nationals

Why a pitch clock probably would make a difference

January 20, 2018, 7:03pm

There's been a lot of talk in recent days about the threat of Major League Baseball implementing a 20-second pitch clock this season without the approval of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the two sides having gotten nowhere during joint discussions about ways to improve the sport's pace of play. Whether the pitch clock happens this year or not, it is going to happen at some point. It's already been in use in the minor leagues and has mostly received positive reviews. And...

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Robles No. 5, Soto No. 56 on Baseball America top 100 (plus note on Garcia)

January 22, 2018, 4:27am

Nationals

Robles No. 5, Soto No. 56 on Baseball America top 100 (plus note on Garcia)

Here are some final insights from Double-A Harrisburg pitching coach Michael Tejera about three top Nationals prospects he has coached or seen play over the last few seasons. Center fielder Victor Robles is such an elite prospect he earned a spot on the Nationals' postseason roster. He also was named the MVP at the Fall Stars Game in the Arizona Fall League. Robles is mentioned in every trade discussion with the Nats. The club doesn't want to give him up in a trade because of his tremendous...

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Knorr returns to the dugout after a two-year break

January 19, 2018, 7:09pm

Nationals

Knorr returns to the dugout after a two-year break

A change of managers at the Triple-A level may not sound like a big deal. And from a pure baseball standpoint, it's probably not. Still, the news that Randy Knorr will be managing the Nationals' top minor league affiliate - news that had been reported 2 1/2 months ago but was officially announced by the club on Friday - is significant for many people within the organization. An organization that doesn't have very many remaining links to its pre-Washington days has an especially popular one...

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Nats fans' guide to spring training: The town

January 18, 2018, 7:01pm

Nationals

Nats fans' guide to spring training: The town

The primary purpose of any trip to spring training is to, you know, watch baseball players doing baseball things on baseball fields, all while soaking up the warm South Florida sun while all your friends back north are wearing parkas and shoveling snow. But there is more to a spring training trip than baseball. After all, you do have to eat. And baseball only takes up a portion of your day. So today we offer Part 2 of our Nats Fans' Guide to Spring Training, focusing on everything outside The...

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Nats announce minor league staff, Knorr to manage Syracuse

January 19, 2018, 11:50am

Nationals

Nats announce minor league staff, Knorr to manage Syracuse

The Nationals have announced their minor league staff for 2018, highlighted by the return of Randy Knorr to the dugout as manager of the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, a post he last held in 2011. The past two seasons Knorr was the senior advisor to Mike Rizzo. Matt LeCroy remains as Double-A Harrisburg manager and Tripp Keister continues as skipper for high Single-A Potomac. Patrick Anderson holds down the fort again as manager of the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns. Former Syracuse manager Billy...

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Nationals announce 2018 minor league staff

January 19, 2018, 12:21pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals announced their Minor League managers, coaches and coordinators for the 2018 season on Friday. Nationals Vice President and Senior Advisor to the General Manager Bob Boone, Assistant General Manager and Vice President, Player Personnel Doug Harris and Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba made the joint announcement. * Randy Knorr returns to the dugout after spending the previous two seasons (2016-17) as a Senior Advisor to President of Baseball Operations and...

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Nats fans' guide to spring training: The complex

January 17, 2018, 7:19pm

Nationals

Nats fans' guide to spring training: The complex

It may be tough to envision right now, what with white stuff coating the ground and wind chills still in the teens this morning, but spring training is fast approaching. In fact, it's only four weeks away. Yes, in a mere 29 days there will be actual Nationals pitchers and actual Nationals catchers wearing actual practice uniforms and participating in actual drills in West Palm Beach, Fla., the first official workout of 2018. I'll be there, obviously. But I know some of you plan to be there as...

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Mark Zuckerman named D.C. Sportswriter of the Year

January 17, 2018, 6:12am

Nationals

Mark Zuckerman named D.C. Sportswriter of the Year

MASNsports.com Nationals beat writer Mark Zuckerman has been named as the Sportswriter of the Year for Washington, D.C., by the National Sports Media Association. Zuckerman, who joined MASNsports.com in 2016, will be honored at the 59th annual NSMA Awards Weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., from June 23-25. He's a first-time winner of the award, which is voted on by other D.C.-based sportswriters. "This is definitely unexpected," Zuckerman said. "There are tons of really talented sportswriters...

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If there's a trade to be made, Nats have outfielders to spare

January 16, 2018, 7:06pm

Nationals

If there's a trade to be made, Nats have outfielders to spare

Though he has spent the majority of his career at second base, Howie Kendrick really has morphed into an outfielder over the last two seasons. Kendrick started 79 games in left field for the Dodgers in 2016, more than three times as many as he started at second base. And last season with the Phillies and Nationals, he started 57 games in the outfield, only 16 in the infield. We'll see where Kendrick winds up spending most of his time with the Nationals this year - there could be a need at...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Gonzalez shuts down Brew Crew at home

January 17, 2018, 8:38am

Nationals

What more can be said about the season Gio Gonzalez had in 2017? The Nationals left-hander posted one of the best seasons of his career and one of the most consistent in all of baseball last year. He finished the year 15-9 with a 2.96 ERA (the second-best of his career) and continued to prove his durability by amassing 201 innings in 32 starts. The thing about Gonzalez last year is that while he was not as flashy as Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg, he got the job done on a nightly basis....

