nationals

Nats sign Brignac to minors deal, Espinosa goes to Yankees

January 29, 2018, 5:44pm

The Nationals are bringing in some extra infield insurance, signing veteran Reid Brignac to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp this spring. Brignac's signing, which was confirmed by a club source and first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, gives the Nats another experienced infielder whose services may be required if Daniel Murphy isn't ready to return from his October knee surgery by opening day. The Nationals already have Wilmer Difo available to start at...

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P-Nats confirm Pfitzner lease until 2020, continue new stadium search

January 29, 2018, 7:32am

Nationals

P-Nats confirm Pfitzner lease until 2020, continue new stadium search

The Single-A Potomac Nationals confirmed at their Hot Stove Banquet on Sunday that the club has extended its lease to play at Pfitzner Stadium until the 2020 season. They also have the option to end the lease early if they are able to find the opportunity to move into a new stadium elsewhere. Owner Art Silber, who continues to spearhead the new stadium campaign, could not provide specifics, but confirmed the location would be at least within a "30-mile radius" from their present location in...

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MLB.com singles out Robles, Soto and Kieboom in top 100

January 30, 2018, 4:17am

Nationals

MLB.com singles out Robles, Soto and Kieboom in top 100

MLB.com released its annual top 100 prospects list and the Nationals had three players ranked. Center fielder Victor Robles was listed at No. 6, while outfielder Juan Soto is No. 29 and shortstop Carter Kieboom checks in at No. 90. This list was in contrast to the Baseball America 2018 preliminary release, which had only Robles and Soto in the top 100. MLB.com said the prospects are ranked based on "players' skill sets, the ability to make a long-term impact and potential in the Major...

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Report: Albers heading to Brewers on two-year deal

January 29, 2018, 8:43am

Nationals

Report: Albers heading to Brewers on two-year deal

Matt Albers has reportedly agreed to a two-year contract with the Brewers, parlaying his career season in the Nationals bullpen into a $5 million deal in Milwaukee. Albers' deal, reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, is still pending a physical. Once that final step is completed, the veteran right-hander will become the first prominent free agent who played for the Nationals last season to sign elsewhere for 2018. Though the Nats had some interest in attempting to re-sign Albers, he was...

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Werth to be in gallery at State of the Union address

January 29, 2018, 7:12am

Nationals

Werth to be in gallery at State of the Union address

When the television cameras pan the crowd at tomorrow night's State of the Union address by President Donald J. Trump, don't be surprised if you see a certain bearded former Nationals outfielder who's more than a little legendary in these parts. And the reason for his invitation to sit in the gallery at the once-a-year speech has nothing at all to do with his baseball career. According to Roll Call, Jayson Werth will be at U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night, a guest of Rep. Rodney Davis, an...

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Zimmerman and Doolittle inducted into University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame

January 28, 2018, 4:20pm

Nationals

Zimmerman and Doolittle inducted into University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame

On Saturday night, current Nationals and former Virginia Cavaliers Ryan Zimmerman and Sean Doolittle were inducted into the inaugural class of the University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame. Mike Cubbage, a special assistant to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, was also among the first inductees. Of course, Doolittle can always brag he hit more homers than Zimmerman did while they were at Virginia in 2005. Doolittle, a first baseman in college, hit 11 to Zimmerman's six. Which got me...

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Scherzer receives Cy Young, pair of Nats honored by Cavaliers

January 28, 2018, 7:48pm

Nationals

Scherzer receives Cy Young, pair of Nats honored by Cavaliers

It's been more than two months since he was named the National League's Cy Young Award winner, but on Sunday night, Max Scherzer officially was presented with the award itself. Scherzer was among several players honored at the annual New York Baseball Writers' Dinner, joined by fellow winners of the BBWAA's annual end-of-season awards along with the winners of awards given out specifically to New York players. It was Scherzer's second straight January trip to the Big Apple to receive a Cy...

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Nats may not have to wait as long as Angels for first Hall of Famer

January 26, 2018, 7:18pm

Nationals

Nats may not have to wait as long as Angels for first Hall of Famer

Vladimir Guerrero surprised some people this week when he (with the Hall of Fame's consent) decided his soon-to-be-made plaque for Cooperstown will feature him wearing an Angels cap. Guerrero actually spent more time during his career playing in Montreal (eight seasons) than he did playing in Anaheim (six), with one season apiece spent at the very end with the Rangers and Orioles. But the outfielder noted that he won his lone MVP award and made five of his six career postseason appearances...

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Has rest of NL East gained any ground on Nats this winter?

January 27, 2018, 7:50pm

Nationals

Has rest of NL East gained any ground on Nats this winter?

The Nationals' offseason to date has not included any real additions, only the re-signing of free agents Howie Kendrick, Brandon Kintzler and Edwin Jackson, plus the swapping of Adam Lind for Matt Adams. There's still plenty of time and, more importantly, plenty of available players to make some significant transactions that will dramatically alter things. But for now, the 2018 Nationals look a whole lot like the 2017 Nationals. That's not a bad thing, mind you, considering the 2017...

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Is Realmuto next man up in Marlins fire sale?

January 25, 2018, 7:50pm

Nationals

Is Realmuto next man up in Marlins fire sale?

