Barrett outrighted to Syracuse, elects free agency

Barrett outrighted to Syracuse, elects free agency
The Nationals outrighted Aaron Barrett to Triple-A Syracuse today, hoping to keep him in the organization while he recovers from his second major elbow injury in two years. The right-hander, though, instead elected to become a free agent, ending his tenure with the Nats. Barrett had been on the 60-day disabled list all season, but clubs are required to transfer injured players back to the 40-man roster during the offseason. Not wanting to part ways with somebody else already on the roster, the...
Continue reading

Pressure will be on Harper to return to peak form in 2017

Pressure will be on Harper to return to peak form in 2017
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Bryce Harper, who struggled to duplicate his MVP performance from 2015, perhaps in part because of a physical ailment. PLAYER REVIEW: BRYCE HARPER Age on opening day 2017: 24 How acquired: First-round pick, 2010 draft MLB service time: 4 years, 159 days 2016 salary: $5 million Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2017, free agent in 2019 2016 stats: 147 G, 627...
Continue reading

Can Turner duplicate electric second half over full 2017 season?

Can Turner duplicate electric second half over full 2017 season?
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Trea Turner, who didn't arrive in the big leagues until July, but wound up one of the most valuable players on the team. PLAYER REVIEW: TREA TURNER Age on opening day 2017: 23 How acquired: Acquired from Padres with Joe Ross, with Nats trading Steven Souza and Travis Ott to Rays in three-team deal, December 2014 MLB service time: 135 days 2016 salary:...
Continue reading

Can Werth keep it going in seventh and final year of contract?

Can Werth keep it going in seventh and final year of contract?
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Jayson Werth, who despite a slow start managed to put together another solid season even as the outfielder approaches the twilight of his career. PLAYER REVIEW: JAYSON WERTH Age on opening day 2017: 37 How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2010 MLB service time: 13 years, 102 days 2016 salary: $21 million Contract status: Signed for $21 million in 2017, free...
Continue reading

More power in 2017 would make Robinson more valuable to Nats

More power in 2017 would make Robinson more valuable to Nats
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Clint Robinson, who in his second full big league season further established himself as a reliable bench bat who can take over at first base when needed. PLAYER REVIEW: CLINT ROBINSON Age on opening day 2017: 32 How acquired: Signed as minor league free agent, December 2014 MLB service time: 2 years, 28 days 2016 salary: $534,900 Contract status: Under team control...
Continue reading

Drew's strong second half could entice Nats to try to re-sign him

Drew's strong second half could entice Nats to try to re-sign him
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Stephen Drew, who struggled early in his first season in Washington, then managed to become a key performer off the bench despite a prolonged absence due to an unusual ailment. PLAYER REVIEW: STEPHEN DREW Age on opening day 2017: 34 How acquired: Signed as free agent, Jan. 2016 MLB service time: 10 years, 38 days 2016 salary: $3 million Contract status: Free...
Continue reading

After career year halted by ACL tear, uncertain future for Ramos

After career year halted by ACL tear, uncertain future for Ramos
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Wilson Ramos, who enjoyed a career year that included his first-ever All-Star selection, only to have it cut short in the season's final week when he tore the ACL in his right knee. PLAYER REVIEW: WILSON RAMOS Age on opening day 2017: 29 How acquired: Acquired with Joe Testa from Twins for Matt Capps, July 2010 MLB service time: 6 years, 47 days 2016 salary: $5.35...
Continue reading

Nationals retain entire coaching staff for 2017

Nationals retain entire coaching staff for 2017
Dusty Baker's entire coaching staff will return in 2017. The Nationals announced today that all seven coaches on Baker's staff - bench coach Chris Speier, pitching coach Mike Maddux, first base coach Davey Lopes, third base coach Bob Henley, hitting coach Rick Schu, assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones and bullpen coach Dan Firova - have been retained for another season. The news doesn't come as much surprise, given how well-liked the staff was by this year's roster, but most of the coaches...
Continue reading

After sluggish April, Rendon recaptured top form in 2016

After sluggish April, Rendon recaptured top form in 2016
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Anthony Rendon, who got off to slow start but then became one of the club's most consistent and productive hitters in the second half. PLAYER REVIEW: ANTHONY RENDON Age on opening day 2017: 26 How acquired: First-round pick, 2011 draft MLB service time: 3 years, 130 days 2016 salary: $2.8 million Contract status: Arbitration-eligible in 2017. Free agent in...
Continue reading

After an all-too-familiar year, what does future hold for Espinosa?

After an all-too-familiar year, what does future hold for Espinosa?
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Danny Espinosa, who once again tantalized everyone with a midseason power surge, but once again finished with unimpressive numbers because of an inability to consistently make contact. PLAYER REVIEW: DANNY ESPINOSA Age on opening day 2017: 29 How acquired: Third-round pick, 2008 draft MLB service time: 5 years, 113 days 2016 salary: $2.875 million Contract status:...
Continue reading

Once a fallback option, Murphy turned in MVP-caliber year

Once a fallback option, Murphy turned in MVP-caliber year
As we transition into offseason mode here, we're reviewing each significant player on the Nationals roster. We continue today with Daniel Murphy, whose first season in Washington proved to be among the best all-around seasons in Nats history and made the veteran infielder an MVP candidate. PLAYER REVIEW: DANIEL MURPHY Age on opening day 2017: 32 How acquired: Signed as free agent, December 2016 MLB service time: 7 years, 109 days 2016 salary: $8 million Contract status: Signed for $12 million...
Continue reading

What can Nats expect from Zimmerman after difficult season?

