nationals

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

December 09, 2013, 12:50pm

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...

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The latest on the lefties

December 08, 2013, 8:42pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - While reporters, executives and other baseball people trickled into the Swan and Dolphin Resort here in the Orlando area throughout the day yesterday, the Winter Meetings officially begin today. Get pumped, people. Or don't. Either way. There might not be as much excitement about the Winter Meetings among Nationals fans as there has been in past years, largely because most of the major moves that general manager Mike Rizzo needed to make this offseason have already...

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Will Buck stop with Nationals?

December 09, 2013, 3:58am

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Greetings from the Hemisphere Ballroom, which functions as the media work room for the Winter Meetings. The lobby is starting to buzz and the work room is beginning to fill up with reporters, many of whom are finally arriving after having their flights from the great white - and icy - north delayed, postponed or canceled. I won't throw the fact that the weather forecaster on the local FOX affiliate told me it was going to be "really, really warm for December" here...

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On rumors, mystery teams and improving the Nationals

December 08, 2013, 6:04am

Nationals

I'm sitting at Gate B-4 at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, having decided it's better to arrive early for a 1 p.m. fight with a wintry mix in the weather forecast than to risk getting shut out of my Airport FastPark, my preferred long-term parking destination for business excursions. Better safe than sorry, right? My friends who are trying to fly out of Reagan National or Dulles bound for Orlando (and, eventually, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., site of the annual...

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Source: Nats "very interested" in Eric O'Flaherty

December 08, 2013, 2:55pm

Nationals

Source: Nats "very interested" in Eric O'Flaherty

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Hello from the 2014 Winter Meetings, where the climate is slightly different than it is in the Washington D.C., area. I was lucky enough to make it down here with only a slight delay on my flight, but others leaving out of D.C. and other points north weren't so fortunate. People will still be rolling in throughout the night, meaning the crowd in the lobby at the Swan and Dolphin Resort isn't anywhere near its peak. I've got some minor news to pass along, which is...

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We're off for Orlando

December 07, 2013, 11:51pm

Nationals

Well, here we go. The most hyped four days of the offseason officially begin tomorrow, and so for myself and the rest of the MASNsports.com staff, it's off to Orlando today, a day ahead of the start of the Winter Meetings. Don't let the location of the meetings fool you, however. If I see sunlight for a total of 30 minutes during the entirety of the Winter Meetings, I'll consider it a victory. This isn't exactly the trip you take if you're interested in working on your tan or hitting the...

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Nationals sign Nate McLouth to two-year deal (updated)

December 06, 2013, 12:14pm

Nationals

Mike Rizzo got his experienced starter in Doug Fister earlier this week. Now he has his left-handed-hitting reserve outfielder in Nate McLouth. The Nationals have signed McLouth to a two-year contract, a source confirms, giving the Nats their fourth outfielder, one who can play any outfield spot and has a little bit of pop from the left side of the plate. FOXSports.com was the first to report the signing, and according to the Baltimore Sun, McLouth will get $10.75 million over the two-year...

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Bench roles starting to fall into place

December 07, 2013, 4:37am

Nationals

Robinson Cano. Huroki Kuroda. Scott Feldman. Curtis Granderson. Ryan Webb. J.P. Arencibia. Nate McLouth. Mike Napoli. Carlos Beltran. Most offseasons, that's a busy week when it comes to free agent signings. In the winter of 2013, however, that's just one day's worth of free agent action. All nine of the players listed above agreed to terms on contracts yesterday, crossing a handful more names off the list of available free agents going into the Winter Meetings. I texted a major league...

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Where will Cano go? (Cano agrees to terms with Mariners)

December 06, 2013, 3:32am

Nationals

Where will Cano go? (Cano agrees to terms with Mariners)

Second baseman Robinson Cano, far and away the top free agent in this year's class, flew to Seattle yesterday and reportedly received a nine-year, $225 million deal from the Mariners, according to CBSSports.com. Anyone still want Cano coming to D.C. if it's at that price? The Mariners' offer is one that tops the Yankees' largest projected proposal to Cano by two years and $50 million, leaving Seattle with what's believed to be the top offer on the table by a wide margin. As of right...

