Byron Kerr Archive
March Madness is underway and that means baseball that counts is just two weeks away! The weather seems to be responding in kind, at least in the National Capital area. A couple of wins yesterday helps the optimistic spring feeling. It was good see both squads come up with curly ... Read More
Nationals pitcher Drew Storen recently checked in to give us a little insight on how spring training has gone for him so far. Storen is off to a great start on the mound: 3 games, 3.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and obviously ... Read More
What will the Nationals be up against in the N.L. East in 2010? They've had trouble getting off to good starts the last two seasons, especially early on against the Phillies and the Marlins, so it is imperative they begin quickly and not dig themselves an early hole. Steven Goldman, ... Read More
Nationals pitcher Craig Stammen checked in to talk about his first outing and the strides he's making heading into his second game against the Astros on Thursday. Stammen says the jitters from his first outing are out of the way and his bullpen session went very well on Monday. On ... Read More
As we get ready to embark on the first "Strasburg game" March 9th on MASN, I had a chance to check in with a collegiate coach that watched his team face Stephen Strasburg in the NCAA tournament and also coached Ryan Zimmerman. What's it like to face Strasburg? What did ... Read More
Nats outfielder Justin Maxwell gets his first start in center field Thursday versus the Marlins. I spoke with Justin to get his pulse on spring training so far. He talked about a variety of subjects including how his swing is feeling in spring training, how is stance is set this ... Read More
As the Nationals get ready to play actual baseball against other teams (yes!) at spring training, I thought it would be good to see what others think about the Nationals and some of their young talent. Steven Goldman, one of the editors of the 2010 Baseball Prospectus, joined me recently ... Read More
Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond told me this week he gets to camp every day before 7:00 a.m. because he wants to be there "early, as a younger player". He reads on the board what he will work on that day and gets on the field. He spent a few moments ... Read More
With all the buzz continuing towards swarm proportions regarding baseball phenom Stephen Strasburg and when he will pitch in the majors, I thought it would be great to check in with the Potomac Nationals, The Nats High Class A affiliate in my beautiful hometown of Woodbridge, Virginia. Potomac has been ... Read More
Nationals pitcher Garrett Mock gives us an update of how spring training is going so far as I caught up with him for a question and answer session. We talked about his two bullpen sessions and what he thinks of pitching in the first game of spring training. On pitching ... Read More
I spoke with Nationals left-hander Matt Chico today on his first bullpen session. He's in the same group as Stephen Strasburg, which he touches on a little bit in our conversation. Chico talked to me about what pitches he threw and how his arm feels today. He also shared what ... Read More
I had a chance to speak with Nationals manager Jim Riggleman as spring training 2010 gets underway today. We went over several of the important issues the Nats have solved and that they face as they embark on Jim's first full year as the Nats skipper. On the signing of ... Read More
The Nationals announced today they have signed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. Wang won 38 games in 2006 and 2007 for the New York Yankees. I asked manager Jim Riggleman what he thought of the signing of Chien-Ming Wang: "I think it is a great signing on the part of the whole ... Read More
Nationals lefthander Matt Chico missed most of the 2009 season after having elbow surgery in 2008. Chico is optimistic he can return even better than he was before the surgery because he is pain free for the first time since his first spring training in 2004. I had a chance ... Read More
As we countdown to spring training 2010, let's put a spotlight today on pitcher Jason Marquis, the newest front line starter for the Nats. I had talked to Ryan Speier during NatsFest, who like Marquis, came over from the Colorado Rockies. Speier said some of his breaking pitches didn't do ... Read More
I had a chance to catch up with No. 1 overall selection Stephen Strasburg as he embarks on his first professional spring training as a member of the Washington Nationals. It was a busy offseason for Strasburg. He participated in the Arizona Fall League and married girlfriend Rachel Lackey last ... Read More
I had a chance to talk with Nationals pitcher Garrett Mock as he prepares for the 2010 season in Viera, Florida. He went 3-10 with a 5.62 ERA in 28 games with 15 starts. His last start was an impressive no-decision against Atlanta on October 1. In that game he ... Read More
