nationals

Nats shifting how they feel about shifts

December 11, 2013, 4:17am

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Asked yesterday where specifically he wants to see the Nationals improve in 2014, we got a glimpse into where Matt Williams is placing his priorities. The first area that he mentioned was team defense. There's a lot that goes into that, of course. The error total obviously needs to drop; the Nationals finished with 107 errors in 2013, tied for the seventh-most in Major League Baseball. The Nats threw out just 17.4 percent of attempted basestealers, last in the...

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Progress on the search for a lefty, plus Maya note

December 11, 2013, 7:14am

Nationals

Progress on the search for a lefty, plus Maya note

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals are making progress in their search for a left-handed reliever, a source confirmed, and it appears possible that they could leave the Winter Meetings with their one remaining major offseason need filled. That said, the source cautioned a bit ago that there is "nothing imminent" at this point. There are a host of left-handers available both via the free agent and trade markets, and the Nationals have been linked to quite a few of them over the last few...

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Nationals acquire left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins from Athletics

December 11, 2013, 9:12am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today acquired left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league outfielder Billy Burns. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Blevins, 30, has spent parts of the last seven seasons in the Athletics' bullpen, where he's worked to a career 3.30 ERA while averaging 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Working against both left-handed batters and right-handers, Blevins has...

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As the market for lefty relievers turns

December 10, 2013, 4:49pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Yup, another entry on left-handed relievers. This is what happens when the team you cover has addressed pretty much every other area of its roster. You write entry after entry about the search for a left-handed reliever. One of the Nationals' top targets when it came to left-handed relief, Eric O'Flaherty, could be close to coming off the market. And it certainly appears that he won't be landing with the Nats. Multiple outlets have reported that there's a good...

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Williams says Strasburg will be "full go" for spring training (Rizzo says Nats may be "cautious")

December 10, 2013, 10:02am

Nationals

Williams says Strasburg will be "full go" for spring training (Rizzo says Nats may be "cautious")

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - New Nationals manager Matt Williams said Tuesday that right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow in late October, will be "full go" for spring training. "His rehab has gone phenomenal," Williams said while addressing reporters at the Winter Meetings. "Everything checks out from a medical standpoint. He is ready to go, day one spring training. Full go." Strasburg's surgery, performed in Los Angeles, caused...

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Quick hits from a 30-minute chat with Matt Williams

December 10, 2013, 10:22am

Nationals

Quick hits from a 30-minute chat with Matt Williams

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Reporters just got done with a 30-minute chat with Nationals manager Matt Williams here off to the side of the media work room at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, and while there wasn't any real breaking news that came out of the session, we got plenty of interesting tidbits on how Williams plans to manage his team and what he's accomplished so far. I'll have full quotes and more in-depth stuff in a bit, once I get a chance to sift through everything. But I wanted to...

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Rizzo discusses trade rumors surrounding Clippard, Storen, Espinosa

December 10, 2013, 12:27pm

Nationals

Rizzo discusses trade rumors surrounding Clippard, Storen, Espinosa

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - There has been a lot of chatter here at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, home to the Winter Meetings, linking various teams to Nationals relievers Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen. There have been reports that the Cubs were interested in both right-handers. I had heard that the Tigers were kicking the tires on Clippard and Storen. But Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said that a lot of the trade rumors swirling around Clippard and Storen are overblown. In other words,...

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Williams meets the press

December 10, 2013, 2:47pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - I passed along some quick-hit notes from Matt Williams' session with reporters earlier today, but now that our meeting with general manager Mike Rizzo is done and I've had a chance to settle in a bit, I can provide some more in-depth quotes from the Nationals' new skipper. Since being named Nats manager more than five weeks ago, Williams has tried to hit the ground running. He's met with a handful of Nationals players, integrated himself in organizational meetings...

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At Winter Meetings, O's continue closer search while Gibson praises Nats' new skipper

December 10, 2013, 2:31pm

Nationals Orioles

At Winter Meetings, O's continue closer search while Gibson praises Nats' new skipper

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The latest analysis from Day 2 of the winter meetings at Disney's Dolphin and Swan Resort: * The biggest trade of the winter meetings took place Tuesday with Arizona, the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox pulling the trigger. The Angels get outfielder Mark Trumbo and his 30-plus home run power. The Angels get a young pitcher, Tyler Skaggs, 22, to help build the final three spots in the rotation behind Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, and the White Sox get rangy...

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Heard in the lobby ...

December 10, 2013, 7:30am

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals are a team generating a bunch of chatter in the lobby here at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, with a few players being discussed by various teams as potential trade targets. Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that the Nationals are shopping Danny Espinosa, and while there are teams that have had conversations with the Nats about Espinosa, I've been told that general manager Mike Rizzo is not actively looking to deal the 26-year-old infielder. As one source...

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Notes on the rotation and thoughts on the backup catcher job

December 10, 2013, 3:44am

Nationals

Notes on the rotation and thoughts on the backup catcher job

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals have four of their starting pitchers set and locked in for 2014, but they're going to go into spring training still unsure of who will be that fifth guy. That's the way general manager Mike Rizzo wants it, even if left-hander Ross Detwiler - an experienced option who has claimed the No. 5 spot in the rotation the last two seasons - is totally healthy after missing much of the 2013 season on the disabled list. "He's going to come to spring training as...

