nationals

Mayor approves Nats Park for workouts, fan-less games

June 30, 2020, 9:02pm

The schedule hasn't been finalized yet. The protocols are still being fine-tuned. More players could choose to opt out. But 48 hours from now, the Nationals will be gathering on South Capitol Street for their first team workout in nearly four months. Summer training is officially approved for Nationals Park after D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser granted the team a waiver Tuesday to hold group workouts in its home ballpark. Camp is scheduled to open Friday and run for almost three weeks, setting the...

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July 01, 2020, 6:57am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with nine undrafted free agents following Major League Baseball's 2020 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline and Director of Scouting Operations Eddie Longosz made the joint announcement. PLAYER POS B/T HT WT DOB SCHOOL Zach Brzykcy RHP ...

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Minor league season officially canceled

June 30, 2020, 1:53pm

Nationals

It had been a foregone conclusion for some time, but today's official announcement nonetheless hurts baseball fans around the world: The 2020 minor league season has been canceled. The announcement came after Major League Baseball informed Minor League Baseball it will not be providing its affiliated teams with players this season. MLB clubs have designated 60 players who may appear during the planned 60-game major league season, with those players not on the active roster at any given time...

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Players who choose to sit out don't owe us an explanation

June 29, 2020, 8:54pm

Nationals

Players who choose to sit out don't owe us an explanation

Four major league players announced their decisions not to play in 2020 on Monday, three of them current or former Nationals. Their stated reasons for opting out varied from specific health concerns about close family members (Ryan Zimmerman) to more vague concerns about the pandemic (Mike Leake) to a passionate and deeply personal message about baseball, race, culture, health and family (Ian Desmond). Joe Ross, the fourth player, has not yet made a public statement about his decision. Which is...

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Zimmerman and Ross opting out of 2020 season (updated)

June 28, 2020, 8:56pm

Nationals

Zimmerman and Ross opting out of 2020 season (updated)

Ryan Zimmerman, the only person to play in a major league game for the Nationals during each of their 15 seasons in town, will not play for the club during its 16th season. Zimmerman and right-hander Joe Ross have opted out of the abbreviated 2020 campaign, uncomfortable with the health risks posed to players and staffers during this unprecedented attempt to play through a global pandemic. "Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross have decided not to participate in the 2020 season for the personal health...

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Thoughts on the Nats' preliminary 60-man roster

June 28, 2020, 7:39pm

Nationals

Thoughts on the Nats' preliminary 60-man roster

If you've followed baseball closely over the years, you should have a basic understanding of a franchise's various rosters and how they differ. There's the 25-man roster, of course, the group of players actively in the major leagues at any given moment. Then there's the 40-man roster, which in addition to the 25 active big leaguers includes players on the short-term injured list (10-day IL) and the group of top-tier minor leaguers who are most likely to be promoted at some point. Players...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Reaching baseball's October pinnacle

June 22, 2020, 8:20am

Nationals

One of the few positive points about living in pandemic hell is that the Nationals continue to be world champions. And the way things are going, they may get an extended stretch atop the baseball world. In this week's collections of "Nationals Classics" on MASN, we're happy to revisit some October baseball, specifically the four World Series games in which the Nats prevailed over the Astros, all of them coming at Houston's Minute Maid Park. So much for home field advantage, right? There...

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A primer on the plan for the 2020 season

June 23, 2020, 7:32pm

Nationals

A primer on the plan for the 2020 season

The plan to start the 2020 Major League Baseball season is now officially in place. Whether it is completed in full depends on the spread of the novel coronavirus and the ability of more than 1,000 players, coaches, trainers, clubhouse staffers, team executives, umpires, groundskeepers and other assorted support staff to keep it from spreading. It's a daunting task, one that has no guarantee of being successful. But MLB is going to give it a try after getting approval Tuesday night from the...

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Change is the buzz word as baseball revs up to resume 2020 campaign

June 24, 2020, 5:25am

Nationals Orioles

Change is the buzz word as baseball revs up to resume 2020 campaign

Finally. After months of acrimonious negotiations, there's going to be a baseball season. It will be the most abbreviated season in the game's history - 60 games - and brings back memories of 1981, when labor issues couldn't be resolved and teams played about 105 games each. So forget about watching those replays of classic historical games. Say goodbye to watching Game 7 of the Braves-Twins World Series in 1991. Or the 1995 American League Division Series Game 5 between the Mariners and the...

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Was this bitter fight worth it?

June 22, 2020, 8:17pm

Nationals

So after all that, after months of nothing and weeks of bickering, after talk of a season that could be as short as 48 games or as long as 114 games, after proposals to expand the postseason to 16 teams and institute the universal designated hitter this year and next, after all that, what did we get? A 60-game season unilaterally imposed by the commissioner. The standard postseason format. The universal DH this year only. A grievance that is all but certain to be filed by the players in the...

