nationals

Could this be the end of the Clippard era in D.C.?

December 06, 2014, 3:56pm

SAN DIEGO - We've arrived at San Diego International Airport and are headed to the Manchester Grand Hyatt, headquarters for baseball's Winter Meetings. Get ready for four days of rumors and trade talk, free agent posturing and signings, and more diamond banter than you can shake a Louisville Slugger at. Since this winter has already seen its share of trades, and since the Winter Meetings are a wheeler dealer's paradise, it's probably a good time to recount one of the best swaps in Nationals...

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Quick news and notes from San Diego

December 07, 2014, 3:42pm

Nationals

SAN DIEGO - We're all set up here at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in beautiful San Diego, right on the water and just a short walk away from Petco Park, home of the Padres. The Winter Meetings don't technically begin until tomorrow, but that hasn't stopped groups of team employees and reporters from congregating in the lobby as everyone catches up and gets set to check into their rooms. It isn't just general managers and top team officials that attend the Winter Meetings from the teams' side...

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We're off for San Diego

December 06, 2014, 1:40pm

Nationals

I'm just about off for the airport, ready to head out to San Diego for four days of Winter Meetings coverage. My cell phone battery and the soles of my shoes will be put to the test this week, as they are every Winter Meetings. Keeping up with all the rumors, speculation and legitimate news can be tough during this annual event, which includes long days and many trips from the lobby to the media workroom and then back to the lobby again. No, the Nationals don't need to make many moves out...

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Continued confusion over Tigers' side of Fister trade

December 06, 2014, 4:09am

Nationals

Continued confusion over Tigers' side of Fister trade

Immediately after the Doug Fister trade was completed last winter, there were many people who doubted the return that Detroit got from the Nationals for a guy viewed by many as one of the more underrated right-handers in baseball. But Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski steadfastly said that he liked the three players that his side got in the trade - infielder Steve Lombardozzi, left-handed reliever Ian Krol and left-handed pitching prospect Robbie Ray - and that he viewed these players as...

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Werth found guilty of reckless driving, will appeal 10-day jail sentence (updated)

December 05, 2014, 8:46am

Nationals

Werth found guilty of reckless driving, will appeal 10-day jail sentence (updated)

Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth was found guilty this afternoon of reckless driving and has been sentenced to 10 days in prison with 170 days suspended. According to multiple media reports from the Fairfax County Courthouse, Werth's attorney has said he will appeal the conviction. The 35-year-old Werth will also lose his driver's license as a result of the verdict. Werth was cited on July 6 by a Virginia state trooper for driving his two-door Porsche at 105 mph in a posted 55 mph zone on...

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With Winter Meetings approaching, Nats won't force moves

December 05, 2014, 5:08am

Nationals

With Winter Meetings approaching, Nats won't force moves

Two days from now, I'll be hopping a plane to San Diego, ready for a few days of chaos at the hub of the baseball world - the annual Winter Meetings. Team executives, agents, scouts, trainers, anyone involved in the inner workings of Major League Baseball will be there, making this the most anticipated four days in the offseason. TV networks will have massive sets erected in the hallways, ready to go live with breaking news, radio shows will be going on nonstop as rumors are discussed and...

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A trend in the free agent market

December 04, 2014, 5:21am

Nationals

Consider me a bit confused by the Braves' offseason strategy to this point. Atlanta has already traded away Jason Heyward, and has reportedly been in fairly serious trade discussions with teams involving both Justin Upton and Evan Gattis. It had looked like the Braves were intending to drop some salary, dish off some assets who have contracts set to expire in the near future and accumulate younger talent that could lead the team to make a push back toward the top of the division in a couple...

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Span undergoes surgery to repair sports hernia

December 03, 2014, 5:26am

Nationals

Span undergoes surgery to repair sports hernia

Nationals center fielder Denard Span underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia, the team announced today. The surgery was successful, per the team, and Span is expected to be ready for spring training, which will begin in a little less than three months. Span tweeted out a picture of himself in a hospital bed earlier this morning, sending off alarm bells among some Nats fans. The Nationals quickly announced the news of the sports hernia surgery, which should calm any major concerns. With the...

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Nationals announce plans for NatsFest on Dec. 13 (updated)

November 21, 2014, 9:20am

Nationals

We already knew NatsFest was being held Dec. 13, and that the annual winter baseball carnival was returning to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a downtown location that provides easier access for Nationals fans. Now we have a better idea of some of the team-sponsored activities that will occur from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (or starting at 10 a.m. if you're a season plan holder). Eight different stations inside the Convention Center will host 51 separate events, and you'll have to pick and...

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Washington Nationals announce NatsFest details

December 03, 2014, 10:39am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today released new details about NatsFest, taking place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, December 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Season Plan Holders will have exclusive access to the event for an entire hour (10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.) before NatsFest opens to the general public at 11:00 a.m. * For more information on becoming a Season Plan Holder and receiving exclusive benefits like this, stop by the Ticket Sales booth at NatsFest or visit...

