nationals

Zimmerman will return to Nats for 2021 on one-year deal

January 22, 2021, 11:23am

Ryan Zimmerman will indeed play at least one more season for the Nationals after sitting out 2020. Zimmerman, as anticipated all along, agreed to terms on a one-year deal today with the only franchise that has ever employed him. Once finalized it will include a $1 million base salary plus incentives, a source familiar with the contract said. Though he opted out of last season for family health concerns - his wife, Heather, gave birth to the couple's third child in June; and his mother, Cheryl,...

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Nationals agree to terms with first baseman Ryan Zimmerman

January 23, 2021, 7:15am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Zimmerman, 36, has spent his entire 15-year Major League career with the Washington Nationals. Entering the 2021 season, he stands as the all-time Nationals (2005-pres.) leader in nearly every offensive category. In 1,689 career games, he's hit .279 with 401 doubles, 22 triples, 270 home...

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Young arms need to step up if Nats want better prospect ranking

January 21, 2021, 7:39pm

Nationals

Young arms need to step up if Nats want better prospect ranking

Prospect rankings should always be taken with a grain of salt. And if there's anyone in baseball whose mouth is over-seasoned from lack of interest in prospect rankings, it's Mike Rizzo. The Nationals general manager doesn't care what any outside publication says about his farm system. He cares only about what he sees with his own eyes and what his scouts and coaches see with theirs. OK, there's your caveat to the news that comes next: The Nationals do not currently have any of baseball's...

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What's still left on the Nationals' shopping list?

January 20, 2021, 7:25pm

Nationals

The Nationals have made three significant acquisitions so far this offseason, and they addressed unquestionably the club's three biggest needs. They needed a first baseman, and they got one in Josh Bell. They needed a corner outfielder, and they got one in Kyle Schwarber. And they needed a No. 4 starter, and they got one in Jon Lester. But that's not all the Nationals needed to do this winter to bolster their roster. They had a longer list of priorities, and though they've now crossed off...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Catching some Z's

January 18, 2021, 4:43am

Nationals

The National Football League playoffs have come down to four teams, and the scheduled start of spring training is less than a month away. Whether the ongoing pandemic will permit it to begin on schedule this year is another matter. But for baseball fans, February is all about hopefulness, right? Meantime, a maintenance dose of "Nationals Classics" can keep your baseball jones in check. This week's batch includes some notable performances by a couple of guys whose names surely came last when...

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Sutton left lasting impression across baseball, including D.C.

January 19, 2021, 6:26pm

Nationals

Sutton left lasting impression across baseball, including D.C.

To Dodgers fans, he was the stalwart member of a championship-caliber pitching staff in the 1970s. To Braves fans, he was the soothing and smart voice who shared his exceptional insight on the air throughout the 1990s and 2000s. To Orioles fans, he was the Brewers' Game 162 starter who dashed their dream of a miracle final weekend surge to the 1982 American League East title. And to countless other baseball fans, he was the Hall of Fame right-hander who never let up during a 23-year career, a...

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Nats are trying to go for it again behind an elite rotation

January 18, 2021, 7:39pm

Nationals

Nats are trying to go for it again behind an elite rotation

The Nationals' opening day starter against the Mets is 36 and entering his 14th big league season. The pitcher who will start the season's second game is 32 and needed wrist surgery last summer after throwing only five innings. The club's No. 3 starter is 31 but coming off a career-worst season in which he had the highest WHIP in the majors. And the guy who was just signed to serve as the No. 4 starter is 37 on the heels of back-to-back rough seasons. This is the rotation general manager...

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Nats finalizing deal with five-time All-Star lefty Lester

January 18, 2021, 3:35pm

Nationals

Nats finalizing deal with five-time All-Star lefty Lester

The Nationals' search for a No. 4 starter appears to have landed on a former ace and postseason hero with ties to the manager and pitching coach. Jon Lester, the three-time World Series champion with the Red Sox and Cubs, is finalizing a one-year deal with the Nats, a source familiar with the discussions confirmed. Though he still needs to pass a physical to make the deal official - that may not happen for several days - Lester will become one of the highest-profile No. 4 starters in the...

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A modest proposal for a better postseason format

January 17, 2021, 6:29pm

Nationals

A modest proposal for a better postseason format

Among the pressing topics reportedly still being discussed between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association as the 2021 season inches ever closer is the possibility of keeping the playoff field expanded again. You'll recall that 16 teams made the postseason in 2020, six more than ever had before. It was an acknowledgment of the inability of a 60-game season to distinguish the best teams from the rest of the pack, and most folks accepted and understood why it was needed. But now...

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If Nats desire another infielder, plenty of options remain

January 16, 2021, 12:05pm

Nationals

If Nats desire another infielder, plenty of options remain

Whether the Nationals were ever seriously interested in DJ LeMahieu isn't clear, but here's what is clear: They were never going to match the six-year, $90 million offer the veteran infielder reportedly accepted from the Yankees on Friday. Look, LeMahieu would've been a great fit for the Nats. He could've led off or batted second, creating an elite 1-2-3 trio with Trea Turner and Juan Soto. He could've played third base or second base, helped out at first base, or played some combination...