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On Espinosa's chances at cracking the Nats' roster

December 05, 2013, 3:37am

Nationals

On Espinosa's chances at cracking the Nats' roster

If you take the time to consider which players within the Nationals organization benefit most from this week's trade that brought Doug Fister to D.C. and shipped Steve Lombardozzi, Ian Krol and Robbie Ray to Detroit, there's no doubt that Danny Espinosa's name would be near, if not at, the top of the list. As of Monday morning, Espinosa sat behind Lombardozzi on the Nats' middle infield depth chart. Lombardozzi had established himself as a quality utility player on the major league roster,...

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Weekly Wrap: Nats filling roster holes during week before Winter Meetings

December 06, 2013, 1:29pm

Nationals

Weekly Wrap: Nats filling roster holes during week before Winter Meetings

The Winter Meetings are still a few days away. However, that didn't stop the Nationals from making moves and headlines this week. Heading into the offseason, the Nats were looking for a left-handed bat and possibly another starter to fill out the rotation. They got both in the past week. Today, former Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth signed a two-year deal with the Nats. On Monday, the Nats made a deal with the Tigers, bringing right-hander Doug Fister to D.C., for Steve Lombardozzi, Ian...

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LaRoche to participate in 2013 USO Holiday Tour

December 06, 2013, 5:01am

Nationals

LaRoche to participate in 2013 USO Holiday Tour

Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche will take part in the 2013 USO Holiday Tour led by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey. Joining him will be Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Bridget Kelly, former New England Patriots offensive tackle and three-time Super Bowl champion Matt Light, actor/comedian Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles, stars of A&E's hit reality show "Duck Dynasty" Jep and Willie Robertson and former correspondent on NBC's "The Voice"...

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Some leftovers on Fister and a wild week

December 03, 2013, 8:19pm

Nationals

Some leftovers on Fister and a wild week

What an insane week this has already been in Major League Baseball. And we're only through Tuesday. The following deals all went down in the last two days (terms are according to various media reports): Jacoby Ellsbury turned in his Red Sox for some pinstripes, agreeing to a seven-year, $153 million deal with the Yankees. The Red Sox signed catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year, $8.25 million deal. The Rockies inked first baseman Justin Morneau to a two-year deal worth around $13 million....

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Nationals launch "Week of Giving" initiative

December 04, 2013, 10:21am

Nationals

In an effort to spread holiday cheer throughout the D.C. region, the Washington Nationals will participate in a series of community events that make up the team's "Week of Giving" beginning next Monday, December 9 through Saturday, December 14. During the week, Nationals players and front office staff will partake in activities aimed at giving back to the local community while celebrating the spirit of the holidays. To start off the week of events, Nationals pitcher Ross Detwiler* and...

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Mike Rizzo discusses the Doug Fister trade

December 03, 2013, 7:28am

Nationals

Mike Rizzo discusses the Doug Fister trade

Reporters didn't get a chance to discuss the Doug Fister trade with Mike Rizzo last night because Rizzo had previous obligations, but we were able to fire questions at the Nationals general manager just a bit ago during a conference call. Rizzo said that the Nationals had been talking with the Tigers about a possible trade for a starting pitcher dating to just before the general managers meetings in November, and they initially "kicked the tires" on three of Detroit's right-handed options...

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Fister on joining Nats: "There's a lot of excitement for me"

December 03, 2013, 12:27pm

Nationals

Fister on joining Nats: "There's a lot of excitement for me"

Since July 2011, Doug Fister has been with the Detroit Tigers, a team that made the postseason in each of the last three years and made it to the World Series in 2012. He's built friendships there and has pitched in a strong starting rotation. The 29-year-old is now eager to have some of those same experiences in D.C. Fister found out last night that he had been traded to the Nationals, who will now be his third organization in six major league seasons. Both he and fellow Tigers right-hander...