nationals

Even in 2020, much to be thankful for today

November 25, 2020, 6:58pm

This traditionally is a day to take a step back and appreciate what we have in our lives, big and small, and give thanks for it. But this year? What are we supposed to be thankful for in November 2020? Actually, there's a lot. Though this certainly has been among the most trying years any of has ever experienced, there have been some silver linings. Block out the big ugly things, if you can, and think about the little things we were treated to this year. We got to watch a baseball season. No,...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Missed it by that much

November 22, 2020, 4:05am

Nationals

Perhaps you're skipping the trip over the river and through the woods this year. Maybe you've made the tough choice to put the family's health ahead of family togetherness and forego planes, trains and automobiles for now. It might not seem so at the tail end of the kind of year that 2020 has been for all of us, but chances are you've still got much to be grateful for. And while your Thanksgiving table isn't as crowded as usual (or at least it shouldn't be; safety first), we can be...

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Nationals' options for rotation help starting to shrink

November 24, 2020, 7:36pm

Nationals

This has been, unfortunately as expected, an awfully slow start to free agency across baseball. Teams so far have been reluctant to spend anything resembling significant money, perhaps because they want to wait and see what the 2021 season is going to look like before committing, perhaps because they already intended to make players wait as long as possible in the final year of the current collective bargaining agreement. There has, however, been just a tiny bit of movement the last couple...

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Do Nats have the elite prospects needed in a big trade?

November 23, 2020, 6:59pm

Nationals

Do Nats have the elite prospects needed in a big trade?

Mike Rizzo has never been shy about dealing away top prospects in exchange for big-name players who could immediately help his Nationals win. This is the general manager, after all, who dealt away Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo LÃ³pez and Dane Dunning for Adam Eaton prior to the 2017 season and then that summer dealt JesÃºs Luzardo and others to the Athletics for Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. But those two headline-makers represent the last time the Nats have traded away elite prospects for...

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As football flails, MLB deserves more credit for 2020 season

November 22, 2020, 6:45pm

Nationals

As football flails, MLB deserves more credit for 2020 season

Fifteen Division I football games were canceled last week because of players, coaches and others testing positive for COVID-19. The 2020 college football season is a mess, with different teams from different conferences playing a different number of games over different stretches of time. Yet all you really hear out of that corner of the sports world are complaints about the effect these scattershot cancellations are having on the sanctity of the season. You aren't hearing any serious talk...

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How many numbers will be retired from this Nationals era?

November 21, 2020, 7:37pm

Nationals

They've raised a pennant and a World Series flag, unveiled division title signs and a Ring of Honor. But here's something the Nationals have yet to do during their 16 seasons in town: Retire somebody's number. That day will come, though, and it may not be that far off, with a couple of obvious candidates at the tail end of their respective careers. To be clear, the Nationals do have one officially retired number: 42. Jackie Robinson's jersey, of course, is retired across all of Major League...

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Nats protect Antuna, Adon from Rule 5 draft

November 20, 2020, 8:29am

Nationals

Nats protect Antuna, Adon from Rule 5 draft

The Nationals added two prospects to their 40-man roster today, believing infielder Yasel Antuna and right-hander Joan Adon needed to be protected from being lost in next month's Rule 5 draft while taking a chance a few others won't be gobbled up by another club. Antuna and Adon each had his contract purchased, elevating each player to the organization's 40-man roster even though neither is on the cusp of making his major league debut. Club officials do believe both prospects have a future...

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Friday morning news and notes

November 19, 2020, 11:24am

Nationals

Some news and notes for you on this Friday morning ... * Today is the deadline for all clubs to add players to their 40-man roster and protect them from the Rule 5 draft, so look for the Nationals to make an announcement on a few guys at some point. The Rule 5 draft, which is scheduled to take place Dec. 10 to wrap up the virtual Winter Meetings, allows clubs to select away minor leaguers from other organizations and add them to their major league roster. Any player drafted for $100,000 must...

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Nationals select contracts of Yasel Antuna and Joan Adon

November 20, 2020, 8:22am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals selected the contracts of infielder Yasel Antuna and right-handed pitcher Joan Adon on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Antuna, 21, is the No. 4 prospect in Washington's Minor League system, according to Baseball America. He is also cited by Baseball America as being the "Best Hitter for Average" and the "Best Power Hitter" among Nationals Minor Leaguers. A switch-hitting, versatile infielder,...

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Zuckerman a finalist for D.C. Sportswriter of the Year

November 20, 2020, 8:10am

Nationals

Zuckerman a finalist for D.C. Sportswriter of the Year

MASNsports.com Nationals beat writer Mark Zuckerman is a finalist for the Washington, D.C., Sportswriter of the Year award presented by the National Sports Media Association. Zuckerman, who joined MASNsports.com in 2016, is one of six finalists for the annual award, along with David Aldridge, Fred Katz and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, and Thomas Boswell and Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post. Voting will be conducted among NSMA members from Dec. 1-31, with the winners to be announced in...

