nationals

Looking at where Harper will hit in 2013

January 15, 2013, 3:57am

If you don't mind staying up close to or past midnight tonight, you'll find the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year making an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," a late-night talk show on ABC. Bryce Harper will be swinging by the set for an interview with Kimmel, whose show starts at 11:35 p.m. It's too bad Harper hasn't been able to have any cool things happen to him prior to turning 21. Just a shame. By the way, I'm setting the over/under at the first "That's a clown question,...

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GCL Nats pitching capsules: Barrientos, Vasquez and Dicharry

January 15, 2013, 9:59am

Nationals

GCL Nats pitching capsules: Barrientos, Vasquez and Dicharry

The Gulf Coast League Nationals had their share of pitching prospects make progress in 2012, as the youngsters look to move up to short-season Single-A Auburn or low Single-A Hagerstown. We will take a look at several of their prospects in a couple of installments this week. The Nationals worked very hard to teach the prospects to pitch to contact, emphasizing from the beginning a philosophy of putting the ball in play and not allowing walks. Pitching coach Michael Tejera, rehab pitching...

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Nats agree to terms with five players on minor league deals

January 15, 2013, 10:00am

Nationals

Nats agree to terms with five players on minor league deals

The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms with left-handed pitchers Fernando Abad, Bill Bray and Brandon Mann, right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and infielder Will Rhymes on minor-league contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training. In addition, the Nationals extended Spring Training invites to left-handed pitcher Pat McCoy, right-handed pitcher Tanner Roark, catcher Carlos Maldonado, first baseman/third baseman Matt Skole and infielder Zach Walters. Nationals Executive Vice...

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Harper to appear tonight on "Jimmy Kimmel Live"

January 15, 2013, 3:59am

Nationals

Harper to appear tonight on "Jimmy Kimmel Live"

Los Angeles, where Bryce Harper made his major league debut on April 28, will also be the site of the Nationals outfielder's debut on late night television. Harper, the National League Rookie of the Year, will appear tonight on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," which emanates from the City of Angels. The show starts at 11:35 p.m. Eastern time. Memo to show host Jimmy Kimmel: Watch the clown questions, bro. This is a nice get for the Nats, who have an opportunity to enhance their national...

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Source: Matt Skole invited to big league spring training

January 14, 2013, 10:11am

Nationals

Source: Matt Skole invited to big league spring training

Nationals minor league Player of the Year Matt Skole, who hit 27 homers and 92 RBIs for low Single-A Hagerstown, has been invited to major league spring training, a baseball source has confirmed. The news was first reported by Skole's brother Jake

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New Caps fan Detwiler promises to be Rocking the Red

January 14, 2013, 8:08am

Nationals

New Caps fan Detwiler promises to be Rocking the Red

Ross Detwiler loves the puck. It's not unusual to see a throwback lid resting on the shelf of his locker, and his love of the St. Louis Blues stems from growing up in St. Louis. So what was the Nationals lefty doing over the weekend at Kettler Capitals Iceplex for a Capitals practice? Turns out the longtime Blues fan may be switching allegiances. During the USO Holiday Tour - in which a group of athletes including Nationals teammate Craig Stammen traversed four countries, visiting military...

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To tinker or not to tinker? That's the question

January 14, 2013, 5:07am

Nationals

To tinker or not to tinker? That's the question

Given the state of the Nationals' roster going into this offseason, general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Johnson could have essentially run out pretty much the exact same team in 2013. They could have left Bryce Harper in center field and put Michael Morse in left. They could have kept Jayson Werth as their leadoff hitter, given the high on-base percentage Werth put up last season in that spot. They could have offered Edwin Jackson a qualifying offer or made an effort to re-up the...

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Daubach on the Dominican and updates Perez, Skole and Burns

January 12, 2013, 5:41am

Nationals

Daubach on the Dominican and updates Perez, Skole and Burns

High Single-A Potomac Nationals manager Brian Daubach recently completed winter ball as the hitting coach for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic. Daubach worked with 30 hitters from several teams, including Nationals outfielder Eury Perez. Daubach said their is nothing like baseball in the Dominican. He said the way the fans get into the games, being right on top of the action, reacting to every pitch and every swing, makes it feel like every game is a must-win. "It is pretty...

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Examining the Morse market

January 11, 2013, 6:10am

Nationals

The Tampa Bay Rays have been mentioned around baseball as one team that could look to make a deal for Nationals left fielder/first baseman Michael Morse. Joe Maddon's team is still looking for more offense, and the Rays have pitching that could be dealt in order to bring in a middle-of-the-order bat. The Baltimore Orioles seem to make a lot of sense for Morse, as well, given their needs, and could potentially make a run at the 30-year-old slugger. The New York Yankees are reportedly...

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Baseball America's Nats No. 1 prospect: Anthony Rendon

January 11, 2013, 8:43am

Nationals

Baseball America's Nats No. 1 prospect: Anthony Rendon

When Anthony Rendon was first selected by the Nationals, there was a lot of excitement about his potential and how his quick hands and lightning reflexes in the batter's box would translate to the pro level. That excitement was tempered a bit when Rendon went down in April with a fractured ankle in a Single-A game at Lynchburg. Despite that ankle injury, Rendon came on strong and showed consistency in the field, which sets up for an exciting full season ahead. And the incredible potential...

