What does Juan Soto do for an encore after a rookie season that obliterated records for offensive production by a teenager? The now 20-year-old has a simple plan for making sure he isn't bitten by a sophomore slump: Keep working hard and try not to change what brought him such instant success in the major leagues. "I think, do my routine, and no change," Soto said Saturday at Nationals Winterfest. "If that worked, I got to keep going until I (retire)." Soto tied teammate Bryce Harper for...

There's a good chance Victor Robles will be patrolling center field for the Nationals in 2019, and if that happens, Robles expects that the powerful stroke that was sapped by an early-season hyperextended left elbow will return. Manager Davey Martinez has hinted at that and hitting coach Kevin Long expects that offensive surge to occur, too. But hearing Robles talk at Nationals Winterfest about the return of his power stroke makes the possibility of losing Bryce Harper to free agency a little...

When he got a call Friday afternoon from Indians general manager Chris Antonetti saying a trade was in the works, Yan Gomes assumed it involved one of a couple teams. The Mets and Dodgers both had been linked to him in recent days, so he figured he was headed in one of those directions. So what did the 31-year-old catcher think when Antonetti told him he was heading to the Nationals? "To be honest, I got taken back a little bit," Gomes said today during a conference call with reporters...

The Washington Nationals acquired All-Star catcher Yan Gomes from the Cleveland Indians on Friday in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jefry Rodriguez, outfielder Daniel Johnson and a player to be named later. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Gomes, 31, is under team control through the 2021 season. He hit .266 with 26 doubles, 16 home runs, 48 RBI, 21 walks and 52 runs scored in 112 games for the Cleveland Indians in 2018. He led...

It's a couple weeks earlier than in previous years, and it's back on South Capitol Street for the first time in nearly a decade, but it's time again for Winterfest. The Nationals' annual offseason gathering will have a different look and feel this year, with the event being held the first weekend in December and at Nationals Park after a steady run later in the month at the Washington Convention Center. Among the new activities this year are opportunities for fans to hit in the Nationals'...

As new Orioles general manager Mike Elias said this week, he is looking to take the best player and not work to fill a need on his major league roster with top draft picks. You can't have a higher pick than No. 1 in round one, which the Orioles hold for the June 2019 First-Year Player Draft. That could be a pick, however, that sees the Orioles not only take the best player, but fill a need. The club is not overflowing with top catching prospects, and a backstop could be their selection when...

I woke up yesterday morning feeling quite confident that Brian Graham was staying with the Orioles, whether as director of player development or with an adjusted title and set of duties. His knowledge of the organization, straight down through the farm system, was valued by new executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. He was doing the heavy lifting before Elias' arrival and continued to take on big responsibilities. Graham woke up yesterday with the same sense, given no...

The Orioles have decided to non-tender infielder Tim Beckham and catcher Caleb Joseph, releasing them into the free agent market and clearing two spots on the 40-man roster. Every other player on the 40-man roster was tendered a contract, including pitchers Dylan Bundy and Mychal Givens and infielder Jonathan Villar, who are eligible for arbitration. The Orioles will try to avoid hearings with the trio. Beckham didn't heat up at the plate until September, when he batted .297/.348/.484 with...

The Nationals finalized a trade tonight that will bring All-Star catcher Yan Gomes to Washington in exchange for right-hander Jefry Rodriguez, minor league outfielder Daniel Johnson and a player to be named, completing a dramatic, 11-day overhaul of their catching corps. Having just signed veteran Kurt Suzuki to a two-year, $10 million deal last week, the Nationals went out and acquired another experienced catcher in Gomes, who had been the subject of trade speculation in recent days, though...

The Nationals aren't ready to part ways with Sammy Solís just yet. Faced with an 8 p.m. EST deadline to tender a contract to the injury plagued and erratic reliever, the Nationals elected not only to bring Solís back in 2019 and give him another chance to right his ship following an especially frustrating season but to sign him right now. The two sides agreed to a one-year, $850,000 deal, according to a source familiar with the terms. The Nationals tendered contracts to all six of their...