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A guide to first week of spring games in West Palm Beach with the Nationals

February 06, 2017, 5:43am

The excitement of another baseball season arriving for the Nationals is ramped up with the new spring training facility - The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches - and the ease it will have on travel plans for fans. With the move to West Palm Beach, the Nationals have moved 126 miles south down Interstate 95 and closer to the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. The Nationals' first Grapefruit League game on the schedule is Feb. 25 at Port St. Lucie (45 miles northwest) against the Mets. Viera was 83 miles...

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Bullpen has some holes but plenty of talent

February 03, 2017, 5:46pm

Nationals

Bullpen has some holes but plenty of talent

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 ... This may come as a surprise, given how much angst there seems to be over the subject, but the Nationals had one of baseball's best bullpens last season. The unit ranked in the top five in the majors in ERA (3.37), WHIP (1.187), opponents' on-base percentage (.300) and opponents' OPS (.673). So how come there's still so...

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New spring facility will accelerate relations between Nationals and Astros

February 04, 2017, 5:33pm

Nationals

The opening of The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the new spring training facility shared by the Nationals and Astros, will be extremely beneficial to the preparation for the 2017 season and beyond for both clubs. The 6,500-seat baseball stadium will be state-of-the-art for spring training. The 12 practice fields outside the main diamond - six for each team - will be easy to navigate for players and fans. With a hat tip to the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Arizona, shared by the...

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Relive "Nationals Classics": Walking off into spring training

February 02, 2017, 9:50am

Nationals

It's so close you can almost feel the Florida sun. Spring training - when Nationals pitchers and catchers report to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach - is nine days away. Meaning, by this time next week, you'll have baseball activities just a couple of sleeps away. Until then, MASN rolls out it's final non-baseball week of "Nationals Classics" to hold you off for these last couple of days of the offseason. This week is jam-packed with walk-off victories and sprinkled with...

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Nationals add veteran Guthrie on minor league deal

February 03, 2017, 12:12pm

Nationals

In need of some experienced rotation depth, the Nationals have signed veteran Jeremy Guthrie to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp this spring. Guthrie hasn't pitched in the majors since 2015 with the Royals, but the Nats are willing to take a low-risk chance on the 37-year-old, a highly popular member of rotations in Baltimore and Kansas City over the last decade. Owner of a 91-108 record and 4.37 ERA in 305 career major league appearances (272 starts), Guthrie...

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Nats rotation is stacked again, but does have question marks

February 02, 2017, 7:47pm

Nationals

Nats rotation is stacked again, but does have question marks

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 ... In each of the last five seasons, the Nationals have boasted one of baseball's best rotations. But it's notable that in the three seasons in which that rotation ranked among the top two in the sport, the Nationals proceeded to win a division title. In the two seasons in which the rotation dropped to seventh-best...

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Thursday morning Nats Q&A

February 01, 2017, 6:34pm

Nationals

We are now a mere 12 days away from pitchers and catchers officially reporting to the Nationals' new spring training complex in West Palm Beach, but it's hard to imagine the offseason is nearly over for this team. The Nats haven't made many moves since the end of the National League Division Series on Oct. 13. The only players they've added to their 40-man roster from outside the organization are Adam Eaton, Derek Norris, Austin Adams and Jimmy Cordero. They re-signed free agents Stephen...

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A brief history of the Nats' ever-changing closer identity

January 31, 2017, 8:22pm

Nationals

A brief history of the Nats' ever-changing closer identity

We don't know yet who will serve as the Nationals closer come opening day, but we do know it will be someone new. Mark Melancon is no longer in D.C., having signed a four-year deal with the Giants earlier this winter. Drew Storen also is long gone, having spent 2016 in Toronto and Seattle, and now signed with the Reds for 2017. Jonathan Papelbon? He remains in parts unknown, but we do know he's not in Washington anymore. If you've been following the Nationals closely over the years, though,...

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Kolko/Werth bobblehead gets nod in P-Nats fan vote

February 02, 2017, 9:14am

Nationals

Kolko/Werth bobblehead gets nod in P-Nats fan vote

Well, the people have spoken. The Single-A Potomac Nationals announced at their Hot Stove Banquet last weekend that the winner of the Loyal Hygiene Solutions Fans' Choice Bobblehead is the duo of MASN on-field reporter Dan Kolko and Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth. The winning entry was submitted by Chris Jackson. The dual bobblehead will be handed out to the first 1,250 fans through the turnstiles at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Va., on Saturday, Aug. 26 before the P-Nats host the...

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Nats add veteran relievers Nathan, Albers on minor league deals

January 31, 2017, 10:11am

Nationals

Nats add veteran relievers Nathan, Albers on minor league deals

The Nationals, in their ongoing search for a new closer, have signed the man who ranks eighth all-time with 377 saves. Whether Joe Nathan, at 42, still has enough left in his twice-reconstructed elbow to save another major league game remains to be seen, but the club is willing to take a low-risk chance on him. In signing both Nathan and veteran right-hander Matt Albers to minor league contracts with invitations to big league camp, the Nationals have added a pair of experienced bullpen...

