nationals

Offense from Nats prospects helping Salt River pursue AFL crown

November 04, 2012, 7:41pm

Some of the Nationals' best position player prospects are on display in the Arizona Fall League with the Salt River Rafters. Brian Goodwin, Jason Martinson, Anthony Rendon and Matt Skole have combined to provide a good measure of the offense for the Rafters as they pursue the AFL crown. The Rafters are 11-9 with about two weeks remaining in the season. Salt River had hit 16 homers in 20 games, second to Mesa. They have 38 stolen bases, a league-leading total. Their .393 slugging percentage...

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Corrales leaves Nats after six seasons

November 05, 2012, 9:53am

Nationals

After spending the last six seasons with the Nationals, Pat Corrales has left the organization to become a special assistant to Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. Corrales served in a number of roles during his time with the Nationals. He was the team's bench coach on three separate occasions (2007-08, the second half of 2009 and the second half of 2011), served as a special assistant to the GM and most recently spent this last season working in player development. Corrales roamed...

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Candidates in Lee County weigh in on efforts to lure Nats to Fort Myers

November 05, 2012, 8:45am

Nationals

Candidates in Lee County weigh in on efforts to lure Nats to Fort Myers

Election day in southwest Florida could have an impact on the Nationals' efforts to relocate their spring training facility from Space Coast Stadium in Viera to vacant City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Officials from Lee County have been engaged in discussions with the Nationals since March, but this story in the Naples Daily News sheds some light as to why there is so little public discussion about the talks - and casts some doubts as to whether they will bear any fruit. "I can tell you...

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How 'bout Haren?

November 03, 2012, 7:13am

Nationals

As of midnight, free agency has officially begun. After being able to talk solely with their previous team for the last five days, free agents are now allowed to chat with any team and begin negotiations on contracts for the 2013 season. Adam LaRoche will mull over his one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer from the Nationals, but it's an offer he's certain to decline. A multi-year deal is in his future, be it with the Nats or one of the other 29 teams around the league. There were nine...

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Goodwin shines as East beats West 9-4 in AFL Rising Stars game

November 03, 2012, 8:58pm

Nationals

Goodwin shines as East beats West 9-4 in AFL Rising Stars game

Nationals outfield prospect Brian Goodwin smacked a home run and went 2-for-5 as the East All-Stars beat the West All-Stars 9-4 in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game at Talking Stick Saturday night. Trailing 2-0 in the first frame, Goodwin, a left fielder, crushed a solo homer to start the offense, cutting the deficit in half. Down 4-3 in the fifth, the East scored six times to take control and win going away. Goodwin had an RBI double in the inning to give the East a 7-4...

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Nats extend qualifying offer to LaRoche, not Jackson

November 02, 2012, 3:54pm

Nationals

Nats extend qualifying offer to LaRoche, not Jackson

The Nationals have extended a qualifying offer to Adam LaRoche, an industry source has confirmed, guaranteeing the team a compensatory draft pick in 2013 if LaRoche chooses to sign elsewhere. The Nats did not extend qualifying offers to any of their other free agents, including right-handed starter Edwin Jackson. LaRoche now has seven days to accept a one-year, $13.3 million deal. He's expected to decline the offer in search of a multi-year deal. The Nationals can still negotiate a new...

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Matt Skole playing first base exclusively in Arizona

November 02, 2012, 10:32am

Nationals

Matt Skole playing first base exclusively in Arizona

Nationals prospect Matt Skole is enjoying his opportunity to play for Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League and is anxious to get back on the field after "tweaking" his hamstring last Saturday. "I just tweaked it a little bit," Skole said. "They gave me this week off. I am going to play (today). I think they are being overcautious. It wasn't that big of a deal. Those guys took care of me." Skole is a third baseman by trade. For low Single-A Hagerstown and high Single-A Potomac...

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Some more buzz on Bourn (updated)

November 01, 2012, 9:47pm

Nationals

The Nationals have been linked to Michael Bourn for some time now, dating back a couple years to his days with the Astros. The reasons are fairly obvious: The Nats have been searching for their long-term answer in center field, they could use speed and a stable presence at the top of the order (even though Jayson Werth is an option there), and Bourn's agent happens to be Scott Boras, with whom Nats general manager Mike Rizzo has a good working relationship. Now, with Bourn poised to hit the...

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How high can Jordan Zimmermann go in 2013?

November 01, 2012, 5:51am

Nationals

How high can Jordan Zimmermann go in 2013?

Not only was Bryce Harper apparently pretty excited to welcome kids to his doorstep for Halloween, he also threw on a costume himself. What did the 20-year-old dress up as?

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LaRoche, Burnett decline options, become free agents

November 01, 2012, 12:36pm

Nationals

LaRoche, Burnett decline options, become free agents

As expected, both first baseman Adam LaRoche and left-handed reliever Sean Burnett have declined their mutual options and have become free agents, a source confirmed Thursday. LaRoche had a $10 million mutual option for 2013, while Burnett's option was for $3.5 million. Assuming the two players don't reach a new contract with the Nationals before Saturday, they will hit the open market and be allowed to negotiate with all 30 teams. Because the two players each declined their half of the...

