nationals

Buehrle's decision forces Rizzo, Nationals to fallback plan

December 07, 2011, 3:00pm

DALLAS - Mark Buehrle was the guy the Nationals wanted. However, in the wake of the left-hander's decision to spurn a three-year offer for between $42-$45 million from Washington to sign a four-year deal with the Marlins on Wednesday, Nats general manager Mike Rizzo isn't too heartbroken that the deal never came to fruition. "We weren't - I wasn't - comfortable going four years on him as a starting pitcher," Rizzo said Wednesday night, less than two hours after finding out that weeks of...

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Boras: I. Rodriguez not returning to D.C. (and lobby leftovers)

December 08, 2011, 4:08am

Nationals

Boras: I. Rodriguez not returning to D.C. (and lobby leftovers)

DALLAS - Apparently, the Winter Meetings must, by decree of longstanding baseball law, include at least one full-out media scrum with super agent Scott Boras, a guy who frustrates the other 29 clubs that do not have a curly W on their caps. This year's happened last night, while Nats general manager Mike Rizzo was pondering exactly what Plan B - and the B doesn't stand for Buehrle - means for his team. Boras held court for a smaller-than-usual number of reporters, who still thrust tape...

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Outfield talks stall, Nats maintain interest in Cespedes, would use Desmond at leadoff

December 07, 2011, 1:21pm

Nationals

Outfield talks stall, Nats maintain interest in Cespedes, would use Desmond at leadoff

DALLAS - Twins center fielder Denard Span apparently is off the market, the Nationals continue to express an interest in Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and if they don't land the leadoff hitter/center fielder they've established as a priority for the offseason, the Nats are confident Ian Desmond can handle the job at the top of the lineup. General manager Mike Rizzo covered a lot of ground during his afternoon briefing with reporters - just like the swift flychaser he wants patrolling the...

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Rizzo, Nats fail to land Buehrle, who signs with Marlins

December 07, 2011, 12:08pm

Nationals

Rizzo, Nats fail to land Buehrle, who signs with Marlins

DALLAS - Mike Rizzo told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the Nationals had pretty much made their best and final offer to free agent Mark Buehrle and that the team was awaiting an answer from the left-hander. The Nationals didn't have to wait long for a response: Buehrle has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $58 million deal to join the Miami Marlins. That gives the Marlins three high-profile, big-money free agents - closer Heath Bell, shortstop Jose Reyes and Buehrle - along with new...

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Nationals in the mix for Mark Buehrle, kicked tires on Gio Gonzalez

December 07, 2011, 10:21am

Nationals

DALLAS - Looks like the Nationals are, indeed, one of the three finalists to land free agent left-hander Mark Buehrle. A major league source just confirmed for me that the Nats are still in the Buehrle sweepstakes. During his briefing with reporters Tuesday, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said he thought once Buehrle had whittled down his list of possible destinations, the process of choosing a team would move swiftly. Apparently, all three of the offers Buehrle is weighing are similar...

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Is no-trade clause a stumbling block for Buehrle deal? (Updated)

December 07, 2011, 6:32am

Nationals

Is no-trade clause a stumbling block for Buehrle deal? (Updated)

DALLAS - The Nationals want left-hander Mark Buehrle and Buehrle has the Nats in his final five. General manager Mike Rizzo believes that it's possible serious talks will accelerate now that Buehrle has established the teams in contention. In other words, Buehrle has narrowed down his list and seems ready to take the next step. All indications point to the fact that Buehrle wants to come to a decision quickly, allowing him maximum offseason time get ready for spring training with his new...

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Nats want a center fielder - what about O's Adam Jones?

December 06, 2011, 8:11am

Nationals Orioles

Nats want a center fielder - what about O's Adam Jones?

