nationals

Mike Rizzo on the Nationals' acquisition of Yunel Escobar (Ramos wins award, signs)

January 15, 2015, 9:19am

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo's reasoning for trading reliable reliever Tyler Clippard to the A's on Wednesday night for infielder Yunel Escobar was simple: The deal, made from a position of relative strength and involving a player who would be a free agent after 2015, fills an immediate need at second base with a veteran that the Nationals can control for up to three seasons. "It was a good baseball deal between Oakland and us," Rizzo said Thursday afternoon during a conference call...

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Stammen joins Ramos, avoids arbitration (Espinosa, Lobaton agree to terms)

January 15, 2015, 4:26pm

Nationals

Stammen joins Ramos, avoids arbitration (Espinosa, Lobaton agree to terms)

The Nationals have been busy heading into Friday's deadline for arbitration-eligible players to come to contract terms before exchanging salary figures with their clubs. Earlier today, they announced that catcher Wilson Ramos had agreed to terms on a contract for 2015, avoiding arbitration. This evening, right-handed reliever Craig Stammen also came to terms, leaving the Nats with six unsigned players who are arbitration-eligible (the Nats removed one of their players on the list by trading...

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How to fill the eighth-inning role?

January 14, 2015, 5:00pm

Nationals

Last night's trade that sent Tyler Clippard to the Athletics in exchange for Yunel Escobar probably was tough for a lot of people in the D.C. area to take. Clippard was beloved by many fans for his walk-out music, his pleasant nature and his consistency. He was highly regarded by those in the organization because of how genuine and stand-up he was, and his willingness to take the ball every single day if need be. He was greatly appreciated by reporters because of his honesty, patience and...

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Another move to add catching depth

January 14, 2015, 3:40am

Nationals

The Nationals lost one of the catchers at the high levels of their minor league system earlier this offseason when they released Jhonatan Solano, who was out of options entering the 2015 season. Over the last 24 hours, they've added two catchers who could help improve their organizational depth behind the plate. Yesterday morning, the Nats signed 30-year-old backstop Steven Lerud, a former third-round pick who has only 15 career plate appearances at the big league level but has 807 games of...

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Nats acquire Yunel Escobar for Tyler Clippard (updated)

January 14, 2015, 3:16pm

Nationals

Nats acquire Yunel Escobar for Tyler Clippard (updated)

The Nationals and Athletics have agreed to yet another trade. And this one involves more than just prospects or players that can fill out the back end of a roster. The Nats have acquired shortstop Yunel Escobar, and will send popular reliever Tyler Clippard to Oakland in exchange for the 32-year-old infielder. CBSsports.com first reported the Nats had acquired Escboar, and MLB.com first reported Clippard was heading to Oakland. This is now the ninth trade completed between the Nats and A's...

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Nationals acquire infielder Yunel Escobar from Oakland Athletics

January 14, 2015, 3:41pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals acquired infielder Yunel Escobar from the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday in exchange for right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Escobar, an eight-year Major League veteran, joins the Nationals after stops in Atlanta (2007-10), Toronto (2010-12) and Tampa Bay (2012-14). He was traded to the A's just four days ago (Jan. 10), along with infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist, in exchange for...

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Some arbitration notes and minor league signings

January 13, 2015, 5:13am

Nationals

Some arbitration notes and minor league signings

There are all sorts of league-mandated deadlines involving arbitration-eligible players during the offseason. And boy, is it entertaining, thrilling stuff. Is that sarcasm jumping off the page at ya, or what? To start the process off, teams must tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players (players with at least three years, but fewer than six years of major league service time) by a certain date early in the offseason. The teams and players then have time to negotiate a deal for the...

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Nationals acquire catcher Dan Butler

January 14, 2015, 5:31am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals acquired catcher Dan Butler from the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, in exchange for left-handed pitcher Danny Rosenbaum. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Butler, 28, joins the Nationals after six seasons in the Red Sox organization. The right-handed hitting catcher appeared in seven Major League games for Boston in 2014, starting five behind the plate and going 4-for-19 (.211) - with three doubles. Over the course of...

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A quietly busy offseason

January 12, 2015, 5:19am

Nationals

If you look strictly at the moves that the Nationals have made so far this offseason, it might seem like members of the organization's front office have been kicking back and enjoying some down time over the last few months. We all know that's far from the truth, but in terms of actual additions to the organization, it's been almost entirely minor league deals and trades to improve the club for future seasons. Outside of re-signing a few minor leaguers who were already in the Nats system...

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One less middle infield option

January 11, 2015, 4:56am

Nationals

The second base option most frequently linked to the Nationals this offseason is heading elsewhere, as Ben Zobrist got shipped from the Rays to the Athletics yesterday in a deal that also sent shortstop Yunel Escobar to Oakland. How often do you see a team trade away both of its starting middle infielders in one deal? I can't remember such a case, at least off the top of my head. The Rays saved themselves a good bit of money with this deal, and also got a good bit younger. They were thought to...

