nationals

Bourque settling into workhorse role out of bullpen for Nats

January 23, 2019, 3:15am

The high Single-A Potomac Nationals made it all the way to the Mills Cup Final with a complete team in 2018. A big part of their success came courtesy of the potent and out-eating bullpen. Right-hander James Bourque was a major link in that relieving corps before his promotion to Double-A Harrisburg on July 13. After the season was completed, the Nationals signaled what they think of the Michigan product by placing him on the 40-man roster. Potomac manager Tripp Keister said the P-Nats used...

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My 2019 Hall of Fame ballot

January 22, 2019, 8:03am

Nationals

The 2019 Hall of Fame class has now been announced, and it's quite a compelling class of inductees, huh? Mariano Rivera became the first player ever to be named on 100 percent of submitted ballots and permanently sealed the career Yankee's legacy as the greatest closer of all-time. Roy Halladay was elected in his first year on the ballot, a bittersweet moment for family and fans of the Blue Jays and Phillies ace, who tragically died in a plane crash a little more than a year ago. Edgar...

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A request for MLB to keep extra-innings rules as-is

January 20, 2019, 8:32pm

Nationals

A request for MLB to keep extra-innings rules as-is

How should a sporting event that's tied at the end of regulation be decided? Just make the two teams keep playing until someone scores? Give both teams an opportunity before it's over? Create a whole new set of rules in an attempt to get a final result sooner? If you watched yesterday's NFL conference championships, surely you found yourself contemplating this very question. Was it fair that the Patriots, by virtue of winning a coin toss, were able to march down the field and score the...

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Host of 2018 Nationals still seeking jobs in tepid market

January 19, 2019, 6:51pm

Nationals

For all the attention lavished upon Bryce Harper and Manny Machado and their long, slow quest to sign with somebody before the start of spring training, there are a ton of other free agents still unemployed as we reach late January. And that includes a whole bunch of guys who played for the Nationals in 2018. Let's look at those still-unsigned free agents and figure out what it might take to get them in a uniform before pitchers and catchers report ... MATT WIETERS Wieters had to know he was...

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What to watch for on Hall of Fame election night

January 21, 2019, 6:26pm

Nationals

What to watch for on Hall of Fame election night

The hot stove league may be tepid right now, but at least baseball is providing us something us to get excited about later today: the Hall of Fame election announcement. Yes, it's time to find out who's in the class of 2019 in addition to Lee Smith and Harold Baines (who were elected last month by what used to be called the Veterans' Committee but now has a confusing and completely unnecessary longer name). The announcement is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern time on MLB Network, after which...

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News on a couple of former Nationals pitchers

January 18, 2019, 7:23pm

Nationals

Joel Hanrahan and Micah Bowie were teammates on the 2007 Nationals pitching staff, after which their respective careers took very different paths. Hanrahan, after crashing and burning when the Nats tried to make him their closer in 2009, wound up a two-time All-Star with the Pirates. Bowie, the consummate journeyman left-hander, appeared in only 10 big league games after leaving the Nats following that 2007 season. Both wound up in the news on Friday, for very different reasons. Hanrahan was...

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Better, worse or the same in 2019: Pitchers

January 17, 2019, 8:56am

Nationals

Better, worse or the same in 2019: Pitchers

Yesterday we looked at each of the Nationals' position players and asked if they are likely to be better, worse or the same in 2019. Today we'll do the same exercise with the club's pitching staff. In some cases, this is simply about one player and examining his chances for improvement or regression from last year. But in some cases, this is about a specific role on the staff and whether or not the club has adequately improved the position so far this winter. Again, there's still time for...

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Nats top prospects: No. 1 - CF Victor Robles

January 14, 2019, 2:16am

Nationals

Nats top prospects: No. 1 - CF Victor Robles

Finally, we reach the No. 1 Nationals prospect in Baseball America's latest top 10: center fielder Victor Robles, who was also the publication's No. 1 prospect in 2018. Robles suffered an arm injury to begin the season and that slowed what was likely be an ascension similar to what rookie Juan Soto demonstrated in his first full year as a major league player. Baseball America national writer Carlos Collazo said Robles still has the best collection of all-around tools of any Nats prospect....

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Nats add lefty reliever NuÃ±o on minor league deal

January 17, 2019, 2:33pm

Nationals

Nats add lefty reliever NuÃ±o on minor league deal

Seeking for some more experienced left-handed options in their bullpen, the Nationals have signed veteran Vidal NuÃ±o to a minor-league contract with an invitation to compete for a job in big-league camp this spring. The deal, confirmed by a club source, will pay NuÃ±o $1.3 million if he makes the major league roster, according to Fancred's Jon Heyman. It includes an opt-out clause if NuÃ±o doesn't make the team. NuÃ±o, 31, posted a 1.64 ERA and 1.030 WHIP in 17 appearances for the...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Got no-nos? Yes!

January 14, 2019, 12:02pm

Nationals

Home runs are exciting, but true baseball fans get just as cranked up to see their guy on the mound firing on all cylinders. If great pitching is your jam, have we got a deal for you. Regular viewers of "Nationals Classics" are used to looking back at standout performances from star pitchers, but this Monday you can binge-watch three of the best ever back-to-back-to-back. That's on top of a full schedule of throwback Nationals games over the coming week. So dig in, because some of the best...