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It won't be easy for teams to pry Clippard or Storen from Nats

December 10, 2013, 7:17am

Nationals

It won't be easy for teams to pry Clippard or Storen from Nats

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The hotel lobby at the Winter Meetings is a magical place. Think of it as nirvana for baseball geeks, a confusing confluence of scouts, executives, agents, players, former players and media types, all trying to sniff out the latest shred of a rumor without being too obvious. This morning's tour of the Dolphin Resort at Disney brought a lot of chatter about interest in two Nationals relievers - right-handers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard. Most teams in the majors are...

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Young starting pitchers could serve bullpen apprenticeships

December 09, 2013, 1:43pm

Nationals

Young starting pitchers could serve bullpen apprenticeships

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The acquisition of Doug Fister and an impending spring training competition for the fifth starter's spot in the Nationals rotation has created a crunch for the young starting pitchers vying for a spot on the 25-man roster out of spring training. While it wouldn't be surprising to see right-handers Taylor Jordan, Tanner Roark or Nate Karns forming the bulk of the rotation at Triple-A Syracuse should they not make the major league club out of spring training, there's...

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Evaluating some trade rumors, plus Rizzo on extensions for Desmond, Zimmermann

December 09, 2013, 1:47pm

Nationals

Evaluating some trade rumors, plus Rizzo on extensions for Desmond, Zimmermann

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A bit ago, a tweet from Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports came across my laptop saying that the Nationals are currently shopping infielder Danny Espinosa. The timing of this report was a bit ironic, given that Nats general manager Mike Rizzo had just finished his session with local reporters, during which he talked up Espinosa and his ability to serve as a quality backup at multiple infield positions, including third base. This much is clear: the Nationals still hold...

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Rizzo on McLouth: "We'll find ample at-bats"

December 09, 2013, 1:04pm

Nationals

Rizzo on McLouth: "We'll find ample at-bats"

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Though his starting outfield is set - with Bryce Harper in left field, Denard Span in center field and Jayson Werth in right field - Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo placed a high priority this offseason in adding a dependable left-handed bat off the bench. Rizzo wanted someone versatile enough to play all three positions well, a hitter with enough pop to hit the occasional home run and a guy who could add an element of speed to the aggressive style new manager...

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Rizzo on left-handed reliever search, Nats' bench roles

December 09, 2013, 12:50pm

Nationals

Rizzo on left-handed reliever search, Nats' bench roles

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Local reporters met with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo in his suite at the Swan and Dolphin resort for nearly 20 minutes a bit ago, and we covered a number of topics related to the Nats' efforts to finalize their roster this offseason. It's clear that finding a left-handed reliever is Rizzo's top priority, and the Nats could still look to bolster their depth at a few spots on the bench after adding Nate McLouth, whose signing should be official after he...

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News and notes from the first day of baseball's Winter Meetings

December 09, 2013, 2:47pm

Nationals Orioles

News and notes from the first day of baseball's Winter Meetings

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Let's take a look at the news, notes, analysis and conversations that are going on in the hallways of the Walt Disney Dolphin Resort on the first day of baseball's Winter Meetings: * Nationals owner Mark Lerner is walking the hallways, eager to find out what his general manager Mike Rizzo will do to add a lefty to his bullpen. Lerner says he's confident in Matt Williams' ability to lead the Nationals back into the postseason. Lerner said that Williams aced his...

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A couple of interesting updates on the lefties, plus a cool note

December 09, 2013, 10:42am

Nationals

A couple of interesting updates on the lefties, plus a cool note

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - We're scheduled to meet with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo in less than an hour, but I've got a few notes from the lobby to pass along before we head up to Rizzo's suite to quiz him on the Nats-related happenings during Day One of the Winter Meetings. The Nats continue to monitor the market for left-handed relievers, and as they do so, they might have to take one interesting wrinkle into account. I've heard that Boone Logan, a lefty who has spent the last...

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Rival evaluators react to Nats' offseason moves

December 09, 2013, 7:53am

Nationals

Rival evaluators react to Nats' offseason moves

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A key figure in the National League East for the last four years has decided to step away from the game. Roy Halladay has just taken to the podium in the media room at the Swan and Dolphin resort to announce his retirement, marking the end of a tremendous 16-year career. Halladay will finish with a record of 203-105 and a career 3.38 ERA. He won two Cy Young awards, finished in the top five of the Cy Young voting seven times and was an eight-time All-Star. Is he a...

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Cox, La Russa, Torre unanimously elected to Hall of Fame

December 09, 2013, 5:38am

Nationals

Cox, La Russa, Torre unanimously elected to Hall of Fame

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The hotel lobby has emptied out here at the Swan and Dolphin resort and the free agent and trade chatter has temporarily hit a lull, as a trio of elite managers were just announced as the newest members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre have all been unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame as part of the Expansion Era ballot, voted on by 16 longtime major league players, executives and historians. Cox spent 29 years as a...