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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": Taylor's inside-the-park grand slam and Wieters' slam

November 14, 2017, 9:12am

We're very thankful for "Nationals Classics" during this time of year. With no baseball being played and the holidays approaching, we've stacked not one, but two "Nationals Classics" from this past year into this week's Throwback Thursday. First up this week is one of the most exciting games we saw in 2017. After falling behind early to the Phillies on Sept. 8, the Nationals put together a furious comeback behind Michael A. Taylor, who had one the best games of his career. The highlight...

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Nationals add two players to 40-man roster

November 20, 2017, 7:50am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals selected the contracts of third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez and right-handed pitcher Jefry Rodriguez on Monday, adding them to the team's 40-man roster. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Gutierrez, 23, is coming off a season in which he was named a Carolina League mid-season All-Star after hitting .288 with 10 doubles, six triples, two homers, 16 RBI, three stolen bases and 34 runs scored for the Single-A...

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No. 8 Nats prospect: Daniel Johnson

November 19, 2017, 8:04am

Nationals

The Nationals have done a very good job in recent years building depth in the outfield. Everyone talks about Victor Robles and Juan Soto, but there is another outfielder who is turning heads in their minor leagues and that is Daniel Johnson. Baseball America has Johnson as the No. 8 overall prospect in the Nats system. No. 8 OF Daniel Johnson Johnson played center field for low Single-A Hagerstown and high Single-A Potomac for a combined 130 games. He stole 22 bases in 2017. Carlos Collazo,...

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Hard-throwing reliever Romero will get another chance in 2018

November 17, 2017, 11:04am

Nationals

Hard-throwing reliever Romero will get another chance in 2018

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Enny Romero, who had an up-and-down first season in Washington ... PLAYER REVIEW: ENNY ROMERO Age on opening day 2018: 27 How acquired: Traded from Rays for Jeffrey Rosa, February 2017 MLB service time: 2 years, 72 days 2017 salary: $551,000 Contract status: Under team control in 2018, arbitration-eligible in 2019, free agent in 2022 2017 stats: 2-4, 3.56 ERA, 53...

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Friday morning Nats Q&A

November 16, 2017, 7:51pm

Nationals

It's been quite a long time since we did one of these things. And quite a bit has happened to the Nationals since then. Dusty Baker was let go. Dave Martinez was hired. Daniel Murphy had knee surgery. Max Scherzer won another Cy Young Award. Plus a lot of other stuff. So let's take a step today and give all of you an opportunity to ask what's on your mind. Leave your questions in the comments section below, then check back throughout the morning as I do my best to answer as many as I can ...

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Rendon ranks sixth in MVP voting, with four other Nats on ballot

November 16, 2017, 1:38pm

Nationals

Rendon ranks sixth in MVP voting, with four other Nats on ballot

Though none of them produced the kind of season worthy of an MVP award, five Nationals did earn recognition as also-rans in the annual voting for the National League's best player. Anthony Rendon finished sixth in MVP voting, with Max Scherzer finishing 10th, Bryce Harper (who may have been headed for the second MVP of his career before suffering his major knee injury in mid-August) finishing 12th, Daniel Murphy finishing 19th and Ryan Zimmerman finishing in a three-way tie for 20th. Results...

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No. 9 Nats prospect: Raudy Read

November 17, 2017, 3:20am

Nationals

Next on the list is a player who reached the major league level with the Nationals in 2017 and played in eight games in September. Catcher Raudy Read recorded 11 at-bats and notched three singles for a .273 average in his limited time up with the big boys. With the uncertainty at backup catcher in 2018, Read could get a long look at that spot in spring training. No. 9: C Raudy Read Read comes in at No. 9 on Baseball America's top 10 list of Nats prospects. National writer Carlos Collazo said...

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Even with Cy Young showing, 2017 was a grind for Scherzer

November 15, 2017, 7:45pm

Nationals

Even with Cy Young showing, 2017 was a grind for Scherzer

It's easily forgotten now, because so much has transpired since, but Max Scherzer had a serious problem in spring training. He couldn't throw a fastball with his normal grip, the pressure of the side of the ball on the previously fractured knuckle on his right ring finger too painful. Things got so bad that Scherzer, who had to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic due to the injury, wound up changing his grip altogether. Instead of throwing fastballs with the traditional two fingers...

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How close is Max Scherzer to punching his ticket to Cooperstown?

November 16, 2017, 8:48am

Nationals

How close is Max Scherzer to punching his ticket to Cooperstown?

With consecutive National League Cy Young Awards, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is one of 10 to have at least three Cy Young Awards. He won the 2013 AL Cy Young with Detroit, so he's one of six pitchers to have won the award three times. So how close is Scherzer to punching his ticket to Cooperstown? The answer: close, very close. A pitcher generally has to dominate his era for six to 10 years. No question, Scherzer and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw, who finished second in the...

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Max Scherzer wins third career Cy Young Award (updated)

November 15, 2017, 1:52pm

Nationals

Max Scherzer wins third career Cy Young Award (updated)

Max Scherzer just joined an awfully exclusive club featuring some of the greatest pitchers in baseball history: three-time Cy Young Award winner. And he's not exactly sure how to process it all just yet. "That's why I'm drinking a lot of champagne tonight," the right-hander said with a laugh, some 90 minutes after learning of his victory. "Look, anytime you win a Cy Young Award, it's a special feeling, a special moment. ... But this one is special." It's special in part because...

