Mark Zuckerman

Spring training storylines: Free agent signings during camp?

February 10, 2018, 4:45pm

The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with the possibility of free agent signings even after camp has begun ... It's not unusual for teams to sign players during spring training. It happens every year, with a handful of veterans still available and needs arising as a result of injuries or other camp developments. But baseball has never opened a spring...

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Spring training storylines: Another new manager at the helm

February 09, 2018, 7:40pm

Nationals

Spring training storylines: Another new manager at the helm

The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with the first camp run by new manager Dave Martinez ... When Nationals pitchers and catchers officially report to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Wednesday, they'll walk down the hallway from the clubhouse, peek into the manager's office and find a new face there. Next door, in the coaches' locker room, will...

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Spring training storylines: Who's the fifth starter?

February 08, 2018, 7:57pm

Nationals

Spring training storylines: Who's the fifth starter?

The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We begin today with the open competition for the fifth spot in the opening day rotation ... The Nationals have been a contender for six full seasons now, and throughout that time, they have maintained that status by employing one of baseball's most talented, deepest starting rotations. And throughout this entire stretch, we've...

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Nationals outfield, if healthy, loaded with talent and depth

February 07, 2018, 5:05pm

Nationals

As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series concludes today with the outfield ... Given the talent they had - not to mention three established starters to begin the season - it's hard to believe the Nationals wound up using 14 different outfielders in 2017, the fourth-highest total in the majors. Chalk that up not to poor performance but a seemingly never-ending string of injuries both major and minor...

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Catching prospect Read suspended 80 games for PED violation

February 07, 2018, 12:07pm

Nationals

Catching prospect Read suspended 80 games for PED violation

Raudy Read, who made his major league debut last season and now stands as one of the higher-rated Nationals prospects, has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for Boldenone, making the young catcher the franchise's first big leaguer to face punishment for performance-enhancing drugs. Read, 24, confirmed he tested positive during "a routine drug test this winter," but said he was "shocked" by the result and insists he has never knowingly taken a...

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Nats infield returns intact, but there are some questions

February 06, 2018, 7:22pm

Nationals

Nats infield returns intact, but there are some questions

As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the infield ... The Nationals return their entire starting infield from last season, and why wouldn't they be excited about that? This quartet featured the first .300-30-100 hitter in club history, the runner-up for the league's batting title, the league's co-leader in WAR and a shortstop who stole 46 bases in 98 games while committing...

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Nats know they need better production from catchers in 2018

February 05, 2018, 3:37pm

Nationals

Nats know they need better production from catchers in 2018

As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the catching corps ... The Nationals knew they'd be undergoing a change at catcher in 2017 after Wilson Ramos departed via free agency, and they knew it would be difficult to make up for Ramos' All-Star production. Little did they know just how difficult, though, or how precipitous the dropoff would be. The club's initial plan involved...

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Once a weakness, revamped 'pen enters spring as strength

February 04, 2018, 8:03pm

Nationals

Once a weakness, revamped 'pen enters spring as strength

As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the bullpen ... Undeniably the club's biggest weakness through the first half of the 2017, the Nationals bullpen morphed into one of its true strengths by season's end. For that, thank general manager Mike Rizzo, who acquired three key arms in July and transformed the nature of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings in dramatic...

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Nationals rotation once again built to lead the way in 2018

February 03, 2018, 4:24pm

Nationals

As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series begins today with the starting rotation ... If asked to point to the one most significant reason for the Nationals' sustained, six-year run of success, the answer is simple: a dominant rotation. In every one of those six seasons, the Nationals have ranked no worse than seventh in the majors in starters' ERA. Three times, the unit has ranked first or second...

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Collusion charge is a stretch, but MLB is facing a real problem

February 02, 2018, 4:36pm

Nationals

Collusion charge is a stretch, but MLB is facing a real problem

It's been the underlying story of the entire offseason throughout the baseball world, the lack of free agent signings. And yesterday the most controversial theory was put out there by a prominent agent, something many have wondered but few have publicly been willing to offer: collusion by all 30 clubs to keep spending down and increase their own profits. Brodie Van Wagenen, the co-head of CAA baseball and agent for a host of big-name players (including Ryan Zimmerman), posted a memo on his...

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Better, worse or the same in 2018: Pitchers

February 01, 2018, 7:11pm

Nationals

Better, worse or the same in 2018: Pitchers

It's the new game that's sweeping the nation! Well, maybe not quite, but it seemed to get positive reviews when it debuted yesterday. So we might as well go ahead and do Part 2 of "Better, Worse or the Same." If you missed yesterday's installment, we looked at each of the eight positions on the field (minus pitcher) and asked whether the Nationals likely would be better, worse or the same in 2018 at each position as they were in 2017. The final tally: three positions should be better...

