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The Carter Kieboom dilemma facing the Nationals

January 17, 2022, 7:53am

Just 106 games into his major league career, Carter Kieboom is at a crossroads. When spring training begins - hopefully next month - in West Palm Beach, the Nationals are hoping that Kieboom, 24, shakes off whatever competition is provided for him and proves he can handle everyday duties at third base. So far, it's been a mixed bag for the first-round pick in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. There have been flashes on offense and defense, but Kieboom has pretty much whiffed on the...

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Nationals announce minor league player development staff

January 18, 2022, 6:53am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals announced their 2022 Minor League Player Development staff on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Director of Player Development De Jon Watson made the joint announcement. "We are incredibly excited to announce our expanded player development staff," said Watson. "We added 14 new roles and brought in more than 20 new staff members to the system. This group boasts a wealth of playing and coaching experience at both...

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Friday morning Nats Q and A

January 13, 2022, 5:06pm

Nationals

It's been three weeks since we last did one of these, and so much has happened since then, right? Right? OK, so very little has happened since then, at least in the baseball world. At least the owners and players met Thursday for the first time since the lockout began six weeks ago, so that's a good thing, right? Right? Alas, the entire sport remains very much in a holding pattern until the two sides start to feel a little more urgency to get a deal done, which probably won't be for several...

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What to make of Romero's latest transgression

January 15, 2022, 9:31am

Nationals

What to make of Romero's latest transgression

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that left-hander Seth Romero could be running out of chances with the Nationals. News that the 25-year-old left-hander was arrested Friday morning in Sweeny, Texas, on a charge of driving while intoxicated is only the latest misstep in a checkered career for the 25th overall selection in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, who has just three major league relief appearances in the 2020 campaign on his register. Romero was released on a $5,000 bond, according to...

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Bullpen improvement must come both from within and from outside

January 11, 2022, 6:10pm

Nationals

Bullpen improvement must come both from within and from outside

Stability has never been a hallmark of the Nationals bullpen. Truth be told, it's rarely a hallmark of any club's bullpen, given the inherent instability of the position. But the Nats took this longstanding theme to new (and often painful) levels in 2021. For only the third time in team history, Nationals relievers finished a season with a collective ERA north of 5.00, joining the 103-loss 2009 group and the tightrope-walking 2019 unit that managed to get it together just in time to win in...

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Was Cluff's strong showing in AFL a sign of things to come?

January 10, 2022, 5:44pm

Nationals

Was Cluff's strong showing in AFL a sign of things to come?

We spend the majority of our time here talking about major leaguers, but with the lockout now preventing teams from making any transactions involving players on 40-man rosters, let's take an opportunity to delve deeper into some of the Nationals' top minor leaguers. We continue this weekly series with a recent riser within the organization ... SS JACKSON CLUFF Height/Weight: 6-foot-0, 185 lbs. Age on opening day 2022: 25 How acquired: Sixth-round pick, 2019 draft, BYU 2021 stats (Double-A...

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Shortened spring could really hinder Nats' pitching prep

January 09, 2022, 2:34pm

Nationals

Shortened spring could really hinder Nats' pitching prep

There's a prevailing sense around the baseball world right now that a delayed start to spring training wouldn't necessarily mean a delayed start to the regular season. If owners and players can work out a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement by late February, it would be possible to shorten camps from six weeks to four weeks, or (gulp) maybe even three weeks and still wrap things up in time to begin the season March 31 as scheduled. This, of course, all makes sense. Does spring...

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Robles playing in Dominican, Nolin heading to Korea

January 08, 2022, 4:49pm

Nationals

Robles playing in Dominican, Nolin heading to Korea

Whether spring training starts on time or not, Victor Robles will report to West Palm Beach with some game experience already under his belt this winter. Robles is now playing in the Dominican Winter League, added to Aguilas CibaeÃ±as' playoff roster earlier in the week and already making the highlight reel in the outfield. The Nationals center fielder threw out a runner at second base in his debut game, retrieving a drive off the wall and making a perfect throw to the delight of the crowd...

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What if Mark Teixeira accepted the Nats' huge offer in 2008?

January 05, 2022, 6:31pm

Nationals

What if Mark Teixeira accepted the Nats' huge offer in 2008?

What are the two biggest free agent signings in Nationals history? Max Scherzer and Jayson Werth, obviously. (We're talking about guys who were signed after playing for other clubs, not the re-signing of homegrown players like Stephen Strasburg or Ryan Zimmerman.) Both of those moves sent major shockwaves throughout the baseball world. The Scherzer signing (for seven years and $210 million) added one of the game's best starting pitchers to a rotation that already looked loaded before his...