Another update on 17-year old collegiate baseball phenom Bryce Harper who is playing for the College of Southern Nevada. He is batting .323, 10-31 with 2 HRs and 9 RBI. The Coyotes are off to a very good start at 8-0. Bryce's baseball coach Tim Chambers on the latest with ... Read More
Two weeks into the season and a very good start for Bryce Harper at College of Southern Nevada. The Coyotes are a perfect 8-0 and have outscored opponents 60-17. Bryce has played catcher and third base. Harper is hitting .323 in 8 starts, 10-31 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 ... Read More
Last week the Nationals signed second baseman Adam Kennedy to shore up the middle infield for the 2010 season. Mike Rizzo has said he would like to sign one more veteran starting pitcher to finish up the off season changes. A lot of talk last week centered around the possiblity ... Read More
The Nationals have agreed to a deal with veteran second baseman Adam Kennedy. Kennedy has played with the Cardinals, Angels and Athletics. Nats manager Jim Riggleman remembers dealing with Kennedy when he was the minor league field coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals. ... Read More
Nationals reliever Ryan Speier comes over from the Colorado Rockies looking to make the opening day roster for 2010. Speier is a local boy, who went to West Springfield and Radford University. He is excited to get started and attempt to crack the lineup. "This is huge for me and ... Read More
Here is a quick update on Bryce Harper's weekend from Todd Dewey of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who got to see Bryce in person for his debut Friday night. What did you think from what you saw of Bryce? "I thought Harper looked good in his debut, considering he skipped ... Read More
At Sunday's NatsFest I had a chance to talk with one of the newest Nationals, pitcher Brian Bruney, who came over from the New York Yankees. Bruney was 5-0 with a 3.92 ERA in 44 games with the Yankees last season. Bruney went in-depth as to why he likes the ... Read More
The 17-year old catching phenom Bryce Harper made his collegiate debut Friday night in Henderson, Nevada as the College of Southern Nevada beat Arizona Western 11-4. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, five members of the Nationals scouting department were on hand including Bob Boone, Roy Clark and scouting director ... Read More
I got the chance to speak with Nationals prospect shortstop Danny Espinosa as the Nats Winter Caravan rolled through Virginia. Espinosa is working hard preparing for spring training and had a very busy summer, logging 160 games between the minors and the Arizona Fall League. ... Read More
The Winter Caravan kicked off Wednesday as the Nats greeted fans in Virginia. Nats Top 10 pick pitcher Drew Storen signed autographs and posed for photographs with fans at Hard Times café in Arlington, alongside pitcher Ryan Speier, shortstop Danny Espinosa and manager Jim Riggleman. I sat down with Storen ... Read More
Nats pitcher Collin Balester had a nice throwing session with a pair of minor leaguers today, and tomorrow he'll pitch with new teammate Matt Capps for the first time. In crucial news, Collin has really worked on his moustache in the offseason. It's getting to Rollie Fingers proportions. ... Read More
The Nationals Fanfest and Winter Caravan is upon us with festivities kicking off Wednesday. The Caravan culminates Sunday with the NatsFest at Nationals Park. I spoke with Nats pitcher Craig Stammen last week and I mentioned seeing the Cincinnati Reds' winter caravan on the local news in Dayton. Stammen says ... Read More
I checked in with Nationals pitcher Craig Stammen in Dayton, Ohio as he watched his Dayton Flyers play the George Washington Colonials in college basketball Wednesday night (Flyers won 66-51). Stammen took me on a tour of his alma mater, showing me the campus, the student housing known affectionately as ... Read More
Nats veteran relief pitcher Jason Bergmann was one of four players to resign with the team yesterday. Bergmann received a one-year deal worth a reported $750,000. I spoke with Jason about his new contract and the future of the Nats as spring training draws closer in Viera. Jason and his ... Read More
It obviously would be another great get for the Nats to sign free agent four-time All-Star right-hander Ben Sheets. He has spent his entire eight-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers and had a very impressive 13-9, 3.09 ERA in 31 starts back in 2008. He had 5 complete games that ... Read More
41-year old Randy Knorr has been around baseball all his life, appeared in the 1993 World Series while with Toronto, and brings to the table a wealth of knowledge as a player, coach and manager. Knorr was a major league catcher for the Astros, Bluejays, Rangers, Marlins and Expos. Now ... Read More