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Nats sign veteran Montero to compete for backup catching job

February 01, 2018, 11:22am

Nationals

Nats sign veteran Montero to compete for backup catching job

The Nationals will have another experienced catcher on their camp roster this spring. Just not either of the experienced catchers they have routinely been linked to all winter. The Nats have signed Miguel Montero to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp, electing to take a low-risk flyer on the former Diamondback, Cub and Blue Jay after watching Alex Avila sign with Arizona and Miami refuse to lower its asking price for J.T. Realmuto. Montero won't be threatening Matt...

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Better, worse or the same in 2018: Position players

January 31, 2018, 7:55pm

Nationals

Better, worse or the same in 2018: Position players

Are the 2018 Nationals going to be better than the 2017 Nationals? Are they going to be worse? Are they going to be about the same? When you really boil things down to the basics, that's what everyone is trying to figure out before the new season gets underway. Teams can improve or be diminished based on their offseason transactions, but change also is possible from returning players who either disappointed or overachieved last year. Given how little the Nationals roster has changed since the...

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Avila to Arizona could open door for Realmuto to D.C.

January 30, 2018, 7:35pm

Nationals

Avila to Arizona could open door for Realmuto to D.C.

If it feels like we've been talking about J.T. Realmuto quite a bit this winter, well, we have. Such is the reality when you combine an awfully quiet offseason with one of the few positions the Nationals could try to upgrade with a Marlins franchise smack-dab in the middle of a fire sale. We're talking about Realmuto again today, not because of anything the Nats or the Marlins did in the last 24 hours, but because of what the Diamondbacks did: sign Alex Avila. Arizona reportedly agreed to a...

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Nats sign Brignac to minors deal, Espinosa goes to Yankees

January 29, 2018, 5:44pm

Nationals

Nats sign Brignac to minors deal, Espinosa goes to Yankees

The Nationals are bringing in some extra infield insurance, signing veteran Reid Brignac to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp this spring. Brignac's signing, which was confirmed by a club source and first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, gives the Nats another experienced infielder whose services may be required if Daniel Murphy isn't ready to return from his October knee surgery by opening day. The Nationals already have Wilmer Difo available to start at...

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Report: Albers heading to Brewers on two-year deal

January 29, 2018, 8:43am

Nationals

Report: Albers heading to Brewers on two-year deal

Matt Albers has reportedly agreed to a two-year contract with the Brewers, parlaying his career season in the Nationals bullpen into a $5 million deal in Milwaukee. Albers' deal, reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, is still pending a physical. Once that final step is completed, the veteran right-hander will become the first prominent free agent who played for the Nationals last season to sign elsewhere for 2018. Though the Nats had some interest in attempting to re-sign Albers, he was...

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Scherzer receives Cy Young, pair of Nats honored by Cavaliers

January 28, 2018, 7:48pm

Nationals

Scherzer receives Cy Young, pair of Nats honored by Cavaliers

It's been more than two months since he was named the National League's Cy Young Award winner, but on Sunday night, Max Scherzer officially was presented with the award itself. Scherzer was among several players honored at the annual New York Baseball Writers' Dinner, joined by fellow winners of the BBWAA's annual end-of-season awards along with the winners of awards given out specifically to New York players. It was Scherzer's second straight January trip to the Big Apple to receive a Cy...

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Has rest of NL East gained any ground on Nats this winter?

January 27, 2018, 7:50pm

Nationals

Has rest of NL East gained any ground on Nats this winter?

The Nationals' offseason to date has not included any real additions, only the re-signing of free agents Howie Kendrick, Brandon Kintzler and Edwin Jackson, plus the swapping of Adam Lind for Matt Adams. There's still plenty of time and, more importantly, plenty of available players to make some significant transactions that will dramatically alter things. But for now, the 2018 Nationals look a whole lot like the 2017 Nationals. That's not a bad thing, mind you, considering the 2017...

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Nats may not have to wait as long as Angels for first Hall of Famer

January 26, 2018, 7:18pm

Nationals

Nats may not have to wait as long as Angels for first Hall of Famer

Vladimir Guerrero surprised some people this week when he (with the Hall of Fame's consent) decided his soon-to-be-made plaque for Cooperstown will feature him wearing an Angels cap. Guerrero actually spent more time during his career playing in Montreal (eight seasons) than he did playing in Anaheim (six), with one season apiece spent at the very end with the Rangers and Orioles. But the outfielder noted that he won his lone MVP award and made five of his six career postseason appearances...

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Is Realmuto next man up in Marlins fire sale?

January 25, 2018, 7:50pm

Nationals

Is Realmuto next man up in Marlins fire sale?

Giancarlo Stanton was traded to the Yankees in mid-December. Marcell Ozuna went to the Cardinals a few days later. Christian Yelich was dealt to the Brewers last night, as the Marlins completed a stunning dump of their entire starting outfield - a really good one, too - in the span of six weeks. Which leaves one remaining question down in Miami: Is J.T. Realmuto next? Realmuto, the last remaining player of any real consequence on the Marlins roster, had already expressed his desire to get out...