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Nats' rebuild starts with rebuild of once-dominant rotation

January 04, 2022, 6:34pm

Nationals

Nats' rebuild starts with rebuild of once-dominant rotation

For the better part of a decade, the Nationals built a consistent contender around one critical part of their roster more than any other: the rotation. From 2012-19, the Nats rotation produced a 3.56 ERA. Only the Dodgers (3.32) were better across the majors during that extended span. Only once during those eight years did the rotation's ERA exceed 4.00 or rank worse than seventh in the big leagues (2018, when it checked in at 4.03). That's what made the last two seasons so jarring for anyone...

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Henry deserves place alongside Nats' top pitching prospects

January 03, 2022, 2:28pm

Nationals

Henry deserves place alongside Nats' top pitching prospects

We spend the majority of our time here talking about major leaguers, but with the lockout now preventing teams from making any transactions involving players on 40-man rosters, let's take an opportunity to delve deeper into some of the Nationals' top minor leaguers. We continue this weekly series with the organization's No. 7 prospect ... RHP COLE HENRY Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 215 lbs. Age on opening day 2022: 22 How acquired: Second-round pick, 2020 draft, LSU 2021 stats (High Single-A...

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Will new year bring resumption of labor negotiations?

January 02, 2022, 1:00pm

Nationals

Will new year bring resumption of labor negotiations?

Happy new year, everyone! And isn't it wonderful to put 2021 behind us, turn the page to 2022 and start gearing up for the start of spring training in six weeks ... er, hold the phone. The calendar may have changed, but the state of Major League Baseball remains just as it was last month, with a lockout still in place and no evidence it's about to end anytime soon. Not that any of this should surprise you. When the collective bargaining agreement expired Dec. 1 and the league enacted its...

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Most significant stories of 2021: Trade deadline teardown

December 30, 2021, 7:57pm

Nationals

Most significant stories of 2021: Trade deadline teardown

As we reach the end of the year, we've been taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them were uplifting. Some of them were depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We conclude today with the most significant story of them all: the dismantling of the roster at the trade deadline. ... The Nationals' season lasted six months, and over the course of those six months, there were countless stories and developments of...

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New year brings new expectations for Nats

January 01, 2022, 1:46pm

Nationals

New year brings new expectations for Nats

Yesterday, Mark Zuckerman rang in the new year with hopes for the Nationals in 2022. Things the team would like to see come to fruition this season. Best-case scenarios for the players, coaches and front office staff. The fact of the matter is 2022 is going to be a year unlike we've seen on South Capitol Street in over a decade. Exactly 10 years ago, expectations were sky high for the Nationals. They ended the 2012 season with the club's first National League East division title, starting...

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Most significant stories of 2021: Soto's historic second half

December 29, 2021, 6:11pm

Nationals

Most significant stories of 2021: Soto's historic second half

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the best developments of the year: Juan Soto's historic second half and MVP candidacy. ... It wasn't all bad for the Nationals this year. Sure, the team lost 97 games, traded away some of its biggest-name veterans and...

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Most significant stories of 2021: More COVID-19 outbreaks

December 28, 2021, 7:37pm

Nationals

Most significant stories of 2021: More COVID-19 outbreaks

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most frustrating developments of the year: The loss of a host of prominent players at various times due to COVID-19. ... After everything they went through to get through a compressed 2020 season, the first such season...

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Most significant stories of 2021: Zimmerman's possible farewell

December 27, 2021, 6:37pm

Nationals

Most significant stories of 2021: Zimmerman's possible farewell

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most emotional aspects of the year: Ryan Zimmerman's potential farewell tour. ... Throughout a season of turmoil and constant change, there was only one declaration the Nationals could make with complete confidence:...

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Most significant stories of 2021: Strasburg's devastating injury

December 26, 2021, 7:18pm

Nationals

Most significant stories of 2021: Strasburg's devastating injury

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most depressing developments of the year: Stephen Strasburg's latest (and perhaps most serious) injury. ... It's not fair to boil a baseball franchise's chances for success in any given year to the health and...

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Most significant stories of 2021: Schwarber's homer barrage

December 25, 2021, 7:06pm

Nationals

Most significant stories of 2021: Schwarber's homer barrage

As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We begin today with one of the most uplifting events of the year: Kyle Schwarber's early-summer home run barrage. ... When he stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the first inning of a June 12 doubleheader at Nationals Park, Kyle Schwarber...

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What will you remember - or try to forget - about 2021?

December 24, 2021, 10:42am

Nationals

What will you remember - or try to forget - about 2021?

It was a difficult year for so many, for so many reasons. And that it came on the heels of a difficult year for so many, for so many reasons, only made it more difficult. In some ways, the Nationals fit right in with that theme. As tough as 2020 was for them, 2021 was even tougher, on and off the field. And it leaves the franchise in an entirely different position as it looks ahead to 2022. Before we turn the page, though, we're going to take the final week of December to look back at the most...