The Nationals have been linked to Orlando Hudson and even Adam Kennedy as possible answers at second base for 2010, but could it be possible the Nats begin the season with Ian Desmond as the starter at second base? Ian told me "I can play second base and did so ... Read More
In my mind (that's scary), I sometimes draw parallels between recruiting in college basketball to free agent shopping in Major League baseball. A good example of this is a collegiate team that has a great recruiting class one season of say five outstanding freshmen. The team improves and plays better ... Read More
I caught up with Nats reliever Tyler Clippard as he continues to work out in Tampa, Florida in preparation for the 2010 spring training. Clippard finished the season strong with a 4-2 record in 60 plus innings and a 2.69 ERA. He had 7 straight appearances to end the season ... Read More
Manager Jim Riggleman is excited about the prospects in the Nats outfield this upcoming season, especially the chances of Elijah Dukes having a season to remember. I asked Jim about Dukes recently and he told me, "I think Elijah can have a big year. He did well for himself in ... Read More
The Nationals announced the winter caravan schedule which comes up this year January 27th through the 31st, 2010. Several big name Nats will make appearances including Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Pudge Rodriguez and John Lannan. Several of the events are open to the public in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. including ... Read More
I had a nice talk with Nationals minor league first baseman Chris Marrero today as he gets ready for this season. Marrero was a busy man this past season with stops in Potomac, Harrisburg and Phoenix, spanning over 150 games. Chris feels better this week after getting over a bout ... Read More
The Nationals made it official today with the announcement that closer Matt Capps has signed with the team. The 26-year-old brings impressive experience to Nats Park. With the Pirates, Capps had 67 saves, 29 holds, 3.61 ERA and a 19-19 record in five seasons. ... Read More
Five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson announced his retirement today. The 46-year old pitcher won his 300th game with the Giants last season and finished with 303 for his career. He is second all-time to Nolan Ryan in career strikeouts. Johnson pitched for the Expos, Mariners, Astros, Diamondbacks, Yankees ... Read More
With spring training a little over a month away, a lot of offseason talk on the defensive side has centered around the shortstop and second base positions. A lot of rumors had the Nats interested in Orlando Hudson last year and that talk continues now as the team prepares for ... Read More
How close is Drew Storen to the Majors? It seems to be the other most common question when people talk about Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen. Both had very good Arizona Fall League performances and both are Top 10 Nationals picks from 2009. ... Read More
As the calendar prepares to turn from 2009 to 2010, I'm excited to see what lies ahead for the Washington Nationals, especially as it relates to Stephen Strasburg. Mike Rizzo and the front office have worked very hard the last few weeks to add pieces to the Nats that will ... Read More
The Nationals added some depth to their roster today by agreeing to terms with a pair of experienced infielders, first baseman Josh Whitesell and infielder Eric Bruntlett. Josh and Eric agree to 2010 minor league contracts and are invited to Viera for Spring Training. ... Read More
Nats power hitting first baseman Adam Dunn is working out preparing for spring training and is excited about the Nats prospects for 2010. I spoke with him when he found out that Jason Marquis was joining the Nats and he was thrilled, saying "Jason is a gamer. He has good ... Read More
According to a team source, pending a physical, the Nationals have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent pitcher and former Pirate Matt Capps. The 26-year old Capps will join the Nats and continue to fortify a revitalized bullpen engineered by the Lerners, Mike Rizzo and Stan Kasten during ... Read More
It has been reported the Nats are close to signing veteran left handed reliever Eddie Guardado. Eddie has pitched for the Twins, Mariners, Reds and Rangers in an impressive career. He was a two-time All-Star in 2002 and 2003. I spoke with Manager Jim Riggleman on bringing in Eddie. ... Read More
I caught up with Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty to get his thoughts on the Nationals signing of All-Star pitcher Jason Marquis. Your initial reaction to the signing of Marquis: "This is a real good signing for the Nationals. Jason Marquis has experience, he has been on winners before. He ... Read More
The Nationals have announced the signing of All-Star right-handed starting pitcher Jason Marquis to a 2-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports had the deal at $15 million for 2 years. Marquis was introduced at an afternoon news conference at Nationals Park on Tuesday. Nationals pitching ... Read More
