Rizzo addresses report of "balking" at Harper's contract demands

Rizzo addresses report of "balking" at Harper's contract demands
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Just when you thought all the chatter about the Nationals at the Winter Meetings was going to be focused on Andrew McCutchen, Chris Sale and closers, an even bigger name got thrown into the fire this afternoon and nearly drowned out everything else: Bryce Harper. A report by USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggesting the Nationals are "balking" at Harper's demands for a long-term extension and are "preparing themselves to be without their All-Star outfielder after 2018"...
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Nats need a new closer: Melancon signs with Giants

Nats need a new closer: Melancon signs with Giants
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Nationals have employed four different experienced closers in the last four years, and it appears they'll have to employ a fifth one next season. Mark Melancon, whom the Nationals acquired in July to fortify a tenuous position at the back end of their bullpen, has agreed to a deal with the Giants, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. And if that deal is finalized after Melancon passes a physical, the Nats will be left searching elsewhere for a ninth-inning pitching...
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With meetings officially underway, can Nats land a big prize?

With meetings officially underway, can Nats land a big prize?
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Winter Meetings officially open for business this morning - no, anything you saw or read about yesterday at the Gaylord National Resort didn't officially happen - and so the rumors will begin to fly fast and furious through the lobby here. Whether the Nationals make official news these next four days or just continue to find themselves the subject of potential news remains to be seen. But there's certainly a sense among everyone that they are primed to do...
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Selig, Schuerholz elected to Hall of Fame; Johnson falls short

Selig, Schuerholz elected to Hall of Fame; Johnson falls short
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Former Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig and longtime Royals and Braves general manager John Schuerholz were elected to the Hall of Fame this evening, emerging as the only two inductees from a list of candidates selected by the newly altered version of the Veterans' Committee that included former Nationals manager Davey Johnson. Johnson received fewer than five votes from the panel of 16 Hall of Fame members, executives and veteran media members who made the...
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Nats could be center of attention at local Winter Meetings

Nats could be center of attention at local Winter Meetings
For the next four days, Washington will be the center of the baseball universe. The question around here is whether the Nationals will be the center of attention at the Winter Meetings being held in their backyard. Few teams around the sport have the potential to be in the spotlight as much as the Nationals do this week at baseball's annual offseason event, held for the first time at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, a mere seven miles south of Nationals Park. The hometown...
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More thoughts on yesterday's moves and non-moves

More thoughts on yesterday's moves and non-moves
Friday turned out to be a busy day for the Nationals, but not for the reason many were expecting. There was no trade with the Pirates for Andrew McCutchen, not yet at least. But there was a trade with the Padres for Derek Norris. And there was the non-tendering of Ben Revere, coinciding with the tendering of Danny Espinosa. What does it all mean in the bigger picture? Some thoughts on each of the moves (and non-moves)... * The McCutchen trade didn't happen yesterday, which may have prompted...
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Nats non-tender Revere, retain others (including Espinosa)

Nats non-tender Revere, retain others (including Espinosa)
Ben Revere's tenure with the Nationals has ended after one disappointing season. Danny Espinosa's tumultuous tenure with the organization will extend into its ninth year. The Nationals elected not to tender a contract to Revere before tonight's 8 p.m. deadline, cutting the outfielder loose and making him a free agent. Four players who are eligible for arbitration - Espinosa, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Tanner Roark - all were tendered contracts. The latter three were all expected,...
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Nats face tender decisions before deadline tonight

Nats face tender decisions before deadline tonight
So much of what the Nationals do this winter is dependent on something else they do. They won't know if Trea Turner is their center fielder or shortstop until they either acquire another outfielder or not. They won't know if Danny Espinosa is still their shortstop until they know if Turner is switching positions. There are dominoes lined up all over the place, but most of them can't fall until the first one does. Which may finally begin to happen today. Whether they're able to consummate a...
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Nationals sign Lobaton to one-year deal, avoid arbitration

Nationals sign Lobaton to one-year deal, avoid arbitration
The Nationals announced a player transaction this afternoon, but not the transaction many have been on pins and needles on while they wait for it to be completed. Pushing a proposed trade with the Pirates for star outfielder Andrew McCutchen aside for at least a moment, the Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Jose Lobaton, avoiding arbitration with the popular veteran catcher. Terms of the deal weren't immediately known, but Lobaton was due to receive a modest raise from his...
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Sources: Nats, Pirates engaged in McCutchen trade talks

Sources: Nats, Pirates engaged in McCutchen trade talks
The Nationals and Pirates have progressed in talks about a trade that would bring star outfielder Andrew McCutchen to D.C., but the two sides haven't yet agreed on the full package of players the deal would require, and the cost figures to be extensive. Two names that have come up, according to sources familiar with the discussions, are Reynaldo Lopez and Victor Robles, two of the Nationals' top prospects. Even then, one source said the Pirates might not agree to the trade unless a third...
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New CBA underscores the strong state of baseball today

