nationals

Are Dodgers stockpiling closers or preparing to deal relief arm for a starting pitcher?

December 07, 2015, 3:31pm

NASHVILLE - After the first day of the Winter Meetings, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the team that made a big deal and created the biggest set of questions. The Dodgers lost starter Zack Greinke to Arizona and had arranged a trade for Cincinnati's lefty closer, Aroldis Chapman - until domestic abuse allegations surfaced Monday night, putting the deal in jeopardy. The Dodgers have gone from having the best one-two punch in the rotation - Clayton Kershaw and Greinke - to having the potentially...

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Comments from Boras' scrum on Harper, Strasburg and Span

December 09, 2015, 1:51pm

Nationals

NASHVILLE - One of the most eagerly anticipated happenings of the Winter Meetings has finally taken place. Super agent Scott Boras held court during his annual scrum outside the media workroom at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center this afternoon, and didn't shy away from talking about contractual issues surrounding two of the Nationals players - and one ex-Nat - he represents. Coming off his first National League Most Valuable Player award, right fielder Bryce Harper's stock...

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Nationals reportedly sign Yusmeiro Petit for bullpen depth

December 09, 2015, 4:02pm

Nationals

NASHVILLE - The Nationals' efforts to rebuild their bullpen continued Wednesday night at the Winter Meetings. The New York Post's Joel Sherman reports that Washington has reached a one-year deal with right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, late of the Giants. Petit, 31, has bounced back and forth from the bullpen to the starting rotation during his eight-year career in the majors. He made just one start in 2015 and 41 appearances as a reliever, posting a 3.67 ERA with 59 strikeouts and 15 walks over 76...

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With Winter Meetings in the books, a look at the NL East

December 10, 2015, 6:14am

Nationals

With Winter Meetings in the books, a look at the NL East

NASHVILLE - And the winner of the most improved team in the National League is - drum roll, please - the Arizona Diamondbacks. As the Winter Meetings conclude, the Diamondbacks, who had 79 wins last season for a 15-win improvement from the previous year, have added balance to the NL West. No longer is the division a two-team race between the Giants and the Dodgers. "They have so many good young players," Giants manager Bruce Bochy says. "They play solid defense. They score runs and now they...

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Looking ahead to the Rule 5 draft (Nats pass in major league phase)

December 09, 2015, 3:42pm

Nationals

Looking ahead to the Rule 5 draft (Nats pass in major league phase)

NASHVILLE - This morning's Rule 5 draft is the final order of business at the Winter Meetings. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo will be flying back to D.C. by the time the first selection is made shortly after 9 a.m.; he's left his trusted front office lieutenants to handle the Rule 5 business. For those of you unfamiliar with the Rule 5, here's a quick refresher: Teams can pick players that were not protected on other teams' 40-man rosters (and who were 18 or younger on the June 5...

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Winter Meetings: Nationals close to making first deal on Day 3

December 09, 2015, 2:11pm

Nationals

NASHVILLE - Day 3 is wrapping up at the Winter Meetings, and some parties are already packing up to head home. Our flight isn't until 4:50 p.m. tomorrow, but my colleague, Olivia Witherite, flies back to Baltimore tonight. So that means more video editing and posting for me! Don't feel bad for me, I actually like taking time to crank them out and put them on the Web site for fans to enjoy. As for the Nationals, reports surfaced earlier today that the club had made an offer to free agent...

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On second thought, Mike Rizzo says Nats are in the market for starting pitching

December 09, 2015, 12:43pm

Nationals

On second thought, Mike Rizzo says Nats are in the market for starting pitching

NASHVILLE - Less than 24 hours remain at the Winter Meetings and the Nationals have yet to add any players to their roster over the past three days. General manager Mike Rizzo continues to say the Nationals are laying a lot of groundwork for the remainder of the offseason, with a lot of irons in the fire. "If we were to leave here without making an impactful trade or free agent signing, it wouldn't shock me," Rizzo said during his afternoon media briefing at the Gaylord Opryland Resort &...

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As Winter Meetings near end, second basemen are coming and going

December 09, 2015, 3:59pm

Nationals Orioles

As Winter Meetings near end, second basemen are coming and going

NASHVILLE - The news of the third day of the winter meetings involves second basemen, one that's going home and another that's leaving home. Ben Zobrist signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, partly because he wanted to be close to home and family in Eureka, Ill. Neil Walker has no choice but to leave his family roots in Pittsburgh after the Pirates traded him to the New York Mets. Zobrist has played in the south with Tampa Bay and on the West Coast with Oakland. He...

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What's the holdup with the Nats trading Drew Storen?

December 09, 2015, 5:11am

Nationals

What's the holdup with the Nats trading Drew Storen?

NASHVILLE - The Nationals came to the Winter Meetings determined to solve the Drew Storen dilemma. Yet as the annual offseason baseball confab hits the home stretch, Storen is still part of their bullpen. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and new manager Dusty Baker are being careful in their comments, acknowledging the obvious but continuing to try and build up Storen's trade value by reminding reporters that he's still an important piece, valuable enough that he'd probably be slated for...

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Report: Nationals pursuing free agent starter Mike Leake (offer extended)

December 09, 2015, 7:06am

Nationals

NASHVILLE - The Nationals have been preparing for the departures of veteran free agent right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister from their starting rotation. General manager Mike Rizzo has said in recent weeks that he was content in plugging right-handers Joe Ross and Tanner Roark into the starting five joining fellow righties Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg along with left-hander Gio Gonzalez. But Rizzo always is intrigued by adding strong starting pitching, even when it may not seem...

