WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals admittedly don't have many jobs up for grabs this spring, a scenario few other clubs can appreciate, but the highest-profile competition this spring is of keen interest to Davey Martinez.
With the top four slots in his rotation well established and locked in, Martinez needs only to decide who will serve as his No. 5 starter come April. The candidates, for now: inconsistent right-hander A.J. Cole, top prospect Erick Fedde and veteran journeyman Edwin...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Miguel Montero had plenty of reasons to sign with the Nationals earlier this month. This was an offer to compete for playing time on an expected contender. He played for Davey Martinez the last three seasons in Chicago. He was signed by the Diamondbacks out of Venezuela by Mike Rizzo way back in 2001. He used to catch Max Scherzer in Arizona, too.
"And I don't have to try to throw out Trea Turner anymore," Montero said with a laugh. "He's on my team."
OK, so maybe...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg was asked yesterday how he feels the Nationals stack up to the rest of the National League as spring training camps open across Florida and Arizona. The right-hander's response might catch you by surprise.
"I think we're under the radar a little bit," he said. "There's a lot of moves, a lot of changes, lot of new faces (around the majors), but I think there's some question marks. I think you get this feeling that this is like our bubble, this is...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Max Scherzer climbed upon the first mound at the near end of the 12-pack bullpen outside The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and began the mundane task of throwing pitches to catcher Miguel Montero.
It's the same task every pitcher in every camp around baseball participates in every spring. Nothing to see here, right?
Except here was Scherzer, on the day before Nationals pitchers and catchers even hold their first official workout of the spring, grunting and cursing after...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - You can point to any number of reasons why the Nationals lost Game 5 of the National League Division Series to the Cubs, but any list of reasons is going to include Matt Wieters' struggles behind the plate during a disastrous fifth inning that changed the course of that game.
There was the ball squirting through Wieters' legs on a strikeout of Javier Báez. The subsequent wild throw to first base that allowed a run to score. And the catcher's interference call on...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As anticipated, yesterday was a light day at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Well, aside from the media horde that descended upon the other side of the complex, where the defending World Series champion Astros officially reported for work.
On the Nationals side, pitchers and catchers wandered through the clubhouse, training areas and weight rooms. Some went out to the back fields to play catch. Nothing organized, just the mundane stuff pitchers do every day to keep...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Adam Eaton arrived in Florida, family in tow, on Jan. 19. There weren't many others around The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches at that ridiculously early date. But when you've spent nine months rehabbing from a torn ACL and the entire winter cooped up inside your snowed-in Michigan home, there's no reporting date that's too early.
"I needed the warm weather," Eaton said, referring not only to his own physical needs, but the needs of his soon-to-be 2-year-old son...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - On the heels of a 29-save season, an All-Star appearance and some high-profile outings in the Nationals bullpen from August through October, Brandon Kintzler figured he'd have plenty of suitors this winter, not to mention a contract commensurate with those signed by many other prominent relievers.
In the end, perhaps suffering from advanced metrics that don't love him as much as relievers who strike out more batters, Kintzler settled for a deal to return to the Nats...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's been a long, slow four months since Game 5 of the National League Division Series, and it only felt longer and slower because of the lack of baseball news - not only in Washington, but across the sport - during the strangest offseason in recent memory.
But the long wait is over, and it's OK to smile just a bit this morning. Because Nationals pitchers and catchers officially are reporting for spring training.
(Pause here for applause.)
As always, reporting day is...
Sixty-one players in total will report for spring training this week, 21 of them non-roster invitees including several with significant major league experience and several prospects from within their own organization, the Nationals announced today.
With pitchers and catchers officially set to report Wednesday, the Nationals finally revealed the full spring roster, which still could expand given the plethora of prominent free agents who have yet to sign.
For now, camp will feature a full 40-man...
The Nationals acquired utilityman Matt Reynolds from the Mets for cash considerations tonight, adding another versatile major leaguer to their mix of bench options this spring.
Reynolds, 27, had been designated for assignment last week after New York signed free agent Todd Frazier. Reynolds will probably face long odds to make the Nationals' opening day roster, but he has one remaining minor league option and thus should stick in the organization one way or the other.
Reynolds fills the 40-man...
The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We conclude today with the underlying question not only of the spring but of the season: Is the window of opportunity for this franchise about to close at the end of 2018?
We can talk about position battles, lineup choices, bullpen configurations and injury concerns all we want, but let's not ignore the elephant in the room. The...
The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with the return of two key regulars from major knee surgeries ...
One played the entire 2017 season, hobbled only at the very end by an injured knee that required surgery once the team was eliminated. The other played only four weeks in 2017, his debut in Washington abruptly halted by a nasty fall at first base that...
The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with the possibility of free agent signings even after camp has begun ...
It's not unusual for teams to sign players during spring training. It happens every year, with a handful of veterans still available and needs arising as a result of injuries or other camp developments. But baseball has never opened a spring...
The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We continue today with the first camp run by new manager Dave Martinez ...
When Nationals pitchers and catchers officially report to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Wednesday, they'll walk down the hallway from the clubhouse, peek into the manager's office and find a new face there. Next door, in the coaches' locker room, will...
The final countdown to spring training has arrived, so we're spending the final days of the offseason counting down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We begin today with the open competition for the fifth spot in the opening day rotation ...
The Nationals have been a contender for six full seasons now, and throughout that time, they have maintained that status by employing one of baseball's most talented, deepest starting rotations. And throughout this entire stretch, we've...
As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series concludes today with the outfield ...
Given the talent they had - not to mention three established starters to begin the season - it's hard to believe the Nationals wound up using 14 different outfielders in 2017, the fourth-highest total in the majors. Chalk that up not to poor performance but a seemingly never-ending string of injuries both major and minor...
Raudy Read, who made his major league debut last season and now stands as one of the higher-rated Nationals prospects, has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for Boldenone, making the young catcher the franchise's first big leaguer to face punishment for performance-enhancing drugs.
Read, 24, confirmed he tested positive during "a routine drug test this winter," but said he was "shocked" by the result and insists he has never knowingly taken a...
As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the infield ...
The Nationals return their entire starting infield from last season, and why wouldn't they be excited about that? This quartet featured the first .300-30-100 hitter in club history, the runner-up for the league's batting title, the league's co-leader in WAR and a shortstop who stole 46 bases in 98 games while committing...
As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the catching corps ...
The Nationals knew they'd be undergoing a change at catcher in 2017 after Wilson Ramos departed via free agency, and they knew it would be difficult to make up for Ramos' All-Star production. Little did they know just how difficult, though, or how precipitous the dropoff would be.
The club's initial plan involved...