Giancarlo Stanton was traded to the Yankees in mid-December. Marcell Ozuna went to the Cardinals a few days later. Christian Yelich was dealt to the Brewers last night, as the Marlins completed a stunning dump of their entire starting outfield - a really good one, too - in the span of six weeks. Which leaves one remaining question down in Miami: Is J.T. Realmuto next? Realmuto, the last remaining player of any real consequence on the Marlins roster, had already expressed his desire to get out...

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MASN to broadcast seven Nats spring training games

January 25, 2018, 9:00am

Nationals

MASN to broadcast seven Nats spring training games

Seven of the Nationals' Grapefruit League games this spring will be broadcast on MASN, the network announced today. The slate begins Feb. 25 when the Nationals host the Braves at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, which will be the site of all of the televised games this year. Three of the Nationals' games against the Astros, their fellow ballpark residents - and the defending World Series champs - will be televised: March 6, March 21 and March 23. Two games against the Cardinals (March 11,...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Jackson helps Nats salvage nightcap of doubleheader

January 24, 2018, 7:33am

Nationals

The major league hot stove has been ice cold so far this offseason. There are still plenty of big-name free agents available on the board with spring training less than three weeks away. Although the Nationals never figured to play a huge role in the free agent market this offseason, they have made a couple of re-signings to at least make this winter not completely uneventful. They re-signed Brandon Kintzler to a one-year deal to keep the Law Firm bullpen intact. Matt Adams was signed to a...

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Thursday morning Hall of Fame (and Nats) Q&A

January 24, 2018, 3:20pm

Nationals

Thursday morning Hall of Fame (and Nats) Q&A

The hot stove league paused yesterday - though I suppose you could argue it has been stuck on pause all winter - so the Hall of Fame election announcement could take center stage. And that was a good thing, because there was a whole lot to discuss with this year's vote. It's not simply the four players who were voted in (Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, Trevor Hoffman) but also those who just missed (Edgar Martinez), those who gained significant ground (Mike Mussina) and those who...

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Nationals announce spring training television broadcast schedule

January 25, 2018, 10:11am

Nationals

Single game tickets are on sale now for the second season of Nationals Spring Training at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches! For fans who are not able to make it to West Palm Beach, the Nationals television broadcast partner, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), will broadcast a total of seven Nationals Spring Training matchups in 2018. In addition, the March 21 game against the Houston Astros will be televised nationally on ESPN. The complete MASN spring training schedule for the Nationals...

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Notes on the newest Hall of Fame class and voting

January 25, 2018, 3:30am

Nationals Orioles

Notes on the newest Hall of Fame class and voting

The Baseball Writers' Association of America did a pretty good job with their latest Hall of Fame ballot. They elected Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, Trevor Hoffman and Chipper Jones, and held off Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. They could have done better by electing Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Omar Vizquel - and even long shot Fred McGriff - but maybe those guys will make it on another ballot. Mussina is on the ballot another five years. Before we get too far into the Hall of Fame analysis,...

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My 2018 Hall of Fame ballot

January 24, 2018, 9:41am

Nationals

You can call the system flawed, you can argue whether steroids users should be in or out, you can debate whether it's more important to have been a consistent performer for 15 years or an elite performer for eight years, you can complain about who gets a vote and who doesn't get a vote. Here's what you can't argue, though: The Baseball Hall of Fame matters. It matters to so many people, from the players themselves to those who work in the game to those who are entrusted to submit ballots to...

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Can the Nats improve on a 50 road-win season?

January 23, 2018, 7:12pm

Nationals

Can the Nats improve on a 50 road-win season?

It is pretty amazing to look back at how dominant a team the Nationals were on the road in 2017. They went 50-31 away from home, far and away the best road record in the National League. Only the Indians and Astros had better road records (53-28) in all of baseball. The 50-31 record on the road for the Nats was five games better than their 45-36 road record in 2016. The Nats even won two out of three games in late August at Houston, the eventual World Series champions. In 2012, the Nats went...

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What to watch for on Hall of Fame election night

January 23, 2018, 12:21pm

Nationals

What to watch for on Hall of Fame election night

It's Hall of Fame announcement day, which means two things: Several of the greatest players in baseball history are about to become immortalized forever, and far more attention will be paid to those very good-to-great players who aren't elected this year, for a variety of reasons. Personally, I think it's a real shame that we spend way more time and energy arguing over who didn't get in than celebrating who did get in. But that's the world we live in today. Why celebrate positives when we...

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Nats are one of few MLB clubs actually trying to win in 2018

January 21, 2018, 8:53am

Nationals

Nats are one of few MLB clubs actually trying to win in 2018

Everyone has his or her own theory to explain why this offseason has been so slow across baseball. Is it collusion among the owners? Is it analytical evidence that suggests it's not wise to spend big bucks on free agents? Is it Scott Boras? Here's another theory I've seen floated from several others, and I do believe this one has some merit: There simply aren't that many teams actually trying to win big this season. Think about it. How many clubs right now would you say are guaranteed to be...

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For first time in six years, Nats lacking top 100 pitching prospect

January 22, 2018, 6:27pm

Nationals

For first time in six years, Nats lacking top 100 pitching prospect

Monday's release of Baseball America's top 100 prospects list for 2018 was notable, from the Nationals' perspective, for two reasons: Victor Robles' ascension into one of the sport's best prospects is complete, given his No. 5 overall ranking, and for the first time in a long time, the Nats have no pitching prospects on the list. Nope, no pitchers. Robles and fellow outfielder Juan Soto (ranked 56th) are the only Nationals in this year's top 100 at all. And that's quite unusual for this...