Nationals announce front office promotions, addition of Henley as third base coach

Nationals announce front office promotions, addition of Henley as third base coach
The Washington Nationals today promoted Doug Harris to Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Development, Kris Kline to Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Scouting Operations, Mark Scialabba to Director of Player Development, Mark Baca to National Supervisor, Jeff Zona to Special Assistant to the General Manager and Fred Costello to National Crosschecker. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Harris...

Nats add Solis, Taylor, Barrett to 40-man roster; Abad, Robertson DFA

Nats add Solis, Taylor, Barrett to 40-man roster; Abad, Robertson DFA
The Nationals added three players to their 40-man roster today, protecting left-hander Sammy Solis, outfielder Michael Taylor and right-hander Aaron Barrett from December's Rule 5 Draft. In order to clear space on the 40-man, left-handed relievers Fernando Abad and Tyler Robertson were designated for assignment. Midnight tonight is the deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters ahead of the Rule 5 draft. With these moves, the Nationals now have a full 40-man roster. Solis, 25, is 10-4...

Top three reasons the Henley hire was a good one

Top three reasons the Henley hire was a good one
I feel like David Letterman right now, rattling off a list of the top reasons Bob Henley was a good choice as the Nationals' new third base coach. But I wanted to add a few nuggets on Henley, and why, based on what I've heard, the former catcher was a smart hire by Nationals manager Matt Williams and general manager Mike Rizzo. Full disclosure: I've never had an extended chat with Henley. I don't know the man all that well on a personal level from my two years covering the Nationals,...

Nationals add Solis, Taylor, Barrett to 40-man roster

Nationals add Solis, Taylor, Barrett to 40-man roster
The Washington Nationals today selected the contracts of left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis, outfielder Michael Taylor and right-handed pitcher Aaron Barrett. The club also designated left-handed pitcher Fernando Abad and left-handed pitcher Tyler Robertson for assignment. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. The Nationals' second-round selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft (University of San Diego), Solis recently led the...

Nats sign right-hander Gabriel Alfaro to minor league deal

Nats sign right-hander Gabriel Alfaro to minor league deal
I wrote yesterday that the Nationals had signed veteran right-hander Chris Young to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training. Today, the Nats officially announced the Young deal, and also announced they've agreed to a minor league deal with another right-handed pitcher, Gabriel Alfaro. Alfaro, 30, has spent just two seasons in affiliated baseball in the United States, playing for short-season Single-A Auburn in 2005 and 2006 back when that team was affiliated...

Nats hire Bob Henley as third base coach

Nats hire Bob Henley as third base coach
Needing a new third base coach, the Nationals have decided to promote from within, and have hired Bob Henley for the position. Henley has previously served as the Nationals' minor league field coordinator. The 40-year-old Henley has been with the Nationals/Expos organization for the last 11 years. He managed the Nationals' Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2009 and led that team to the GCL title, and has also managed high Single-A Potomac. Henley has been the Nats' minor league field...

Nats re-sign Chris Young to minor league deal

Nats re-sign Chris Young to minor league deal
The Nationals have re-signed veteran right-hander Chris Young to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training, a source confirmed, providing a bit more starting pitching depth within the organization. Young had trouble staying on the field due to injury last season and got hit hard in his nine starts within the Nats system, going 1-2 with a 6.81 ERA. In his seven starts at Triple-A Syracuse, Young allowed 50 hits and 28 earned runs in 32 innings of work, striking out...

A battle for bullpen spots

A battle for bullpen spots
As a whole, the Nationals bullpen pitched to a 3.56 ERA in 2013, 17th-best in the majors. Nats relievers had a .252 batting average against (24th-best), put up a 1.29 WHIP (16th-best) and allowed a .679 OPS against (12th-best). Those aren't horrendous numbers, but it was clear that the Nats' bullpen dropped off from 2012, when that unit ranked seventh in the league with a 3.23 ERA and delivered big innings down the stretch in the team's postseason run. Improving the bullpen will be one...

The market for starters might be starting to open up

The market for starters might be starting to open up
Of all the free agent starting pitchers on the market this offseason, I felt that Tim Hudson was one of the guys who might have made the most sense for the Nationals if he had been available at a reasonable price. Hudson knows the National League East well from having spent the last nine years with the Braves. He has a career 3.44 ERA, and outside of a fluke ankle injury this season, has been very durable over the course of his career. Hudson wasn't looking for a long-term deal, meaning the...

Nationals seeking new in-game video host

Nationals seeking new in-game video host
If you've ever stared up at the giant video board at Nationals Park during a game, seen the in-game video host running a contest or trying to engage fans and thought, "Gee, I could do that," the Nationals may want to talk to you. The Nats are commencing a casting call for a new in-game video host and, providing you have an effusive personality, have performed in front of large crowds, have on-air experience and possess a knowledge of both baseball and the Nationals, your dream could come...