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Max Scherzer wins National League Cy Young Award

November 15, 2017, 2:08pm

Nationals

Max Scherzer wins National League Cy Young Award

Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer was named the 2017 National League Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday night, in an announcement made by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on MLB Network. Scherzer has now taken home the game's top pitching honor in back-to-back seasons and for the third time in his career. Scherzer is now one of just 10 pitchers in Major League history to take home the award three or more times, having claimed the 2013 American...

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Nats' new staff complete with hiring of Blanco as bullpen coach

November 15, 2017, 5:18am

Nationals

Nats' new staff complete with hiring of Blanco as bullpen coach

The Nationals announced the hiring of Henry Blanco as bullpen coach this morning, officially filling the final position on new manager Dave Martinez's staff. Blanco is no stranger to Martinez, having served as the Cubs quality assurance coach the last three seasons while the latter was bench coach. He previously was an assistant coach and bullpen catcher for the Diamondbacks. The 46-year-old former catcher has crossed paths with almost everyone in baseball over nearly three decades in the...

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No. 10 Nats prospect: Yasel Antuna

November 14, 2017, 6:48pm

Nationals

It is time to begin our countdown of the top 10 Nationals prospects according to Baseball America. We bring in national writer Carlos Collazo to break down each prospect, beginning with No. 10. No. 10: SS Yasel Antuna Collazo likes what Antuna brings to the table. At 6-foot, 170 lbs., Antuna has the body to be able to generate power on offense. For the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nats in 2017, Antuna hit .301 in 48 games with eight doubles, three triples, one homer and 17 RBIs. "Yasel...

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What a Cy Young Award would mean for Scherzer or Strasburg

November 14, 2017, 10:44am

Nationals

What a Cy Young Award would mean for Scherzer or Strasburg

The results of this year's National League Cy Young Award vote, which will be announced at approximately 6:45 p.m. Eastern time, won't change Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg's career stats. No matter what happens tonight, Scherzer still owns a 141-75 record, 3.30 ERA and 2,149 strikeouts during an awfully impressive career. And regardless of tonight's winner, Strasburg remains 84-45 with a 3.07 ERA and 1,288 strikeouts during his notable career. And yet the result of this Cy Young vote...

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Nationals add Henry Blanco to coaching staff

November 15, 2017, 5:41am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals finalized manager Dave Martinez's coaching staff on Wednesday, adding Henry Blanco as the bullpen coach. Blanco joins bench coach Chip Hale, pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, hitting coach Kevin Long, first base coach Tim Bogar, third base coach Bobby Henley, and assistant hitting coach Joe Dillon. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Blanco, 46, joins the Nationals staff after serving as the Chicago Cubs'...

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Where the Nationals payroll stands heading into the winter

November 13, 2017, 7:03pm

Nationals

The annual GM meetings are taking place this week in Orlando. It's the kind of event where a lot of stuff is discussed but very little is actually done. Most clubs and most players prefer to wait until the Winter Meetings in December to start getting serious about contract negotiations or blockbuster trades. But this is the unofficial beginning of the Hot Stove League, with general managers and agents beginning the conversations that may ultimately lead to actual transactions down the...

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Vote for MASN's Nats Winterfest T-shirt giveaway design!

November 14, 2017, 4:50am

Nationals

Oh, there's no place like Winterfest for the holidays! As the weather gets colder, we're already thinking about gathering around the MASN booth at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. We'll have tons of presents for you, including photo sessions with some of your favorite players and broadcasters, multiple chances to win autographed prizes and a new, exclusive prize you can take home! Just in time for the holidays, we're giving away ugly sweater-themed long-sleeve...

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Erratic this season, SolÃs is hardly a sure thing for Nats

November 11, 2017, 7:17pm

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Erratic this season, SolÃs is hardly a sure thing for Nats

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Sammy SolÃs, who labored through an erratic season. PLAYER REVIEW: SAMMY SOLIS Age on opening day 2018: 29 How acquired: Second round pick, 2010 draft MLB service time: 2 years, 84 days 2017 salary: $545,700 Contract status: Under team control in 2018, arbitration-eligible in 2019, free agent in 2022 2017 stats: 1-0, 5.88 ERA, 30 G, 1 SV, 26 IP, 22 H, 17 R, 17...

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Previewing BBWAA awards week

November 12, 2017, 7:00pm

Nationals

It's awards week in baseball, with the big four - MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year - set to be handed out over the next four nights by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Despite their success and deep roster of players who enjoyed impressive seasons, the Nationals have an opportunity to emerge with only one of these four awards. Both Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are finalists for the National League Cy Young Award (along with Clayton Kershaw). Anthony...

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Gutierrez and McGowin leading Mesa toward AFL title game

November 13, 2017, 3:14am

Nationals

Gutierrez and McGowin leading Mesa toward AFL title game

Despite playing only 10 games, third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez is leading his Arizona Fall League team in batting with a .414 average. His club, the Mesa Solar Sox, are 15-10-1 and have a 2 1/2-game lead atop the East Division with only a handful of games remaining. Gutierrez has 12 hits, a triple, a homer, six runs and eight RBIs. All 12 of those hits have come in his last eight games, where he has gone 12-for-25 (.480). He missed several games in the middle of the AFL season after getting his...