Mark Zuckerman

Nats sign former Twins minor league lefty Clay to MLB deal

November 18, 2020, 9:18am

One year after hitting the jackpot with the signing of a reliever with extensive minor league experience to a major league contract, the Nationals are hoping they found another diamond in the rough with today's signing of left-hander Sam Clay. Clay, who spent the last seven seasons in the Twins system but never reached the majors, was given a big league deal by the Nats, just as right-hander Kyle Finnegan was last winter. Finnegan enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2020 and looks like a long-term...

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As GM carousel keeps turning, Nats still have rock in Rizzo

November 17, 2020, 6:54pm

Nationals

As GM carousel keeps turning, Nats still have rock in Rizzo

Few executives in baseball history can claim to have accomplished what Theo Epstein has done during his career. Epstein's legacy already was set for life when he built the 2004 Red Sox roster that snapped the "Curse of the Bambino" and brought Boston its first World Series title in 86 years. Then he one-upped himself and built the 2016 Cubs roster that snapped the "Billy Goat Curse" and brought the north side of Chicago its first World Series title in 108 years. So when Epstein announced...

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Source: Nats sign veteran slugger TomÃ¡s to minor league deal

November 17, 2020, 4:39am

Nationals

Source: Nats sign veteran slugger TomÃ¡s to minor league deal

Yasmany TomÃ¡s, the former Diamondbacks slugger whose defensive deficiencies made him high-priced bust, will get a chance to restart his career with the Nationals. The Nats have signed TomÃ¡s to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, a source familiar with the transaction confirmed. The 30-year-old is scheduled to begin playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League next month, according to Cuban reporter Francys Romero, who first reported the signing. TomÃ¡s recently...

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Notable ex-Nationals left off 2021 Hall of Fame ballot

November 16, 2020, 6:45pm

Nationals

The 2021 Hall of Fame ballot officially was announced Monday, and though there are 25 notable names on the list the most notable thing about this year's ballot might just be what's not on there: a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. None of the 14 new additions to the ballot are guaranteed to reach the 75 percent vote threshold necessary for induction. And even among the 11 returning players who have the best case for induction, there's nobody you can say with absolute certainty will be elected. Curt...

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The current state of the Nationals' depth chart

November 15, 2020, 6:13pm

Nationals

The Nationals haven't added anyone new yet this offseason, but they have dropped quite a few members of the 2020 club over the last month-plus. In fact, their 40-man roster includes only 30 players at this moment, underscoring just how much work they still have ahead of them this winter. We've talked plenty already about the various holes on the roster and tried to identify some free agents who might interest the Nats. But as we begin another week in what continues to look like a very slow...

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With Robles on roster, Dominican Winter League opens today

November 14, 2020, 6:45pm

Nationals

With Robles on roster, Dominican Winter League opens today

After such a short season, many ballplayers wondered if they should consider going somewhere to get more at-bats or throw more innings this winter. The answer from the Nationals front office: No, take a normal offseason, then report for spring training fresh and ready to go. That message doesn't apply to every single player on the Nats roster, though. There are a handful of guys who the organization believes could benefit from some extra work this winter. And the most notable name on that list...

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Thoughts on some GMs in the news

November 13, 2020, 7:32pm

Nationals

The Marlins made history Friday, making Kim Ng the first female general manager of a major North American men's professional sports franchise. Ng's hiring was greeted with overwhelming praise from every corner of the baseball world and beyond, and it was comforting to see how much everyone understood how much the 51-year-old has earned this job and wasn't simply handed it for the publicity. Ng worked her way up the ladder for more than two decades, starting out as an intern for the White Sox...

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Nats' lack of award candidates in 2020 was telling

November 12, 2020, 7:28pm

Nationals

Nats' lack of award candidates in 2020 was telling

Not that you need any reminders about how disappointing 2020 was for the Nationals, but here's one more just for the sake of it: They didn't have any finalists for any of the four major end-of-season awards. Nope, nobody from the Nats finished in the top three in voting for National League MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year or Manager of the Year. That's not something that has happened around these parts in quite some time. The last time the Nationals didn't have a top-three finisher for any...

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Soto finishes fifth, Turner is seventh in MVP voting

November 12, 2020, 10:25am

Nationals

Soto finishes fifth, Turner is seventh in MVP voting

Juan Soto finished fifth and Trea Turner finished seventh in voting for National League MVP released tonight, garnering recognition for a season in which the Nationals as a team disappointed but their two biggest offensive stars produced as well as they have in their respective careers. Soto led the league in a host of offensive categories but didn't play as much as most of his competitors due to a positive coronavirus test and a sore elbow. Turner put together elite offensive numbers to...

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Status of DH in 2021 looms large for Nationals

November 11, 2020, 7:00pm

Nationals

The Nationals have several lineup holes they need to fill this winter, and it's no mystery where those holes are: A corner outfielder. A catcher. One or more first basemen. And perhaps either a second or third baseman. But there may be one more lineup hole that needs to be addressed at some point: designated hitter. We don't know yet if the DH will return to the National League in 2021 after a one-year tryout during the recently completed short season. It's not currently included in the...