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Experienced pitcher and leadoff hitter top Nats' wish list

November 01, 2012, 8:57am

Nationals

Experienced pitcher and leadoff hitter top Nats' wish list

As the offseason kicks into high gear, the Nationals are a defending champion in an unusual position: They could stand pat and be picked to win the National League East for a second consecutive season in 2013. But that's not how the Nationals operate. They'll likely be looking for an experienced pitcher and a leadoff batter. The Nationals rotation will have Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler, but the fifth guy is up for debate. It could be Zack Greinke,...

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What type of market will there be for LaRoche's services?

October 31, 2012, 6:45am

Nationals

What type of market will there be for LaRoche's services?

I forgot to mention this the other day, but early odds for who will win the 2013 World Series have been released. Not surprisingly, the Nationals find themselves toward the top of the list of favorites. Bovada has given the Nats 12-to-1 odds to win the World Series next season, putting them behind just the Tigers (6-to-1), Yankees (7-to-1) and Giants (10-to-1). The Rangers and Angels also are listed at 12-to-1. Within the National League East, the Phillies and Braves were given 14-to-1...

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Prospect Brian Goodwin focusing on bunting in Arizona

October 31, 2012, 6:50pm

Nationals

Prospect Brian Goodwin focusing on bunting in Arizona

Outfielder Brian Goodwin is leading off for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League and has gotten off to a fast start with a league-best nine extra-base hits. His outstanding play earned the 21-year-old an invitation to play in the AFL Rising Stars Game on Saturday night, alongside teammates Aaron Barrett and Anthony Rendon. Pitching coach Mark Grater has watched Goodwin since May and has seen what the talented center fielder has to offer the Nationals. "Brian Goodwin (was)...

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Yankees return Brad Meyers to Nats (updated)

October 31, 2012, 10:32am

Nationals

Yankees return Brad Meyers to Nats (updated)

The Yankees have returned right-handed pitcher Brad Meyers to the Nationals, according to reports out of New York. The Nats lost Meyers, 27, to the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft last winter. At that time, Meyers was expected to battle for a long-relief job in the Yankees' bullpen during spring training, but he spent nearly the entire season on the disabled list because of a shoulder injury suffered during a weight lifting session over the winter. Meyers appeared in just one professional game...

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Goodwin, Rendon and Barrett selected for AFL Rising Stars Game

October 30, 2012, 8:14am

Nationals

Goodwin, Rendon and Barrett selected for AFL Rising Stars Game

According to a club source, third baseman Anthony Rendon, outfielder Brian Goodwin and pitcher Aaron Barrett have been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game. The all-star game will be held Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Eastern time at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. The game will be broadcast live on MLB Network. Rendon, who is hitting .250 with six RBIs, has made every play defensively at third base for the Salt River Rafters and has hit well as he recovers from an...

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Brian Goodwin named Arizona Fall League Player of the Week

October 30, 2012, 2:01pm

Nationals

Brian Goodwin named Arizona Fall League Player of the Week

Nationals outfield prospect Brian Goodwin scorched the ball the last few games for the Salt River Rafters and was honored as the Arizona Fall League Player of the Week. Rafters and Nationals minor league rehab pitching coach Mark Grater said Goodwin was sent to Arizona in part to get better at bunting, and the multi-talented player now leads the league in slugging percentage (.667) with nine extra-base hits, also a league-high total. Here is what the Arizona Fall League release said about...

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Can the Nationals' infield defense be matched?

October 30, 2012, 5:29am

Nationals

Somehow, I still have power this morning, which is a miracle. I heard the wind whistling through my windows last night and the rain pounding on my roof. My TV connection went out for a bit, but that's the only damage which I can legitimately complain about so far. Hope the rest of you are just as lucky. Yesterday's announcement that Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond were finalists for Gold Gloves got me thinking about infield defenses around the league. I can say with relative confidence - at...

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LaRoche wins his first Gold Glove (Desmond denied)

October 30, 2012, 5:15pm

Nationals

LaRoche wins his first Gold Glove (Desmond denied)

Within the baseball world, Adam LaRoche has always been considered one of the better defensive first basemen in the game. Now he has the hardware to prove it. It was announced tonight that LaRoche has won the first Rawlings Gold Glove of his career. It comes after a season in which he posted a .995 fielding percentage, made just seven errors and had a UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) of 6.1, second-best among National League first baseman. LaRoche beat out fellow finalists Freddie Freeman of the...

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Nats' LaRoche earns Gold Glove

October 30, 2012, 6:37pm

Nationals

Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche today was named the recipient of the 2012 National League Rawlings Gold Glove for first basemen. The defensive citation is the first of LaRoche's career. LaRoche led all National League first baggers this season in fielding percentage (.995), games started (149) and innings (1323.1). At 6.1, LaRoche also paced NL first basemen (min. 1000 innings) in Ultimate Zone Rating, a figure that blends the number of runs above or below average a fielder is...

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Let the offseason begin

October 29, 2012, 12:11am

Nationals

If you're reading this, that means that Hurricane Sandy hasn't wiped out your power just yet. Let's hope it stays that way. The chatter will never end regardless of what the calendar reads, but as of this morning, baseball is now over until the middle of February. Count me among those not ready for it to go. I was hoping the Tigers would put up a fight and make the World Series interesting, or at the very least get us to a Game 5 and give Justin Verlander a chance to wow the sports world...