DALLAS - The Nationals are shopping for a center fielder at the Winter Meetings. How about the Orioles' Adam Jones? Here's a proposal: The Orioles trade Jones to the Nationals for a pitcher, John Lannan or Ross Detwiler, second baseman Steve Lombardozzi and centerfielder Roger Bernadina. The Nationals could get one more player, but basically, the players named would be the foundation of the proposal. The trade would be good for the Orioles because it would boost their pitching staff and...

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Nats, Rockies talking - but about whom?

December 06, 2011, 3:13pm

Nationals

DALLAS - Add the Colorado Rockies to the list of teams that have apparently connected with the Nationals about an outfielder at the Winter Meetings. The question is, who on the Rockies' roster are the Nationals targeting. If the Nationals wanted to fill their need for a fleet center fielder who can lead off and play strong defense, Dexter Fowler would probably be the best match. There's one problem with that line of thinking: Fowler apparently isn't available, and even if he were, the...

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Is business about to pick up in Dallas for Nationals?

December 07, 2011, 4:00am

Nationals

DALLAS - Frustrated by the snail's pace of trade talks and free agent discussions at the Winter Meetings? Did you figure the Nationals would have solved at least one of their issues by this point, and be ready to look at, say, whether they would try to mine for a prospect in Thursday's Rule 5 draft? General Mike Rizzo probably feels your pain, but he's been around baseball long enough to know that the slow-play game can change at a moment's notice. No way around it, it's been an unusual...

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Rizzo on search for center fielder: "There's nothing imminent"

December 06, 2011, 12:17pm

Nationals

Rizzo on search for center fielder: "There's nothing imminent"

DALLAS - If the Nationals moved any closer to trading for a center fielder at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday, general manager Mike Rizzo isn't tipping his hand. The lobby scuttlebutt at the Hilton Anatole had the Nats linked to several potential center fielder/leadoff hitter types - the Yankees' Brett Gardner, the Rays' B.J. Upton, the Angels' Peter Bourjos and the Orioles' Adam Jones among them - but Rizzo was his usual conservative self when he met with reporters seeking an update on his...

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Solis seeing doctor in L.A. to check sore elbow (updated with Rizzo confirmation)

December 06, 2011, 8:23am

Nationals

Solis seeing doctor in L.A. to check sore elbow (updated with Rizzo confirmation)

Left-hander Sammy Solis has seen a doctor in Los Angeles to check discomfort in his throwing elbow, a club source confirmed. As first reported in the Washington Times, Solis has consulted with Dr. Lewis Yocum and team doctor Wiemi Douoguih the past few weeks after feeling soreness in his elbow during Arizona Fall League competition. Rizzo told the Times they are not considering Tommy John yet, but they always have to be take precautions when dealing with the elbow of a pitcher. During his...

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Rizzo aware of, not concerned about Marlins' moves

December 06, 2011, 1:02pm

Nationals

Rizzo aware of, not concerned about Marlins' moves

DALLAS - Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is well aware of the splash the Miami Marlins have made in the past week, signing free agent closer Heath Bell and free agent shortstop Jose Reyes to big deals. And he's heard the whispers that the Marlins are trying to tempt one of the biggest free agents on the market, longtime Cardinal Albert Pujols, with a 10-year contract offer. But Rizzo isn't about to get carried away in another team's machinations, not when he's got his own targets in...

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More Buehrle talks on tap, Rizzo wary of going long-term with Wilson

December 06, 2011, 12:52pm

Nationals

More Buehrle talks on tap, Rizzo wary of going long-term with Wilson

DALLAS - The Nationals haven't spoken today with the representatives for free agent Mark Buehrle, but Washington general manager Mike Rizzo believes his team is still firmly in the running for the veteran left-hander. More conversations between the two sides could be forthcoming tonight. "My sense is that, from the rumor mills, that he's narrowed it down to a select number of teams," Rizzo said of Buehrle. "No one's contacted me with that information. From my meeting with him, I don't...

