The Nationals have been fortunate when it comes to pitching injuries the last two seasons. No, they haven’t escaped them altogether. But they’ve managed to suffer fewer significant losses than any other team.

It’s true: Over the last two years, the Nats have used only 10 starting pitchers, fewest in the majors. The Blue Jays are next on the list with 12, followed by the Mariners with 14. Everyone else has used at least 15 starters, with the league median number a whopping 22.

Again, the Nationals have dealt with a few significant injuries. Cade Cavalli was ticketed for the Opening Day 2023 rotation but tore his elbow ligament in spring training and has yet to return. Josiah Gray started Opening Day 2024 but was sidelined after only two outings and ultimately needed Tommy John surgery himself. And Trevor Williams, after an outstanding April and May, wound up missing 3 1/2 months with a flexor strain in his right arm.

But the Nats managed to fill those gaps with productive, in-house alternatives. In 2023, it was Jake Irvin stepping up to make his major league debut in early May and then sticking in the rotation all the way through September. In 2024, it was Mitchell Parker and then DJ Herz emerging from Triple-A to replace Gray and Williams, Parker making 29 starts while Herz took the mound 19 times.

It was an impressive example of organizational depth, the kind of pitching depth this organization hadn’t really possessed in a while. And as the countdown to spring training commences, there’s reason to believe the Nationals are well-positioned again with starting pitchers who could step forward if the need arises.

There’s no more perilous endeavor in baseball than the scouting of 18-year-old high school players, trying to determine who is going to develop into major leaguers and who isn’t. Well, aside from the scouting of 16-year-old Latin American prospects, who have the ability to sign for millions of dollars long before anyone truly knows their chances for professional success.

Victor Rodriguez has been scouting these players for a decade and a half, first for the Red Sox and then for the Rays. Now the newly promoted director of international scouting for the Nationals, Rodriguez on Wednesday was tasked with officially signing his first class of Latin American teenagers.

How does he differentiate between one 16-year-old and another? How can he tell who’s going to make it and who probably won’t at such a young age?

“We try to keep it as simple as possible,” Rodriguez said. “Basically, don’t ignore the obvious here. The big leaguers, they stick out. Hitters stick out. Guys that throw strikes. … We use as much information as we can, but also not lose our instincts as scouts. That’s mainly how I try to simplify it. From a young age, I’ve been able to scout guys that have reached the big leagues. And one thing that always sticks out is: A hitter hits, and a pitcher throws strikes.”

Rodriguez and the Nationals hope as many of the 14 players they signed Wednesday as possible fit that criteria and find their way to Washington in due time. Two, though, stand out from the crowd and were deemed worthy of seven-figure signing bonuses.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with 14 international free agents on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Director of International Operations Victor Rodriguez made the joint announcement.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

PLAYER                     POS          B/T           HT            WT            AGE          D.O.B.                         HOMETOWN                               SIGNING SCOUT

Ronny Bello               2B             R/R           5’10”         150            17               10/18/07                     San Pedro de Macoris      Oscar Disla

Voting is now open for NATS20 Fan Favorite Moments, part of the Washington Nationals season-long 20^th Anniversary celebration.

A panel of former players, broadcasters and longtime employees submitted their favorite memories from the first two decades of Nationals baseball, but fans will have the final say on which moments will be prominently featured throughout Nationals Park this season.

The initial list, curated by panelists like Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman; broadcasters Bob Carpenter, Kevin Frandsen, Dave Jageler, Dan Kolko and Charlie Slowes; public address announcer Jerome Hruska; and organist Matthew Van Hoose, includes game-changing moments like Howie Kendrick’s foul-pole home run; franchise firsts like Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter; and even Teddy’s first win in the Presidents Race.

The top 20 moments, as chosen by the fans, will be announced in February, and images representing the selections will be prominently displayed throughout the ballpark, including around the concourse and hanging from the outfield garages. Plus, three of the top moments will be featured as part of the Mystery Bobblehead giveaway on Saturday, May 24, where 20,000 fans in attendance will receive one of the three collectibles.

Voting is open now through Thursday, Jan. 30, at nats.com/NATS20.

Scan the Nationals’ current roster, and it’s easy to lump young, core players into one of three categories: Those who were acquired via the draft, those who were acquired via trade and those who were acquired via international signing.

That final group, the international free agents, is by far the smallest group, which underscores just how difficult it is to discover and sign good players from other countries at age 16 and then develop them into big leaguers. But it is a vital part of roster building, and the Nats know they need to improve in that area just as they’ve been trying to improve in the drafting and developing of young American players.

