Jose Lobaton has found a new home, but the Nationals' longtime backup catcher will be staying in the National League East.
Lobaton has signed a minor league contract with the Mets, who will offer him an invitation to big league camp next spring and a chance to make their opening day roster.
The 33-year-old spent the last four seasons as the Nationals' No. 2 catcher, backing up Wilson Ramos and later Matt Wieters. Known more for his work behind the plate than at the plate, Lobaton struggled in...
One of the Nationals' unspoken but most significant concerns of the winter is the status of Daniel Murphy, who had surgery on his right knee Oct. 20 that initially left the club unable to say for sure if the All-Star second baseman would be ready for the start of the 2018 season.
In the eight weeks since Murphy had the procedure - officially a debridement and microfracture surgery to repair articular cartilage - the Nationals have begun to get a clearer picture of his timetable for recovery....
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals came to the Swan and Dolphin Resort with a short but clear list of needs. They departed having addressed only one of those needs, but they did so in a manner that should please just about anyone who cares about such things, at a price that should allow them to address their other needs later this winter.
The late-night re-signing of Brandon Kintzler to a two-year, $10 million contract that's technically not a guaranteed two-year, $10 million contract -...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals front office was working late Wednesday night at the Winter Meetings. And because of it, the club's "Law Firm" bullpen will be reunited for the 2018 season.
The Nats and Brandon Kintzler agreed to a two-year contract in the wee hours, a source confirmed, ensuring the veteran right-hander will return and again team up with Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to recreate the formidable late-inning trio that was so successful during the final two months of this...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Nearly three days into the Winter Meetings, the Nationals have yet to make any transactions. Then again, most teams that aren't the Marlins fall into that same category.
What the Nats have done at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort to this point is meet with a lot of rival clubs and agents representing a host of players, with a particular emphasis on relief pitchers. They may not have actually acquired one yet, but the Nats believe they've positioned...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Scott Boras met with Nationals ownership last month to discuss a contract extension with Bryce Harper, a meeting that obviously didn't result in the consummation of any deal to keep the star outfielder in Washington long term, but at least showed a willingness on his part to engage in talks before he becomes a free agent next winter.
"We had a meeting with Washington ownership about a month ago, just for some preliminary discussions," Boras said this morning in his...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - That the Nationals reportedly are interested in Wade Davis is not surprising. They made a run at the reliever at last year's Winter Meetings, only to watch as he eventually was traded by the Royals to the Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler.
There is one major difference for the Nats between last winter's pursuit of Davis and this winter's potential pursuit of Davis: They didn't have a closer one year ago; they do now.
The July acquisition of Sean Doolittle addressed...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The 2018 Winter Meetings are, in all likelihood, going to be the Bryce Harper Winter Meetings. With baseball's annual event just happening to be held in Las Vegas at the same time the town's most famous native professional athlete just happens to be a free agent, a circus atmosphere is pretty much expected by everyone.
Unless, of course, the Nationals somehow find a way to re-sign the star right fielder to a long-term extension before then.
What are the odds of that...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Start with a big-name free agent. Make sure he's represented by Scott Boras. Then connect them to the Nationals, specifically managing principal owner Ted Lerner.
Congratulations, you've just created the perfect Winter Meetings rumor.
It's happened before, it'll happen again and it did happen today when ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted that Boras "is trying to engage the Nationals on Jake Arrieta." Crasnick went on to point out the obvious - the Nats already have...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals are in the market for at least one experienced reliever, preferably right-handed. Whether they're willing to jump right now into a market that has quickly become the most active of any position at the Winter Meetings remains to be seen.
Another veteran right-handed setup man came off the board Monday when Pat Neshek returned to the Phillies for a two-year deal worth a reported $16.25 million. That came on the heels of a pair of signings Sunday: Brandon...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It's the Winter Meetings, and it's Mike Rizzo talking, so take this all with a large grain of salt. But a few hours after arriving at the Swan and Dolphin Resort for this week's annual baseball industry gathering, the Nationals general manager suggested he's not in the market for another experienced major league starting pitcher, instead talking up the two inexperienced in-house candidates he already has in Erick Fedde and A.J. Cole.
"We have great confidence in...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - There is much Dave Martinez still needs to learn about his Nationals roster, and much of that won't happen until he gets a chance to see them on practice fields under the spring Florida sun, but the rookie manager was willing to admit he's already made one key lineup decision: Adam Eaton will bat leadoff in 2018.
In his first media session since he was introduced as the Nationals' new manager last month, Martinez held court with reporters at the Winter Meetings for...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Winter Meetings officially get underway this morning, but a few teams already were acting yesterday like the event had kicked into full gear. And the Nationals likely were paying close attention to what happened.
With the Cubs reportedly signing Brandon Morrow and the Cardinals reportedly signing Luke Gregerson, the relief market is now starting to take shape. And so the Nats are getting a good idea what it will cost if they want (as they intend) to bolster their...
It's the second week of December, snow just fell around here and thousands of folks who work in the baseball industry are en route to Orlando for the next four days. Yes, it's time for the Winter Meetings, which for the fourth time in a dozen years is being held at the Swan and Dolphin Resort near Walt Disney World.
Will the Nationals consider this the Happiest Place on Earth by the time they head home Thursday? As always, it depends how aggressive they intend to be during this annual event,...
One of the two biggest dominoes of the hot stove league dropped Friday. The other is still standing, with the potential to topple at any moment, though not where originally expected. At which point, the rest of the baseball world should be able to proceed with the rest of the offseason.
Shohei Ohtani's decision to sign with the Angels caught many by surprise, perhaps most of all the supposed frontrunners to acquire the Japanese two-way star: the Mariners, Padres, Cubs and Rangers. Those clubs...
When Adam Eaton tore his ACL on April 28 and Michael A. Taylor once again found himself the Nationals' unlikely starting center fielder, the reaction was understandably unenthusiastic.
Taylor, after all, had already been given opportunities to take over as the everyday center fielder each of the previous two seasons when the originally designated starter went down to injury (Denard Span in 2015, Ben Revere in 2016). And Taylor had failed to make the most of those opportunities, showing flashes...
The Nationals know they need to acquire multiple pitchers this winter in hope of filling several holes vacated by departing free agents. They may have found out Wednesday just how much it's going to cost them to do it.
Though the Rangers' signing of Mike Minor didn't draw major headlines, it was noted in baseball circles for one important reason: The left-hander may have just set the market for every other free agent pitcher this offseason.
Consider that Minor got a three-year, $28 million...
One week from now, we'll be neck-deep in the Winter Meetings, with (hopefully) plenty of newsy developments to discuss. For now, though, it's been a really quiet offseason for the Nationals, the notable exception being that minor change to the manager's office and coaching staff, of course.
But there's plenty on the Nats' table as they prepare to head down to Walt Disney World for four days of wheeling and dealing, so let's try to anticipate some of what might happen while there.
As...
If you scrolled through yesterday's organizational depth chart blog post, you may have noticed that the Nationals lost a significant amount of depth in a few areas when the season ended and several prominent players became free agents.
All of a sudden, that remade bullpen is looking mighty thin. As is the Nats bench, which was such a strength by season's end.
It doesn't have to remain that way, of course. The Nationals can (and likely will) fill those holes this winter with new signings or...
The Winter Meetings begin one week from today in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., so the Nationals - along with the rest of the baseball world - should be just about ready to start getting serious about making actual transactions that will alter their roster in 2018 and beyond.
We already have a hunch what's on Mike Rizzo's shopping list - No. 5 starter, right-handed relievers, bench players - but it's also helpful to view this in the context of what the Nationals already have in-house. Not only at...