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Enjoy a pair of "Nationals Classics" this week on MASN HD

January 13, 2015, 4:18am

Nationals

The weather may be frigid, but don't worry. We know a way you can keep warm! Over the next two days, you can enjoy a pair of "Nationals Classics" on MASN HD. First, watch one of the best games of Jordan Zimmermann's career from the 2013 season. You also don't want to miss one of the many comeback wins the Nationals had in 2012. Here's what's on deck this week on MASN HD: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m.: Zimmermann outdueled the Reds' Homer Bailey on April 26, 2013. Zimmermann threw a...

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Tommy John comebacks could be deciding factor in NL East

January 12, 2015, 12:22pm

Nationals Orioles

Tommy John comebacks could be deciding factor in NL East

Last year, the baseball season was defined by a record number of pitchers sidelined with Tommy John surgery, a procedure that requires ligament replacement in the elbow. This season, star pitchers who missed 2014 will be returning, and the National League East could be in for a big change as far as the teams that will challenge the Nationals. The Nationals won the division by 17 games last season, but the Atlanta Braves - usually their biggest challenger - are short on pitching thanks in part...

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An underrated area of strength

January 10, 2015, 5:28am

Nationals

Anyone who followed the Nationals closely last season remembers that pretty much from Day One of spring training, manager Matt Williams said he was going to make sure that his team played an aggressive brand of ball, putting pressure on opponents with their baserunning style. That is indeed how things played out for the 2014 Nats. I came across a tweet yesterday from John Dewan, who is the author of the Fielding Bible. Dewan passed along a link that ranked the best baserunning teams in 2014,...

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More on Werth's surgery and its impact on the Nationals (surgery a success)

January 09, 2015, 4:48am

Nationals

In case you missed the news late yesterday afternoon, Jayson Werth will have surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder today, a procedure that is expected to sideline the Nationals outfielder for two to three months. Werth will have the surgery at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. The procedure, similar to the one Ryan Zimmerman underwent in October 2012, will force Werth to miss at least the first few weeks of spring training, and could leave his status for opening day in...

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Carpenter, Holliday get Sportscaster of the Year honors

January 08, 2015, 1:13pm

Nationals

Carpenter, Holliday get Sportscaster of the Year honors

There's a distinctly MASN flavor to the Sportscaster of the Year awards announced today by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Bob Carpenter, play-by-play voice of the Nationals on MASN, was chosen the co-winner of the Sportscaster of the Year award for Washington, D.C. Carpenter, who has called Nats games for nine years and 31 years of major league broadcasting under his belt, shares the D.C. honor with longtime Capitals play-by-play man Joe Beninati. Holliday, who...

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Werth scheduled for surgery Friday on AC joint in right shoulder

January 08, 2015, 11:41am

Nationals

Werth scheduled for surgery Friday on AC joint in right shoulder

Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth will undergo arthroscopic surgery on the AC joint in his right shoulder tomorrow, a source has confirmed, and is expected to be sidelined two to three months. The 35-year-old Werth dealt with inflammation in his right AC joint last season, when he slashed .292/.394/.455 in 147 games. The problem in his throwing shoulder caused him to miss six games in August when pain from the injury got progressively worse. An MRI showed no structural damage and Werth received...

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Assessing the starting pitching market a year from now

January 08, 2015, 5:01am

Nationals

Assessing the starting pitching market a year from now

We're all well aware by now that if the Nationals are not able to reach contract extensions with Jordan Zimmermann or Doug Fister by the end of the 2015 season, those two will be set to hit the free agent market. That would leave the Nats in a bit of a tough spot - two of their top starting pitchers would then be in a position where they could negotiate with all 30 major league teams. And barring some type of major injury or monster dropoff in production this season, both Zimmermann and Fister...

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Nationals announce 2015 Minor League staff

January 08, 2015, 7:14am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today named their Minor League managers, coaches and coordinators for the 2015 season. Nationals Vice President of Player Personnel Bob Boone, Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development and Pro Scouting Doug Harris and Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba made the joint announcement. The Nationals promoted Paul Menhart to Minor League Pitching Coordinator and named Spin Williams a Senior Advisor for Player Development. Menhart embarks...

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Matt Williams' ties to a couple of newly elected Hall of Famers

January 07, 2015, 5:19am

Nationals

Matt Williams' ties to a couple of newly elected Hall of Famers

The Baseball Hall of Fame grew by four members yesterday, its largest new class since 1955, as Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio all received the call that they are heading to Cooperstown. The selection process and the voting strategies of many baseball writers who receive a ballot (I am not one of them) have come under fire in recent years, and rightfully so. I've seen some submitted ballots that I strongly disagree with, and some viewpoints that I feel are futile at...

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A different look at the crop of pending free agents

January 03, 2015, 5:19am

Nationals

A different look at the crop of pending free agents

We've talked a lot this winter about the crop of pending free agents that the Nationals have and how it will be interesting to see how general manager Mike Rizzo proceeds with that group. When discussing the Nats' list of upcoming 2015 free agents, five names are usually listed - Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, Tyler Clippard and Denard Span. Pretty strong list there, one that contains five major contributors to this squad. But beyond those five, there are a few other players who...