nationals

Rizzo willing to consider another closer, confirms Harper talks

December 13, 2017, 12:06pm

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Nearly three days into the Winter Meetings, the Nationals have yet to make any transactions. Then again, most teams that aren't the Marlins fall into that same category. What the Nats have done at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort to this point is meet with a lot of rival clubs and agents representing a host of players, with a particular emphasis on relief pitchers. They may not have actually acquired one yet, but the Nats believe they've positioned...

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Source: Kintzler returning to Nats on two-year deal

December 13, 2017, 9:09pm

Nationals

Source: Kintzler returning to Nats on two-year deal

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals front office was working late Wednesday night at the Winter Meetings. And because of it, the club's "Law Firm" bullpen will be reunited for the 2018 season. The Nats and Brandon Kintzler agreed to a two-year contract in the wee hours, a source confirmed, ensuring the veteran right-hander will return and again team up with Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to recreate the formidable late-inning trio that was so successful during the final two months of this...

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Previewing the Rule 5 draft

December 13, 2017, 1:56pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Thursday morning's Rule 5 draft is the last order of business at the Winter Meetings, and while the Nationals probably won't add anyone to their 40-man roster, it's possible they could lose one or more prospects. Teams with openings on their 40-man rosters are allowed to select players who were first signed at 18 and not added to a club's 40-man roster within five seasons or players signed at 19 who have not been added to the 40-man roster after four seasons....

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Nats take Wilson, Fleck in Triple-A phase of Rule 5 draft

December 14, 2017, 5:32am

Nationals

Nats take Wilson, Fleck in Triple-A phase of Rule 5 draft

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals neither made a selection nor lost any players the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft today at the Winter Meetings. But they improved their organizational depth with a pair of picks in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5. In the first round of the minor league phase, the Nationals selected second baseman Jacob Wilson off the Cardinals' Double-A Springfield roster. A round later, the Nats grabbed right-hander Kaleb Fleck off the Double-A Mobile roster of...

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Taking stock of what happened at the Winter Meetings

December 14, 2017, 6:23am

Nationals Orioles

Taking stock of what happened at the Winter Meetings

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Angels, Cardinals, Yankees and Cubs were the most aggressive teams at baseball's Winter Meetings. We can assume Giancarlo Stanton's arrival in New York means the Yankees will be out of the running for Bryce Harper when he becomes eligible for free agency after the 2018 season. The Nationals re-signed reliever Brandon Kintzler, so if the Koda Glover and Shawn Kelley are healthy, the bullpen will be set. The Nationals have to put together their bench and look for...

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Rizzo says top prospect Robles won't be a spare outfielder for Nationals

December 13, 2017, 12:10pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Wherever he starts the 2018 season, top Nationals prospect Victor Robles is going to be patrolling the outfield every day. There's no role for him as a part-time outfielder with the Nats, general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday at the Winter Meetings. "He won't be an extra outfielder on the big league club," Rizzo said during his daily briefing with the media. "He's going to play every day somewhere. If it's not set up for him to play every day in the big...

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No. 2 Nats prospect: Juan Soto

December 08, 2017, 8:53am

Nationals

Two outstanding outfielders round out the list of top 10 Nationals prospects for 2018, according to Baseball America: Juan Soto and Victor Robles. This entry is devoted to Soto and his immense potential for this upcoming season. Baseball America national writer Carlos Collazo said injuries slowed Soto's maturation process in 2017, but that only means that 2018 could be crazy good for the outfielder - if he can stay healthy. And more importantly, Soto, 19, is a different type of baseball player...

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Boras had "preliminary" Harper talks with Nats last month

December 13, 2017, 6:59am

Nationals

Boras had "preliminary" Harper talks with Nats last month

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Scott Boras met with Nationals ownership last month to discuss a contract extension with Bryce Harper, a meeting that obviously didn't result in the consummation of any deal to keep the star outfielder in Washington long term, but at least showed a willingness on his part to engage in talks before he becomes a free agent next winter. "We had a meeting with Washington ownership about a month ago, just for some preliminary discussions," Boras said this morning in his...

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Pursuit of Davis would leave Nats facing familiar closer issue

December 12, 2017, 8:08pm

Nationals

Pursuit of Davis would leave Nats facing familiar closer issue

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - That the Nationals reportedly are interested in Wade Davis is not surprising. They made a run at the reliever at last year's Winter Meetings, only to watch as he eventually was traded by the Royals to the Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler. There is one major difference for the Nats between last winter's pursuit of Davis and this winter's potential pursuit of Davis: They didn't have a closer one year ago; they do now. The July acquisition of Sean Doolittle addressed...

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Maddon on protÃ©gÃ© Martinez: "Davey is going to do a great job"

December 12, 2017, 12:33pm

Nationals

Maddon on protÃ©gÃ© Martinez: "Davey is going to do a great job"

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - No matter how prepared he thinks he is, new Nationals manager Dave Martinez cannot escape one indisputable fact that will dog him until March 29: He's never managed in the major leagues. Baseball history is rife with learned men who have been unsuccessful in their first go-around at the helm of a big league club. Joe Torre finished in last place his first three seasons as Mets skipper and was fired from three jobs before he latched on with the Yankees, where he won...

