nationals

Roy Clark leaves Nationals for Dodgers

November 12, 2013, 11:52am

A day after losing their third base coach, the Nationals have lost a key member of their front office. Roy Clark, who has served as assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel for the last four years, has left the organization to take a position with the Dodgers, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law. Update: A source with knowledge of the situation has confirmed that Clark is leaving the Nationals and that he is indeed joining the Dodgers. In Los Angeles, Clark will...

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A hodgepodge of morning notes (instant update)

November 13, 2013, 4:00am

Nationals

A hodgepodge of morning notes (instant update)

The Manager of the Year awards were handed out last night, and they went to Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle and the Indians' Terry Francona, giving both men their first such honor. Hurdle received 25 of the 30 possible first-place votes for National League Manager of the Year after leading the Pirates to their first above-.500 record since 1992. Pittsburgh finished the regular season with 94 wins and then beat Cincinnati in the Wild Card play-in game before losing to the Cardinals in the...

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Zimmermann finishes seventh in NL Cy Young voting

November 13, 2013, 2:29pm

Nationals

Zimmermann finishes seventh in NL Cy Young voting

The Nationals had Gio Gonzalez finish third in the National League Cy Young voting last season. This year, Jordan Zimmermann was the top vote-getting Nats hurler, and he came in seventh. Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, to no one's surprise, took home his second Cy Young award in dominating fashion. Zimmermann received six third-place votes and three fifth-place votes. He finished the season with 19 wins, tied with Adam Wainwright (the Cy Young runner-up) for most in the National...

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Catching up on another possible offseason need

November 12, 2013, 5:02am

Nationals

Catching up on another possible offseason need

Down the stretch this season, the Nationals leaned heavily on catcher Wilson Ramos, who was finally healthy after missing most of the 2012 season with a knee injury and then twice landing on the disabled list due to hamstring problems in the first half of the 2013 campaign. If Ramos can stay healthy in 2014 (and, yes, that's a big if), he'll likely see a large portion of the playing time yet again. After all, the guy did slug 14 homers and drive in 53 runs over the final three months of the...

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Tweeting his way to a hitting lesson with Ryan Zimmerman

November 12, 2013, 4:34pm

Nationals

Tweeting his way to a hitting lesson with Ryan Zimmerman

During the 2013 season, we gave Nationals fans the chance to earn points for interacting with us on social media through our "Touch 'Em All" social rewards program. The top 10 finalists would have the chance to meet Ryan Zimmerman, with one lucky fan being selected to win a private hitting lesson with the third baseman. Fingers flew over keyboards, Instagam pictures were posted and MASN Nationals postgame memes were shared on Facebook. Each month, top followers on our social media accounts...

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Jewett joins Mariners (updated)

November 11, 2013, 1:15am

Nationals

It turns out that new Nationals manager Matt Williams might need to tweak his coaching staff a little more than we originally thought. The Nats have granted permission for third base coach Trent Jewett to interview for the Mariners' bench coach position under new manager Lloyd McClendon, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. Jewett was expected to return to the Nats as third base coach, but when McClendon was hired as the new skipper in Seattle, Jewett's name immediately began being...

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Giolito and Johansen worked on repeating deliveries at instructional league last month

November 08, 2013, 11:28am

Nationals

Giolito and Johansen worked on repeating deliveries at instructional league last month

Right-handers Lucas Giolito and Jake Johansen made positive progress last month at the fall instructional league conducted by the Nationals in Viera, Fla. This week they completed a strength and conditioning camp at the same location. Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams said both looked very good in their workouts and pitching performances during the October instructional league. "Well, I think they are really on the right track heading forward," Williams said. "They both...

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Taking a look at the latest Nats rumor

November 10, 2013, 5:18am

Nationals

Just a couple of days after Denard Span was named the Nationals' recipient of the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award, there's a report that the Nats might be open to trading their speedy center fielder. According to CBSsports.com's Jon Heyman, officials from competing teams say that the Nats "appear willing" to listen to offers for Span, who hit .279/.327/.380 this season and was a finalist for a Gold Glove this season after going the entirety of the 2013 campaign without allowing...

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Lookin' at some lefties

November 09, 2013, 3:07am

Nationals

General manager Mike Rizzo has admitted that he erred when he decided to put just one left-hander in the Nationals bullpen going into the start of the 2013 season. Rizzo and the Nationals looked around for left-handed relievers last winter, but instead of adding a new face or retaining Sean Burnett, Michael Gonzalez or Tom Gorzelanny, they opted to break camp with starter-turned-reliever Zach Duke as their lone southpaw in the 'pen. That didn't exactly work out as planned. Duke pitched to...

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The cost to acquire a starter

November 08, 2013, 4:31am

Nationals

Want to add a free agent starter this offseason? You're going to have to back up a few Brinks trucks to land your guy. Or maybe a few dozen. FOXsports.com's Ken Rosenthal is reporting that free agent righty Ervin Santana is seeking more than $100 million on a five-year deal, while right-hander Ricky Nolasco is looking for a five-year contract worth $80 million. This is the same Ervin Santana who pitched to a 5.16 ERA and allowed a whopping 39 home runs, most in the major leagues, in 2012....