Nationals seek 2014 in-game host

Nationals seek 2014 in-game host
Do you have an enthusiastic personality and a voice that commands attention? Have you performed in front of large crowds or have any on-air experience? Do you have a deep-rooted passion for baseball and the Washington Nationals? If the answer is yes, yes and yes, don't miss this opportunity to become the Nationals in-game host for the 2014 season! The Nationals are looking for an energetic and engaging individual with a background in broadcasting, someone who will strive to enhance the...

Keeping track of Walters, Brown and Rosenbaum down in Venezuela

Keeping track of Walters, Brown and Rosenbaum down in Venezuela
The Arizona Fall League season has come to an end, with the Mesa Solar Sox, the team featuring eight Nationals prospects, falling to the Surprise Saguaros 2-0 in yesterday's championship game. Nats outfield prospect Steven Souza went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and one of Mesa's five hits, and outfielder Brian Goodwin went 0-for-1 in a pinch-hitting role. None of the Nats' four pitching prospects on Mesa's roster saw action during the championship game. For a full rundown of how the...

Fan challenge winners take down Ryan Zimmerman in Xbox battle

Fan challenge winners take down Ryan Zimmerman in Xbox battle
While fan challenge winners Brady Doyle and Bella Ronca may not be able to snag line drives or smash home runs as well as Ryan Zimmerman, they proved that that they could take down the Nationals third baseman in an Xbox battle. Thanks to MASN's annual fan challenge, the duo had the opportunity to meet Zimmerman and take him on in a game of MLB 2K13. Doyle and Ronca submitted a video during the season, challenging Zimmerman to try to beat them in a game of MLB 2K13. Eventually, their video was...

An update on Nats prospects in the Arizona Fall League

An update on Nats prospects in the Arizona Fall League
The Nationals sent eight prospects to the Arizona Fall League this offseason, and they have played a major part in the Mesa Solar Sox reaching the AFL championship game, which will be played today at 3:10 p.m. You can catch the game on MLB Network. You might have heard of all eight of the Nats prospects out in Arizona. You might have heard of none of them. But here's a look at how all eight are performing, with one final game to go in Mesa's season. Outfielder Steven Souza has only played...

Ranking the Nats' remaining offseason priorities (updated)

Ranking the Nats' remaining offseason priorities (updated)
Who misses Mauro Gomez already? I know I do. I had trouble sleeping last night, knowing he won't be a part of Nationals spring training in a few months. I'll never forget the time that Gomez was claimed off waivers in September and then didn't appear in a single game for a Nationals affiliate. Or the time he didn't get an at-bat within the organization before deciding to go play in Japan. Memories that will last a lifetime. When the Nationals' 2013 season came to a close, it was clear...

Weekly Wrap: Vacancies emerge in Nationals organization

Weekly Wrap: Vacancies emerge in Nationals organization
With the offseason comes trade rumors, waiver news and coaching staff shakeups. The Nationals have experienced all three this week. Both Trent Jewett and Roy Clark left the Nats organization this week to pursue different opportunities. Clark, the Nats' former assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel, has joined the Dodgers, and former third base coach Jewett is now the bench coach of the Seattle Mariners. As it is only November, many offseason trade rumors will...

Werth finishes 13th in NL MVP voting

Werth finishes 13th in NL MVP voting
Had the Nationals put together a stronger season than they did, and had Jayson Werth not missed a month with a hamstring injury, the veteran outfielder might very well have played a major factor in the National League MVP voting. Instead, Werth finished 13th in the NL MVP vote, which was won by Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen. Werth received 20 points overall, and the highest he came in on any ballot was seventh. The Nats right fielder posted a strong .318/.398/.532 slash line with 25...

Nationals Youth Baseball Academy nearing completion in D.C.

Nationals Youth Baseball Academy nearing completion in D.C.
The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is well under construction, with three baseball fields and an 18,000 square foot training facility nearing completion at Ward 7's Fort Dupont Park in Washington, D.C. Marla Lerner Tanenbaum, principal owner and chairperson of the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation, made the announcement from the construction site on Thursday. "Major League Baseball and the city decided that there was a need for a baseball academy of some sort in the...

Thoughts on how Zimmermann could impact Nats' offseason plans

Thoughts on how Zimmermann could impact Nats' offseason plans
While Jordan Zimmermann tied for the National League lead in wins this season and led the majors in ERA at one point about midway through the 2013 campaign, I guess he still has a little ways to go before he starts getting truly appreciated and known by those outside the D.C. area. For at least the first few hours after the NL Cy Young Award results had been posted on the Baseball Writers' Association of America Web site last night, Zimmermann's last name was spelled incorrectly. This...

Nats request release waivers on Mauro Gomez

Nats request release waivers on Mauro Gomez
The Nationals announced today that they have requested release waivers on corner infielder Mauro Gomez, who has told the team that he plans to play the 2014 season in Japan. Gomez, 29, never actually played a game in the Nationals' system. The Nats claimed him off waivers from the Blue Jays back on Sept. 5 of this year. Last season, Gomez hit 29 homers for Triple-A Buffalo, tying Nationals infielder Zach Walters for the home run lead among all Triple-A players. Gomez and Walters won't get...