Would anyone support "Expos Day" at Nationals Park?

Would anyone support "Expos Day" at Nationals Park?
The Carolina Hurricanes wore Hartford Whalers uniforms Sunday for their home game against the Boston Bruins. And if that isn't the strangest lede I've ever written to a blog post about the Nationals, I'm trying to remember something else that would top it. You see, the Hurricanes' throwback night on the ice reminded me of something I've long pondered in my own mind: Would the Nationals ever wear Expos uniforms? And how would fans, both from Washington and Montreal, feel about that? I think...
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Updating some Nats' winter ball performances

Updating some Nats' winter ball performances
After a furious Friday of hot stove action, the baseball world is now taking holiday break. That includes the winter leagues, where several Nationals have been playing. Atop that list, of course, is Michael A. Taylor, who has been in the Dominican Republic putting some swing changes into practice in an attempt to come to spring training a new hitter. Taylor isn't off to a great start. In seven games so far for Gigantes del Cibao, he's batting just .143 (4-for-28) with one double, two RBIs,...
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Harper to L.A. just makes too much sense for both sides

Harper to L.A. just makes too much sense for both sides
If you think the Dodgers aren't interested in Bryce Harper ... well, you haven't been paying close enough attention. Long before they pulled off Friday's blockbuster trade that sent Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Alex Wood to the Reds to create a sudden opening in their outfield, the Dodgers have loomed as a prime potential destination for Harper. Remember, this is the franchise that actually claimed Harper off waivers - per multiple reports back in late August - only to watch as the Nationals...
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Why the Nats placed their bet on Sánchez, not Roark

Why the Nats placed their bet on Sánchez, not Roark
Place your bets now. Who will have the better season: Aníbal Sánchez or Tanner Roark? You know the comparisons are inevitable after the Nationals traded Roark to the Reds last week and then signed Sánchez Thursday evening to take his place as the club's No. 4 starter. As everyone said at the time, the Roark trade could only be judged after it was known who would occupy the spot he held for the better part of five seasons. This is the bet Mike Rizzo and the Nationals made, that...
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Source: Sánchez gets two-year deal from Nats, plus 2021 option

Source: Sánchez gets two-year deal from Nats, plus 2021 option
The Nationals, in need of a No. 4 starter since last week's trade of Tanner Roark, have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with veteran right-hander Aníbal Sánchez, according to a source familiar with the signing. The deal is pending a physical and also includes a club option for 2021. The Detroit Free Press reported Sánchez will make $19 million over the two guaranteed seasons (2019-20). A longtime Nationals nemesis during a 13-year career with the Marlins, Tigers and Braves,...
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Thursday morning Nats Q&A

Thursday morning Nats Q&A
The Winter Meetings have come and gone. Tanner Roark is no longer a National. Matt Adams is again a National. Bryce Harper still hasn't decided what he's going to be in 2019 and beyond. There are a few more shopping days until Christmas, so perhaps the Nats could get something done before everyone breaks for the holidays. But more and more it looks like any big news - certainly any news involving Harper - is going to have to wait until January. We, of course, never stop discussing baseball...
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In appreciation of Tanner Roark

In appreciation of Tanner Roark
Because the trade occurred late in the Winter Meetings last week, and because the Nationals have made more news since, Tanner Roark's departure for Cincinnati perhaps hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. Consider this, then, one final acknowledgement of Roark's career in Washington. Because it was significant, it was very good at times and it may not be as easy to replace as some would like to believe. Did Roark have his faults? Sure. Especially over the last two seasons, he...
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Adams jumped at chance to re-sign with "A-class organization"

Adams jumped at chance to re-sign with "A-class organization"
From the moment he departed Washington for St. Louis (via a late-August waiver claim) Matt Adams made it clear he'd be interested in returning to the Nationals next season. He wasn't just saying it to be nice to his former employer. Adams officially rejoined the Nats today after passing a physical, the last step toward finalizing a one-year, $3 million contract that also includes a $4 million mutual option for 2020 (or a $1 million buyout). And the big slugger explained why he was so...
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Nationals' luxury tax bill is nearly $2.4 million

Nationals' luxury tax bill is nearly $2.4 million
The Nationals' luxury tax bill this season is slightly less than $2.4 million, a not-insignificant amount to pay for exceeding Major League Baseball's pseudo-salary cap, but probably not a steep enough penalty to deter the club from making an offer to Bryce Harper that would catapult it over the threshold again in 2019. The Nationals' final payroll for luxury tax purposes was roughly $205 million, according to a report over the weekend by the Associated Press, $8 million above MLB's 2018...
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Infielder from Murphy trade is player to be named in Gomes deal

Infielder from Murphy trade is player to be named in Gomes deal
The Nationals completed their trade for Yan Gomes today when they announced minor league infielder Andruw Monasterio as the player to be named in their deal with the Indians. Monasterio, 21, was the prospect the Nationals acquired from the Cubs for Daniel Murphy in August. He wound up playing in only 13 games with the organization, all for Single-A Potomac, hitting .308 with a triple and 5 RBIs. The Nationals already had sent right-hander Jefry Rodriguez and minor league outfielder Daniel...
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Aggressive moves show four NL East teams trying to win now