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Closer or not, Nationals do need more bullpen help

January 30, 2017, 6:51pm

Nationals

The Nationals loaded up a semi-truck full of baseball gear Monday morning and sent it down Interstate 95 toward West Palm Beach, where their still-under-construction new spring training complex awaits. It's an annual rite of winter, the so-called "Truck Day" when teams across baseball do likewise and try to stir up warm feelings of pitchers and catchers and palm trees and bunting drills. That truck, however, does not contain everything the Nationals need for spring training. There are some...

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Thoughts on a newsy week for the Nationals

January 29, 2017, 5:46pm

Nationals

After more than six weeks of radio silence out of South Capitol Street, you had to figure the Nationals were due to make some news at long last. Sure enough, it merely required your humble beat writer going on vacation last week for it to happen. You know the facts at this point - thanks to Pete Kerzel and Byron Kerr for covering things in my stead - but I didn't want to return to work and just gloss over the transactions altogether. So here are some thoughts on the three notable news items...

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With Eaton added to lineup, WAR numbers for Nationals get boost

January 28, 2017, 7:51pm

Nationals

FanGraphs defines WAR (Wins Above Replacement) as "an attempt by the sabermetric baseball community to summarize a player's total contributions to their team in one statistic." It comes as no shock that second baseman Daniel Murphy had the highest WAR rating for the Nationals in 2016 at 5.5. Third baseman Anthony Rendon is next at 4.7. Right fielder Bryce Harper, who admittedly had a down year, still came in at 3.5 WAR. Even at just 73 games, Trea Turner's WAR was 3.3. To gauge how good a...

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Nats ink swingman Vance Worley to minor league deal

January 28, 2017, 2:24pm

Nationals

Nats ink swingman Vance Worley to minor league deal

The Nationals on Saturday announced the signing of veteran right-hander Vance Worley to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training, snatching a player the Orioles hoped would return to their bullpen after they cut ties with him last month. Worley, 29, is capable of filling multiple roles on a pitching staff and could inherit the swingman role vacated when the Nats chose not to bring back righty Yusmeiro Petit. According to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation, the pact...

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Relive "Nationals Classics": Slugging your way into February

January 25, 2017, 5:14am

Nationals

Well, Nationals fans, we're almost ready to pass through one more hurdle between winter's cold and baseball warmth. By the end of this week, we can utter these words: Spring training starts this month. February never felt so good, did it? As we move closer to the four greatest words in the English language - pitchers and catchers report - you can warm yourself with this week's "Nationals Classics" on MASN. Think of this as your own personal pre-spring training training. Pretty soon,...

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Playing the waiting game (Green signs minor league deal)

January 25, 2017, 6:01am

Nationals

Playing the waiting game (Green signs minor league deal)

In baseball's olden days - like, maybe, a decade or so ago - we'd just now be hitting the winter doldrums. There used to be a significant number of free agent signings (read: most of them) by the time the calendar turned to a new year. Trades were made throughout the offseason, but most of the wheeling and dealing came in December, a nod to baseball's Winter Meetings and the fact that general managers and front office staff used to spend most of the end-of-year holidays enjoying family...

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Nationals re-sign Stephen Drew

January 26, 2017, 7:13am

Nationals

The Nationals bolstered their bench on Thursday, reportedly re-signing veteran infielder Stephen Drew to a one-year contract that could net him up to $4.7 million if he reaches certain incentives. Drew revived his career in 2015, becoming an integral bench piece in Dusty Baker's first year at the Nationals' helm, slashing .266/.339/.524 with eight homers and 21 RBIs in 70 games during a season interrupted by a bout with vertigo that sent him to the disabled list. He played second base,...

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Voth improved his changeup, curveball to get big league ready

January 26, 2017, 2:56am

Nationals

Voth improved his changeup, curveball to get big league ready

Right-hander Austin Voth has continued repeating his changeup delivery into the offseason, determined to keep the muscle memory in place since his success with the pitch at the end of the Arizona Fall League. "Right now, I'm just playing catch, coming back in from long tossing," Voth said. "I will throw it at a long distance from 120 (feet) and air it out. And then when I come in to 90 feet, I'll work on hitting the spot or work on feeling comfortable with the grip, trying to get it to go...

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Nationals agree to terms with infielder Stephen Drew

January 26, 2017, 7:32am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran infielder Stephen Drew on Thursday. Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Drew, 33, returns to Washington for his second season with the Nationals after serving as a key member of Dusty Baker's bench and a versatile defender during the 2016 season. He hit .266 (38-for-143) with 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 21 RBIs, 16 walks and 24 runs scored in 70...

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Assessing the Nationals' in-house candidates to close (updated)

January 23, 2017, 5:24am

Nationals

We're less than a month from the date pitchers and catchers report to spring training at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and the Nationals' closer picture is no clearer than it was during the Winter Meetings, when incumbent Mark Melancon signed a four-year, $62 million contract with the Giants. Since the season ended, with speculation that Melancon would bolt for greener pastures (emphasis on "green"), both manager Dusty Baker and general manager Mike Rizzo have trumpeted the in-house...