Join "MASN All Access" live on Facebook from Winter Meetings

Join "MASN All Access" live on Facebook from Winter Meetings
It's the most wonderful time of the baseball offseason! Before Nationals fans gather for Winterfest next weekend, all eyes will be set on baseball's Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. From Sunday, Dec. 10 through Thursday, Dec. 14, fans will be on the edge of their seats to see which teams will make the big moves of the offseason, and MASN is excited to announce that we will be bringing you all the coverage you need throughout the...

"MASN All Access" to stream daily live show throughout Winter Meetings

"MASN All Access" to stream daily live show throughout Winter Meetings
It's the biggest event of the baseball offseason and it's finally here. Baseball's Winter Meetings will take place at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando starting Sunday, Dec. 10 and continuing through Thursday, Dec. 14, and we're excited to announce MASN will be bringing you wall-to-wall coverage throughout the week! On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the week, be sure to LIKE and tune in to the "MASN All Access" Facebook page, as we'll be streaming a show...

Pitching won't come cheap for Nationals this winter

Pitching won't come cheap for Nationals this winter
The Nationals know they need to acquire multiple pitchers this winter in hope of filling several holes vacated by departing free agents. They may have found out Wednesday just how much it's going to cost them to do it. Though the Rangers' signing of Mike Minor didn't draw major headlines, it was noted in baseball circles for one important reason: The left-hander may have just set the market for every other free agent pitcher this offseason. Consider that Minor got a three-year, $28 million...

Zimmerman, Cubbage, Doolittle selected to inaugural class for Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame

Zimmerman, Cubbage, Doolittle selected to inaugural class for Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame
The University of Virginia today announced the inaugural class of the Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame, and one of the names revealed is no surprise to Nationals fans. Ryan Zimmerman was one of the first three enshrinees announced, with the Cavaliers having some of their current players deliver the identity of the players, three at a time, on Twitter this morning and afternoon. Zimmerman played at Virginia from 2003 to 2005, and was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection as a...

Wednesday morning Nats Q&A

Wednesday morning Nats Q&A
One week from now, we'll be neck-deep in the Winter Meetings, with (hopefully) plenty of newsy developments to discuss. For now, though, it's been a really quiet offseason for the Nationals, the notable exception being that minor change to the manager's office and coaching staff, of course. But there's plenty on the Nats' table as they prepare to head down to Walt Disney World for four days of wheeling and dealing, so let's try to anticipate some of what might happen while there. As...

No. 3 Nats prospect: Erick Fedde

No. 3 Nats prospect: Erick Fedde
The next hurler on the list of top 10 Nationals prospects from Baseball America got a chance to pitch in the big leagues last season, and although it probably didn't go as well as he had hoped, the experience will be invaluable for him down the road. No. 3 RHP Erick Fedde "I think that's a great point," said Baseball America national writer Carlos Collazo. "I also think you can look at this season as one for Erick Fedde where you don't need to look too much into the numbers. They put him...

Organizational depth chart reveals Nats' positions of need

Organizational depth chart reveals Nats' positions of need
The Winter Meetings begin one week from today in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., so the Nationals - along with the rest of the baseball world - should be just about ready to start getting serious about making actual transactions that will alter their roster in 2018 and beyond. We already have a hunch what's on Mike Rizzo's shopping list - No. 5 starter, right-handed relievers, bench players - but it's also helpful to view this in the context of what the Nationals already have in-house. Not only at...

Could the Nats re-sign any of their free agents?

Could the Nats re-sign any of their free agents?
If you scrolled through yesterday's organizational depth chart blog post, you may have noticed that the Nationals lost a significant amount of depth in a few areas when the season ended and several prominent players became free agents. All of a sudden, that remade bullpen is looking mighty thin. As is the Nats bench, which was such a strength by season's end. It doesn't have to remain that way, of course. The Nationals can (and likely will) fill those holes this winter with new signings or...

No. 4 Nats prospect: Carter Kieboom

No. 4 Nats prospect: Carter Kieboom
The Nationals drafted catcher Spencer Kieboom in 2012. He played for Triple-A Syracuse for 47 games last season and hit .275. He made it to the big leagues in 2016. Four years later, they drafted his brother, shortstop Carter Kieboom, in the first round. Carter Kieboom, 20, has been elevated to the top 10 Nationals prospects list, according to Baseball America. He was able to play 48 games for low Single-A Hagerstown in 2017. A hamstring problem and another unspecified injury kept him out of...

No experience? For today's managers, no problem

No experience? For today's managers, no problem
The Nationals took some grief earlier this fall for firing an experienced manager like Dusty Baker and handing over a 97-win team challenged to win a World Series right now to a first-time skipper like Dave Martinez. Who knew they'd actually end up hiring one of the most experienced guys of the six who filled major league managerial openings this fall? The Yankees' surprise hire of Aaron Boone over the weekend was the final piece to the puzzle, yet another inexperienced managerial hire for a...