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Nationals agree to terms with infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick

January 18, 2018, 12:10pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a two-year contract with infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick on Thursday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Kendrick, 34, returns to Washington after hitting .293 with eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 25 RBI, 11 walks and 24 runs scored in 52 games for the Nationals. He was acquired from Philadelphia on July 28, just days before the 2017 non-waiver trade deadline. He hit .315...

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Nats prospects spotlight: Gutierrez and Johnson

January 18, 2018, 2:45am

Nationals

Nats prospects spotlight: Gutierrez and Johnson

Continuing insight from Arizona Fall League play and the impact that experience will have on some of the top prospects in the Nationals organization, we turn to a couple of the position players, third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez and center fielder Daniel Johnson. Mesa Solar Sox pitching coach Michael Tejera said Gutierrez bounced back from getting his hand spiked early on in AFL play to finish strong. "Kelvin had his routine and he was working very hard on it," Tejera said. "His hand got...

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Source: Kendrick returning to Nats on two-year deal

January 15, 2018, 6:45am

Nationals

Source: Kendrick returning to Nats on two-year deal

Turns out the Nationals' midseason acquisitions last summer weren't rental players after all. One month ago, they were able to re-sign reliever Brandon Kintzler. And now they're bringing back veteran utilityman Howie Kendrick. Kendrick and the Nationals have agreed to a two-year, $7 million contract, a source familiar with the deal confirmed, ensuring the club has a valuable bench piece - not to mention a backup plan at both second base and in the outfield - returning for 2018 and 2019....

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With Kendrick back in fold, Nationals bench looks complete

January 15, 2018, 6:02pm

Nationals

For all the star power and success within their everyday lineup and starting rotation, the Nationals know they would not have won 97 games and run away with a division title last season if not for the performance of their bench. When injuries knocked Bryce Harper, Adam Eaton, Jayson Werth, Trea Turner and Michael A. Taylor out for a minimum of five weeks apiece, how did the Nationals manage not only to stay afloat but continue to thrive? Thanks to the fill-in work of Adam Lind, Howie Kendrick,...

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Kendrick's return signals D.C. as the place to play in 2018

January 15, 2018, 4:11pm

Nationals

Kendrick's return signals D.C. as the place to play in 2018

Mid-season free agent pickups usually build their brand with a good team, then turn that into a huge payoff with another team the next year. It has happened to the Nationals over the years. It happens to almost every team that surges for a playoff spot in hopes that late free agent acquisition will make the difference between almost reaching the playoffs to definitely playing October baseball. But this offseason has been different for the Nats. Reliever Brandon Kintzler and infielder/outfielder...

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What would the Nats have needed to offer for Gerrit Cole?

January 14, 2018, 5:57pm

Nationals

What would the Nats have needed to offer for Gerrit Cole?

The Astros pulled off one of the biggest trades of the winter this weekend, finally snagging Gerrit Cole from the Pirates in exchange for four young players. The initial reaction from most: Houston didn't give up a whole lot. Joe Musgrove, Colin Moran and Michael Feliz have all spent time in the big leagues in the last two seasons, but none is considered a top-tier prospect. And the fourth player, Jason Martin, is a Double-A outfielder who was left unprotected from the Rule 5 draft and wasn't...

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Turner, Rendon rate high on MLB Network "Top 10 Right Now!"

January 13, 2018, 7:11pm

Nationals

Turner, Rendon rate high on MLB Network "Top 10 Right Now!"

MLB Network trotted out the first two episodes of its annual "Top 10 Right Now!" series last night, revealing its picks for the best shortstops and third basemen in baseball entering the 2018 season. And it shouldn't surprise you that the Nationals starter at each position wound up high on each list. Trea Turner rated as the fourth-best shortstop in the game, according to the all-encompassing computer formula known as "The Shredder" used for these shows. Only the Astros' Carlos Correra,...

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Why it won't cost Nats that much if they have to pay luxury tax

January 12, 2018, 7:33pm

Nationals

Why it won't cost Nats that much if they have to pay luxury tax

In striking one-year deals with all three of their arbitration-eligible players yesterday, the Nationals also got some more clarity on their total team payroll - and its luxury tax implications - heading into the 2018 season. Obviously these numbers could still change depending on other moves the Nats make along the way, from potential free agent signings to potential trades both before and during the season. But what does appear pretty clear at this point is that this is going to be the...

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Nats avoid arbitration with Rendon, Roark and Taylor (updated)

January 12, 2018, 9:39am

Nationals

Nats avoid arbitration with Rendon, Roark and Taylor (updated)

The announcement was delayed a bit, but the Nationals did agree to terms with all three of their arbitration-eligible players before today's 1 p.m. deadline, avoiding hearings with Anthony Rendon, Tanner Roark and Michael A. Taylor. All three players agreed to one-year contracts, the club announced more than an hour after Major League Baseball's deadline passed. Given the overload of similar deals being struck around the sport at the same time, it's not uncommon for the formal announcement...

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Nats bringing back Edwin Jackson on minor league deal

January 11, 2018, 12:02pm

Nationals

Nats bringing back Edwin Jackson on minor league deal

The Nationals are bringing back Edwin Jackson on a minor league contract, with a chance to compete for the final spot in their rotation this spring. Jackson and the Nats have agreed to terms on a deal that would pay the veteran right-hander $1.5 million if he makes the major league roster, with another $1.4 million possible in incentives, a source familiar with the contract confirmed. Though he'll get a chance to make the opening day rotation this spring, Jackson isn't guaranteed any money or...