Pete Kerzel

Does Michael Morse fit better in left or right field?

December 29, 2011, 7:44am

If the Nationals are intent on going into 2012 with Jayson Werth as their primary center fielder - as general manager Mike Rizzo told a national radio audience Wednesday - the move creates an opening in right field. Rizzo's proclamation has also stirred up a lot of discussion in NatsTown in the past 24 hours, with curious fans wondering who will be manning the patch of green to Werth's left (for you directionally challenged folks, right field is to Werth's left). Yes, there's a lot of...

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Nats seem to be leaning toward Werth in center

December 28, 2011, 9:04am

Nationals

Nats seem to be leaning toward Werth in center

Further proof that the Nationals are willing to go into 2012 with Jayson Werth as their primary center fielder: General manager Mike Rizzo pretty much said as much in an interview this morning on MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM. "We see the 2013 free agent class at center field is much stronger than it is for the 2012 season," Rizzo said. "With that in mind, we know Jayson can handle the center field position. It's not a perfect world for us. He's a good defender out there and is ready,...

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Nationals announce one-year deal with Mark DeRosa

December 28, 2011, 6:30am

Nationals

Through their public relations department's Twitter account, the Nationals have announced that they've signed free agent utility man Mark DeRosa to a one-year deal. The 36-year-old has started games at six different positions during his 14-year major league career. He's played everywhere but pitcher, catcher and center field. He is a career .272 hitter with 93 homers and 452 RBIs for the Braves, Rangers, Cubs, Indians, Cardinals and Giants. Last season in San Francisco, he batted .279 in...

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Lefty Ballard inks minor league deal with Nationals

December 27, 2011, 3:35pm

Nationals

Add another name to the list of organizational depth players signed by the Nationals this offseason. Left-hander Mike Ballard has inked a minor league deal with the Nats, per this tweet from MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Ballard is a 27-year-old native of Norfolk, Va., who has logged a 51-43 record and 4.50 ERA in eight minor league seasons. He spent the first five years of his pro career in the Rangers system before joining the Orioles organization last season, when he went 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA at...

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What if ... Jerry Dipoto had gotten the GM gig that went to Mike Rizzo?

December 27, 2011, 9:49am

Nationals

What if ... Jerry Dipoto had gotten the GM gig that went to Mike Rizzo?

Depending on your point of view, general manager Mike Rizzo is either a forward-thinking executive who just made a decisive move that landed the Nationals a front-line starting pitcher with the trade for Gio Gonzalez, or he's the overreacting fool who just mortgaged the club's farm system and future for a chance to win sooner rather than later. But Rizzo's latest deal, whatever it does or does not produce, is also perfect fodder for our "What if?" Wednesday discussion, which this week...

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Join MASNsports.com bloggers at Shorebirds' Jan. 28 Hot Stove Banquet

December 27, 2011, 7:32am

Orioles

Join MASNsports.com bloggers at Shorebirds' Jan. 28 Hot Stove Banquet

Back in the days before the Internet, Twitter and MLBTradeRumors.com, folks whiled away the winter months by sitting around and talking baseball. They didn't wait for the next day's newspaper, the 11 p.m. news or a few seconds of diamond discussion on the radio; they talked among themselves, shared opinions and engaged in meaningful dialogue. Taking a cue from this old-school approach, the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds have changed the format of their annual Hot Stove Banquet, which will be...

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For starters, Nats' improved rotation has at least one too many arms

December 27, 2011, 6:36am

Nationals

For starters, Nats' improved rotation has at least one too many arms

There's no way around it: The Nationals have at least one more starting pitcher than spots in the vastly improved five-man rotation that will break camp from spring training in Viera, Fla., in early April. "We have great depth in the starting rotation," general manager Mike Rizzo said Friday night during a conference call to announce the trade for Gio Gonzalez. "We've got (Stephen) Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Chien-Ming Wang, Ross Detwiler, John Lannan. We also have guys...

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Some leftovers from Rizzo's conference call

December 23, 2011, 5:30pm

Nationals

Some leftovers from Rizzo's conference call

A couple of pre-holiday morsels left over from the conference call with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo after the six-player trade that landed left-hander Gio Gonzalez was formally announced: * Don't buy into all of those rumors about clandestine talks between the Nationals and free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. Asked if Adam LaRoche would be the Nationals' first baseman in 2012, Rizzo said, "That is correct." * While Rizzo continues to search the free agent and trade markets...

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Rizzo on Gonzalez: "He brings a presence in our rotation"

December 23, 2011, 4:21pm

Nationals

Rizzo on Gonzalez: "He brings a presence in our rotation"

There's very little about Gio Gonzalez that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo doesn't like. He throws four pitches, gobbles up innings and posts the kind of statistics that make opposing general managers drool with envy. In short, the southpaw is a power pitcher in a game where few hurlers can lay claim to that jb description. If that wasn't evident by the left-hander's presence as the centerpiece of the six-player trade between the A's and Nationals that was finally announced Friday...

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Nationals acquire Gio Gonzalez from A's in six-player deal

December 23, 2011, 3:43pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today acquired left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez and right-handed pitcher Robert Gilliam from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for catcher Derek Norris, right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole, right-handed pitcher Brad Peacock and left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The 26 year-old Gonzalez is coming off his finest big league season to date. In 2011, he finished 16-12...