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Uncertainty abounds in minor league reorganization

November 10, 2020, 6:36pm

Nationals

Uncertainty abounds in minor league reorganization

There is so much uncertainty surrounding the 2021 season, even as the calendar creeps forward and pitchers and catchers are due to report for spring training in three months. And the uncertainty extends well beyond the major league season. If anything, there's even more uncertainty at this moment about the state of Minor League Baseball in 2021. As you probably know by now, Major League Baseball has taken over control of the minors, which for a century operated as its own entity that merely...

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Every NL East club has reason to be motivated this winter

November 09, 2020, 7:31pm

Nationals

Every NL East club has reason to be motivated this winter

Mike Rizzo will tell you he doesn't make a single offseason decision based on what other clubs are doing to their roster. The Nationals general manager's sole focus is on improving his team, no matter what anyone else around the league is doing. It's an admirable philosophy, of course, and it has served Rizzo well in his decade-plus in charge of the Nats. It also may be increasingly difficult to adhere to this winter, because there's reason to believe every other club in the National League...

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Monday morning Nats Q&A

November 08, 2020, 6:29pm

Nationals

The offseason is now in full swing. Not that there's much of any news of consequence involving the Nationals so far. If anything, this first portion of the offseason has raised more questions than provided answers. So perhaps it's a good time to take some questions and attempt to provide some answers. I can't promise I've got a good reponse for every query, but I'll try my best to offer some insight on free agency, changes to the coaching staff and the state of the baseball industry as a...

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Are Nats only in market for lefty reliever or perhaps more?

November 06, 2020, 12:43pm

Nationals

Are Nats only in market for lefty reliever or perhaps more?

The Nationals are in the market for bullpen help this winter. Just like every winter. Guess you have to admire their consistency, right? The good news is, they're in less of a bind this winter than they've usually been in the past. With Daniel Hudson, Will Harris, Tanner Rainey and Kyle Finnegan all returning, they've got a solid core group of right-handers already on the staff. What they don't have is a left-hander, now that Sean Doolittle is a free agent. So that's probably priority No....

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Nats have multiple paths in search to bolster infield

November 05, 2020, 8:14pm

Nationals

Nats have multiple paths in search to bolster infield

The Nationals need a big bat, someone to hit behind Trea Turner and Juan Soto, and the most logical position for that person to play is a corner outfield position. But it doesn't have to work out quite like that. Just as, let's say, a presidential candidate has more than one path to 270 electoral votes, general manager Mike Rizzo has more than one path to try to boost his club's lineup. The state of the Nationals infield is very much in flux as the offseason begins. We know Turner is...

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Soto wins first Silver Slugger Award of career

November 05, 2020, 2:01pm

Nationals

Soto wins first Silver Slugger Award of career

Juan Soto's massive offensive numbers in a shortened season weren't enough to earn the Nationals star left fielder a top-three finish in the MVP race, but they were enough to earn him a Silver Slugger Award. Soto's victory was revealed tonight, the first of a career that figures to include plenty more of these awards and perhaps an MVP or two as well. He was one of three National League outfielders to win the honor, joining the Dodgers' Mookie Betts and the Braves' Ronald AcuÃ±a Jr. atop...

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Barrett, Sanchez, Snyder get spring training invites

November 05, 2020, 5:20am

Nationals

Barrett, Sanchez, Snyder get spring training invites

Three mainstays in the Nationals organization will be back for another spring training with the club. Aaron Barrett, AdriÃ¡n Sanchez and Brandon Snyder are among the group of players who will receive non-roster invitations to West Palm Beach next spring, a source confirmed. All figure to face long odds of making the big league roster, but that's never been a deterrent for any of these veterans. Barrett, who turns 33 in January, has participated in every Nationals spring training since 2011,...

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Catching market includes one big star, few other options

November 04, 2020, 12:56pm

Nationals

Catching market includes one big star, few other options

It's perhaps not their No. 1 need this winter, but the Nationals absolutely need to add another catcher this winter. Unless they're willing to enter 2021 with Yan Gomes as the clear-cut starter and either Raudy Read or Tres Barrera as his backup, the Nats are going to have to acquire somebody. That somebody could be a frontline starter who relegates Gomes to the bench. Or it could be somebody who shares the job with Gomes, much as Kurt Suzuki did the last two seasons. The good news: There's...

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Nats could go in one of several directions for rotation help

November 03, 2020, 11:02am

Nationals

Nats could go in one of several directions for rotation help

We looked at potential free agent outfielders that might interest the Nationals on Tuesday. Today we turn our attention to their other big need this winter: a No. 4 starter to replace the departing AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez. Some teams don't prioritize a No. 4 starter. The Nationals do. Look back at their best seasons over the last near-decade, and they've pretty much always had a good fourth starter. Look back at their worst seasons during this run, and they've pretty much always had a problem...

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No shortage of free agent outfielders for Nats to consider

November 02, 2020, 5:50pm

Nationals

No shortage of free agent outfielders for Nats to consider

Rank the Nationals' most significant needs this winter and there's no debate what tops the list: a big bat. Someone who can hit behind Trea Turner and Juan Soto. Someone who can lengthen the lineup. Someone who can fill the void created by Anthony Rendon's departure last winter. (And, yes, obviously this all could've been avoided if the Nats just re-signed Rendon, but there's no sense re-litigating that one now.) This big bat could come in a variety of forms and could play one of several...