The Nats feel comfortable with Adam Dunn at first base and do not feel he is a defensive liability. Of course, when you have Dunn smacking 38-40 homers per season, all you need is quality defense from Dunn and you have the whole package. There was some talk out there ... Read More
The 26-year-old hard throwing closer Matt Capps looks like another pitcher that would be a perfect fit at the back end of the Nats bullpen. It also appears that Capps is genuinely interested in joining the Nats. ... Read More
It certainly would be nice to add a marquee name (pardon the pun) like veteran All-Star pitcher Jason Marquis. He pitched very well in the first half of last season for the Colorado Rockies and holds an impressive resume of successful stints with the Braves, Cardinals, Cubs and Rockies. ... Read More
Nationals relief pitcher Jason Bergmann confirmed to me he was tendered a contract to return to the team for 2010. I caught up with Jason today to get his thoughts on the deal: "I am thrilled to be back with the Nats. It's been my only team. To be one ... Read More
I spoke with General Manager Mike Rizzo about re-signing starting pitcher Scott Olsen. They have signed the left-hander to a one-year contract. The Nats get a deal on Olsen. They signed Olsen for a reported $1 million dollars, instead of the possible $4 or $5 million he could have received ... Read More
My talk with Ian Desmond continues today with a look at the Nats shortstop position in 2010. So with all the buzz about Cristian Guzman possibly moving to 2B and no signing at SS, do you think you are going to start the season as the starting SS? "The way ... Read More
I checked in with Nats pitcher Craig Stammen as he continues to get ready for 2010. Stammen commented on the Winter Meetings and the Nats moves. Craig says he is fine if he gets to pitch as a reliever next season. What do you make of the chatter about you ... Read More
The Nationals have called a 1:00 p.m. news conference from Nationals Park today where the team is expected to introduce 14-time All-Star Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez as the newest Washington National. Reports had the deal at two years, $3 million per season. The Pudge resume speaks for itself: 14-time All Star, ... Read More
I had a chance to sit down and talk to Nats infielder Ian Desmond about several topics. We had a long ranging discussion so I broke it up into two parts: How last year went and what he expects this year. Desmond is back in Florida, working out daily and ... Read More
I checked in with Nats outfielder Justin Maxwell as he gets ready for 2010. The University of Maryland star had a thrilling end of the season with some dramatic hits and home runs. On the team acquiring 14-time All-Star Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, Justin had some very kind words about the ... Read More
Getting future Hall of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez is causing a buzz in the Nats organization. As one Nats player told me, "Wow, amazing." Nats manager Jim Riggleman is also thrilled to have 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez join the team, pending a physical. I spoke with Riggleman this ... Read More
Several sources report the Nats have signed 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove veteran catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez to a two-year contract worth $6 million. Rodriguez would backup Jesus Flores, who missed most of 2009 with an injury. The deal was first reported on MLB.com. Pudge was most recently with ... Read More
The Nats have acquired some much needed bullpen help by trading for hard throwing right-hander Brian Bruney from the New York Yankees for a player to be named later, a Nationals source has confirmed. Bruney was 5-0 with a 3.92 ERA in 44 games last season with the Yankees. ... Read More
With the Winter Meetings beginning Monday in Indianapolis, the Nationals' wish list would appear to target a veteran starting pitcher and a high quality second baseman or shortstop. The closer they might have coveted in Billy Wagner is already gone (that was quick!), but there are still a lot of ... Read More
College of Southern Nevada head baseball coach Tim Chambers has confirmed that Bryce Harper received his GED diploma yesterday, after passing the day-long exam for high school equivalency. This means he is now eligible for the June First-Year Player Draft. Many prognosticators project the high school phenom to be the ... Read More
Dad gets to work with his son again. The Washington Nationals named Phil Rizzo Senior Advisor to the General Manager. His son, Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. ... Read More
The Nationals have announced their 2010 spring schedule; it's highlighted by the New York Yankees visiting Viera, Florida and culminates with the Boston Red Sox making a stop at Nationals Park on their way back up north on April 3. The World Champion New York Yankees visit Viera on March ... Read More