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A hodgepodge of random notes (Nats sign Ohlendorf, West)

January 10, 2013, 8:28am

Nationals

A hodgepodge of random notes (Nats sign Ohlendorf, West)

Lost in all the Adam LaRoche/Michael Morse stuff the other day, I forgot to mention that it looks like the Nationals will have a new speedy outfielder wearing jersey No. 2 this season. Denard Span tweeted that he will be wearing No. 2 with the Nationals, which was his number while playing with the Twins. The previous owner of that jersey number, Roger Bernadina, apparently has agreed to part ways with it. Span tweeted that Bernadina was "very gracious" in giving up the number. So there...

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Weekly Wrap

January 10, 2013, 4:52pm

Nationals

For weeks now, I have been recapping the offseason news around the Nationals organization, which is brought to you by MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko and Byron Kerr. While there has been much news this winter, each week, my fingers typed something having to do with the lack of news regarding Adam LaRoche. But now, this week, I can officially say that the first baseman will be back in The District for the next two seasons. LaRoche, who won his first Gold Glove in 2012, and the Nats agreed to a...

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MASN to air six Nats exhibition games

January 09, 2013, 9:39pm

Nationals

Even if your boss, significant other or parental unit won't allow you to make a trip down to Viera, Fla., to see a few Nationals spring training games in person, you'll have a chance to catch a number of Nats exhibition games on the small screen. I know, I know. It's not anywhere near the same thing, but for those of you starved for baseball, I'm sure it'll do. MASN HD will be airing six exhibition games this spring, five of which will take place at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. The TV...

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LaRoche was "fighting to get back" to Nationals

January 09, 2013, 8:48am

Nationals

One day after agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with the Nationals, first baseman Adam LaRoche said that despite other offers, he knew this was the place he wanted to be. There were negotiations with the Nationals and with some other teams, but one reason LaRoche did not accept something comparable was because the Nats already had a good team, and he felt most comfortable playing for them. "One of the big ones was I was fighting to get back to Washington," LaRoche said during a...

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Let's look more at the lack of lefties (updated with Hall of Fame note)

January 09, 2013, 7:50am

Nationals

Let's look more at the lack of lefties (updated with Hall of Fame note)

Back at the Winter Meetings in December, Davey Johnson said that he'd ideally like to add another left-handed reliever to his bullpen, giving him better match-up options late in games. General manager Mike Rizzo echoed that sentiment, but said that the Nationals don't necessarily need to add a late-inning lefty. Rizzo's reasoning was that with Tyler Clippard, Craig Stammen and Ryan Mattheus in the Nationals' bullpen, Johnson has three righties who possess good track records against...

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The waiting is working

January 06, 2013, 4:13am

Nationals

If the Rangers were considered a possible landing spot for Adam LaRoche a couple days ago, it's hard to believe they still are today. Texas reportedly has agreed to terms with first baseman/outfielder Lance Berkman on a one-year, $11 million contract, a deal which includes a vesting option for 2014. Berkman, a switch-hitter, gives the Rangers more pop from the left side of the plate and a guy that they can rotate in at a few positions. This deal comes after the Rangers signed left-handed...

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Baseball America's Nats No. 2 prospect: Lucas Giolito

January 09, 2013, 2:43am

Nationals

Baseball America's Nats No. 2 prospect: Lucas Giolito

The baseball recovery clock from Tommy John started on Aug. 31, 2012, for Lucas Giolito. But before that day, the Nationals and baseball gurus got a small window into the immense potential that made Giolito the team's No. 1 selection in the 2012 draft. The 6-foot-6, 225-lb., flame throwing right-hander out of Santa Monica, Calif., pitched two innings for Gulf Coast Nationals and then-manager Tripp Keister saw quickly why the Nationals have such high hopes for the 18-year-old. Giolito was...

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What we learned about Rizzo from the LaRoche negotiations

January 09, 2013, 7:28am

Nationals

What we learned about Rizzo from the LaRoche negotiations

The weeks-long staredown between Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and first baseman Adam LaRoche has concluded, with the free agent getting the two-year deal the Nats offered rather than the three-year contract he sought. What did we learn from these negotiations? (First, let's just agree that we can call them negotiations, even though there was precious little give and take. Rizzo drew a line in the sand, didn't waver and basically forced LaRoche's hand. It wasn't exactly a...

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Rizzo talks LaRoche signing, Morse trade options

January 08, 2013, 12:52pm

Nationals

Rizzo talks LaRoche signing, Morse trade options

After a few months of extended talks which saw little actual negotiating, the Nationals and Adam LaRoche today agreed on a two-year contract worth a guaranteed $24 million, a deal which brings one player in but will almost certainly send another out. LaRoche returns for the 2013 and 2014 seasons and has a mutual option for 2015, as well. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo viewed LaRoche as his "Plan A" all offseason, and today, he finally brought back the Gold Glove- and Silver...

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Why move Morse?

January 08, 2013, 8:26pm

Nationals

In the wake of the news that Adam LaRoche has signed a two-year deal with the Nationals worth a guaranteed $24 million, the most popular question among fans, by far, seems to be the following: Why would the Nats trade Michael Morse? Morse has become a popular guy with teammates and fans over the last couple years, thanks largely to his offensive production (it's tough to dislike a guy who hit .303 with a .910 OPS and 31 home runs two seasons ago), but also because of his quirky, fun-loving...