Our offseason player review series continues today with Max Scherzer, who wasn't his elite self but still managed to be effective.
PLAYER REVIEW: MAX SCHERZER
Age on opening day 2021: 36
How acquired: Signed as free agent, January 2015
MLB service time: 12 years, 79 days
2020 salary: $35 million (deferred), $15 million signing bonus
Contract status: Signed for $35 million in 2021 (deferred), $15 million signing bonus, free agent in 2022
2020 stats: 5-4, 3.74 ERA, 12 GS, 1 CG, 67 1/3 IP, 70 H,...
Our offseason player review series continues today with Eric Thames, who was among the most disappointing players on the roster this season.
PLAYER REVIEW: ERIC THAMES
Age on opening day 2021: 34
How acquired: Signed as free agent, January 2020
MLB service time: 5 years, 63 days
2020 salary: $3 million (prorated $1,111,111)
Contract status: Has $4 million mutual option (or $1 million buyout) for 2021
2020 stats: 41 G, 140 PA, 123 AB, 10 R, 25 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB, 0 CS, 14 BB, 42...
The Nationals' first offseason task appears to be a significant makeover of manager Davey Martinez's coaching staff.
One week after cutting ties with pitching coach Paul Menhart, the club has now also informed third base coach Chip Hale and hitting coach Kevin Long they will not be returning in 2021, a source familiar with the decisions confirmed.
There could be more moves coming, as well. Assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler, brought in last winter, has been Long's right-hand man with three...
Our offseason player review series continues today with Starlin Castro, who was brought in last winter to help fortify the Nationals lineup, but played in only 16 games before suffering a season-ending injury.
PLAYER REVIEW: STARLIN CASTRO
Age on opening day 2021: 31
How acquired: Signed as free agent, January 2020
MLB service time: 10 years, 150 days
2020 salary: $5 million (prorated $1,851,852)
Contract status: Signed for $7 million in 2021, free agent in 2022
2020 stats: 16 G, 63 PA, 60 AB,...
Four Nationals players with major league experience have cleared outright waivers and have been assigned to the Triple-A Fresno roster, the club announced this afternoon.
Infielder Adrián Sanchez and right-handers Aaron Barrett, Paolo Espino and Austen Williams were placed on waivers and were not claimed by any other clubs. They'll remain in the Nationals organization but are now off the 40-man roster.
Barrett and Espino appeared in a few games for the Nats this season. Sanchez and...
Our offseason player review series continues today with Trea Turner, who developed into one of the league's most complete offensive players this season.
PLAYER REVIEW: TREA TURNER
Age on opening day 2021: 27
How acquired: Traded from Padres with Joe Ross for Steven Souza Jr. and Travis Ott, who went to Rays in three-team deal, December 2014
MLB service time: 4 years, 135 days
2020 salary: $7.45 million (prorated $2,759,259)
Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2021, free agent in 2023
2020...
Our offseason player review series continues today with Carter Kieboom, who got a chance to be the Nationals' everyday third baseman but did little to ensure he'll retain it.
PLAYER REVIEW: CARTER KIEBOOM
Age on opening day 2021: 23
How acquired: First-round pick, 2016 draft
MLB service time: 150 days (prorated)
2020 salary: $564,700 (prorated $177,954)
Contract status: Under club control, likely arbitration-eligible in 2023, likely free agent in 2027
2020 stats: 33 G, 122 PA, 99 AB, 15 R, 20...
Our offseason player review series continues today with Adam Eaton, who struggled through a rough season before having it abruptly end with a fractured finger.
PLAYER REVIEW: ADAM EATON
Age on opening day 2021: 32
How acquired: Traded from White Sox for Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López and Dane Dunning, December 2016
MLB service time: 8 years, 30 days
2020 salary: $9.5 million (prorated $3,518,519)
Contract status: Club holds $10.5 million option (or $1.5 million buyout) for 2021
2020 stats: 41...
Our offseason player review series continues today with Victor Robles, who disappointed both at the plate and in the field after a promising rookie season .
PLAYER REVIEW: VICTOR ROBLES
Age on opening day 2021: 23
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2013
MLB service time: 2 years, 52 days
2020 salary: $592,800 (prorated $219,556)
Contract status: Under club control, arbitration-eligible in 2022, free agent in 2025
2020 stats: 52 G, 189 PA, 168 AB, 20 R, 37 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 3...
Our offseason player review series begins today with Juan Soto, who produced historic offensive numbers despite playing in only 47 of the Nationals' 60 games.
