nationals

The Nationals: "No Way Home"

December 17, 2021, 5:08am

In honor of this weekend's release of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," I'm going to attempt to create parallels between the blockbuster movie and the upcoming Nationals season. I like baseball and superheroes, and we're in a lockout, so bear with me. This is a spoiler-free reference to "No Way Home" for those of you who have yet to see the film. I saw it opening night since Spider-Man is one of my favorite characters of all time, and I hate when people spoil things for me, so I will not do...

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What the Nationals are hoping for in 2022

December 31, 2021, 10:31am

Nationals

A year that saw so many negative developments has now ended, and not a moment too soon for anyone around here. When we look back on 2021 in the annals of Nationals history, there's not going to be much we want to remember, aside perhaps from the recognition that it served as the first step in the rebuilding of a former championship organization back into a regular postseason contender again. Now as 2022 arrives, we wait anxiously to see what the Nats will look like once pitchers and catchers...

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Nationals trivia quiz: Hitting

January 06, 2022, 4:50pm

Nationals

Last month, we published our first quiz of the lockout, focusing strictly on Nationals pitching trivia. Today we come back for another round, this time focusing only on hitting trivia. Some of these questions hopefully will be simple enough for semi-serious fans to answer, featuring some of the most recognizable names in club history. Some of them are only for the truly die-hard among us, featuring some names most will have long since forgotten. There are 20 questions in total, with all...

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What if Desmond took the Nationals' $107 million offer?

January 12, 2022, 7:24pm

Nationals

Heading into the 2014 season, few shortstops in baseball were trending up like Ian Desmond. Back-to-back Silver Slugger seasons for a Nationals franchise that was beginning to establish itself as a perennial contender catapulted one of the last remaining Expos draft picks into the national spotlight. And that meant Desmond was due to be paid big money in the near future. The Nats recognized this, and in the kind of move they hadn't really been in position to make with many homegrown players...

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Nationals agree to terms with 10 international free agents

January 15, 2022, 9:15am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with ten international free agents on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Vice President and Assistant General Manager of International Operations Johnny DiPuglia made the joint announcement. CUBA PLAYER POS B/T HT WT AGE D.O.B. HOMETOWN SIGNING SCOUT Marlon Perez LHP L/L 5-10 180 21 3/16/00 Havana Modesto Ulloa Cristhian Vaquero CF S/R 6-3 180 17 9/13/04 Havana Johnny DiPuglia *No. 1 prospect in...

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A few thoughts on what lies ahead for the Nationals

January 16, 2022, 8:59am

Nationals

For most of the past decade, the offseason has meant pretty much one thing for Nationals fans: Watch carefully as general manager Mike Rizzo makes moves to improve the few holes on the team and eagerly anticipate the first workout of pitchers and catchers in spring training. Not this winter. And not just because the business of baseball has been brought to a screeching halt by a labor stoppage. When Rizzo pulled the plug on a 97-loss campaign that resulted in a last-place finish in the...

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The Carter Kieboom dilemma facing the Nationals

January 17, 2022, 7:53am

Nationals

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...