Veteran Nats reliever Jason Bergmann is looking forward to continuing the consistent play the team exhibited at the end of last season and is hoping for an interesting offseason on the free agent front for the team. I spoke with Jason as he attended the Major League Baseball Player meetings ... Read More
Nationals minor league prospect shortstop Danny Espinosa finished a very impressive Arizona Fall League campaign batting .345 with 14 RBI and a .434 on-base percentage. He cut down on his strikeouts in the 24 games in Arizona compared to the minor league summer season: from 27 percent to just 22.9 ... Read More
Nats Manager Jim Riggleman is preparing for the Winter Meetings, which will take place next week in Indianapolis. Riggleman will attend with General Manager Mike Rizzo and several others in the front office and scouting departments. I got a chance to visit with Jim as he embarks on his first ... Read More
A lot of the talk in Arizona was about the "St-" brothers: Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen. But Nats pitching prospect Jeff Mandel quietly had an outstanding season himself in the Arizona Fall League. Back home, I had a chance to talk with Jeff about his pitching, his Arizona season ... Read More
Pitchers Craig Stammen and John Lannan have stayed in the D.C. area to work out with the professional trainers and staff of the Nationals. I recently had a chance to check in with Craig Stammen and see how his off season was moving along and what he thought of the ... Read More
Another honor for a pair of high profile Nats minor league players. Danny Espinosa and Derek Norris have been named to the Topps Class A All-Star Team. 22 year old Danny Espinosa, of Santa Ana, California, scored 90 runs for the Potomac Nationals, tops in the Carolina League. He also ... Read More
Nats pitching prospect Josh Wilkie enjoyed his experience in the Arizona Fall League but was not selected for the 40-man roster at this time. This means Josh is eligible for the December 10th Rule 5 Draft and another team can claim him for compensation. Josh told me he will "see ... Read More
We continue our series on the Nats in Arizona and the just completed fall season. Our next spotlight on First Baseman Chris Marrero. Nats prospect 1B Chris Marrero did very well for himself in the just completed Arizona Fall League. Marrero batted .349 with 3 homers, 21 RBI and a ... Read More
After taking first place in the East Division, the Phoenix Desert Dogs finished off the AFL season with a 5-4 loss to Peoria in the championship game. So how did the Nats prospects do in the Arizona Fall League? I'll be putting the spotlight on six of the prospects that ... Read More
Peoria Javelinas came back to beat Phoenix Desert Dogs 5-4 and win the AFL Championship Game. C.J. Retherford smacked a 2 run shot in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Javelinas the lead for good. Phoenix relinquished leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3. Nats prospect Jeff Mandel ... Read More
Good news regarding Stephen Strasburg's knee injury on Thursday. A precautionary exam performed Friday by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles revealed that Stephen Strasburg suffered a patellar subluxation of his left knee. A patellar subluxation is a dislocated kneecap. This will not require surgery. Treatment will include rest and ... Read More
The Washington Nationals today announced that hitting coach Rick Eckstein, pitching coach Steve McCatty and third base coach Pat Listach will return in the same roles in 2010. The club also named John McLaren bench coach, Jim Lett bullpen coach and Dan Radison first-base coach. It is great to have ... Read More
With Stephen Strasburg out with a knee injury, the Nats still have three pitchers eligible to pitch in Saturday's AFL title game. Josh Wilkie, Jeff Mandel and Drew Storen have all pitched very well for the Phoenix Desert Dogs to help them to the East Division title. ... Read More
Stephen Strasburg has been scratched from Saturday's start in the Arizona Fall League Championship Game due to a twisted left knee, suffered during a Phoenix Desert Dogs workout this afternoon. The injury is not considered serious, but an MRI did show some inflammation. As a precaution, Strasburg is scheduled to ... Read More
Nats Manager Jim Riggleman is working to get his coaching staff completed as the team gets ready for the winter meetings. Published reports say John McLaren will be the Nats new bench coach, while Pat Listach will return as third base coach, Rick Eckstein as hitting coach and Steve McCatty ... Read More
The Nats have signed Davey Johnson as a senior advisor to General Manager Mike Rizzo. Davey is a former World Series winning player and manager and joins the Nats after managing Team USA to a semifinal berth in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. ... Read More
