WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Spring training signings aren't rare. They happen every year. But spring training signings of players as notable as Matt Wieters don't happen that often, at least not for the Nationals, who at this time of year typically have brought in guys only on minor league contracts with no guarantee of an opening day roster spot.
Wieters, of course, is going to be the Nats' starting catcher come opening day (barring injury). And so the news of his deal Tuesday - it's still...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Derek Norris knew what was up when a group of reporters approached him at his locker following today's workout at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
"No comment!" the 28-year-old catcher barked, before quickly revealing he was joking and inviting the group to move closer to ask him about the subject on everyone's mind: Matt Wieters.
Norris learned of the Nationals' plan to sign Wieters earlier in the morning when manager Dusty Baker summoned him before the workout....
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Though the Matt Wieters news dominated the day, there was an actual workout this morning at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The Nationals' third full-squad workout, to be precise, and the second in a row to feature pitchers throwing to live hitters.
All the guys who didn't throw off the mound Monday participated today (aside from Max Scherzer, who is restricted until his right ring finger is fully healed) and among the more notable throwers were Shawn Kelley and Koda...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals' signing of Matt Wieters is a done deal, pending the catcher passing a physical, Dusty Baker said this afternoon. Now the veteran manager and his organization have to figure out what to do with their logjam behind the plate.
Baker confirmed the deal in his daily press briefing, saying it was important to get Wieters in camp now rather than later this spring to ensure he has ample time to learn the Nationals' pitching staff.
"It's better that we got him...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals and Matt Wieters had been linked to each other all winter, seemingly a good match for both the club and the free agent catcher. This morning, the two sides appear finally to have found common ground.
Though nothing is done yet, a source familiar with the talks said the Nationals are progressing toward a deal with Wieters, one that could be finalized soon.
Terms of this potential deal haven't been confirmed, but Wieters reportedly will get a two-year...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Before we get started, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the kind words and well wishes over the last week. For those who don't know, my mother-in-law passed away unexpectedly late last Monday night. I flew back to Washington the next morning and was home all week, helping my wife, our son, my father-in-law and sister-in-law cope with a difficult situation.
Everybody is doing reasonably well, given the circumstances, and we're all grateful...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Until Max Scherzer can throw pain-free, he won't be throwing off a mound.
The Nationals right-hander is slowly progressing in his recovery from a hairline facture of the knuckle on the ring finger of his throwing hand. So far in camp, he's been limited to long tossing on flat ground and participating in pitchers fielding practice to maintain his agility.
Yesterday, he took part in a fielding drill that required him to throw toward the plate. But instead of whizzing a...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There's not that much to it, and it hardly is a true representation of the pitcher-batter confrontations that will take place nightly not long from now. But at this early stage of the spring, the sight of live batting practice always perks everybody up. If nothing else, it's a reminder that the games themselves are fast approaching.
The Nationals held their first round of live BP this morning, taking advantage of the cloverleaf of four practice fields they have outside...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Under normal circumstances, a rookie pitcher in his first major league spring training would be a fly on the wall. He'd say little, listen a lot and hope he lasted long enough in camp to glean something from the older veterans with something to offer him.
But nothing about Nationals right-hander Koda Glover is ordinary. Not his imposing look on the mound. Not the way he fires bullets at a catcher's mitt. Not the fact that he jumped from high Single-A Potomac, through...
The Orioles have worries about ace pitcher Chris Tillman's shoulder and questions about rotation depth. Shortstop J.J. Hardy has back issues and, while Seth Smith will play right field, manager Buck Showalter has to figure out left field.
The Nationals aren't sure if the stress fracture in the knuckle of ace pitcher Max Scherzer's right ring finger will allow him to pitch on opening day. And there's the never-ending question about who is going to pitch the ninth inning - Blake Treinen,...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The first full-squad workout of spring training is old hat for Nationals manager Dusty Baker.