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Dusty Baker: "I've been in a must-win situation all my life"

December 09, 2015, 3:25am

Nationals

Dusty Baker: "I've been in a must-win situation all my life"

NASHVILLE - Dusty Baker's casual media session at the Winter Meetings yesterday afternoon ended up filled with a hint of controversy, some bravado and the idea that the new Nationals manager is capable of making headlines even when he's not intending to. The Nationals will be Baker's fourth managerial job after leading the Giants, Cubs and Reds to the playoffs. But Baker said yesterday that this Nats roster - even with the significant free agent subtractions - is "easily" the best he's...

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Rizzo: Negotiating a new deal with Harper likely a "unique and special situation"

December 08, 2015, 1:20pm

Nationals

Rizzo: Negotiating a new deal with Harper likely a "unique and special situation"

NASHVILLE - Bryce Harper blitzed through a historic season at the plate, resulting in his first National League Most Valuable Player award along with several others accolades. At 23, Harper became the fourth-youngest player in the game's storied history recognized as MVP and he emphatically introduced himself to the conversation as arguably the best player in baseball. After battling nagging injuries the previous two seasons that cost numerous games on the shelf, Harper avoided the disabled...

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Nats lose out on Ben Zobrist, still working on reliever Shawn Kelley

December 08, 2015, 2:51pm

Nationals

Nats lose out on Ben Zobrist, still working on reliever Shawn Kelley

NASHVILLE - Day 2 of the Winter Meetings is winding down and the Nationals have yet to make any noise in Music City. Early morning reports that the Nats had landed free agent right-hander Shawn Kelley were apparently premature. In his daily media session, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed the team has not completed a deal with Kelley, but said the team remains interested in the reliever. "I would call it that we're in communication with him," Rizzo said. Kelley, who will turn 32...

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If Nationals are boxed out on Darren O'Day and Aroldis Chapman, what's Plan B?

December 06, 2015, 3:22pm

Nationals

NASHVILLE - A few days ago, the projected outlook for the reconstruction of the Nationals bullpen appeared optimistic. Many believed Washington was in the driver's seat to land right-hander Darren O'Day, considered the best free agent reliever on the market after his All-Star season with the Orioles. The next step was expected to be a blockbuster deal to acquire coveted Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, solving the Jonathan Papelbon debacle. Now, barely a few hours into baseball's Winter...

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Winter Meetings: Dusty Baker headlines Day 2 of Winter Meetings

December 08, 2015, 4:57pm

Nationals

Winter Meetings: Dusty Baker headlines Day 2 of Winter Meetings

NASHVILLE - I've never been so happy to be so busy than I was today - so I didn't have to think about last night's Redskins game. But I didn't have to find any of my colleagues today, so that counts as a win. The day started with reports breaking that the Nationals were signing free agent right-handed reliever Shawn Kelley, who joins lefty Oliver Perez in general manager Mike Rizzo's revamping bullpen. Rizzo would say later in the day that no deal was done, but the Nats are in...

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Adjustments possible, but Torre says no major changes coming to replay in 2016

December 08, 2015, 3:40pm

Nationals Orioles

Adjustments possible, but Torre says no major changes coming to replay in 2016

NASHVILLE - Joe Torre, the chief baseball officer of Major League Baseball, likes how instant replay has become part of the game and he doesn't see any major changes coming for 2016. "We're going to probably make adjustments or tweaks to it as the technology gets better," Torre said Tuesday on the second day of the Winter Meetings. "The Super Slow Mo gives us a better picture and we can see more things. The fact that we overturned 50 percent means that managers are getting more comfortable...

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Dusty Baker says Jonathan Papelbon isn't a distraction

December 08, 2015, 10:18am

Nationals

Dusty Baker says Jonathan Papelbon isn't a distraction

NASHVILLE - Dusty Baker sat at a table this afternoon in a ballroom at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, swarmed by reporters for the first time since he was announced as the new Nationals manager a little over a month ago. Among the many topics the charismatic Baker discussed was how to handle volatile closer Jonathan Papelbon and the leftover baggage from the reliever's dugout brawl with National League Most Valuable Player Bryce Harper. Unless general manager Mike Rizzo...

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Of star sluggers he's managed, Baker says Harper's best comp is Griffey

December 08, 2015, 10:51am

Nationals

Of star sluggers he's managed, Baker says Harper's best comp is Griffey

NASHVILLE - If you think new Nationals manager Dusty Baker has spent the last month poring over videotape to dissect swings, checking in by phone with all of his new players and communicating daily with the brass on South Capitol Street about how things will be run under his tenure, think again. Since Baker had pretty detached himself from the day-to-day baseball grind until the Nationals came calling, he's been immersed in other business interests and has spent much of the time since being...

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Is Rizzo willing to part with top prospects to bring trades across finish line?

December 07, 2015, 3:58pm

Nationals

Is Rizzo willing to part with top prospects to bring trades across finish line?

NASHVILLE - By now, most observers expected the Nationals to have gotten a lot futher in their bullpen makeover, perhaps swinging a trade for an eighth- or ninth-inning arm. But here we are, entering the second day of the Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, and the Nats have done nothing of significance. What's more, the once-promising plethora of shutdown relief arms has thinned out considerably in the past two days. Darren O'Day is apparently returning to...

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Mike Rizzo: Nationals not hunting for starting pitching at Winter Meetings

December 07, 2015, 8:51pm

Nationals

NASHVILLE - A year ago at the Winter Meetings in San Diego, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo dismissed the idea of signing Max Scherzer, the best free agent available. A little more than a month later, the Nationals inked the ace to a then-record $210 million contract for a right-hander. Speaking Monday afternoon in a room at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Rizzo echoed the same sentiments from last year. "We're not coming here looking for a front-line starting...