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Better, worse or the same in 2019: Position players

January 16, 2019, 7:18pm

Nationals

Better, worse or the same in 2019: Position players

At this point, we have a pretty good idea what the 2019 Nationals are going to look like (with one obvious unknown still lingering out there). We can't wait forever for Bryce Harper to make his decision, though, so we're going to have to proceed around here as though the big guy isn't coming back to Washington. (If he does, well, we'll deal with that when it happens.) So the real question that must be asked is this: Are the 2019 Nationals going to be better than the 2018 Nationals? There...

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Success of Nats' winter still depends on rivals' remaining moves

January 15, 2019, 7:37pm

Nationals

Success of Nats' winter still depends on rivals' remaining moves

Have the Nationals had a good offseason? It's easy to look at the eight major leaguers they've acquired since the 2018 season ended and declare they've enjoyed a successful winter. Patrick Corbin and AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez filled obvious needs. Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki provide a clear upgrade at catcher. Brian Dozier is a solid pickup at second base. Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough have the potential to reshape an ever-changing bullpen. Matt Adams was an important re-sign. The Nationals...

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Brian Dozier on playing at Nationals Park, working with Trea Turner, Kevin Long

January 16, 2019, 3:01am

Nationals

New Nationals second baseman Brian Dozier loves to hit the ball to left field. Dozier has hit 172 homers in his career, and 157 of those homers have gone to left field or left-center field. He likes the idea of being able to hit at Nationals Park, which he likens to Target Field. Dozier played 955 games over seven seasons with Minnesota. Dozier is right. Both Parks had HOV Sport (now known as Populous) as the architect. Nats Park broke ground in 2006, Target Field in 2007. Nats Park seats...

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What would a 25-man roster look like today?

January 14, 2019, 7:16pm

Nationals

What would a 25-man roster look like today?

There are still four weeks to go until pitchers and catchers report, 10 weeks to go until opening day against the Mets. There's plenty of time for things to change, and they probably will. Yet if the Nationals needed to assemble a 25-man roster today, they could easily do it. And there's a decent chance that roster would look the exact same for Game 1 on March 28. Such is the case when your front office has been among the most aggressive in the majors through the first three months of the...

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Healthy and motivated, Dozier picked Nats over better offers

January 15, 2019, 12:36pm

Nationals

Healthy and motivated, Dozier picked Nats over better offers

Even on the heels of a subpar 2018 season in which he played through a knee injury and saw his production decrease, Brian Dozier said he had multi-year offers from other clubs this winter. How, then, did it come to be that the veteran second baseman found himself on a conference call with Washington reporters this afternoon, discussing the one-year, $9 million contract he just signed with the Nationals? "Basically, what it came down to was just where my wife and I wanted to be," he said....

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Monday morning thoughts on Dozier, Reynolds and Harper

January 13, 2019, 7:56pm

Nationals

Monday morning thoughts on Dozier, Reynolds and Harper

A few thoughts as everyone wakes up this Monday morning and digs out from the weekend snowstorm ... * We should be hearing from Brian Dozier soon, perhaps as soon as today, now that the veteran second baseman's one-year, $9 million contract with the Nationals has officially been announced. Dozier, who agreed to terms of the deal Thursday, passed his physical Sunday to finalize the process. There will be plenty of topics to discuss with Dozier, but perhaps most interesting will be his...

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Dozier passes physical, Reynolds designated for assignment

January 12, 2019, 6:12am

Nationals

Dozier passes physical, Reynolds designated for assignment

Brian Dozier has passed his physical, making his $9 million contract with the Nationals official, so the club formally announced it has signed the veteran second baseman in the latest move of a busy offseason. Dozier, a former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner with the Twins, agreed to terms of the deal Thursday but still needed to pass a physical before it could be finalized. With that process now complete, the Nationals have themselves their new starting second baseman for the 2019...

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Will Taylor and Barraclough actually get to arbitration?

January 12, 2019, 8:09pm

Nationals

Will Taylor and Barraclough actually get to arbitration?

Will the Nationals really go to arbitration with Michael A. Taylor and Kyle Barraclough over a combined $525,000? For now, yes, but the chances of the club and the two players settling salary figures on their own before engaging in a hearing next month would seem to be pretty strong, given the lack of difference in their dueling offers. Cases that go to arbitration typically involve a sizeable disparity between sides, almost always at least $1 million. The Nationals, Taylor and Barraclough...

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Harper set to meet with Phillies as final decision looms

January 11, 2019, 8:45pm

Nationals

Harper set to meet with Phillies as final decision looms

The long, slow, often behind-the-scenes dance Bryce Harper has been playing all winter has to come to an end eventually, right? I mean, he's going to be playing for some team in 2019, and pitchers and catchers report for spring training in 4 1/2 weeks. Few are surprised the Harper saga has stretched into January, but most observers around the sport don't expect it to stretch much longer. Harper and agent Scott Boras have a pretty good sense of the market at this point, and this weekend...

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Nationals agree to terms with Brian Dozier

January 13, 2019, 8:36am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with second baseman Brian Dozier and designated infielder Matt Reynolds for assignment on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Dozier, 31, joins the Nationals after ranking among Major League second baseman in walks (3rd, 70), home runs (T6th, 21), RBI (T6th, 72), extra-base hits (7th, 53), runs scored (8th, 81) and doubles (T9th, 30) in 2018. He began his...