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Nats again talking to Rays about B.J. Upton

December 06, 2011, 8:53am

Nationals

Nats again talking to Rays about B.J. Upton

DALLAS - Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Nationals' pursuit of a center fielder has taken them to conversations with the Tampa Bay Rays about B.J. Upton. Now this isn't the first time the Nats have entertained the notion of trading for Upton, who was one of their targets at the July 31 non-waiver deadline. The 27-year-old Upton has underperformed in St. Petersburg, where the emergence of outfielder Desmond Jennings has probably numbered his days. The Rays figure to sell high,...

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Slim and trim, Dmitri Young angling for another comeback

December 06, 2011, 7:59am

Nationals

Slim and trim, Dmitri Young angling for another comeback

DALLAS - Dmitri Young strolls through the Hilton Anatole lobby at the Winter Meetings, stopping to greet old baseball friends. An effervescent grin has replaced the frustrated scowl that Young wore as his major league career wore down, and he's a shade of his former self, having pared his more than 300-lb. frame down to a svelte 230 lbs. "Cap and gown," he cracks wise when asked when the last time he was at this weight. The 38-year-old Young last played in 2008 for the Nationals, when...

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Everyone wants to talk to Nats about depth in minor leagues (updated with Gardner note)

December 06, 2011, 6:37am

Nationals

Everyone wants to talk to Nats about depth in minor leagues (updated with Gardner note)

DALLAS - Back in 2008, after his last draft as general manager of the Nationals, Jim Bowden spoke glowingly about the waves of talent that would start lapping at the shores of the Anacostia River a few years down the road. It was easy to brush off Bowden's claims as the eternal hope of an eternally optimistic baseball executive saddled with a moribund club, but there were whispers that the addition of scouting whiz Mike Rizzo from Arizona in 2005 was paying tangible dividends, even if the best...

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Dueling reports: Have Nats offered sixth year to Wilson?

December 05, 2011, 4:27pm

Nationals

Dueling reports: Have Nats offered sixth year to Wilson?

DALLAS - Less than 24 hours ago, it appeared that the Nationals were done with their pursuit of free agent lefty C.J. Wilson, whose asking price of $120 million spread over six seasons seemed a little too rich for even the Nats' deep wallets. Now, according to a report by MLB Network Radio's Jim Duquette - a former Orioles executive who still has strong contacts in the game and hosts a daily late-morning talk show on Siriux/XM - the Nationals have increased their contract offer to Wilson by...

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Davey Johnson on rotation, Marrero, DeRosa, Darvish, Detwiler

December 05, 2011, 2:24pm

Nationals

Davey Johnson on rotation, Marrero, DeRosa, Darvish, Detwiler

DALLAS - Nationals skipper Davey Johnson spoke to media members at the Winter Meetings on Monday afternoon, tackling a number of topics, from whether he thinks the team will find the center fielder it's seeking to whether he could go into the 2012 season with his present starting rotation. * Johnson said he would be fine with Jayson Werth, who played right field last year in his first season on D.C., starting in center field should the Nationals come up empty in their search for someone to...

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Could batting stance change get Bryce Harper to Nationals early this season?

December 06, 2011, 4:51am

Nationals

Talk at the Winter Meetings regarding the Nationals outfield has general manager Mike Rizzo considering putting veteran Jayson Werth in center field. Werth enjoyed playing the spot in limited duty last season and did well defensively. If the Nationals cannot get Denard Span or B.J. Upton through a trade and their other center field options dry up, one possibility could be to move Werth there for 2012. This also could mean that No. 1 prospect Bryce Harper would be the Nationals right fielder...

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Off to the lobby, in search of Nats news

December 06, 2011, 4:04am

Nationals

Off to the lobby, in search of Nats news

DALLAS - Welcome to the second day of baseball's Winter Meetings, which may or may not be the day someone besides the Marlins and Dodgers decides to join the fray with a significant free agent acquisition. Maybe even a trade. I'm not sure what to make of this year's edition of the meetings, which have been threadbare on actual news - unless you reside in the lands of art deco and Hollywood dreams - and chocked full of lobby walking. And I do mean walking. From the media room to the main...