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Medium Rare's 12th annual free turkey fry to be held at Nationals Park

November 20, 2020, 7:57am

Nationals

Two institutions team up to make sure Thanksgiving goes as planned for many in the D.C. region. Medium Rare Restaurants is proud to announce it's partnering with the Washington Nationals for its 12th Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Fry. Because of social distancing and occupancy guidelines, Medium Rare can't hold its iconic event as usual at one of its locations. Instead, the Nationals have generously provided the perfect location at the ballpark, assuring the tradition continues while...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": An abundance of offense

November 16, 2020, 5:12am

Nationals

There's no way around it: Good teams make their hay at the plate. And if you're one of those who favor offense over pitching, you'll want to pay close attention to this week's smorgasbord of "Nationals Classics" on MASN, which feature more offense than you can shake a stick at. Of course, in this case, that stick would be a Louisville Slugger, or some other wooden implement used to terrorize pitchers. So as you prepare for Thanksgiving, sit back and enjoy these offensive highlights from...

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Should a leadoff hitter be on the Nats' shopping list?

November 18, 2020, 6:34pm

Nationals

Should a leadoff hitter be on the Nats' shopping list?

It's way too soon to start penciling in potential Nationals lineups for 2021, because there is so much that still needs to be determined before pitchers and catchers report a mere three months from now. But there is one fairly important question that probably needs to be asked right now, because the answer isn't entirely clear. Do the Nats need a new leadoff hitter? They haven't needed one in quite some time. Whether it's been Davey Martinez managing the last three seasons or Dusty Baker...

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Nats sign former Twins minor league lefty Clay to MLB deal

November 18, 2020, 9:18am

Nationals

Nats sign former Twins minor league lefty Clay to MLB deal

One year after hitting the jackpot with the signing of a reliever with extensive minor league experience to a major league contract, the Nationals are hoping they found another diamond in the rough with today's signing of left-hander Sam Clay. Clay, who spent the last seven seasons in the Twins system but never reached the majors, was given a big league deal by the Nats, just as right-hander Kyle Finnegan was last winter. Finnegan enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2020 and looks like a long-term...

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As GM carousel keeps turning, Nats still have rock in Rizzo

November 17, 2020, 6:54pm

Nationals

As GM carousel keeps turning, Nats still have rock in Rizzo

Few executives in baseball history can claim to have accomplished what Theo Epstein has done during his career. Epstein's legacy already was set for life when he built the 2004 Red Sox roster that snapped the "Curse of the Bambino" and brought Boston its first World Series title in 86 years. Then he one-upped himself and built the 2016 Cubs roster that snapped the "Billy Goat Curse" and brought the north side of Chicago its first World Series title in 108 years. So when Epstein announced...

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Nationals agree to terms with Sam Clay

November 18, 2020, 9:51am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a Major League contract with left-handed pitcher Sam Clay on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Clay, 27, joins the Nationals after seven seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization. He was a member of the Twins' 60-player pool during the 2020 season, but did not appear in a game. In 2019, Clay led all of Minor League Baseball in groundball rate (71.3%). He went 4-4 with 10...

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Source: Nats sign veteran slugger TomÃ¡s to minor league deal

November 17, 2020, 4:39am

Nationals

Source: Nats sign veteran slugger TomÃ¡s to minor league deal

Yasmany TomÃ¡s, the former Diamondbacks slugger whose defensive deficiencies made him high-priced bust, will get a chance to restart his career with the Nationals. The Nats have signed TomÃ¡s to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, a source familiar with the transaction confirmed. The 30-year-old is scheduled to begin playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League next month, according to Cuban reporter Francys Romero, who first reported the signing. TomÃ¡s recently...

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Notable ex-Nationals left off 2021 Hall of Fame ballot

November 16, 2020, 6:45pm

Nationals

The 2021 Hall of Fame ballot officially was announced Monday, and though there are 25 notable names on the list the most notable thing about this year's ballot might just be what's not on there: a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. None of the 14 new additions to the ballot are guaranteed to reach the 75 percent vote threshold necessary for induction. And even among the 11 returning players who have the best case for induction, there's nobody you can say with absolute certainty will be elected. Curt...

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The current state of the Nationals' depth chart

November 15, 2020, 6:13pm

Nationals

The Nationals haven't added anyone new yet this offseason, but they have dropped quite a few members of the 2020 club over the last month-plus. In fact, their 40-man roster includes only 30 players at this moment, underscoring just how much work they still have ahead of them this winter. We've talked plenty already about the various holes on the roster and tried to identify some free agents who might interest the Nats. But as we begin another week in what continues to look like a very slow...

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With Robles on roster, Dominican Winter League opens today

November 14, 2020, 6:45pm

Nationals

With Robles on roster, Dominican Winter League opens today

After such a short season, many ballplayers wondered if they should consider going somewhere to get more at-bats or throw more innings this winter. The answer from the Nationals front office: No, take a normal offseason, then report for spring training fresh and ready to go. That message doesn't apply to every single player on the Nats roster, though. There are a handful of guys who the organization believes could benefit from some extra work this winter. And the most notable name on that list...