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Suzuki, Difo find new homes for 2021

January 15, 2021, 7:46pm

Nationals

Not that either was expected to return to D.C. for another season, but a pair of notable Nationals players from recent years - Kurt Suzuki and Wilmer Difo - officially found new homes Friday. Suzuki signed with the Angels for one year and $1.5 million. Difo agreed to a minor league contract with the Pirates that will include an invitation to big league camp this spring. The Nationals had long since decided to part ways with both players, so the news didn't come as a huge surprise. But we'll...

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Nats avoid arbitration with Soto, Turner and Bell (updated)

January 15, 2021, 10:49am

Nationals

Nats avoid arbitration with Soto, Turner and Bell (updated)

The Nationals came to terms on 2021 salaries with Juan Soto, Trea Turner and Josh Bell today, avoiding arbitration with their three biggest offensive stars. Though the deadline for players and clubs to agree to salaries or file for arbitration was 1 p.m., it took hours for Major League Baseball to process the throng of cases that were submitted to league headquarters before many could be finalized. Turner, in his third of four seasons of arbitration eligibilty, got the biggest salary for the...

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Nats' Latin American program has come a long way

January 14, 2021, 7:45pm

Nationals

Nats' Latin American program has come a long way

The Nationals have been linked to top Dominican prospect Armando Cruz for nearly a year and a half now, and today they're finally expected to announce they've signed the elite young shortstop for a reported $4 million bonus. It's a whopping total for a kid who turns 17 on Saturday, and it's perhaps the latest and most convincing evidence just how far the Nats' Latin American scouting program has come over the last decade-plus. Those who haven't followed the organization since the early...

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Nationals agree to terms with 10 international free agents

January 15, 2021, 10:35am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with 10 international free agents on Friday. 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. * RHP Jefrem Leon, R/R, 9/9/2002, Aruba* OF Cristian Batista, L/L, 5/2/2004, Dominican Republic* SS Armando Cruz, R/R, 1/16/2004, Dominican Republic* INF Winder Diaz, S/R, 9/5/2002, Dominican Republic* RHP Doimil...

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Arbitration process is complicated for three Nats stars

January 13, 2021, 7:08pm

Nationals

Arbitration process is complicated for three Nats stars

The majority of arbitration cases are relatively simple. Players who have accrued between three and six years of big league service time and their clubs typically agree on a salary figure without ever needing to file for arbitration or have their cases heard before a panel. There are always a few complicated cases, though, usually involving big-name players whose salary requests go well beyond what the club has proposed. Now throw in the unprecedented nature of the 2020 season, and you've got...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": A healthy dose of Strasburg and Zimmerman

January 11, 2021, 6:01am

Nationals

With the new year here and spring training hopefully right around the corner, we're ramping up this week's "Nationals Classics" on MASN to examine some of the strongest performances ever by guys with a curly W on their caps. When talking about the club's great pitchers, Stephen Strasburg is always mentioned - and with good reason. Two of his finest performances - a sparking debut and a playoff clincher - are among this week's broadcasts. Ditto for Ryan Zimmerman, the Nats' first draft...

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Improved lineup or not, Nats need to pitch better in 2021

January 12, 2021, 5:48pm

Nationals

Improved lineup or not, Nats need to pitch better in 2021

The Nationals' stated No. 1 priority this winter was to acquire a big bat, and the recent acquisitions of both Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber each meet that criteria. But let's be honest here: The Nats' best path to contending in 2021 isn't via a more productive lineup, it's via a more effective pitching staff. As glaring as the hole in the heart of the batting order last season was, the Nationals still were an average to above-average offensive club. They ranked 10th in the majors in runs,...

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Does bolstered Nats lineup still need another piece?

January 10, 2021, 2:04pm

Nationals

Does bolstered Nats lineup still need another piece?

The Nationals lineup, as currently constructed this morning, features three guys who hit at least 34 homers and drove in at least 92 runs during the last full major league season. It also includes another guy who hit 22 homers and drove in 86 runs that season, plus one who totaled 63 extra-base hits and yet another who totaled 53. That sounds like a pretty potent and deep lineup, does it not? It does. And yet it still feels like this group is lacking one more significant piece. And that's the...

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Tuesday morning Nats Q&A

January 11, 2021, 7:02pm

Nationals

Hey, what do you know, the Nationals actually made some news over the weekend. They acquired their second potentially big bat of the winter, signing left fielder Kyle Schwarber for one year and a guaranteed $10 million. This after trading for first baseman Josh Bell on Christmas Eve. It's a start, but the Nats are far from finished assembling their 2021 roster. There are more moves to be made, most notably acquiring a No. 4 starter, at least one more reliever, another catcher, a bench player...

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For Schwarber, Nats were always "my No. 1 choice"

January 09, 2021, 11:39am

Nationals

For Schwarber, Nats were always "my No. 1 choice"

Kyle Schwarber had been a Cub his entire professional life, since the North Siders made him the fourth pick in the country in 2014, back when they were still lovable losers and didn't dare dream of breaking the Billy Goat Curse. So when he learned a month ago the Cubs had non-tendered him, and he was suddenly searching for a new employer for the first time, Schwarber rightfully could've been upset. Instead, he embraced this unexpected opportunity to pick his next home one year before he...