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Baseball America's Nats No. 3 prospect: Brian Goodwin

January 06, 2013, 5:18pm

Brian Goodwin has been a fan favorite ever since the Nationals drafted him. Always coveting a center fielder with speed who can hit, hit for power, get on base and has great range, Goodwin is working his way into that leadoff man of the future the Nats have been searching for in the draft. Denard Span takes over this season with the big boys, but Goodwin made a big splash last season as he tore through low Single-A Hagerstown and made the rare two-level jump to Double-A Harrisburg. He...

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Some of this, some of that

January 04, 2013, 6:19am

Nationals

I saw a report yesterday that the Royals had signed first baseman Chad Tracy to a minor league deal and immediately did a double take. Had I blacked out for a few days and missed something? Nope. Turns out former Rockies manager Jim Tracy has a son. That son happens to play first base. That son also happens to have the name Chad. The Nationals' Chad Tracy still is a first baseman ... on the Nationals. This is the point we're at in the offseason - where other teams' minor league...

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Finding some offense from the No. 9 spot

January 02, 2013, 9:44pm

Nationals

Finding some offense from the No. 9 spot

We've talked often about how the Nationals' projected 2013 lineup appears pretty strong from 1-8 in the order. Power, on-base percentage and speed; regardless of whether Adam LaRoche returns or not, the Nats will have a potent top eight in their order in multiple facets. One thing we haven't talked that much about is how the Nationals' No. 9 hitter often will give this lineup an added element that not many teams can match. And no, by that I don't mean that Davey Johnson will be...

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Young GCL Nats could join Tripp Keister in move to Hagerstown

January 04, 2013, 3:58am

Nationals

Young GCL Nats could join Tripp Keister in move to Hagerstown

The value of the Nationals having a Gulf Coast League team shows itself each spring when many of the young stars move up to take spots at low Single-A Hagerstown or more likely at short-season Single-A Auburn. Looking down the list of GCL Nationals offensively, several position players put up good offensive numbers as they gained crucial professional experience in the rookie league. Second baseman Matt Foat hit .333 in 43 games, with six doubles, one triple, one homer and 20 RBIs. GCL...

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Baseball America's No. 4 Nats prospect: Matt Skole

January 02, 2013, 11:49am

Nationals

Baseball America's No. 4 Nats prospect: Matt Skole

It was a tremendous summer for Matt Skole. He demonstrated his raw power over and over at low Single-A Hagerstown. Skole hit .286 in 101 games for the Suns, smacking 27 homers and recording 92 RBIs. He then got moved up to high Single-A Potomac. He hit .314 for the P-Nats, with 11 extra-base hits, although no homers, and 12 RBIs. The Nationals liked what they saw so much they gave him the opportunity to continue his season in the Arizona Fall League, where he played first base exclusively....

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New year, same waiting game

January 02, 2013, 5:57am

Nationals

The holidays are over, the calendar has turned and my headache has finally started to dissipate. Hello, 2013. Hope everyone had an enjoyable new year celebration and hasn't found the transition back to the real world to be too jarring. We might have put 2012 in the rear-view mirror, but we still find ourselves asking the same question today that we asked for the final few months of last year: Will Adam LaRoche return to the Nationals? LaRoche is still patiently waiting (very patiently, I...

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A favorite memory from 2012

December 31, 2012, 5:16am

Nationals

Let me make sure I have this right: The Washington Nationals and Washington Redskins both made the playoffs in the same calendar year? Two years after those two teams posted a combined winning percentage of .400, they both won the division in their respective sport? Weird, wild stuff. Add in the Orioles and Ravens both making the postseason this year, as well, and it's been a pretty special few months for sports fans in the mid-Atlantic region. As 2012 comes to an end tonight, Nationals...

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Baseball America's No. 5 Nats prospect: Nathan Karns

December 31, 2012, 12:56pm

Nationals

Baseball America's No. 5 Nats prospect: Nathan Karns

The Nationals are very high on right-hander Nathan Karns after his breakthrough 2012 season. Karns was named the organization's minor league Pitcher of the Year after going a combined 11-4 with a 2.17 ERA over 24 games, 18 of those starts. Karns fired 148 strikeouts, two complete games and only 47 walks between low Single-A Hagerstown and high Single-A Potomac. He won seven of his final nine outings to end the season, with a 1.84 ERA and 68 strikeouts. In his last 10 games, Karns struck out...

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Getting some more national recognition

December 30, 2012, 6:56am

Nationals

Teams can be chock full of talent and potential, and end up going nowhere. Other teams can lack elite talent and still find a way to rattle off wins and make a run in the playoffs. Talent level guarantees nothing in professional sports. There are other factors that determine how far a team will go, which is why some organizations can spend upwards of $175 million in a season and still end up watching the postseason from home. As they prepare to enter the 2013 season, however, the Nationals...

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Still seeking some southpaws

December 29, 2012, 5:56am

Nationals

For a team that isn't overhauling its roster all that much, it's kind of interesting that the Nationals have lost all three left-handed relievers that were on their 2012 roster prior to the 25-man limit expanding in September. Sean Burnett has headed out west to join the Angels for a reported $8 million over two years, with a vesting option worth $4.5 million for 2015. Tom Gorzelanny, who was non-tendered by the Nats last month, signed a two-year, $5.7 million deal with the Brewers. And...

