Mark Zuckerman

Can Werth keep it going in seventh and final year of contract?

October 23, 2016, 8:45pm

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Jayson Werth, who despite a slow start managed to put together another solid season even as the outfielder approaches the twilight of his career. PLAYER REVIEW: JAYSON WERTH Age on opening day 2017: 37 How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2010 MLB service time: 13 years, 102 days 2016 salary: $21 million Contract status: Signed for $21 million in 2017, free...

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More power in 2017 would make Robinson more valuable to Nats

October 22, 2016, 12:54pm

Nationals

More power in 2017 would make Robinson more valuable to Nats

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Clint Robinson, who in his second full big league season further established himself as a reliable bench bat who can take over at first base when needed. PLAYER REVIEW: CLINT ROBINSON Age on opening day 2017: 32 How acquired: Signed as minor league free agent, December 2014 MLB service time: 2 years, 28 days 2016 salary: $534,900 Contract status: Under team control...

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Drew's strong second half could entice Nats to try to re-sign him

October 21, 2016, 11:00am

Nationals

Drew's strong second half could entice Nats to try to re-sign him

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Stephen Drew, who struggled early in his first season in Washington, then managed to become a key performer off the bench despite a prolonged absence due to an unusual ailment. PLAYER REVIEW: STEPHEN DREW Age on opening day 2017: 34 How acquired: Signed as free agent, Jan. 2016 MLB service time: 10 years, 38 days 2016 salary: $3 million Contract status: Free...

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After career year halted by ACL tear, uncertain future for Ramos

October 20, 2016, 1:45pm

Nationals

After career year halted by ACL tear, uncertain future for Ramos

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Wilson Ramos, who enjoyed a career year that included his first-ever All-Star selection, only to have it cut short in the season's final week when he tore the ACL in his right knee. PLAYER REVIEW: WILSON RAMOS Age on opening day 2017: 29 How acquired: Acquired with Joe Testa from Twins for Matt Capps, July 2010 MLB service time: 6 years, 47 days 2016 salary: $5.35...

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Nationals retain entire coaching staff for 2017

October 20, 2016, 12:05pm

Nationals

Dusty Baker's entire coaching staff will return in 2017. The Nationals announced today that all seven coaches on Baker's staff - bench coach Chris Speier, pitching coach Mike Maddux, first base coach Davey Lopes, third base coach Bob Henley, hitting coach Rick Schu, assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones and bullpen coach Dan Firova - have been retained for another season. The news doesn't come as much surprise, given how well-liked the staff was by this year's roster, but most of the coaches...

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After sluggish April, Rendon recaptured top form in 2016

October 19, 2016, 1:02pm

Nationals

After sluggish April, Rendon recaptured top form in 2016

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Anthony Rendon, who got off to slow start but then became one of the club's most consistent and productive hitters in the second half. PLAYER REVIEW: ANTHONY RENDON Age on opening day 2017: 26 How acquired: First-round pick, 2011 draft MLB service time: 3 years, 130 days 2016 salary: $2.8 million Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2017. Free agent in...

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After an all-too-familiar year, what does future hold for Espinosa?

October 18, 2016, 12:54pm

Nationals

After an all-too-familiar year, what does future hold for Espinosa?

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Danny Espinosa, who once again tantalized everyone with a midseason power surge, but once again finished with unimpressive numbers because of an inability to consistently make contact. PLAYER REVIEW: DANNY ESPINOSA Age on opening day 2017: 29 How acquired: Third-round pick, 2008 draft MLB service time: 5 years, 113 days 2016 salary: $2.875 million Contract status:...

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Once a fallback option, Murphy turned in MVP-caliber year

October 17, 2016, 10:57am

Nationals

Once a fallback option, Murphy turned in MVP-caliber year

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Daniel Murphy, whose first season in Washington proved to be among the best all-around seasons in Nats history and made the veteran infielder an MVP candidate. PLAYER REVIEW: DANIEL MURPHY Age on opening day 2017: 32 How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2016 MLB service time: 7 years, 109 days 2016 salary: $8 million Contract status: Signed for $12 million...

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What can Nats expect from Zimmerman after difficult season?

October 16, 2016, 7:37pm

Nationals

What can Nats expect from Zimmerman after difficult season?

As we transition into offseason mode here, we'll begin with reviews of each significant player on the Nationals roster. We begin today with Ryan Zimmerman, the once-reliable slugger who struggled through his worst major league season before finding his stroke just in time for the playoffs. PLAYER REVIEW: RYAN ZIMMERMAN Age on opening day 2017: 32 How acquired: First-round pick, 2005 draft MLB service time: 11 years, 32 days 2016 salary: $14 million Contract status: Signed for $14 million in...

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Top five offseason storylines for the Nationals

October 15, 2016, 9:05pm

Nationals

It happened much sooner than anyone around here wanted, but it's now officially the offseason in D.C., and there's nothing anybody can do to change that. This figures to be quite a compelling offseason for the Nationals, who will be motivated to do what they can to put themselves in a better position to advance deeper into October in 2017 than they did in 2016. At the same time, most of the necessary pieces are already in place. General manager Mike Rizzo doesn't have to do a whole lot this...