The two notable homegrown Latin American players currently on the major league roster are Luis García Jr. and Jose A. Ferrer. García, still only 24, was signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.3 million way back in 2016, making him the longest tenured player in the entire organization. Ferrer, also 24, was signed one year later in 2017 for a mere $100,000.

Also on the 40-man roster is Andry Lara, the Venezuelan right-hander signed in 2019 for $1.25 million who finally enjoyed his breakthrough season and earned a promotion to Double-A Harrisburg.

But that’s it on the 40-man roster. Other recent Latin American signees like Armando Cruz (21), Jeremy De La Rosa (23), Cristhian Vaquero (20) and Victor Hurtado (17) are still either in the lower levels of the minors or haven’t performed well enough yet to climb the organizational ladder.

The Washington Nationals today announced an agreement with Costa Media, extending the official Spanish-language radio broadcast partnership through the 2027 season. During the Nationals’ upcoming season, fans can tune in to DC 87.7 FM and La Pantera WFAX 100.7 FM/1220 AM for live Spanish-language broadcasts for both home and away games, with in-game play-by-play analysis, 15-minute pre- and postgame shows, in-depth organizational reporting and player interviews.

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the Nationals organization and deliver first-class Spanish-language play-by-play to the DMV Latino community,” said Jose Villafane, Founder and Managing Partner of Costa Media.

Luciano Rodríguez and Gustavo Salazar will once again team up and return to the Nationals’ Spanish-language radio booth for the upcoming 20^th Anniversary season. Rodríguez, a Venezuelan native, provides play-by-play and is a 40-year veteran of D.C. Latin sports broadcasts. He began his Spanish-language radio career in the late 1980s at WILC 900 AM, and in 1993, became the first Spanish-language color commentator for the Baltimore Orioles. From 2005 to 2015, he worked for SiriusXM as a Spanish-language host, commentator and producer covering baseball and other sports. Born in Bolivia, Salazar serves as the color analyst and producer. A third-generation broadcaster, Salazar’s family has combined for nearly 100 years in the Latin broadcast industry. Salazar was an integral part of CBS Radio and iHeart Radio’s Latino radio market growth in D.C. and Philadelphia, and from 2013 to 2022, he served as a Spanish radio broadcaster for the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles, including calling the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII championship season.

The continued partnership with Costa Media is an extension of the Nationals’ ongoing engagement with the area’s Spanish-speaking community. Each season, the Nationals celebrate the rich history and culture during Hispanic Heritage Day at Nationals Park. In 2024, the Nationals held its first-ever dual-language Spanish/English Q&A session with Salazar and Nationals players on Hispanic Heritage Day. Additionally, Manager Dave Martinez shows his appreciation for his Hispanic roots through his Davey’s Dugout initiative – a monthly event held during the season that invites families and individuals of Hispanic heritage to join a special Q&A with Martinez and Spanish-speaking players, as well as stay to enjoy that day’s game.

For more information on Costa Media, visit costa-media.com and nats.com.

The Nationals’ projected Opening Day outfield has long been set. Barring some unforeseen development, James Wood and Dylan Crews will man the corners, with Gold Glove Award finalist Jacob Young in center field.

That’s the same outfield the Nats used throughout the final month-plus of the season, from the moment they promoted Crews from Triple-A Rochester to make his major league debut. And none of the three got much time off down the stretch. Aside from a handful of Joey Gallo appearances in right field, the starting trio all played together every night through season’s end.

There’s not much reason to believe that will change heading into the coming season. Wood and Crews, obviously, are two of the top prospects in baseball. Aside from an occasional day off here and there, they’re going to be in the lineup all the time. The same is probably true for Young, provided he produces enough offense to go along with his stellar defensive work.

Which brings us to today’s question: Who’s going to be the fourth outfielder, and do the Nationals need to devote much time and energy to answering that question?

At the moment, there are three other full-time outfielders on the club’s 40-man roster: Alex Call, Stone Garrett and Robert Hassell III. Infielders Amed Rosario, Darren Baker and perhaps Josh Bell could also play the outfield in a pinch, though none would figure to see regular playing time out there.

Though the approach has been somewhat methodical, the Nationals have addressed their most obvious needs so far this winter. They acquired a first baseman and a designated hitter, hopefully adding more power to a lineup that sorely needs it. They acquired one experienced starting pitcher and re-acquired another, giving them rotation depth with at least six (maybe seven) candidates for Opening Day jobs.