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Rizzo, the Nationals and the Boras effect

December 01, 2014, 4:39am

Nationals

A week from today, I'll wake up in San Diego, head to the media workroom and be ready for the first official day of baseball's annual Winter Meetings. Unless, of course, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo gets a head start on the fun and announces something Sunday night, as was the case in 2010 when the Nats snagged outfielder Jayson Werth before the press conference dais had even been finished. But that's why I'm arriving in San Diego at midday Sunday. Just in case. In the ensuing three...

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Nats tender contracts to all 10 remaining arbitration-eligible players

December 02, 2014, 11:53am

Nationals

Nats tender contracts to all 10 remaining arbitration-eligible players

The Nationals announced today that they have tendered contracts to all 10 of their remaining arbitration-eligible players - left-handers Jerry Blevins and Ross Detwiler, right-handers Tyler Clippard, Doug Fister, Craig Stammen, Drew Storen and Stephen Strasburg, infielder Danny Espinosa and catchers Jose Lobaton and Wilson Ramos. This means that, at least for now, all 10 of those players will remain under the Nationals' control. It is still possible, however, for these players to be traded...

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Four years in, a look at the Werth contract

December 01, 2014, 5:27am

Nationals

Four years in, a look at the Werth contract

Back when Jayson Werth signed his seven-year, $126 million deal with the Nationals, many people weren't shy about criticizing the contract, saying the amount of money the Nats were giving Werth far exceeded the market and what could be expected of the veteran outfielder. You don't hear people banging that drum too hard these days, however. So far, Werth has played four seasons in D.C., putting him past the midway point of his contract. He's now 35. And while injuries have been a bit of a...

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A favorite memory from the 2014 season

November 30, 2014, 5:45am

Nationals

I'll warn you all now: this blog post has nothing to do with the Nationals. Hope you'll still be able to go on with your day. Yesterday, the legendary Vin Scully turned 87. When I turn 87, I'll probably be struggling to make my way from my bed to the shuffleboard court out behind my retirement facility. Scully is 87 and still going strong as the play-by-play voice of the Dodgers. Next year, he'll enter his 66th year broadcasting Dodgers games. And in Scully's 65th year, I got to meet...

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WAR - what is it good for?

November 29, 2014, 5:39am

Nationals

Some people buy into advanced metrics and put a lot of weight on the information they provide. Others still rely more heavily on the old-school statistics and aren't willing to cannonball into the advanced metrics pool just yet. One of the more accepted advanced metrics in this day and age is WAR (wins above replacement). It's become the catch-all metric that both fans and professional talent evaluators use to compare players and value their impact on their teams. Even if you're not a big...

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Things Nats fans have to be thankful for

November 27, 2014, 5:21am

Nationals

Things Nats fans have to be thankful for

It's arrived - my favorite holiday of the year. Thanksgiving is a time for me to meet up with old friends, spend time with family, lay around watching football all day and smell the fantastic food my mom is cooking up in the kitchen. And then later on, I get to demolish said food. It's also a time, of course, to realize what we're thankful for. We'll save the heartfelt stuff for later on today when we're sitting around the dinner table, but here's a list of some of the things that...

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Fedde takes a step forward in rehab process

November 26, 2014, 4:52am

Nationals

Fedde takes a step forward in rehab process

I feel like Nationals fans got a pretty good idea of the type of player and teammate that Adam LaRoche is over the last four years. And so it shouldn't surprise people that after signing a two-year, $25 million deal with the White Sox, LaRoche - who won a Gold Glove at first base just three seasons ago and was a finalist for another in 2014 - told his new manager, Robin Ventura, that he'd be willing to serve as the designated hitter as often as the team needs him to. The White Sox already...

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Nats players spread the wealth

November 25, 2014, 5:33am

Nationals

Each year, teams that make the playoffs are given a bonus, a financial reward for reaching the postseason. The bonus pool that each team receives depends on how deep into that playoffs that team advances, and the amount that each player receives is based upon how generous the group is as a whole. Typically, this bonus amount ranges from what it would cost to buy a Kia to what it would cost to buy a Rolls Royce Phantom. Make it to the World Series, you're getting a very nice chunk of change in...

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What Williams learned in 2014

November 24, 2014, 3:39am

Nationals

We've got lots of action on the hot stove this morning. And all of it is coming out of Boston. FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported last night that Hanley Ramirez is flying to Beantown today to finalize a contract with the Red Sox, one that will be in the five-year, $90 million range. Ramirez got his start in the Red Sox organization before being traded to the Marlins in the winter of 2005 in the deal that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. Now he's apparently bringing it full...

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Boone lone ex-National on 2015 Hall of Fame ballot

November 24, 2014, 6:16am

Nationals

Boone lone ex-National on 2015 Hall of Fame ballot

There's not a lot of Nationals love on the 2015 Hall of Fame ballot announced this morning. Only one former Nat - infielder Aaron Boone - is listed among the 17 new additions to the ballot, which feature three pitchers (Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz) who combined to win nine Cy Young Awards and two hitters (Gary Sheffield and Nomar Garciaparra) who claimed batting titles in their careers. Boone played one season for the Nationals, hitting .241 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 104...