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Baseball America's No. 6 Nats prospect: Christian Garcia

December 30, 2012, 3:17am

Nationals

Baseball America's No. 6 Nats prospect: Christian Garcia

Right-hander Christian Garcia made a nice move all the way to the Nationals in 2012 after dominating opponents while pitching at Triple-A Syracuse. Garcia began the season at Double-A Harrisburg. In 18 games, he went 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA with seven saves in 20 innings, firing 28 strikeouts to six walks. Then, in Syracuse, Garcia went 1-1 with a 0.56 ERA in 27 games over 32 1/3 innings. He struck out 38 and walked 11. With the Nationals, Garcia appeared in 13 games, pitching 12 2/3 innings and...

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Report: Michael Gonzalez leaves Nats for Brewers

December 28, 2012, 9:32am

Nationals

Report: Michael Gonzalez leaves Nats for Brewers

Another left-handed reliever is off the market. Michael Gonzalez, who appeared in 47 games with the Nationals last season, has signed a one-year deal with the Brewers, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. The deal is worth $2.25 million plus incentives, according to CBSsports.com. Gonzalez posted a 3.03 ERA with the Nats, and he held left-handed hitters to a .179 batting average. He was also a valuable voice in the Nationals' clubhouse, as he mentored a number of the Nationals'...

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Can Bernadina back up a strong 2012 campaign?

December 28, 2012, 7:07am

Nationals

Can Bernadina back up a strong 2012 campaign?

If you're looking for some good baseball programming on TV to get you through the weekend, I've got a suggestion for you. Cue up the DVR and record any future airings of a one-hour special that originally aired on MLB Network last night called "The Third Team." The show follows around the six umpires that worked the 2012 World Series and gives you a very cool look at the game from their perspective. All six umpires are miked up during the games, and you get to see how the umps handle...

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As 2013 nears, Nats still waiting on LaRoche

December 27, 2012, 6:11am

Nationals

As 2013 nears, Nats still waiting on LaRoche

If you happen to be interested in getting a sneak peak at the Nationals' new-look batting practice caps for this season, you're in luck.

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Baseball America's No. 7 Nats prospect: Eury Perez

December 27, 2012, 4:44pm

Nationals

Baseball America's No. 7 Nats prospect: Eury Perez

There has always been a lot of talk about the potential of outfielder Eury Perez. Last season, for the first time, Nationals fans finally got to see him play in the big leagues. Perez, ranked as No. 7 on Baseball America's list of 10 top Nationals prospects, played in 13 games in September, going 1-for-5 (.200) with three stolen bases and three runs. It was a small sample size, and now Perez will have a shot to try to grab one of the utility slots in the Nationals outfield in spring training...

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The forgotten man in the bullpen

December 26, 2012, 7:18am

Nationals

By the time pitchers and catchers report to spring training some six to seven weeks from now, we'll already have a pretty good idea how the bulk of the Nationals' bullpen will be put together. Barring injuries to any of these players, it's pretty safe to slot Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus and Zach Duke into the 'pen. Another left-hander (J.P. Howell? Michael Gonzalez? Bill Bray?) is almost certain to join that group, as well. A lot can change between now and...

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Baseball America's No. 8 Nats prospect: Sammy Solis

December 25, 2012, 4:31pm

Nationals

Baseball America's No. 8 Nats prospect: Sammy Solis

I remember that July day in 2011 when left-hander Sammy Solis notched his first victory at the high Single-A Potomac Nationals. The southpaw was pretty pumped about that victory and the promise that inevitably lied ahead. That promise is still intact, now that Solis is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March. If everything goes well this season, Solis will be able to return to the mound and get through this season with an innings limit. Solis went 6-2 in 2011 with a 2.72 ERA...

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Weekly Wrap

December 27, 2012, 8:49pm

Nationals

If you were occupied by holiday festivities this week, it's OK, because it was a rather slow week of baseball news, barring the power rankings that labeled the Nats a team to watch for the 2013 season. ESPN's Buster Olney ranked the Nats second in his early power rankings. While D.C. is preparing to watch the Redskins fight for a division title, MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko compared the team's surprising season to that of the Nationals. Again, this week's news is the lack of news...

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Targets on their backs

December 23, 2012, 10:29pm

Nationals

Watching the Redskins pick up their sixth straight win yesterday and move within one more victory of a division title (boy, will Sunday night's game against the Cowboys be just a tad intense?), I realized that the Skins' 2012 season to this point somewhat mirrors the Nationals' 2012 campaign. Obviously, given how each team finished in 2011, the Nats entered this most recent season with a bit loftier expectations around them than the burgundy and gold, and while the Redskins might end up in...

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ESPN preseason power rankings have Nationals at No. 2

December 23, 2012, 5:11pm

Nationals

The Nationals had the best record in baseball in 2012 with 98 victories. Heading into the 2013 season, the team is already receiving expectations that they will be just as good. ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney ranks the Nationals as No. 2 on his early power rankings behind world champion San Francisco Giants (subscription required). Olney cites the addition of center fielder Denard Span and the continued progression of the young outfielder Bryce Harper. Olney also says with...