PLAYER REVIEW: JUAN SOTO
Age on opening day 2021: 22
How acquired: Signed as international free agent, July 2015
MLB service time: 2 year, 134 days
2020 salary: $629,400 (prorated $233,111)
Contract status: Possibly Super Two arbitration-eligible in 2021, free agent in 2025
2020 stats: 47 G, 196 PA, 154 AB, 39 R, 54 H, 14 2B, 0 3B, 13...
Watching the various wild card series the last few days, I couldn't help but have two thoughts: There were some really compelling, tense, memorable moments in almost every series; and I constantly had to remind myself just how compelling, tense and memorable those moments were because the scene at each ballpark was completely sterile with no fans in attendance.
It was tough enough to experience the 2020 regular season without fans, but this week really underscored just how noticeable it is in...
The 2020 Major League Baseball season was, to put it mildly, unlike any we've ever experienced. We knew that going into it, and we knew that probably meant some unexpected things would happen along the way.
That was especially true for the Nationals, whose season didn't go anything like anyone expected. For the most part.
Despite the unusual nature of this year, we still published our annual Nats season predictions on opening day. And though we were horribly wrong about a lot of things, we...
Despite appearing in only 47 of the Nationals' 60 games this season, Juan Soto reached base an astounding 96 times, fifth-most in the majors.
Soto only scored 39 runs, however, which ranked 19th in baseball.
That's still good. But not as good as it could've been. Soto was historically good at the plate in 2020, but the Nats didn't take full advantage of that fact.
Why? Because they couldn't consistently put a top-notch hitter behind Soto in their lineup. Only 17 times this year did Howie...
We can talk about injuries. We can look at offensive consistency. We can point to the bullpen or poor defensive fundamentals. All played a role in the Nationals' disappointing 2020 season.
But there really is one reason above all others the Nats failed to make the playoffs this year. And it's the same reason they failed to make the playoffs in 2013, 2015 and 2018.
To paraphrase a politician's simplified message from nearly three decades ago: It's the rotation, stupid.
Of course, the biggest...
The Nationals are going to undergo change this winter, of that there's no doubt. Nine prominent players (Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Asdrúbal Cabrera, AnÃbal Sánchez, Sean Doolittle, Kurt Suzuki, Eric Thames and Josh Harrison) will either become free agents or could become free agents if their options aren't picked up. Several others (most notably Michael A. Taylor and Roenis ElÃas) could be in danger of being non-tendered.
They aren't all coming back, that much...
From the moment the Nationals took the field on opening night, one thing was obvious: The 2020 season was going to be different. Really, really different.
By the time it ended Sunday evening, perhaps some aspects of what took place out there were starting to feel normal. We got used to the sight of managers, coaches and umpires wearing masks. We got used to the sight of empty stands and the sounds of artificial crowd noise. We even got used to the designated hitter in National League games,...
They took the field for the 60th and final time in 2020, an act many doubted would be possible back when this unprecedented baseball season began 10 weeks ago. Could they really complete a season, with regional travel, during a pandemic?
There were some notable hiccups along the way, plenty of postponements, relocated road games and six doubleheaders. But today the Nationals did complete their 60-game slate, trouncing the Mets 15-5 to conclude a disappointing year on a small high note.
At...
No, the Nationals' season finale doesn't really mean anything in the big picture. They were eliminated from postseason contention earlier in the week. And the Mets were eliminated Saturday, so they don't have anything to play for, either. But there are still a few things of note at stake when the two teams take the field today for the final time in 2020.
The Nationals enter at 25-34, the Mets at 26-33. So if the Nats win, they'd end up tied for fourth place in the National League East. (And...
There is no month on the baseball calendar more misleading than September. It happens every year: Somebody puts up big numbers during the season's final month, convinces everyone he's going to pick up where he left off the following spring and then never duplicates the feat.
So take these stats with a healthy grain of salt, because it's probably foolish to assume they will carry over into 2021. Here goes: Andrew Stevenson is batting .351 with a .415 on-base percentage and 1.117 OPS that...
AnÃbal Sánchez will forever be linked with the Nationals' 2019 title, not simply for his pitching performance but for the role he played in bringing the joy out of his teammates during a championship season that was as much a product of clubhouse chemistry as it was pure talent.
Given the unprecedented circumstances of the 2020 season, it was tough for Sánchez and Co. to have the kind of fun they did a year ago. And as he and his team struggled through the first large chunk of the...