The Phoenix Desert Dogs routed the Mesa Solar Sox 11-1 to clinch the AFL East Division Monday. Nats prospect Danny Espinosa, the talented shortstop from Long Beach State, had 4 RBI as the Dogs scored 11 unanswered runs to put away any chance Mesa would have of overtaking Phoenix in ... Read More
The Nationals are in the same situation as last year with the number one pick in June's First-Year Player Draft. In 2009, the Nats selected Stephen Strasburg. This year, a lot of talk has been made about 17-year-old catching and hitting sensation Bryce Harper. How do the two situations compare? ... Read More
Phoenix defeated Peoria 1-0 with Stephen Strasburg notching another win, his 4th this fall with the Desert Dogs. The 4 wins are an Arizona Fall League leading total for a starter. Another impressive line: 3 and 2/3rds innings, 1 hit, no runs, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. Strasburg threw 64 ... Read More
I had another opportunity to talk with Tim Chambers, baseball coach at the College of Southern Nevada, to get some new information on the progress of Bryce Harper. Chambers had a lot of good news about Bryce and the team, which went 20-0 with no injuries in the fall scrimmage ... Read More
Nationals Ryan Zimmerman has been named the recipient of the 2009 National League Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award for third basemen. The Silver Slugger citation is the first of Zimmerman's career. ... Read More
Nats Outfielder Elijah Dukes "went to bat" for Jim Riggleman before Riggleman was named the Nats third full-time manager on Thursday. Dukes recommended to the Nationals that they resign Riggleman and enthusiastically encouraged the team to retain him, according to Burton Rocks, Riggleman's representative. ... Read More
The Washington Nationals today named Jim Riggleman field manager. Nationals President Stan Kasten and Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the joint announcement. Riggleman will return in 2010 after posting a 33-42 (.440) record upon assuming the Nationals' helm on July 13. Riggleman's Nationals displayed marked ... Read More
NOTE: Click here to read the Nationals press release naming Jim Riggleman as manager.Click here to see video from today's press conference. MASNsports.com has learned that the Nationals will name Jim Riggleman as their manager. Riggleman was 33-42 in 75 games for the Nats in 2009. He replaced Manny Acta ... Read More
Nationals Ryan Zimmerman was today honored by receiving his first ever National League Rawlings Gold Glove for third basemen. The former University of Virginia standout led all National League third baggers this season in total chances (MLB-best 459), assists (MLB-high 325), range factor per game (2.97) and games started (153). ... Read More
It's always to nice to hear from Jim Callis, Executive Editor of Baseball America, about the latest on the Nats and their future stars, those drafted and signed and those that might be on the horizon. Last year, Baseball America had the mock draft right on with Strasburg at #1 ... Read More
Even though he didn't get to pitch in last weekend's AFL Rising Stars All-Star Game due to a strained neck muscle, the Arizona Fall League has honored Nats pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the Player of the Week award. ... Read More
Scottsdale took out Phoenix 8-4 in AFL action Friday. Scottsdale scored 7 runs in the first 5 frames to set the tone and limited the Desert Dogs to 5 hits. Danny Espinosa went 1-4 with a double, run scored and RBI. Chris Marrero DH'd and went 0-4 but is still ... Read More
The Washington Nationals have declined their $10 million option on outfielder Austin Kearns and are paying a $1 million buyout. The 29-year-old Kearns hit only .195 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 174 at-bats this season, when he was slowed by a thumb injury. ... Read More
Desert Dogs Pitching Coach Paul Menhart has confirmed that Stephen Strasburg will be scratched from his scheduled start Saturday for the East Division All Star squad in the AFL's Rising Stars game with a strained neck muscle. Menhart says they are just going to let the injury "run its course ... Read More
Nationals catcher Josh Bard and starting pitcher Livan Hernandez have decided to test the open market and filed for free agency Thursday. Bard was very helpful alongside Wil Nieves with Jesus Flores out most of last season. He's a great clubhouse guy, always available for a quote, and he's a ... Read More
The Nationals made some news today in claiming left-handed reliever Doug Slaten off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 29-year-old Slaten is 6'-5" and has a 3.68 ERA in 126 big league appearances over his career from 2006-2009. Last year, he spent the majority of the season at Triple-A Reno ... Read More
I got a chance to check in with the Nationals' second first-round pick (10th overall) closer Drew Storen to see how his experience in the Arizona Fall League has gone so far. "It has been a lot of fun. You can't complain about the level of competition. Everyone is playing ... Read More
