nationals

Nats top prospects: No. 8 - RHP Sterling Sharp

December 21, 2018, 2:21am

The No. 8 Nats prospect got to pitch at Nats Park during the club's preparation for the 2017 National League playoffs. Right-hander Sterling Sharp and a few of his minor league teammates helped Nats batters get ready for the Chicago Cubs with simulated games. Sharp, at 6-foot-4, 170 pounds, was a 22nd-round selection in the 2016 draft out of Drury (Mo.). Sharp, 23, pitched for Double-A Harrisburg in 2018, going 6-3 in 13 starts with a 4.33 ERA in 68-plus innings. An outstanding athlete, Sharp...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Our holiday gift to you

December 18, 2018, 5:13am

Nationals

It's the most wonderful time of the year - at least that's what that song tells me. Seriously, it seems like it's on a continuous loop. From the car to the department store to the supermarket. It's everywhere. While we don't have parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting or caroling in the snow, we do have some of the hap-hap-happiest results in this week's holiday array of "Nationals Classics" on MASN. Consider these our gift to you - and be of good cheer, as spring training is...

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Adams credits Nats coaching staff for keeping him on track

December 19, 2018, 2:24am

Nationals

Adams credits Nats coaching staff for keeping him on track

It is a big deal the Nationals were able to quickly get Matt Adams back in the fold for 2019 and with a mutual option for 2020. Adams, 30, appeared in 94 games for the Nats last season before being traded to the Cardinals. He was important to the Nats when first baseman Ryan Zimmerman was on the disabled list. Adams started 57 games, hit18 homers and contributed 48 RBIs. Known for his power, Adams also takes pride in his defense. In 2016, his range factor of 10.29 was the best in the majors for...

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Thursday morning Nats Q&A

December 19, 2018, 7:07pm

Nationals

The Winter Meetings have come and gone. Tanner Roark is no longer a National. Matt Adams is again a National. Bryce Harper still hasn't decided what he's going to be in 2019 and beyond. There are a few more shopping days until Christmas, so perhaps the Nats could get something done before everyone breaks for the holidays. But more and more it looks like any big news - certainly any news involving Harper - is going to have to wait until January. We, of course, never stop discussing baseball...

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In appreciation of Tanner Roark

December 18, 2018, 7:24pm

Nationals

Because the trade occurred late in the Winter Meetings last week, and because the Nationals have made more news since, Tanner Roark's departure for Cincinnati perhaps hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. Consider this, then, one final acknowledgement of Roark's career in Washington. Because it was significant, it was very good at times and it may not be as easy to replace as some would like to believe. Did Roark have his faults? Sure. Especially over the last two seasons, he...

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Adams jumped at chance to re-sign with "A-class organization"

December 18, 2018, 9:48am

Nationals

Adams jumped at chance to re-sign with "A-class organization"

From the moment he departed Washington for St. Louis (via a late-August waiver claim) Matt Adams made it clear he'd be interested in returning to the Nationals next season. He wasn't just saying it to be nice to his former employer. Adams officially rejoined the Nats today after passing a physical, the last step toward finalizing a one-year, $3 million contract that also includes a $4 million mutual option for 2020 (or a $1 million buyout). And the big slugger explained why he was so...

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Nationals' luxury tax bill is nearly $2.4 million

December 17, 2018, 5:47pm

Nationals

The Nationals' luxury tax bill this season is slightly less than $2.4 million, a not-insignificant amount to pay for exceeding Major League Baseball's pseudo-salary cap, but probably not a steep enough penalty to deter the club from making an offer to Bryce Harper that would catapult it over the threshold again in 2019. The Nationals' final payroll for luxury tax purposes was roughly $205 million, according to a report over the weekend by the Associated Press, $8 million above MLB's 2018...

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Infielder from Murphy trade is player to be named in Gomes deal

December 17, 2018, 7:41am

Nationals

Infielder from Murphy trade is player to be named in Gomes deal

The Nationals completed their trade for Yan Gomes today when they announced minor league infielder Andruw Monasterio as the player to be named in their deal with the Indians. Monasterio, 21, was the prospect the Nationals acquired from the Cubs for Daniel Murphy in August. He wound up playing in only 13 games with the organization, all for Single-A Potomac, hitting .308 with a triple and 5 RBIs. The Nationals already had sent right-hander Jefry Rodriguez and minor league outfielder Daniel...

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Nationals agree to terms with Matt Adams

December 18, 2018, 7:30am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2020 with first baseman Matt Adams on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Adams, 30, returns to the Nationals after hitting .257 with nine doubles, 18 home runs, 48 RBI, 24 walks and 37 runs scored in 94 games with Washington in 2018. He recorded a .510 slugging percentage and an .842 OPS before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on...

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Aggressive moves show four NL East teams trying to win now

December 16, 2018, 8:02pm

Nationals

Aggressive moves show four NL East teams trying to win now

The National League East hasn't been decided by fewer than seven games since 2012, and the division race hasn't come down to the season's final weekend since 2008. We have no way of knowing yet how it'll play out in 2019, but this much is safe to say: Right now, four of the division's five clubs are acting like they expect to be in the mix. No division has been more aggressive so far this winter than the NL East, with the Nationals, Phillies, Mets and reigning champion Braves all making...

