it comes to the baseball hot stove. Most, if not all, teams close their offices during this time, allowing their employees to be with their families and take some rare vacation time. That doesn't really apply to general managers and their top lieutenants, however, and agents don't typically take much of a break this time of year, either. So while this is a quiet period in the MLB offseason, it isn't void of any...
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Dan Kolko

Looking three months into the future (Cabrera agrees to deal with Rays, per report)

Looking three months into the future (Cabrera agrees to deal with Rays, per report)
A little over three months from now (three months and a week, to be exact), the Nationals will open their 2015 regular season at home against the Mets. It'll be a 4:05 p.m. contest on a Monday afternoon. Bolt work a couple of hours early and bundle up. There is still a good bit to be decided before then when it comes to the construction of the Nats roster. Who will play second base? Who will take up the last couple of spots in the bullpen? How will the five bench spots be handled? Will any of...
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Dan Kolko

Ramos looking for a DL-free 2015 campaign

Ramos looking for a DL-free 2015 campaign
I'm not going to lie - the pictures of Nationals Park with a hockey rink smack dab in the middle of the field both look very bizarre and also have me very excited for the NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day. I won't be attending the game between the Capitals and Blackhawks, largely because I plan on enjoying the afternoon from the warmth and comfort of my couch instead of sitting through a game in which temperatures will be in the upper 30s. But it will be cool to see the NHL's premiere...
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Dan Kolko

What can be expected of McLouth in 2015?

What can be expected of McLouth in 2015?
Last year right around this time, the Nationals were penciling in the newly signed Nate McLouth as their fourth outfielder, confident that he would be able to play all three outfield positions at a high level and give Jayson Werth, Denard Span and Bryce Harper somewhat regular days off in order to keep those three fresh. The Nats inked McLouth to a two-year, $10.75 million contract last December - a hefty sum for a reserve, but a deal that the club felt would pay off thanks to McLouth's...
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Dan Kolko

A bit more on the Uggla signing

A bit more on the Uggla signing
I wasn't necessarily surprised at the fan reaction on Twitter and in the comments section of this blog yesterday after the Nationals signed Dan Uggla to a minor league deal. Nats fans have seen quite a bit of Uggla over the last handful of years while he was with the Braves. And most of it hasn't been great. They saw him go from a Silver Slugger 2010 campaign with the Marlins in which he hit .287 with an .877 OPS and 33 homers, to a 2011 season with the Braves in which he still slugged 36...
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