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Five questions (and answers) about Gio Gonzalez

December 23, 2011, 10:40am

Nationals

Five questions (and answers) about Gio Gonzalez

The deal is done, finally officially announced by the teams involved Friday night. The Nationals have acquired left-hander Gio Gonzalez and minor league right-hander Robert Gilliam from the A's in exchange for four top prospects: right-handers Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, left-hander Tommy Milone and catcher Derek Norris. Some of you like the deal, others don't. Curiously enough, in the two weeks since the Winter Meetings ended in Dallas, a good portion of NatsTown has been milling about with...

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Price was high, but Nats finally get workhorse arm in Gio Gonzalez (updated)

December 22, 2011, 12:06pm

Nationals

Price was high, but Nats finally get workhorse arm in Gio Gonzalez (updated)

There are all kinds of reasons to make a trade - you're trying to fill a hole, you're trying to loosen a positional logjam, you need to create a pathway for a promising young player. The Nationals' acquisition Thursday afternoon of left-hander Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland A's in exchange for four prospects solves a glaring need in the Washington rotation: someone to log lots of innings and take the pressure off younger starters coming off injuries. Both sides have agreed in principle to...

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Done deal? Report says Rizzo snags Gonzalez in 4-for-1 swap (updated)

December 22, 2011, 11:34am

Nationals

Done deal? Report says Rizzo snags Gonzalez in 4-for-1 swap (updated)

According to this tweet from ESPN's Keith Law, the Nationals have finally landed a front-line starting pitcher they've been seeking, dealing four prospects to the Oakland A's in exchange for left-hander Gio Gonzalez. We're still waiting definitive word from the Nationals, of course, but if the deal goes down as reported, the A's got quite a haul for the 26-year-old southpaw, who is under team control through 2015. The Nationals' package in the 4-for-1 swap included right-hander Brad...

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Nationals agree to deal with utility man DeRosa

December 22, 2011, 5:48am

Nationals

The Nationals continue to talk to the A's about a blockbuster swap for left-hander Gio Gonzalez, and they're moving closer to locking in a veteran utility man that manager Davey Johnson has wanted to add all offseason. According to baseball sources with knowledge of the negotiations, the Nationals are closing in on a deal with 36-year-old Mark DeRosa, whose versatility would fit well with Johnson's rejiggered bench. The right-handed-hitting DeRosa is a 14-season major leaguer and has played...

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O's begin search to replace departing McGowan as PA voice of Camden Yards

December 21, 2011, 4:26pm

Orioles

O's begin search to replace departing McGowan as PA voice of Camden Yards

The Baltimore Orioles are looking for the new voice of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The search is on for a public address announcer for home games at Oriole Park beginning in 2012, the ballpark's 20th Anniversary season. The new public address announcer will be only the third in Camden Yards history, following Rex Barney (1992-97) and David McGowan (1998-2011). After 14 seasons as public address announcer at Camden Yards, McGowan has stepped down from the position due to a change in his...

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McGowan steps down, O's begin search for new voice at Camden Yards

December 21, 2011, 3:46pm

Orioles

McGowan steps down, O's begin search for new voice at Camden Yards

Here's another change for the 20th anniversary season at Camden Yards: The Orioles are searching for a new voice to replace veteran public address announcer David McGowan, who has announced he will step down from his duties after 14 seasons. "It is with great sadness that I must step down as public address announcer due to a career change," McGowan said in a team-issued statement. "I feel so fortunate to have played even a small role in helping Orioles fans enjoy major league baseball in...

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Nationals claim 3B Rivero off waivers from Phillies

December 21, 2011, 8:57am

Nationals

The Nationals have claimed third baseman Carlos Rivero off waivers from the Phillies, per a team-issued press release. The 23-year-old Venezuelan hit .270 with 36 doubles, 16 homers and 71 RBIs between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2011. He was primarily a shortstop at the start of his minor league career in the Indians' organization, but switched to third base almost full-time last season when he joined the Phillies. The addition of Rivero gives the Nationals 37 players on...

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What if ... the Nationals hadn't drafted Ryan Zimmerman?

December 20, 2011, 9:35am

Nationals

Long before the hope embodied by Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman was the face of the Nationals. When the team was still trying to gain a foothold on the D.C. sports scene, when vestiges of the Expos hadn't yet been eradicated from towel carts and equipment bags, it was Zimmerman who provided optimism for the future. His selection as the transplanted team's first draft pick in 2005 was a watershed moment, an opportunity for then-general manager Jim Bowden to select a player...

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FanFest autograph vouchers to go on sale Jan. 7

December 20, 2011, 7:07am

Orioles

FanFest autograph vouchers to go on sale Jan. 7

FanFest autograph vouchers will go on sale Saturday, Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. at www.orioles.com. A preview of the sessions will be available at the team Web site no later than 9 p.m. on Jan. 6 to allow fans to plan for the next morning's purchase. Details regarding the number of autograph vouchers available, the cost, and more will be announced shortly after Jan. 1 by the team. Just as last year, when the new autograph procedures debuted, all proceeds generated from the sale of autograph vouchers...

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Is Rizzo honing in on deal for A's Gio Gonzalez?

December 20, 2011, 6:57am

Nationals

Is Rizzo honing in on deal for A's Gio Gonzalez?

The posting portion of the Yu Darvish sweepstakes is over and the Texas Rangers were the winner, with a reported record bid of $51.7 million. That gets them 30 days to negotiate with the Japanese right-hander in hopes of knocking out a long-term contract that's expected to push their total investment in Darvish well over $100 million. Is it just me, or do you sometimes feel like baseball executives are playing with Monopoly money? The Nationals didn't place a bid on Darvish, despite...