And then finally over the weekend they made the first move to address the last remaining obvious hole: the bullpen. In signing right-hander Jorge López for $3 million, they added an experienced late-inning arm to a relief corps woefully short on such things.

That shouldn’t be the end of Mike Rizzo’s to-do list, though. There should be more bullpen moves to come before pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach in a mere four weeks.

López is a solid addition, a soon-to-be 32-year-old with 31 career saves, an All-Star selection as recently as 2022 and a 2.89 ERA in 52 games last season with the Mets and Cubs. He fits right into the same mold as Derek Law and Dylan Floro, two experienced right-handers who signed similar deals last winter. (Law’s was officially a minor league contract, but he was a lock to make the club as long as he was healthy.)

Law, of course, returns, having just agreed to a $2.75 million salary to avoid arbitration. Floro is long gone, having been traded to the Diamondbacks in July for Andres Chaparro. In a perfect world, López would take over that role, which would carry some extra irony considering the Twins traded him to the Marlins for Floro less than two years ago.

It’s rare for a player to be traded away and then return to that same team later in his career. It's even rarer still for that to happen and the player becomes teammates with the players he was once traded to acquire.

That will be the case when Josh Bell reports to West Palm Beach for the second time in his career next month. He’ll be back in the clubhouse where he last reported ahead of the 2022 season, only this time he’ll be joined by young players to whom he’s forever linked but have never before been his teammates.

Halfway through that 2022 season, Bell was included in the biggest trade deadline deal in major league history. Joining superstar Juan Soto, the veteran first baseman was sent to the Padres for a historic returning package of prospects: CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana.

Three of those prospects – Abrams, Gore and Wood – will be key figures for the Nationals this season. As will Bell, who signed a one-year, $6 million deal last week to return to Washington 2 ½ years after his departure.

“It's exciting. It's definitely a lot of people that can be household names here very soon,” Bell said of the young talent on the Nats roster during his re-introductory meeting with the media over Zoom. “Just looking from afar, I've heard great things about James Wood. Obviously, I've seen CJ play. Dylan Crews, you name it. You have superstar talent. Guys that have gotten a taste of the big leagues, had some success and coming back for more time. This is when they can continue to take that step forward and make themselves elite in this game. So I'm excited to hopefully help guide and also learn from them. Also benefit from having speed in front of me. So I'm definitely excited. I know that both parties will benefit, myself and them.”

The Nationals made the sixth addition to their major league roster in the last month Saturday afternoon. The team announced signing reliever Jorge López to a one-year deal, adding the former All-Star closer to the back end of the bullpen.

López, who turns 32 in February, will earn $3 million plus incentives this year, a source confirmed. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman was first with terms of the deal.

Over a nine-year career that includes stops with the Brewers, Royals, Orioles (twice), Twins, Marlins, Mets and Cubs, the right-hander has a 5.25 ERA, 1.462 WHIP, 31 saves and 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 282 appearances (58 starts). However, since moving to a full-time reliever with the Orioles in 2022, López has a 3.74 ERA, 30 saves, 21 holds and 171 strikeouts in 183 innings.

Last year, López went 2–3 with a 2.89 ERA, 50 strikeouts and four saves in 52 appearances between the Mets and Cubs. He caused some controversy in New York when he was ejected in the eighth inning of a May 29 game against the Dodgers and threw his glove into the stands while walking off the field. After the game, he was quoted as seemingly calling the Mets “the worst team” in the majors.

Though he tried to clarify that he was calling himself “the worst teammate on the worst team in baseball,” the Mets designated López for assignment the next day and released him on June 5.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Jorge López on a one-year contract and designated right-handed pitcher Amos Willingham for assignment on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

López, 31, joins the Nationals after he went 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA, 50 strikeouts and four saves in 52 relief appearances last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. He worked 39 scoreless appearances, including 14 consecutive from July 11 to August 16. That 16.0-inning scoreless streak was tied for the 10^th-longest by a National League reliever in 2024.

An American League All-Star in 2022, López has pitched in parts of nine Major League seasons with Milwaukee (2015, 2017-18), Kansas City (2018-20), Baltimore (2020-22, 2023), Minnesota (2022-23), Miami (2023), New York (NL) (2024) and Chicago (NL) (2024). He is 24-43 with a 5.25 ERA, 31 saves and 468 strikeouts in 282 career games (58 starts). Since transitioning to the bullpen full-time in 2022, López is 12-12 with a 3.74 ERA, 30 saves, 21 holds and 171 strikeouts in 183.0 innings.

