Heisey deal is official, outfielder returns to Nats for $1.4 million

Heisey deal is official, outfielder returns to Nats for $1.4 million
The Nationals officially announced their one-year contract with Chris Heisey this morning after the outfielder passed a physical, ensuring one of their most productive bench players returns in 2017. Heisey will earn $1.4 million in base salary plus incentives, according to a source familiar with the deal. The two sides had agreed in principle to the contract Nov. 11, but its completion was pending the physical. The 31-year-old outfielder joined the Nationals last winter on a minor league...
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New spring training facility starting to take shape

New spring training facility starting to take shape
We are a mere 14 weeks away from the Nationals' spring training opener, which means pitchers and catchers are due to report to West Palm Beach in roughly 12 weeks (no official date yet). Which raises a fairly important question: Is West Palm Beach going to be ready for the Nats? Crews continue to work furiously on the brand-new Ballpark at the Palm Beaches, the new spring home of both the Nationals and Astros. They've been working on a tight timeline throughout, but the consensus opinion all...
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Voth, Bautista among five players added to Nats' 40-man roster

Voth, Bautista among five players added to Nats' 40-man roster
The Nationals added five players to their 40-man roster this afternoon, in the process protecting outfielder Rafael Bautista, first baseman Jose Marmolejos, catcher Raudy Read, infielder Matt Skole and right-hander Austin Voth from being scooped up by another organization in next month's Rule 5 draft. The additions, which were required to be made before a 5 p.m. EST deadline, leave the Nationals with 36 players officially on their 40-man roster for the moment. (That number will rise to 37 once...
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Where the Nats' 40-man roster stands on decision day

Where the Nats' 40-man roster stands on decision day
There's a deadline this afternoon around baseball. It's not one of the major deadlines, like the trade deadline or the qualifying offer deadline. But it's nonetheless a potentially significant one when it comes to organizations keeping their best prospects from getting swooped up by another club. By 5 p.m. EST, all teams must add any players they wish to protect from being selected in the Rule 5 draft to their 40-man roster. What does that mean? A quick primer for those who aren't familiar...
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Murphy finishes second in NL MVP vote to Bryant

Murphy finishes second in NL MVP vote to Bryant
Daniel Murphy had an MVP-caliber season and might well have taken home the hardware had he put up the same stat line in a previous year. This year, though, Murphy was forced to take a back seat to Kris Bryant, who as the best player on the best team in baseball easily captured the National League MVP. Bryant, the brightest young star on a Cubs roster filled with them, won his first career MVP this evening, garnering 29-of-30 first-place votes and 415 total points from members of the Baseball...
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On a boat in paradise, Scherzer celebrates another Cy Young win

On a boat in paradise, Scherzer celebrates another Cy Young win
Max Scherzer and his wife, Erica, have been going on boating trips with old college friends and their spouses every November for years. It's an annual tradition, and one the Scherzers weren't about to pass up, not even when it overlapped with another annual tradition: the announcement of the Cy Young Award winners. "For the past few years, we all get together over this time of the year and find a way to do the vacation together with all of our wives," the Nationals ace said. "And it took a...
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Explaining my NL Cy Young Award ballot

Explaining my NL Cy Young Award ballot
Voting for the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America awards rarely is simple. Sure, every once in a while you get a no-brainer - Bryce Harper for National League MVP in 2015 - but most of these decisions are tough. And few I've ever voted for were tougher than this year's NL Cy Young Award ballot. As I started compiling a list of candidates in late September, I was able to come up with 10 pitchers who at least deserved consideration. Five of those pitchers wound up on the actual...
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Scherzer wins Washington's first-ever Cy Young Award

Scherzer wins Washington's first-ever Cy Young Award
The Nationals handed Max Scherzer the largest free-agent contract ever given to a pitcher two winters ago, believing the right-hander was among the best starters in baseball and worthy of leading their star-studded rotation for years to come. Two seasons in, Scherzer has lived up to the contract. And tonight came perhaps the most significant validation of that: He won the National League Cy Young Award. In a battle between several elite pitchers who enjoyed dominant seasons, Scherzer emerged as...
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How much payroll can the Nationals add this winter?

How much payroll can the Nationals add this winter?
Yesterday, I raised the subject of the Nationals possibly pursuing a big bat this winter, someone who could be inserted into the heart of their lineup between Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy and add some more consistent firepower to a batting order that was effective this season but seemed to be lacking at times. Some have since raised an important question that ties into that subject: Do the Nationals have enough money to sign a big-name batter like that? So let's delve into that matter,...
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Baker finishes third in NL Manager of the Year vote, Roberts wins

Baker finishes third in NL Manager of the Year vote, Roberts wins
Dusty Baker finished third in voting for National League Manager of the Year, recognized by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America for helping lead the Nationals back to the postseason in his first season at the helm. Dave Roberts, who had to overcome a Dodgers club ravaged by injuries in order to win a division title, won this year's award. The rookie manager received 16 of 30 first-place votes and 108 total points in balloting performed by two writers from each NL city...
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Could the Nationals pursue another big bat this winter?