Why the Nationals should be interested where Stanton ends up

Why the Nationals should be interested where Stanton ends up
The hot stove has barely produced a flicker so far, and that's in no small part due to the long, slow dance that eventually will result in transactions involving two big-name guys: Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani. Both are kind of holding up the market right now, but there are signs both are moving toward making decisions about where they want to play in 2018. Ohtani, who officially was posted by the Nippon-Ham Fighters on Friday, will sign with a major league organization by December 22....

Nats tender contracts to Rendon, Roark, Taylor

Nats tender contracts to Rendon, Roark, Taylor
The Nationals tendered contracts to Anthony Rendon, Tanner Roark, and Michael A. Taylor today, procedural moves that needed to be completed before an 8 p.m. deadline that presented many other clubs with far more pressing decisions. In previous years, the Nats have faced some tough choices at this deadline, opting to non-tender players like Ben Revere, Craig Stammen, John Lannan and Jesus Flores whose performance didn't match the salaries they would have been guaranteed to make via the...

Tracking down some former Nationals pitchers

Tracking down some former Nationals pitchers
Who knew a trip down memory lane would be so popular? The response to Thursday's article tracking down five former Nationals position players were overwhelmingly positive. Glad you all enjoyed it. I had already planned to publish today's article about former Nats pitchers, so hopefully you'll enjoy these as well. Maybe I'll have to make this into something of a regular feature, though, maybe a more in-depth look at one ex-National at a time, because there were plenty I didn't get to...

Tracking down some former Nationals position players

Tracking down some former Nationals position players
If you've been thinking this offseason has been awfully quiet so far, you're not alone. The World Series ended four weeks ago, with free agency officially beginning five days later, and there has been next-to-no significant news across the baseball world. Eventually, that will change, most likely in the days leading up to the Winter Meetings (which begin Dec. 11 in Orlando). Until then, we'll keep trying to fill the void around here with content on a variety of topics. Like this one. The...

No. 5 Nats prospect: Seth Romero

No. 5 Nats prospect: Seth Romero
Seth Romero's tenure as a pitcher at the University of Houston did not end the way he would have liked, but he has the confidence of the Nationals and is looking to prove he was worthy of a high draft pick. Baseball America agrees that Romero is a talent and he already ranks No. 5 on their top 10 Nats prospect list. But national writer Carlos Collazo contends Romero will need to mature baseball-wise and as a man in his first few years as a professional to turn into the pitcher he is capable of...

Despite concern after ACL tear, Eaton should be upgrade for Nats

Despite concern after ACL tear, Eaton should be upgrade for Nats
We've spent a decent portion of the offseason to date talking about members of the 2017 Nationals who won't be part of the 2018 Nationals, but we'd be remiss if we didn't take some time to talk about a guy who barely played in 2017 who is positioned to play a whole lot in 2018: Adam Eaton. The club's biggest acquisition last winter, Eaton was going to be in the crosshairs throughout the season, with fans, media members and even those on the roster curious to know whether the scrappy...

Postseason player shares revealed

Postseason player shares revealed
They may have failed to advance beyond the first playoff round once again, but the Nationals still managed to earn some extra cash for their brief October run. The team was awarded $2,746,264.04 to be split among its players and other selected personnel, according to figures released Monday by Major League Baseball. That total, which also was awarded to the three other clubs that were eliminated in Division Series play, resulted in individual shares of $36,864.74. The Nationals issued 61 full...

MASN bringing holiday spirit to Nats Winterfest

MASN bringing holiday spirit to Nats Winterfest
It's that time of year again. A chill is in the air, everything is decorated in lights and garland, and Nationals fans are gearing up for their favorite event of the offseason! That's right, Nats Winterfest is back and approaching fast, meaning in just a few short weeks, Nationals fans from far and wide will gather at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for a weekend of baseball and holiday cheer. And we'll be there with plenty of chances for you to win exclusive MASN Nationals...

No. 6 Nats prospect: Luis Garcia

No. 6 Nats prospect: Luis Garcia
One player that maybe a lot of Nationals fans may not be familiar with is a teenage second baseman from New York City named Luis Garcia. He can also play shortstop, and moves up from No. 7 on last year's Baseball America list of top Nationals prospects. No. 6 2B/SS Luis Garcia This is a young prospect. Look at his date of birth and it's 2000. Even still, Baseball America has been tracking Garcia for a couple of seasons and likes what it sees. "I actually feel pretty young in this industry...

No. 7 Nats prospect: Wil Crowe

No. 7 Nats prospect: Wil Crowe
It is good that this list finally has a top 10 Nationals prospect who is a starting pitcher. With the likes of Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López and Dane Dunning traded away, some new arms needed to take those pitchers' places in the system. The Nats are always keen on Southeastern Conference pitching and a team with College World Series experience like South Carolina is always a good place to start. Wil Crowe, a second-round selection in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, is No. 7 on the list...