WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Adam Eaton could've dodged the question, insisted he's not paying attention to the never-ending Bryce Harper saga. That would be disingenuous, though. Everyone knows Eaton's status with the Nationals is directly tied to Harper's status with the Nationals. So the veteran outfielder isn't trying to pretend it's no big deal.
"It affects me, for sure," he said this morning inside the Nationals clubhouse. "Definitely affects me. I train to play 162. That's all I can...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Trevor Gott already knew he wouldn't be reporting to Nationals spring training this morning with the rest of the club's pitchers. Now he knows he'll be reporting to the other side of the country.
The Nats traded Gott to the Giants for cash considerations today, officially ending the reliever's disappointing stint with the organization five days after he was removed from their 40-man roster.
Gott had been designated for assignment Friday when the Nationals needed to...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - And a very pleasant good morning to you from the Sunshine State! Yes, the day has come at last. After a long, cold winter of discontent, the Nationals officially are reporting for spring training.
Which means your trusty beat writer has reported as well. This is my third spring in West Palm Beach, which of course followed 12 springs in Viera. Some of the routine stays the same year to year, and yet there are always new twists and turns and changes to keep you on your...
This is it, folks: It's the final day of the offseason. After 4 1/2 months waiting for Bryce Harper to make his decision, the Nationals finally are ready to report for spring training, with Harper ... er, well, even though that decision still hasn't been made, Nats pitchers and catchers still are going to report tomorrow morning in West Palm Beach, Fla.
One of these days - hopefully soon, but honestly who really knows? - Harper will officially be a Giant or a Phillie or a White Sox or a...
The Nationals are better positioned than most clubs as the countdown to spring training reaches its final days. Having addressed all of their major needs during the offseason - most of those coming early in the offseason, for that matter - they'll gather in West Palm Beach with no gaping roster holes.
But does that mean the Nats are going to sit idly by while everyone else signs all of the remaining free agents after camp opens? Perhaps not.
There's the Bryce Harper situation, of course, and...
There hasn't been a legitimate, down-to-the-wire pennant race in the National League East more than a decade now, not since the Phillies hung on to top the Mets during the final weekend of the 2008 season. The division hasn't been decided by fewer than seven games since 2012, when the Nationals finished four games ahead of the Braves (but were never seriously threatened in September).
Is this the year that finally changes?
There's certainly an argument right now that the NL East is the best...
Could the Nationals be headed across the pond for one summer series in 2020? It appears to be a legitimate possibility.
Major League Baseball is considering two potential matchups for its planned London Series in June 2020, either the Nationals vs. the Mets or the Cubs vs. the Cardinals, according to the Associated Press.
The report, citing two people familiar with the discussions, suggested an announcement on the final matchup is expected after opening day this year.
In its attempt to spread...
The Nationals have designated reliever Trevor Gott for assignment, clearing a spot on their 40-man roster for Jeremy Hellickson, whose signing was officially announced by the club.
Hellickson agreed earlier this week to terms on a one-year, $1.3 million contract that also includes up to $4 million in incentives. The deal was contingent on the right-hander passing a physical, which he has now done, and on the Nationals clearing a roster spot for him.
They chose to make Gott the odd man out, a...
Kyle Barraclough lost his arbitration case against the Nationals, a panel of three independent judges ruling the recently acquired reliever will earn $1.725 million this season instead of the $2 million he sought.
Barraclough and the Nationals presented their respective cases before the panel Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla., the second and final member of the roster to go to a hearing this month. Michael A. Taylor also lost his case last week, with the arbitrators deciding his salary will be...
He was The Intimidator, the fearsome presence who commanded a room the moment he walked in, the baseball icon who played and managed his entire career with a chip on his shoulder. That was the Frank Robinson most of the world knew, the version of himself he wanted most of the world to know.
But he was also The Old Softie, the jovial uncle who cared deeply about those who managed to crack his outer visage, whether teammates, players of his or reporters who covered him. This was the Frank...
As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series concludes today with the outfield ...
You would think that, with only six shopping days left until pitchers and catchers report, the Nationals would have long since known which three outfielders would be taking the field for opening day 2019. You, of course, would be wrong.
Sure, the Nats have prepared all along to enter the coming season without Bryce Harper. But as...
Given how effective he was for them last season - when healthy and when used strategically - Jeremy Hellickson always loomed as an enticing pitching option for the Nationals to bring back in 2019.
Sure enough, the two sides have worked out a deal to reunite. And more than a month earlier than they worked out last year's deal.
Hellickson has agreed to terms on a one-year, major league contract that guarantees him $1.3 million, with an additional $4 million possible via incentives, according to...
As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the infield ...
Despite significant changes across just about every other part of the roster, the Nationals' infield returns almost entirely intact in 2019 - with one notable exception at second base.
Daniel Murphy, one of the best all-around hitters in baseball, has moved on after spending most of the last three years in D.C. terrorizing...
As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the catching corps ...
The Nationals didn't get enough production from their catchers the last two seasons. Of this, no one can deny. Matt Wieters, well-liked as he was by members of the pitching staff and the rest of the clubhouse, simply could not hit well enough to justify as much playing time as he received. Trouble was, none of the Nats'...
As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the bullpen ...
A position of instability and turbulence for years, the Nationals bullpen entered the 2018 season as a legitimately perceived strength. The three-headed "Law Firm" of late-inning relievers general manager Mike Rizzo acquired during the summer of 2017 all returned, and the rest of the group featured a balanced combination of...
As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series begins today with the starting rotation ...
It's no secret how the Nationals have attempted to build a championship-caliber roster over the last seven seasons: with a dominant rotation leading the way. Trouble is, the 2018 version of that rotation didn't come close to holding up its end of the bargain and proved to be perhaps the No. 1 reason this team...
Citing a need to "enhance ballpark safety," the Nationals announced Friday a new policy that prohibits fans from bringing backpacks into Nationals Park for the upcoming season.
Fans previously had been allowed to enter the ballpark with backpacks, which, like other bags, were screened by security personnel at all gates. The team will no longer allow them, though, except in cases of backpack diaper bags or backpacks used for medical reasons or for devices covered by the Americans with...
Michael A. Taylor lost his arbitration case against the Nationals, with a panel of three independent judges ruling the outfielder will earn $3.25 million this season instead of the $3.5 million he was seeking, a source familiar with the decision confirmed.
Taylor and the Nationals presented their cases before the panel Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla., the first of 13 arbitration hearings between major league clubs and players currently scheduled to take place over the next two weeks.
Kyle...
Here we are on the first day of February, various players around baseball are already starting to make their way to Florida and Arizona to get a jump start on spring training, and the news involving Bryce Harper isn't that he has signed with anyone but that he's meeting in Las Vegas with officials from the Padres.
Yes, it's been an awfully strange winter. And the Harper Free Agent Extravaganza hasn't followed a script anyone saw coming.
With the market for the star outfielder apparently...
A pair of veterans who enjoyed some success with the Nationals found new homes Wednesday when Greg Holland reportedly agreed to a deal with the Diamondbacks and Mark Reynolds reportedly signed with the Rockies.
Holland's contract, first reported by The Athletic, guarantees the reliever $3.25 million with an additional $3.5 million possible in incentives.
It's a massive drop in salary for Holland, who despite waiting until March 31 to sign with St. Louis last spring still earned a guaranteed...