López was originally selected by Milwaukee in the second round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Caguas Military Academy in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

The initial reaction for many to the Nationals and Nathaniel Lowe filing for arbitration Thursday night was one of incredulity. This is really how they’re going to treat their biggest offseason acquisition, by haggling over money and taking him to court?

It’s admittedly not a great look when a team can’t work out a contract with any player and has to rely on the arbitration process to determine that player’s salary. Even more so when that player is brand new and doesn’t already have some kind of established relationship with the club.

But let’s not get too worked up about this. It may not look great on the surface, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s actually not that uncommon. And there’s a decent chance this saga doesn’t even end with a hearing.

The Nationals had six arbitration-eligible players they needed to work out 2025 salaries with before Thursday’s deadline. They managed to settle on deals with five of the six: Luis García Jr., MacKenzie Gore, Josiah Gray, Derek Law and Riley Adams. They could not get a deal done with Lowe, the 29-year-old first baseman acquired from the Rangers last month for reliever Robert Garcia.

So the two sides had to formally file for arbitration, with Lowe seeking a salary of $11.1 million and the Nats countering with an offer of $10.3 million, according to MLB.com. A hearing will be set for early February, with a three-judge panel ultimately deciding which side wins.

We are, believe it or not, five weeks away from spring training. The holiday season is over, we're well into January and Nationals pitchers and catchers are starting to make plans to report to West Palm Beach, Fla.

After an awfully slow start to their offseason, the Nats have made a decent amount of news here recently. They've now acquired five major league players in the last three weeks, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, signing designated hitter Josh Bell and infielder Amed Rosario and signing right-handers Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams. Big splash? No, not yet. But they have addressed five real roster needs, with more likely to come in the next month.

Let's take this opportunity to get back to the Friday Q&A routine. If you've got something you'd like to ask, please submit your question in the comments section below. Then check back throughout the morning for my responses ...

It’s arbitration deadline day across Major League Baseball, the day when hundreds of players either agree with their clubs on 2025 salaries or file for arbitration.

The decisions made today don’t change the contractual status of any player. All are already under club control and don’t have the ability to leave. Teams can’t decide now to release them, having already announced plans to tender them contracts in November. The only thing determined today (or later, if cases go to arbitration) is the players’ salary figures for the upcoming season.

And yet, the way this day proceeds often tells us a lot about the relationship between players and teams, and whether the two sides value each other in a comparable way or not.

Who’s impacted by this deadline? It’s anyone with at least three years but fewer than six years of big league service time, plus the top 22 percent of players with at least two years of service time (the so-called “Super-2” players).

The Nationals entered the offseason with nine arbitration-eligible players: Kyle Finnegan, Luis Garcia Jr., Josiah Gray, Derek Law, MacKenzie Gore, Riley Adams, Ildemaro Vargas, Tanner Rainey and Mason Thompson. Finnegan and Rainey, however, were non-tendered, and Vargas was cut loose as well, bringing the number down to six.

The Nationals signed Amed Rosario to a one-year, $2 million contract this morning, adding an experienced middle infielder who could take over the utilityman role on the 2025 roster.

Rosario, 29, owns a .273 batting average and .706 OPS in 942 career big league games with five clubs, most of those coming with the Mets and Guardians. An everyday shortstop in New York and Cleveland during the first portion of his career, he has shifted into more of a utility role in recent seasons.

Rosario played for three different teams (Rays, Dodgers, Reds) in 2024, finishing with a .280 batting average, .686 OPS, 18 doubles, three homers, 32 RBIs and 13 stolen bases across 346 plate appearances. He played all around the field, with 27 games at second base, 26 in right field, 15 at third base and 14 at shortstop.

To clear space for Rosario on their full 40-man roster, the Nationals designated right-hander Joan Adon for assignment. Adon, who burst onto the scene with a nine-strikeout debut against the Red Sox on the final day of the 2021 season, never rediscovered that magic during the ensuing three years. In 35 total big league games with the Nats (26 of them starts), he went 3-16 with a 6.66 ERA.

Rosario appears poised to take over the utility role previously held by Ildemaro Vargas, who was cut loose in November after 2 1/2 seasons in D.C. Rosario is four years younger than Vargas, with better offensive numbers but less defensive prowess.

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with infielder Amed Rosario on a one-year contract and designated pitcher Joan Adon for assignment on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Rosario, 29, joins the Nationals after he hit .280 with 18 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 32 RBI, 13 stolen bases and 29 runs scored in 103 games between Tampa Bay, Los Angeles (NL) and Cincinnati in 2024. He began his season by recording 10 multi-hit games in his first 18 starts and finished the year with 26 multi-hit efforts in 82 starts.