Could the Nationals pursue another big bat this winter?
The Nationals' top needs this winter are fairly clear-cut. They need a closer, whether they re-sign Mark Melancon or acquire someone else. They need a catcher, whether they bring back the rehabbing Wilson Ramos, give Pedro Severino a chance or look outside the organization. They need to decide whether Trea Turner is their center fielder or shortstop, and address any domino effects of that decision. Here, though, is a less clear-cut question currently facing the Nationals front office as the...
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Turner finishes second to Seager in Rookie of the Year voting

Turner finishes second to Seager in Rookie of the Year voting
Trea Turner was phenomenal for half a season. But Corey Seager was great for the full season, and that's why the Dodgers shortstop beat out the Nationals center fielder for National League Rookie of the Year. Seager was named the winner this evening, a unanimous choice by all 30 voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (two from each NL city) and 150 total points. Turner finished second with 11 second-place votes and nine third-place votes, while Dodgers right-hander...
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Your primer to this week's BBWAA award announcements

Your primer to this week's BBWAA award announcements
The season ended two weeks ago, free agents are beginning to sign with new clubs and every team around baseball is fully ensconced in reshaping rosters for 2017. But first, there's still one final task that must be completed before everyone can truly turn the page on the 2016 season: Hand out the major individual awards. That process will play out over the next four nights as the winners of the four awards given out by the Baseball Writers' Association of America are announced. It begins...
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Did Burnett earn a major league contract for 2017?

Did Burnett earn a major league contract for 2017?
As we transition into offseason mode here, we've been reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We conclude today with Sean Burnett, who returned to D.C. in September and impressed. PLAYER REVIEW: SEAN BURNETT Age on opening day 2017: 34 How acquired: Purchased from the Twins, August 2016 MLB service time: 8 years, 116 days 2016 salary: $1 million Contract status: Free agent 2016 stats: 0-0, 3.18 ERA, 10 G, 0 SV, 0 BS, 5.2 IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 1HR, 1BB, 3SO, 0 HBP, 1.059 WHIP, 0.1...
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Source: Heisey returning to Nats on one-year deal

Source: Heisey returning to Nats on one-year deal
Chris Heisey, a key member of what became a productive bench for the Nationals this season, is returning in 2017. Heisey has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Nats worth $1.4 million plus incentives, according to a source familiar with the deal. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick was first to report the signing, which won't become official until Heisey passes a physical. The 31-year-old outfielder joined the Nationals last winter on a minor league contract, then played his way onto the...
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How prominent a role could Glover have in 2017 bullpen?

How prominent a role could Glover have in 2017 bullpen?
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Koda Glover, who surprisingly emerged from the minors as a power-armed reliever. PLAYER REVIEW: KODA GLOVER Age on opening day 2017: 23 How acquired: Eighth-round pick, 2015 draft MLB service time: 51 days 2016 salary: $507,500 Contract status: Under team control in 2017, arbitration-eligible in 2020, free agent in 2023 2016 stats: 2-0, 5.03 ERA, 19 G, 0 SV, 2 BS,...
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Nats need Perez to be more consistently effective in 2017

Nats need Perez to be more consistently effective in 2017
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Oliver Perez, who had an erratic first season in the Nats bullpen. PLAYER REVIEW: OLIVER PEREZ Age on opening day 2017: 35 How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2015 MLB service time: 12 years, 144 days 2016 salary: $3 million Contract status: Signed for $4 million in 2017, free agent in 2018 2016 stats: 2-3, 4.95 ERA, 64 G, 0 SV, 1 BS, 40 IP, 38 H, 22 R, 22...
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Murphy, Ramos win first career Silver Slugger Awards

Murphy, Ramos win first career Silver Slugger Awards
Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos each won Silver Slugger Awards this evening, further confirmation of the standout offensive performers the two key members of the Nationals lineup were this season. It's the first Silver Slugger, awarded to the best offensive player at each position in each league by managers and coaches, for both Murphy and Ramos. And both had air-tight cases to win. Murphy led all National League second basemen in homers (25), RBIs (104), slugging percentage (.595) and OPS...
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Murphy voted NL Most Outstanding Player by peers

Murphy voted NL Most Outstanding Player by peers
Daniel Murphy earned the Nationals' first end-of-season award tonight when he was named the National League's Most Outstanding Player as part of the annual Players Choice Awards. Murphy was selected by his peers in the NL in voting that was conducted in mid-September. He beat out the Cubs' Kris Bryant and the Rockies' Nolan Arenado, the other two finalists. "That, for me, is the highest praise you can get: to be recognized by your peers," Murphy said during the award show televised on MLB...
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Trusted in key late spots, Solis figures prominently in '17

Trusted in key late spots, Solis figures prominently in '17
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Sammy Solis, who wound up as one of the club's most reliable left-handers out of the bullpen. PLAYER REVIEW: SAMMY SOLIS Age on opening day 2017: 28 How acquired: Second-round pick, 2010 draft MLB service time: 1 year, 118 days 2016 salary: $507,500 Contract status: Under team control in 2017, arbitration-eligible in 2019, free agent in 2022 2016 stats: 2-4, 2.41...
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