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MLB will impose season after players vote down final offer

June 22, 2020, 4:11pm

Nationals

MLB will impose season after players vote down final offer

The Major League Baseball Players Association resoundingly voted down the league's latest (and final) proposal for the 2020 season this evening, leaving commissioner Rob Manfred to unilaterally impose a shortened season on the players, the details of which should be announced in the next 24 to 48 hours. The MLBPA executive committee - made up of 30 team representatives and the eight-man subcommittee that includes Nationals ace Max Scherzer - formally voted today not to accept the league's...

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Whenever baseball resumes, it won't look or sound normal

June 21, 2020, 9:48pm

Nationals

Whenever baseball resumes, it won't look or sound normal

The last three months have provided an opportunity to re-watch plenty of classic games, and honestly it's been a fun experience. But nothing compares to a real, live sporting event, and I think we're all reaching a point where it's becoming harder and harder to be without them. The last few weeks have provided a few viewing options, though, as a handful of sports and leagues resume competition in empty facilities. And they've given us a taste of what might be in store for the country's...

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Time for final decision on 2020 season has come

June 20, 2020, 8:56pm

Nationals

Time for final decision on 2020 season has come

After months of waiting followed by weeks of squabbling, the time has probably come for a final decision on the 2020 season. And barring a last-minute change of heart by the owners and players who have been refusing to budge from their most recent offers, it appears the sport is destined for a short season unilaterally mandated by commissioner Rob Manfred, which will probably be met with a formal grievance filed by the Major League Baseball Players Association. What, you thought this saga was...

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Nationals sign first-round pick Cavalli

June 19, 2020, 12:22pm

Nationals

First-round pick Cade Cavalli signed with the Nationals today, only nine days after the Oklahoma right-hander was drafted 22nd overall in the country. Terms of Cavalli's deal weren't immediately available, but the Nats have room to go above Major League Baseball's designated $3.027 million slot value for the 22nd pick. The club created extra space to spend more on their top three picks by signing fourth- and fifth-round picks Brady Lindsly and Mitchell Parker to bonuses well below their...

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Friday morning Nats Q&A

June 18, 2020, 8:19pm

Nationals

Well, it's Friday again. And we still don't know when (or if) the baseball season will begin. I'd claim to be surprised by this development, but at this point, nothing surprises me. Yet I'll admit I'm still optimistic a deal will get done soon. Maybe in the next 48 hours? I know the difference between the 60 games the owners are offering and the 70 games the players are asking for is larger than it appears at first glance. It reportedly works out to a total of $250 million in increased pay...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": It just wasn't in the cards for St. Louis

June 15, 2020, 5:57am

Nationals

What with the coronavirus and all, you might feel squeamish about leafing through Father's Day cards wherever you usually go to get that sort of thing. But do at least give dad a call this Sunday. If you still (or again) live with dad, you'll want to spend the day together sharing some great baseball memories as you watch "Nationals Classics" on MASN. Who knows? Maybe you attended one or more of these games together, perhaps the one against the Yankees on Father's Day 2006. Ryan Zimmerman...

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Progress in latest round of talks, but no deal quite yet

June 17, 2020, 7:55pm

Nationals

Progress in latest round of talks, but no deal quite yet

Is it possible? Is it possible Rob Manfred and Tony Clark are close to a deal and the 2020 season is nearly upon us at last? Well, yes and no. After a Wednesday that featured a whirlwind of emotions, from brief moments of joy to forceful words of caution, here's where it appears things stand: Manfred and Clark, after meeting in person (and in secret) in Arizona, seem to have made significant headway toward a deal. But not a completed deal, both because they didn't sign any formal papers and...

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Nats have a lot to lose in shortened or canceled season

June 16, 2020, 8:30pm

Nationals

Nats have a lot to lose in shortened or canceled season

It's June 17, and we still don't know when (or if) the Major League Baseball season is going to begin. But at this point, it's pretty safe to say that however long the potential season is, it won't be long. It won't equate to one-half of a normal season. It might not even equate to one-third of a 162-game slate. And that could have some significant ramifications for the Nationals, not necessarily positive ones. I've been thinking about what 2020 is going to mean for the Nats as a whole...

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Time for baseball to do what's in the best interests of baseball

June 15, 2020, 9:49pm

Nationals

Time for baseball to do what's in the best interests of baseball

When baseball owners approached Kenesaw "Mountain" Landis in 1920 and asked him to become the first commissioner in professional sports, the then-U.S. District Court judge insisted he be given a very specific power. Landis insisted he be allowed to make major decisions on his own, without approval of owners or players, for matters he believed were "in the best interests of baseball." Exactly one century later, that phrase remains written into Major League Baseball's constitution, and every...

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Nationals Summer Reading Program returns for seventh consecutive year

June 16, 2020, 9:52am

Nationals

To kick start the beginning of summer, the Washington Nationals are proud to announce the return of the Nationals Summer Reading Program! The Nationals have expanded the partnership to now include seven local library systems. The program encourages children and teens to read throughout the summer by joining their local library's summer reading challenges. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, all participating libraries will run their reading challenges virtually for the 2020 summer season. For the...