What can Nats expect from Zimmerman after difficult season?
As we transition into offseason mode here, we'll begin with reviews of each significant player on the Nationals roster. We begin today with Ryan Zimmerman, the once-reliable slugger who struggled through his worst major league season before finding his stroke just in time for the playoffs. PLAYER REVIEW: RYAN ZIMMERMAN Age on opening day 2017: 32 How acquired: First-round pick, 2005 draft MLB service time: 11 years, 32 days 2016 salary: $14 million Contract status: Signed for $14 million in...
Continue reading

Top five offseason storylines for the Nationals

Top five offseason storylines for the Nationals
It happened much sooner than anyone around here wanted, but it's now officially the offseason in D.C., and there's nothing anybody can do to change that. This figures to be quite a compelling offseason for the Nationals, who will be motivated to do what they can to put themselves in a better position to advance deeper into October in 2017 than they did in 2016. At the same time, most of the necessary pieces are already in place. General manager Mike Rizzo doesn't have to do a whole lot this...
Continue reading

Looking back at what went right during the NLDS

Looking back at what went right during the NLDS
There's been plenty of teeth-nashing, head-banging and face-palming in the last 36 hours over everything that went wrong for the Nationals in Games 4 and 5 of the National League Division Series. That's fine. Losses like this need to be analyzed and rehashed, with an eye on what could have been different. Let's take a moment this morning, though, to do the opposite exercise. Instead of looking at what went wrong in the NLDS, let's take a brief look at what went right. You may be surprised...
Continue reading

Ramos has surgery for torn ACL, Nats say rehab is 6-8 months

Ramos has surgery for torn ACL, Nats say rehab is 6-8 months
Wilson Ramos had surgery to repair the torn ACL in his right knee today, a procedure that may not allow the soon-to-be free agent catcher to be ready for the start of the 2017 season. Ramos also had repairs done to the medial meniscus and lateral meniscus in his knee, the Nationals said. Rehab from the surgery, performed by orthopedist Robert Najarian, is expected to take six to eight months. The 29-year-old catcher was enjoying the best season of his career when he hurt himself leaping to...
Continue reading

Revisiting all the key decisions in the Nationals' Game 5 loss

Revisiting all the key decisions in the Nationals' Game 5 loss
The sting hasn't worn off yet, and it probably won't for quite some time. The Nationals are dispersing around the country today, going home for the winter instead of going to Chicago for a shot at the pennant. Game 5 of the 2016 National League Division Series was an all-timer, one they'll be talking about for years. Whether the Nationals themselves or their fans will ever be able to appreciate that remains to be seen. Certainly it's not something anyone wants to contemplate today. So much...
Continue reading

Nationals left to process another early October exit

Nationals left to process another early October exit
Jayson Werth has been through this before, more times than he'd like to remember. No two postseason elimination games are quite the same, and every season-ending loss hurts in its own way. This one, though, this one was ... well, what exactly was it? The final score said the Nationals lost 4-3 to the Dodgers in the decisive Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The winding path it took to get to that final moment, though, that was unlike anything Werth or others in a somber clubhouse...
Continue reading

Nationals come up short again, lose 4-3 in epic Game 5

Nationals come up short again, lose 4-3 in epic Game 5
This one will require some time to fully process. The crowd of 43,936 that sat, stood, roared and groaned through every moment of Game 5 of the National League Division Series knows only that it just witnessed one of the wildest winner-take-all showdowns in baseball history. Someone will write a novel about this one, maybe on the 66-minute seventh inning alone, the critical frame of the game that featured more highs and lows than you could reasonably imagine. The only thing the fans that filed...
Continue reading

Baker wants fans positive, says Strasburg won't pitch in NLCS

Baker wants fans positive, says Strasburg won't pitch in NLCS
Not that you'd expect anything less from him, but Nationals manager Dusty Baker is particularly relaxed and confident heading into Game 5 of the National League Division Series. And he's been that way all day. "To tell you the truth, I got up, said my prayers like I always do," Baker said when asked what his emotions were like today. "Got a cup of coffee. And then packed for Chicago." The Nationals, of course, will have no need to pack for Chicago if they lose tonight's do-or-die game...
Continue reading

NLDS Game 5 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

NLDS Game 5 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers
And so it has come to this. Game 5. Winner-take-all. One team heads to Chicago this weekend for the National League Championship Series. One team heads home for the winter, wondering what might have been. We've experienced this once before during this era of D.C. baseball. The final outcome is one that continues to haunt everyone. Tonight's result could go a long way toward pushing those bad memories aside. This is, quite simply, Max Scherzer's game. He's rested. He's ready. He was brought...
Continue reading