Right-hander Trevor Rosenthal officially joined the Nationals this week. He sat out last season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He arrives with the Nats after six seasons pitching for the Cardinals. His pitching repertoire over the years has included a four-seam fastball, circle grip changeup, slider (or cutter) and a curveball. As he finally returns to pitching in the big leagues, Rosenthal said he won't make any major changes to the type of pitches he throws. "I am pretty much...

As much as doctors, trainers and pitching coordinators have fine-tuned the rehab process from Tommy John surgery to the point some just believe it's now routine, there are always a few surprises along the way. A hiccup, or even a setback. Maybe a few moments of trepidation from a pitcher who begins to doubt he'll be able to make it all the way back. Trevor Rosenthal insists he experienced none of that. Yes, he's surprised by it. But the veteran reliever, who just signed as a free agent with...

What's the most memorable moment in Nationals history? Now that the Nats have been around and making memories since 2005, there are a bunch to choose from. Maybe it's Jayson Werth's walk-off home run that gave the Nationals life in the 2012 National League Division Series. Or Max Scherzer's 20-strikeout game (which I was lucky enough to see as a fan, the only game I attended in the stands that season). Not all momentous Nationals moments involve the Nationals, mind you. Sometimes, it's the...

It was a bit of a surprise Friday that the Houston Astros did not extend a qualifying offer to veteran hurler Charlie Morton. Morton, 34, was a 2017 World Series champion and a 2018 All-Star for Houston. He turns 35 on Nov. 12. Morton went 15-3 with a 3.13 ERA in 30 starts this season. With roots in New Jersey and Delaware, it has been reported that Morton, if the Astros did not re-sign him, might prefer a team along the Eastern seaboard as his next destination. Could the Nationals be a...

October was relatively quiet, at least for teams like the Nationals that didn't make the postseason and didn't make any managerial or coaching changes. The calendar shift to November, though, has already brought a few bits of news, and things will continue to ramp up this week. Today promises to be a newsy day in itself for the Nats, with at least three items on the agenda. First up, Trevor Rosenthal will be holding a conference call with reporters at 10 a.m. to discuss his signing with the...

With 115 losses, the 2018 Orioles were easily the worst team in the majors this year, and they posted their worst record since their move to Baltimore in 1954. But their road record was where it went from bad to worse. And worst. In six months and 162 games of baseball, the Orioles won all of three road series. They split a two-game series in Yankee Stadium on July 31-Aug. 1. After that, they lost their last nine road series. They won their third road series June 22-24 at Atlanta. After that,...

Anthony Rendon is widely regarded as one of the best third basemen in the sport. But for now, he continues to be regarded as a notch below Nolan Arenado. For the third consecutive year, Rendon finished behind Arenado for the Gold Glove Award at third base. The awards, presented annually by Rawlings, were handed out this evening. Rendon has been a finalist (i.e., one of the top three vote-getters at his position) each of the last three years. But each time the quiet Nationals star has finished...

Rather than dump out the entire mailbag today and try to come up with a fresh sequel title, I'm going to pull out a couple of the heavy repeats and attempt to eliminate whatever confusion lingers in the air like the odor from a hardboiled egg. Let's go with a true or false format. As opposed to truth or dare, which could get weird around here. The Orioles definitely won't be signing any free agents. False. The Orioles don't have a definite starter for right field, third base or behind the...

As our offseason coverage kicks into high gear, we're going to review each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Sammy Solís, who could not take advantage of his many opportunities out of the bullpen. PLAYER REVIEW: SAMMY SOLÍS Age on opening day 2019: 30 How acquired: Second-round pick, 2010 draft MLB service time: 3 years, 52 days 2018 salary: $560,300 Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2019, free agent in 2022 2018 stats: 1-2, 6.41 ERA, 56 G, 0 SV,...

There have been 12 contracts in baseball history producing total dollars of $200 million or more, but outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed the only pact for over $300 million. In November 2014, he signed a contract extension with Miami for 13 years and $325 million. That was the richest contract in major league history. This winter, not one but two players could top that, and might even surpass the $400 million threshold. In their annual predictions and projections for free agents,...