New CBA underscores the strong state of baseball today
The last time Major League Baseball games were seriously in danger of being canceled due to a work stoppage was on Aug. 30, 2002. After playing the first five months of the season with an expired collective bargaining agreement, the Players' Association voted to go on strike if a new deal couldn't be reached by that day. The specter of a work stoppage was all too real. The players' strike of 1994 was still fresh in everyone's minds. Owners and players had not agreed to any new CBA without...
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Rest of NL East has been aggressive early this offseason

Rest of NL East has been aggressive early this offseason
For the Nationals, this has been a fairly quiet offseason so far. There's still a long way to go before pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach, Fla., and certainly there will be plenty of significant roster moves made between now and then. But so far, the Nats have re-signed reserve outfielder Chris Heisey to a one-year deal and added a few players on minor league contracts. That's it. For the rest of the National League East, this offseason has been anything but quiet. There's been...
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Nats watch as Cespedes returns to Mets for reported $110 million

Nats watch as Cespedes returns to Mets for reported $110 million
If the Nationals are going to bolster their lineup with another right-handed slugger, they'll have to find somebody other than Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes agreed to a new deal with the Mets today, returning to New York for four years and $110 million, according to a host of reports. The 31-year-old outfielder had signed a three-year, $75 million with the Mets last winter but enacted an opt-out clause at the end of the season, making him a free agent and ultimately earning him a hefty raise. The...
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How much are Nats willing to give up in a blockbuster trade?

How much are Nats willing to give up in a blockbuster trade?
There's been a lot of chatter already this offseason about blockbuster trade possibilities, with White Sox ace Chris Sale at the top of the list and the Nationals among the clubs widely speculated to be contemplating a deal for the left-hander. It's a long and winding path, of course, to get from the kind of preliminary chatter we've heard so far to an actual trade taking place. The same applies to any other possible big-name players the Nats may or may not be intrigued by this winter, such...
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Where the Nationals' organizational depth chart currently stands

Where the Nationals' organizational depth chart currently stands
With a brief Thanksgiving break behind them, the Nationals get back to work today on what is sort of the unofficial first true day of the hot stove league. Yes, roster moves have already been made over the last few weeks and a few other clubs have already signed a handful of prominent free agents. But most of the significant offseason transactions happen between Thanksgiving and Inauguration Day, and so that portion of the baseball calendar commences now. A week from today, the Winter Meetings...
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Could the Nationals give Revere another chance?

Could the Nationals give Revere another chance?
In all of the discussions we've had since the season ended six weeks ago about the various choices the Nationals have for their 2017 outfield, we've kind of glossed over one more option that isn't all that outrageous: bringing Ben Revere back as the starting center fielder. Revere turned into a forgotten man over the season's final two months, once he was bumped from his starting job by Trea Turner. That bumping was more than deserved, but it left Revere with virtually no role down the...
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Ramos progressing in rehab from right knee surgery

Ramos progressing in rehab from right knee surgery
We'll never know what might have been had Wilson Ramos not torn the ACL in his right knee on Sept. 26, whether it would have altered the Nationals' postseason fortunes and whether it would have altered their chances of re-signing him this winter. Neither Ramos nor the Nationals can do anything about that now. They can only look forward. And for Ramos, that means some intense rehabilitation right now as the free agent catcher tries to convince teams around the sport he is still worth a...
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What's your Black Friday shopping wish for the Nationals?

What's your Black Friday shopping wish for the Nationals?
It's Black Friday, which means around the country people stayed up all night so they could fight off their fellow citizens with sticks trying to snag a cheap television or washing machine or Tickle Me Elmo or whatever it is people fight each other over these days. (Suffice it to say, I don't know a thing about any of this. I prefer to do my shopping at 11 a.m. on random Tuesdays, when nobody else can get in your way.) But I guess Black Friday is a big thing for many because it presents the...
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What the Nationals are thankful for today

What the Nationals are thankful for today
It's a tumultuous time in the world, but today we all pause to spend time with family and friends and appreciate what we have. That applies to the Nationals, as well. (Hey, these guys are human beings. They have feelings, too!) And so in honor of this fourth Thursday of November, we present to you what each of the following Nats are most thankful for right now. (These are 100 percent accurate, I assure you. I would never make up fake news just to get readers riled up!) ... MAX SCHERZER: For...
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Nationals acquire hard-throwing reliever from Phillies

Nationals acquire hard-throwing reliever from Phillies
The Nationals have acquired reliever Jimmy Cordero from the Phillies for a player to be named, hoping the hard-throwing right-hander can bounce back from an injury-plagued season in Philadelphia's farm system and become a late-inning arm for them at some point. Cordero, 25, had been designated for assignment last week by the Phillies, who needed to clear space on their 40-man roster for other prospects who needed to be protected from the Rule 5 draft. He has no major league experience but now...
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