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Reunion with Adams made too much sense for both sides

December 15, 2018, 7:05pm

Nationals

Reunion with Adams made too much sense for both sides

The trading of a player months before he becomes a free agent often comes with an important caveat: "We can always re-sign him over the winter." Truth is, it rarely happens. Whether it's the bad blood a player feels toward an organization for dealing him away or a genuine lack of interest from the club in bringing said player back, these reunions just don't take place very often. In the case of Matt Adams and the Nationals, though, this always felt like a distinct possibility. For one...

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Adams returning to Nats for 2019, with mutual option for 2020

December 15, 2018, 12:03pm

Nationals

Adams returning to Nats for 2019, with mutual option for 2020

Even after he was traded to the Cardinals as the Nationals' season collapsed in August, Matt Adams spoke glowingly of Washington as an organization and a city and said he'd be interested in returning. Turns out he'll be coming back next season. The Nationals and Adams have agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2020, pending a physical, according to two sources familiar with the signing. The deal, which was first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, guarantees Adams $4...

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Two names possibly coming off second base market

December 14, 2018, 8:34pm

Nationals

Two names possibly coming off second base market

Mike Rizzo's public stance on the Nationals' need to acquire a second baseman has been adjusted several times over the last two weeks. The general manager initially insisted this wasn't a priority and that he was comfortable with a Howie Kendrick-Wilmer Difo combo until prospect Carter Kieboom is ready. Rizzo's tune then changed as he began to suggest he'd be interested in an acquisition, if said player was a clear upgrade over the current group. And by the time he left the Winter Meetings...

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Where things stand halfway through the offseason

December 13, 2018, 7:45pm

Nationals

Where things stand halfway through the offseason

The Winter Meetings are now completed, which means the offseason is now half completed. Yep, it's been 10 weeks since the Nationals' season ended in Colorado, and it's 10 weeks until pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach. So this feels like a good opportunity to take a broad look at the state of the roster, figure out what the Nats have accomplished so far and what they still need to accomplish before they assemble in Florida. Here's where things currently stand ... * The rotation...

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Nats top prospects: No. 10 - RHP Jake Irvin

December 13, 2018, 11:43am

Nationals

Nats top prospects: No. 10 - RHP Jake Irvin

Let's run down the recently released Top 10 Nationals prospects according to Baseball America, counting down from No. 10 to No. 1, as the end of the year approaches. We begin with the No. 10 Nats prospect: right-hander Jake Irvin. Irvin, 21, was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma. He is 6-foot-6, 225 lbs., and got to pitch in 11 games, starting seven, for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nationals and the short-season Single-A Auburn...

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Nats head home minus Roark, but with door wide open for others

December 12, 2018, 6:44pm

Nationals

Nats head home minus Roark, but with door wide open for others

LAS VEGAS - The Nationals came to town Sunday with a short list of roster needs after an aggressive run of moves earlier in the offseason. They leave town today without having filled any of those holes, but having created a brand new one. Wednesday evening's surprise trade of Tanner Roark to the Reds for minor league reliever Tanner Rainey wasn't what most would have predicted would be the club's lone transaction of the Winter Meetings. It left more than a few folks at the Mandalay Bay...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Keeping the home fires burning

December 06, 2018, 6:14am

Nationals

Daylight's at a premium as we approach the winter solstice, and it can be tough keep your spirits up. MASN's here to help. For this week's throwback telecasts, we bring you a gem from the guy who wrote the jeweler's handbook on gemology, then a tough choice in the middle of a Nationals romp. After that, we take a glance back at the Nats' early days in D.C. for a glimpse of what was to come for the guy who would become Mr. National. So cheer up! In another week or so the days will start...

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Rizzo hoping Taylor's offseason work will pay dividends

December 12, 2018, 3:43pm

Nationals

Rizzo hoping Taylor's offseason work will pay dividends

LAS VEGAS - If there's any player on the Nationals roster who needs to chill out and press the reset button, it's center fielder Michael A. Taylor, whose hopes of following up a breakout 2017 campaign were dashed last season when general ineffectiveness cost him a starting job and made him question how he was going about his daily work. So what's Taylor doing in the Dominican Winter League with Gigantes de Cibao, where he was a late addition to the roster and is hitting .143 (2-for-14) with...

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Nats trade Roark to Reds for hard-throwing reliever

December 12, 2018, 2:41pm

Nationals

Nats trade Roark to Reds for hard-throwing reliever

LAS VEGAS - Asked Tuesday about the possibility of trading Tanner Roark, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo suggested such a move would only happen if the Nationals had already acquired another pitcher to fill that spot in a rotation top-heavy with talent but lacking in quality depth. This afternoon, Rizzo traded Roark to the Reds for a minor league reliever, leaving his rotation - for the moment - short a proven No. 4 starter. "Surprised," Roark said during a hastily arranged conference...

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Rizzo: Nats doing "due diligence" on Japanese lefty Kikuchi

December 12, 2018, 1:11pm

Nationals

Rizzo: Nats doing "due diligence" on Japanese lefty Kikuchi

LAS VEGAS - General manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday that the Nationals are doing their "due diligence" on Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who could be the first player to benefit from new posting rules agreed upon by Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. "We've monitored him, we've scouted him," Rizzo said during his afternoon briefing with reporters during the Winter Meetings at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. "We've done our due diligence on him and he's...