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Rizzo on Harper, Arrieta and more at the Winter Meetings

December 12, 2017, 12:11pm

Nationals

Rizzo on Harper, Arrieta and more at the Winter Meetings

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The 2018 Winter Meetings are, in all likelihood, going to be the Bryce Harper Winter Meetings. With baseball's annual event just happening to be held in Las Vegas at the same time the town's most famous native professional athlete just happens to be a free agent, a circus atmosphere is pretty much expected by everyone. Unless, of course, the Nationals somehow find a way to re-sign the star right fielder to a long-term extension before then. What are the odds of that...

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Fleshing out Nats' possible interest in Marlins outfielders

December 12, 2017, 6:16am

Nationals

Fleshing out Nats' possible interest in Marlins outfielders

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Rumors are as much a part of the Winter Meetings as suite visits, shopping lists and late-night quaffing of beers. Most rumors don't pan out, and those that have legs often tire out long before they reach the finish line. But you listen to them, consider them, and then decide which of them have a shred of validity and which don't. It's kind of like tossing strands of boiled spaghetti at the wall to determine if the pasta is done. Only the strings ready to be eaten...

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Arrieta not on Nationals' radar despite Boras' push

December 12, 2017, 7:44am

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Start with a big-name free agent. Make sure he's represented by Scott Boras. Then connect them to the Nationals, specifically managing principal owner Ted Lerner. Congratulations, you've just created the perfect Winter Meetings rumor. It's happened before, it'll happen again and it did happen today when ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted that Boras "is trying to engage the Nationals on Jake Arrieta." Crasnick went on to point out the obvious - the Nats already have...

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Nats think reduced workload will be beneficial for Wieters

December 11, 2017, 2:07pm

Nationals

Nats think reduced workload will be beneficial for Wieters

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Catcher Matt Wieters will be back behind the plate for the Nationals next season, having exercised his $10.5 million player option. But the guaranteed contract doesn't mean he'll carry the same workload. The numbers the veteran backstop amassed during his first season in D.C. were abysmal. He caught in 118 games as the Nats grew increasingly dissatisfied with backup Jose Lobaton's lack of offense and unusually poor defense, and had little positive to show for it....

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Can Nats convince top reliever to sign up for seventh-inning role?

December 11, 2017, 1:33pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals are in the market for at least one experienced reliever, preferably right-handed. Whether they're willing to jump right now into a market that has quickly become the most active of any position at the Winter Meetings remains to be seen. Another veteran right-handed setup man came off the board Monday when Pat Neshek returned to the Phillies for a two-year deal worth a reported $16.25 million. That came on the heels of a pair of signings Sunday: Brandon...

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Mike Rizzo on restocking the Nationals bench

December 11, 2017, 12:31pm

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - When the hits kept coming last year - when the Nationals lost key players to injury seemingly on a regular basis - the bench stepped up and made absences much easier to tolerate. Shortstop Trea Turner missed 51 games with a broken right wrist and an abdominal injury shelved backup Stephen Drew, opening the door for Wilmer Difo to prove he could play regularly. Center fielder Adam Eaton was limited to 23 games before sustaining a torn ACL in his left knee, giving Michael...

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Rizzo suggests Nationals not looking for fifth starter

December 11, 2017, 11:59am

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It's the Winter Meetings, and it's Mike Rizzo talking, so take this all with a large grain of salt. But a few hours after arriving at the Swan and Dolphin Resort for this week's annual baseball industry gathering, the Nationals general manager suggested he's not in the market for another experienced major league starting pitcher, instead talking up the two inexperienced in-house candidates he already has in Erick Fedde and A.J. Cole. "We have great confidence in...

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Martinez plans to bat Eaton leadoff, says Murphy "on schedule"

December 11, 2017, 7:48am

Nationals

Martinez plans to bat Eaton leadoff, says Murphy "on schedule"

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - There is much Dave Martinez still needs to learn about his Nationals roster, and much of that won't happen until he gets a chance to see them on practice fields under the spring Florida sun, but the rookie manager was willing to admit he's already made one key lineup decision: Adam Eaton will bat leadoff in 2018. In his first media session since he was introduced as the Nationals' new manager last month, Martinez held court with reporters at the Winter Meetings for...

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Martinez on Harper's future: "Can I lobby right now?"

December 11, 2017, 8:28am

Nationals

Martinez on Harper's future: "Can I lobby right now?"

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Dave Martinez has been the Nationals manager for about six weeks, but the mere mention of superstar right fielder Bryce Harper elicits the same reactions as a kid rushing down the steps on Christmas morning and finding just the present he wanted neatly wrapped in colorful paper under the tree. Saucer-sized eyes, unbridled excitement, a guy who can't wait to try out his new toy. Santa delivered and he couldn't be happier. In his meeting with the media at the Winter...

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Market for relievers already being set as Winter Meetings open

December 10, 2017, 2:36pm

Nationals

Market for relievers already being set as Winter Meetings open

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Winter Meetings officially get underway this morning, but a few teams already were acting yesterday like the event had kicked into full gear. And the Nationals likely were paying close attention to what happened. With the Cubs reportedly signing Brandon Morrow and the Cardinals reportedly signing Luke Gregerson, the relief market is now starting to take shape. And so the Nats are getting a good idea what it will cost if they want (as they intend) to bolster their...