Baker doesn't feel it's necessary to see every player each day. So if he missed Bryce Harper taking batting practice - or the barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat sent to him by the folks at "The Walking Dead" that the slugger toted to the practice field this morning - he will have plenty more days to watch Harper terrorize pitchers with more traditional lumber.
Nor does Baker...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Last May 11, Jayson Werth was batting .196 and wondering whether his thrice-broken left wrist was ever going to be strong enough to help him power through his swing. Six years into the seven-year, $126 million contract he signed in December 2010, Werth often looked overmatched, and some wondered whether he'd ever be a regular contributor again.
"After like the first six weeks, I was somewhat happy that Dusty (Baker) stuck with me," Werth recalled Sunday after the...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Shawn Kelley understands the intense scrutiny Nationals manager Dusty Baker faces as he tries to come up with a plan for who will close games. But Kelley wishes the fans up in arms about the possibility of an inexperienced closer taking over the ninth inning would keep one thing in mind.
"Everybody wants the big innings, but there's a lot of big innings in the game now," Kelley said. "Sometimes when you come in in the sixth or seventh when there's guys on after the...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - He's yet to take part in an official spring training workout, and his first Grapefruit League game is still six days away, but new Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton is already feeling comfortable enough in his new surroundings to dream about what might me.
From his stall at the end of veterans' row in the Nationals clubhouse, he peers to the right and sees some big sticks - first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, second baseman Daniel Murphy, right fielder Bryce Harper and...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Everyone seems to agree that Ryan Zimmerman has some work to do to rebound from the worst offensive year of his 12-year major league career. Teams need power from first base, and Zimmerman's .218/.272/.2370 slash line, 15 homers and 46 RBIs left something to be desired.
Problem is, there are different thoughts as to what Zimmerman should do.
Dusty Baker thinks the 32-year-old needs to be more aggressive instead of employing a selective approach. Last season, Baker...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - One of the reasons the Nationals selected Dusty Baker as their manager two offseasons ago was the veteran skipper's pedigree of successfully dealing with high-profile, young sluggers. For Baker, working with Bryce Harper on a daily basis is no different than his past relationships with Barry Bonds in San Francisco or Ken Griffey Jr. in Cincinnati.
Maybe that's why Baker has a significant insight into whether Harper will rebound from a marked downturn last season after...
The full Nationals squad has reported to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and full workouts are underway. All is right in Natstown.
Before you know it, we'll have real, live-action baseball games for you fans. To be specific, that comes to you next Tuesday, Feb. 28, when MASN will broadcast the first of seven Nats spring training games this season as the tennants of the new training facility in West Palm Beach go head-to-head.
That also means this is the last full week of "Nationals...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Brian Goodwin's status in the Nationals organization has changed since this time last year, when he was still viewed a somewhat raw prospect yet to realize his potential.
That's what a seven-week cup of coffee at the end of the season does for a player's standing, especially when the player holds his own offensively, displays good defensive tendencies and turns on the jets when he reaches base.
The 26-year-old Goodwin, a former first-round pick (34th overall) in the...
A review of the 2017 Nationals promotional schedule includes some quality bobblehead giveaways again, "Star Wars" Day, a '90s night, a first Easter egg hunt and a Mother's Day brunch.
The giveaways are always the best for the Nationals fan interested in team apparel and collectibles.
The bobblehead giveaways are:
April 14 - Daniel Murphy bobblehead (first 25,000 fans) May 12 - Trea Turner bobblehead June 9 - Tanner Roark bobblehead
Apparel giveaways:
June 14 - Patriotic tank top July 26 -...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As a season's worth of whispers about what was wrong with Bryce Harper - whether he had an injured shoulder, a kink in his neck, whether his swing was irreparably broken - leaked into the offseason, the Nationals slugger couldn't care less.
Instead of paying any attention to his critics or their omnipresent theories, Harper had a busy offseason of deadlifting 505 lbs. during weight training sessions, sporting new swag from Las Vegas' new National Hockey League team,...