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Souza collects two hits but Mesa falls 6-4

November 06, 2013, 9:32pm

Nationals

Souza collects two hits but Mesa falls 6-4

Mesa relinquished a 4-0 lead and fell to Glendale, 6-4 on Wednesday in Arizona Fall League play. After Nationals prospect Robert Benincasa got through the seventh unscathed, the Solar Sox bullpen fell apart, surrendering six runs in the final two frames. Benincasa threw a scoreless inning, allowing just one hit and a walk. Benincasa's ERA is 4.00 in nine Arizona outings. Here is more on his season. Right fielder Stephen Souza Jr. went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Center fielder Brian...

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What could a long-term deal for Desmond look like?

November 07, 2013, 5:38am

Nationals

What could a long-term deal for Desmond look like?

This season, Ian Desmond made $3.8 million in what was his first year of salary arbitration, ranking him 17th among major league shortstops when it came to 2013 salary. Through the arbitration process, Desmond's salary will likely almost double in 2014, as another strong season (which included his second straight Silver Slugger Award and being named a finalist for a Gold Glove) leaves him in line for another hefty raise. MLBTradeRumors.com's Matt Swartz has projected that Desmond will earn...

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Weekly Wrap: Williams takes over, Desmond continues to shine on national stage

November 07, 2013, 6:23pm

Nationals

Although the offseason is in full swing, the Nationals have continued to make national headlines with the hiring of a new manager and a shortstop being recognized for his bat. While the Nats had been expected to hire Matt Williams, he was officially introduced last Friday. On Wednesday, Ian Desmond was honored with his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award. While those were the biggest stories around the Nats this week, there are many other headlines that you may have missed. Go to...

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Ian Desmond wins second straight Silver Slugger award (updated)

November 06, 2013, 1:48pm

Nationals

Ian Desmond wins second straight Silver Slugger award (updated)

For the second straight season, Ian Desmond has been selected as the top offensive shortstop in the National League by managers and coaches. Desmond won the 2013 Silver Slugger Award among NL shortstops after hitting .280 with a .331 on-base percentage, a .453 slugging percentage, 20 home runs and 80 RBIs this season. Desmond beat out the Rockies' Troy Tulowkitzki, the Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez and the Brewers' Jean Segura for the award. Desmond led all National League shortstops in total...

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Nationals announce 2014 spring training schedule

November 06, 2013, 1:17pm

Nationals

The Nationals announced their 31-game 2014 spring training schedule this evening, a slate that features 14 home games at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., beginning with their Grapefruit League home opener Saturday, March 1 versus the Braves. The Nats will kick off their spring training schedule a day before that home opener when they face the Mets in Port St. Lucie on Feb. 28. Matt Williams' bunch will conclude their exhibition schedule at Nationals Park against the Tigers on March 29,...

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Starting to look at a couple more starters

November 05, 2013, 4:28am

Nationals

Starting to look at a couple more starters

As I mentioned yesterday, the Nationals did not issue a qualifying offer to either of their two free agents this offseason - Dan Haren or Chad Tracy. Again, no surprise there. Nine major league teams did issue qualifying offers to a total of 13 free agents yesterday, however, meaning we will see a bunch of guys hit the free agent market with their value being affected by the draft pick compensation that is now attached to them. The Red Sox and Yankees both issued three qualifying offers, and...

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Some of this, some of that

November 06, 2013, 5:05am

Nationals

After being fired by the Nationals mid-way through the 2013 season, Rick Eckstein has found himself a new gig. Eckstein has been hired by the Angels as an assistant hitting coach who will also serve as an advance scout and liaison to the minor leagues, according to the Los Angeles Times. Essentially, he'll be the seventh coach in the dugout. Eckstein had been the Nationals' hitting coach since 2008, but general manager Mike Rizzo fired Eckstein in July with the Nats possessing a 48-50...

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Detwiler, Garcia reinstated from 60-day DL (plus Haren update)

November 04, 2013, 9:58am

Nationals

Detwiler, Garcia reinstated from 60-day DL (plus Haren update)

The Nationals announced this afternoon that they've reinstated both left-hander Ross Detwiler and right-hander Christian Garcia from the 60-day disabled list, putting both hurlers back on the team's 40-man roster. Detwiler missed the last three months of the 2013 season with a herniated disc in his back. He went 2-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 13 starts this season and last pitched on July 3. Detwiler finished the season pitching in instructional league games down in Florida. The Nats liked what...

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What's on tap for today and a free agent to watch

November 04, 2013, 4:20am

Nationals

What's on tap for today and a free agent to watch

Remember when the Nationals shipped David DeJesus to the Rays in August just four days after they had acquired the veteran outfielder from the Cubs, and Nats general manager Mike Rizzo said that he'd be open to reuniting with DeJesus this offseason should he hit the free agent market? Yeah, that won't be happening. The Rays have reportedly picked up DeJesus' $6.5 million option for 2014 and are working on a new two-year deal, according to the Tampa Bay Times, keeping the friendly, speedy,...

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Though game plan is fluid, Williams wants Nats to be aggressive

November 01, 2013, 12:39pm

Nationals

Though game plan is fluid, Williams wants Nats to be aggressive

By his own admission, Matt Williams' managerial style will be a work in progress. At his introductory press conference Friday afternoon at Nationals Park, the sixth field manager in Nats history was consistent in his use of the word "fluid" to describe how he'll approach his rookie season as a major league skipper. "The plan's fluid," he said, "and it will present itself differently every day." But it won't be difficult to pinpoint one facet of the Williams era that will quickly...