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Looking back at what went right during the NLDS

October 14, 2016, 7:44pm

Nationals

Looking back at what went right during the NLDS

There's been plenty of teeth-nashing, head-banging and face-palming in the last 36 hours over everything that went wrong for the Nationals in Games 4 and 5 of the National League Division Series. That's fine. Losses like this need to be analyzed and rehashed, with an eye on what could have been different. Let's take a moment this morning, though, to do the opposite exercise. Instead of looking at what went wrong in the NLDS, let's take a brief look at what went right. You may be surprised...

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Ramos has surgery for torn ACL, Nats say rehab is 6-8 months

October 14, 2016, 12:33pm

Nationals

Ramos has surgery for torn ACL, Nats say rehab is 6-8 months

Wilson Ramos had surgery to repair the torn ACL in his right knee today, a procedure that may not allow the soon-to-be free agent catcher to be ready for the start of the 2017 season. Ramos also had repairs done to the medial meniscus and lateral meniscus in his knee, the Nationals said. Rehab from the surgery, performed by orthopedist Robert Najarian, is expected to take six to eight months. The 29-year-old catcher was enjoying the best season of his career when he hurt himself leaping to...

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Revisiting all the key decisions in the Nationals' Game 5 loss

October 14, 2016, 7:54am

Nationals

The sting hasn't worn off yet, and it probably won't for quite some time. The Nationals are dispersing around the country today, going home for the winter instead of going to Chicago for a shot at the pennant. Game 5 of the 2016 National League Division Series was an all-timer, one they'll be talking about for years. Whether the Nationals themselves or their fans will ever be able to appreciate that remains to be seen. Certainly it's not something anyone wants to contemplate today. So much...

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Nationals left to process another early October exit

October 13, 2016, 11:00pm

Nationals

Jayson Werth has been through this before, more times than he'd like to remember. No two postseason elimination games are quite the same, and every season-ending loss hurts in its own way. This one, though, this one was ... well, what exactly was it? The final score said the Nationals lost 4-3 to the Dodgers in the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The winding path it took to get to that final moment, though, that was unlike anything Werth or others in a somber clubhouse...

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Nationals come up short again, lose 4-3 in epic Game 5

October 13, 2016, 8:43pm

Nationals

This one will require some time to fully process. The crowd of 43,936 that sat, stood, roared and groaned through every moment of Game 5 of the National League Division Series knows only that it just witnessed one of the wildest winner-take-all showdowns in baseball history. Someone will write a novel about this one, maybe on the 66-minute seventh inning alone, the critical frame of the game that featured more highs and lows than you could reasonably imagine. The only thing the fans that filed...

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Baker wants fans positive, says Strasburg won't pitch in NLCS

October 13, 2016, 2:02pm

Nationals

Baker wants fans positive, says Strasburg won't pitch in NLCS

Not that you'd expect anything less from him, but Nationals manager Dusty Baker is particularly relaxed and confident heading into Game 5 of the National League Division Series. And he's been that way all day. "To tell you the truth, I got up, said my prayers like I always do," Baker said when asked what his emotions were like today. "Got a cup of coffee. And then packed for Chicago." The Nationals, of course, will have no need to pack for Chicago if they lose tonight's do-or-die game...

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NLDS Game 5 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

October 13, 2016, 11:49am

Nationals

And so it has come to this. Game 5. Winner-take-all. One team heads to Chicago this weekend for the National League Championship Series. One team heads home for the winter, wondering what might have been. We've experienced this once before during this era of D.C. baseball. The final outcome is one that continues to haunt everyone. Tonight's result could go a long way toward pushing those bad memories aside. This is, quite simply, Max Scherzer's game. He's rested. He's ready. He was brought...

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Win or lose Game 5, Nationals have proven something this year

October 12, 2016, 4:32pm

Nationals

When they take the field shortly after 8 p.m. tonight, Max Scherzer leading the way, the Nationals will be facing far more than the Dodgers in a do-or-die baseball game. They'll be facing their own demons, the demons of two previous postseason failures, the demons of two other regular season failures during this five-year run of excellence, the demons of Washington's entire sports existence that have prevented any of the city's major pro clubs from so much as reaching the final four of its...

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Scherzer looks forward to the "biggest start of my life"

October 11, 2016, 10:11pm

Nationals

Scherzer looks forward to the "biggest start of my life"

LOS ANGELES - Max Scherzer didn't even pause to think about it when asked Tuesday night about the significance of what takes place Thursday night in D.C. "Yep, this is probably the biggest start of my career," he said. "Biggest start of my life. I've said that a handful of times throughout my career. How you handle that, going out there and using the emotion of that scenario, that everything's on the line ... I'm not gonna shy away from it. This is the biggest start of my...

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"It's win or go home - it's time to win"

October 11, 2016, 7:03pm

Nationals

"It's win or go home - it's time to win"

LOS ANGELES - It was the kind of sequence that championship clubs so often put together in October. Trailing late in a critical postseason game, facing one of the best in the sport, somehow finding a way to string together several quality at-bats and produce an inspiring rally. The Nationals did all that in the top of the seventh today at Dodger Stadium, and after Daniel Murphy's two-out, two-run single brought home the tying run, it was perfectly appropriate to wonder whether this would be...