nationals

What free agent starters might the Nats consider this winter?

November 26, 2017, 9:47am

The Nationals' No. 1 need this winter, arguably, is a starting pitcher. They've got four well-established guys set to return next season in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark, but they have no obvious choice to be the fifth starter. Joe Ross, who held that job for most of the first half of the 2017 season, had Tommy John surgery and won't be back until July at the earliest. Edwin Jackson, who held that job for most of the second half of the 2017 season, is a free...

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Is there a role for lefty Grace in next season's bullpen?

November 25, 2017, 5:41pm

Nationals

Is there a role for lefty Grace in next season's bullpen?

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Matt Grace, who made a career-high 40 appearances this year ... PLAYER REVIEW: MATT GRACE Age on opening day 2018: 29 How acquired: Eighth-round pick, 2010 draft MLB service time: 1 year, 65 days 2017 salary: $535,000 Contract status: Under team control in 2018, arbitration-eligible in 2020, free agent in 2023 2017 stats: 1-0, 4.32 ERA, 40 G, 1 GS, 50 IP, 50 H, 25...

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Ross will have to re-establish himself after Tommy John surgery

November 24, 2017, 11:55am

Nationals

Ross will have to re-establish himself after Tommy John surgery

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Joe Ross, whose erratic season was cut short by a major elbow injury ... PLAYER REVIEW: JOE ROSS Age on opening day 2018: 24 How acquired: Traded from Padres with Trea Turner for Steven Souza Jr. and Travis Ott, who were sent to Rays in three-team deal, December 2014 MLB service time: 2 years, 67 days 2017 salary: $551,000 Contract status: Under team control in...

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What's your Black Friday wish list for the Nationals?

November 23, 2017, 4:45pm

Nationals

It's Black Friday, aka the busiest shopping day of the year. If you're into waking up at 3 a.m. and physically fighting with strangers over a discounted toaster oven, that is. But, hey, some people live for this stuff. They have a few items they absolutely must buy, and this is the best deal they're ever going to find on them. So traditional manners need not apply. In that spirit, we're opening up the floor to all of you today. What's your must-have gift for the Nationals this winter? Is...

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What the Nationals are thankful for this year

November 22, 2017, 6:35pm

Nationals

There's a lot of reason to be upset with the world right now, but - believe it or not - there's a lot more reason to be happy. I often remind myself of this. There's way more good than bad in the world, way more good people than bad people. We only hear about the bad stuff more. And so on this Thanksgiving, it seems like the right time to remind ourselves of the good things in our lives. So I called up a bunch of Nationals players and other club personnel and asked them to share what...

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#TBT to "Nationals Classics": A healthy filling of homers for Thanksgiving

November 20, 2017, 9:30am

Nationals

Happy Thanksgiving, NatsTown! I hope your Turkey Day is filled with family, friends, delicious food and drink, and football! But if your family is more of a baseball-first kind of group, then we've got a treat for you. Instead of watching the traditional slate of football games this afternoon, tune in to MASN for the first of not one, not two, but three(!) "Nationals Classics" from this past season we're airing this week as part of our Throwback Thursdays! Our holiday special is one of two...

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Rest of NL East still has a long way to go to catch up to Nats

November 21, 2017, 5:33pm

Nationals

Rest of NL East still has a long way to go to catch up to Nats

No matter what moves they make or don't make this winter, the Nationals are going to enter the 2018 season as the overwhelming favorite to win the National League East again. It's hard to imagine, quite frankly, a scenario in which that wouldn't be the case. That doesn't mean the Nats are guaranteed to win their third consecutive division title and fifth in seven years. Just ask the 2013 and 2015 clubs about the perils of assuming anything. But on paper, the Nationals are once again going...

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Nats' exhibition schedule includes game vs. Twins in D.C.

November 20, 2017, 10:40am

Nationals

Nats' exhibition schedule includes game vs. Twins in D.C.

The Nationals announced their 2018 spring training schedule today, one that again takes advantage of their conveniently located new complex in West Palm Beach and concludes with a final exhibition against the Twins in D.C. Twenty-five of the Nationals' 31 Grapefruit League games in Florida will be played in Palm Beach County, either at their shared complex with the Astros or a short 15-minute drive up the road at the Marlins and Cardinals' complex in Jupiter. Three more road games will be...

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On this year's Hall of Fame ballot (and a former National on it)

November 20, 2017, 8:01pm

Nationals

On this year's Hall of Fame ballot (and a former National on it)

Last year's Hall of Fame ballot included the first inductee who played part of his career for the Nationals. This year's ballot includes the guy who threw the first pitch in Nats history and became a longstanding fan favorite. Livan Hernandez is one of 19 players listed on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this winter, a ballot that also includes 14 returning candidates who each received at least 5 percent of the vote last year. Hernandez, owner of a career 178-177 record and 4.44...

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Nationals add Gutierrez, Rodriguez to 40-man roster

November 20, 2017, 8:12am

Nationals

The Nationals added third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez and right-hander Jefry Rodriguez to their 40-man roster in advance of today's 8 p.m. league-wide deadline, protecting both prospects from being lost in next month's Rule 5 draft. Neither Gutierrez nor Rodriguez appears on the Nationals' various top-10 prospects list - or is big-league ready - but each is viewed within the organization as worthy of retaining without risk of being lost now. The Rule 5 draft allows teams to select players away...

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Nationals have 40-man roster decisions to make

November 19, 2017, 7:37pm

Nationals

Major league clubs face an 8 p.m. deadline today to add players to their 40-man rosters and thus protect them from being taken away during next month's Rule 5 draft. It's not one of the high-profile deadlines of the offseason, but it can be an important one nonetheless. Consider some of the names the Nationals protected last winter for good reason, as it turned out: Rafael Bautista and Raudy Read. Neither was seen as being all that close to big league-ready at the time, but both wound up...

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Nationals announce 2018 spring training schedule

November 20, 2017, 10:18am

Nationals

The Washington Nationals announced their 32-game 2018 Spring Training schedule on Monday, featuring 15 home games at their spring home, The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Nationals will begin their 2018 Grapefruit League slate at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, serving as the "road team" on Feb. 23 vs. Houston. They will play their first true road game the following day, taking the short 12-mile trek north to face the Miami Marlins in Jupiter, Fla., on Feb. 24. ...

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What can Nats expect from Fedde after disappointing 2017?

November 18, 2017, 2:33pm

Nationals

What can Nats expect from Fedde after disappointing 2017?

As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Erick Fedde, who made his highly anticipated debut this year ... PLAYER REVIEW: ERICK FEDDE Age on opening day 2018: 25 How acquired: First-round pick, 2014 draft MLB service time: 39 days 2017 salary: $535,000 Contract status: Under team control in 2018, arbitration-eligible in 2021, free agent in 2024 2017 stats: 0-1, 9.39 ERA, 3 GS, 15 1/3 IP, 25 H, 16 R, 16 ER,...

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

November 14, 2017, 9:12am

Nationals

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...