Aggressive moves show four NL East teams trying to win now
The National League East hasn't been decided by fewer than seven games since 2012, and the division race hasn't come down to the season's final weekend since 2008. We have no way of knowing yet how it'll play out in 2019, but this much is safe to say: Right now, four of the division's five clubs are acting like they expect to be in the mix. No division has been more aggressive so far this winter than the NL East, with the Nationals, Phillies, Mets and reigning champion Braves all making...
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Reunion with Adams made too much sense for both sides

Reunion with Adams made too much sense for both sides
The trading of a player months before he becomes a free agent often comes with an important caveat: "We can always re-sign him over the winter." Truth is, it rarely happens. Whether it's the bad blood a player feels toward an organization for dealing him away or a genuine lack of interest from the club in bringing said player back, these reunions just don't take place very often. In the case of Matt Adams and the Nationals, though, this always felt like a distinct possibility. For one...
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Adams returning to Nats for 2019, with mutual option for 2020

Adams returning to Nats for 2019, with mutual option for 2020
Even after he was traded to the Cardinals as the Nationals' season collapsed in August, Matt Adams spoke glowingly of Washington as an organization and a city and said he'd be interested in returning. Turns out he'll be coming back next season. The Nationals and Adams have agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2020, pending a physical, according to two sources familiar with the signing. The deal, which was first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, guarantees Adams $4...
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Two names possibly coming off second base market

Two names possibly coming off second base market
Mike Rizzo's public stance on the Nationals' need to acquire a second baseman has been adjusted several times over the last two weeks. The general manager initially insisted this wasn't a priority and that he was comfortable with a Howie Kendrick-Wilmer Difo combo until prospect Carter Kieboom is ready. Rizzo's tune then changed as he began to suggest he'd be interested in an acquisition, if said player was a clear upgrade over the current group. And by the time he left the Winter Meetings...
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Where things stand halfway through the offseason

Where things stand halfway through the offseason
The Winter Meetings are now completed, which means the offseason is now half completed. Yep, it's been 10 weeks since the Nationals' season ended in Colorado, and it's 10 weeks until pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach. So this feels like a good opportunity to take a broad look at the state of the roster, figure out what the Nats have accomplished so far and what they still need to accomplish before they assemble in Florida. Here's where things currently stand ... * The rotation...
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Nats head home minus Roark, but with door wide open for others

Nats head home minus Roark, but with door wide open for others
LAS VEGAS - The Nationals came to town Sunday with a short list of roster needs after an aggressive run of moves earlier in the offseason. They leave town today without having filled any of those holes, but having created a brand new one. Wednesday evening's surprise trade of Tanner Roark to the Reds for minor league reliever Tanner Rainey wasn't what most would have predicted would be the club's lone transaction of the Winter Meetings. It left more than a few folks at the Mandalay Bay...
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Nats trade Roark to Reds for hard-throwing reliever

Nats trade Roark to Reds for hard-throwing reliever
LAS VEGAS - Asked Tuesday about the possibility of trading Tanner Roark, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo suggested such a move would only happen if the Nationals had already acquired another pitcher to fill that spot in a rotation top-heavy with talent but lacking in quality depth. This afternoon, Rizzo traded Roark to the Reds for a minor league reliever, leaving his rotation - for the moment - short a proven No. 4 starter. "Surprised," Roark said during a hastily arranged conference...
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Boras won't close door on Nationals re-signing Harper

Boras won't close door on Nationals re-signing Harper
LAS VEGAS - Echoing what general manager Mike Rizzo has been saying all week, and not what managing principal owner Mark Lerner said last week, agent Scott Boras today insisted the Nationals are not out of the running to re-sign free agent Bryce Harper. "I think when they say the door's open, I would certainly pay attention to what they say," Boras said during the early portion of what turned in a more than hour-long scrum with a throng of reporters today at the Winter Meetings. Despite a...
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Martinez's motto for 2019 Nationals: "Just one more"

Martinez's motto for 2019 Nationals: "Just one more"
LAS VEGAS - If Davey Martinez was going to create a motto for the 2019 Nationals, it would be rather simple while also driving home the main point he wants to convey to his players. "Just one more," the manager said Tuesday during his media session at the Winter Meetings. "One more. One more of everything. One more strikeout. One more stolen base. One more walk. Things like that. If we can do that consistently, we're going to win a lot of ballgames." Martinez has already mentioned on...
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Teams inquiring about Roark, but Rizzo wants more pitching

Teams inquiring about Roark, but Rizzo wants more pitching
LAS VEGAS - Though multiple teams have approached the Nationals in recent days about Tanner Roark, general manager Mike Rizzo suggested he isn't looking to trade the veteran right-hander and would only do so if he had already bolstered his rotation with another significant acquisition. Responding to a report early this morning by Yahoo! Sports that the Nationals "have engaged in multiple discussions to trade" Roark, Rizzo admitted there have been some talks this week, but only those...
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