A versatile defender, Rosario played 27 games at second base, 26 games in right field, 15 games at third base and 14 games at shortstop last season.

A veteran of parts of eight Major League seasons, the Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic, native is a career .273 hitter with 157 doubles, 46 triples, 63 home runs, 366 RBI, 109 stolen bases and 449 runs scored between New York (NL) (2017-20), Cleveland (2021-23), Los Angeles (NL) (2023-24), Tampa Bay (2024) and Cincinnati (2024). Rosario has played 766 games at shortstop, 63 games at second base, 26 games in right field, 18 games in center field, 15 games at third base and seven games in left field since his debut in 2017.

Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by New York (NL) in 2013, Rosario played his way onto the Baseball America top 100 prospect list beginning in 2015 and peaked at No. 8 in 2017.

The notion of scribbling out potential lineups for the 2025 Nationals has seemed pointless most of the offseason, because there were too many vacancies still to fill, vacancies in prime spots in the batting order.

It may still be too early to attempt this exercise, because more moves are possible between now and the first day of spring training, especially as it pertains to third base. But the recent additions of Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell did fill the two most significant holes in the lineup, so it’s not impossible to start thinking about Davey Martinez’s plan for his regular one through nine.

There’s no perfect order to arrange the current group, whether due to a lack of track record for some, a lack of recent power for others and an excess of left-handed hitters who are going to have to be stacked together by default. But here’s one possible look Martinez could consider for Opening Day against the Phillies …

1. SS CJ Abrams (L)
2. RF Dylan Crews (R)
3. LF James Wood (L)
4. 1B Nathaniel Lowe (L)
5. DH Josh Bell (S)
6. 2B Luis Garcia Jr. (L)
7. C Keibert Ruiz (S)
8. 3B Jose Tena (L)
9. CF Jacob Young (R)

The biggest question Martinez faces is at the top of his lineup. The Abrams-Crews-Wood trio is likely to occupy the top three slots, but the order isn’t necessarily a sure thing.

Josh Bell first came to the Nationals, not by choice, on Christmas Eve 2020. Traded to Washington by the Pirates franchise that drafted him nine years earlier, he quickly embraced the team and the town and openly spoke of his desire to stay here for the long haul.

That, of course, didn’t happen. And it again wasn’t by his choice. The Nats included Bell in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade, sending both stars to the Padres in exchange for a horde of prospects. And in the 2 1/2 years since, Bell bounced all around the sport.

He finally got to pick his destination as a free agent following the 2022 season and chose the Guardians, who offered him a two-year, $33 million deal. But within months he was traded again, this time to the Marlins. Who one year later shipped him to the Diamondbacks.

Now, at long last after a nomadic baseball existence, Bell finally got another chance to return to D.C. The Nationals were interested in bringing him back. He was interested in returning. And nearly four years to the day of that initial trade from Pittsburgh, he agreed to a new $6 million contract with the Nats, fulfilling a longstanding wish.

“When I initially got traded, I always told myself I was going to come back,” he said Monday in a Zoom conference call with reporters. “I understood the business part of the game, but different opportunities presented themselves. I kind of bounced around a little bit here and there. I was a little bit of a journeyman the last couple years. But I’m thankful for those opportunities. And when I reached free agency again this year, I talked to (agent Scott Boras) and he told me the Nats liked me. I said: ‘If you can make something happen, let’s do it.’”

You can be forgiven if you missed this news item while paying attention to football, snow prep or both on Sunday, but the Nationals officially announced the Josh Bell signing. That one-year, $6 million deal was agreed to one week earlier but wasn’t done-done until Bell passed his physical, which has now happened.

There’s an important side note to mention with this transaction. Bell’s addition now leaves the Nats’ 40-man roster entirely full for the first time in months. They had maneuvered their way to create four openings heading into the Winter Meetings in December, then proceeded to fill those spots with the signings of free agents Bell, Trevor Williams and Michael Soroka, the selection of Evan Reifert in the Rule 5 Draft and the one-for-one trade of Robert Garcia to the Rangers for Nathaniel Lowe.

What that means: If they want to acquire any more major league players this winter, the Nationals will first need to clear more 40-man spots to make that possible. Considering they are still woefully thin on experienced relievers, while also potentially still looking for a more established third baseman, it’s safe to say moves are forthcoming.

You never want to have to drop someone from the 40-man, but a scan of the Nats’ current roster reveals more than a few names who will probably be under consideration when the time comes.

Here’s a look at the full 40-man roster as it now stands, broken down by position …