Beasley back in the bigs, possible landing spot for LaRoche (plus scouting hires)

With the news that the Nationals have released catcher Jhonatan Solano, the best nickname in the organization is now gone.

"The Onion" was let go yesterday to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, in order for the Nats to protect qualifying minor leaguers from the Rule 5 draft.

I'll miss the various onion jokes that were tossed around when Solano delivered for the Nats in 2012 and 2013 - that Solano had peeled off another hit or that he was cooking up a good game.

Best of luck to the 29-year-old, who surely will land a minor league deal with another organization.

Best of luck also to Tony Beasley, who has left the Nationals organization to join the Rangers as the team's third base coach.

Beasley spent the last four years with the Nats, serving as the manager at Double-A Harrisburg in 2011, Triple-A Syracuse in 2012 and 2013, and then shifting into the role of minor league field coordinator last year.

He was a very well-liked and respected instructor in the Nats system, and always had a smile on his face when I would see him on the fields in Viera during spring training.

The 47-year-old was the Nats third base coach in 2006 and then the Pirates third base coach from 2008-10. He was thought to be an option for the Nats third base coach opening last winter, but the job went to Bob Henley.

Late in the season, I was told by a source that he expected the Marlins to make a heavy push for Adam LaRoche this winter, once LaRoche's 2015 option was declined by the Nationals and he hit free agency.

The Marlins had already started looking into LaRoche, doing their due diligence on him, the source said, and that Miami liked what the veteran first baseman could offer them on and off the field.

Now, with Giancarlo Stanton signed to his megadeal, the Marlins are able to turn their attention to bolstering the rest of their lineup.

ESPN's Jayson Stark reported Stanton's deal is heavily backloaded, allowing the Marlins payroll flexibility in these next few years, and Stark also reported that the Marlins have shown "aggressive interest" in LaRoche. The same source that I spoke to late in the regular season confirmed that yesterday, adding that as of right now, he sees Miami as the favorite to land LaRoche.

The Marlins lack a proven first baseman in their organization, and they want more protection for Stanton in the middle of their order. LaRoche would help in both areas.

After spending the last four years with the Nats, it's very possible that LaRoche doesn't need to leave the NL East to find a new team.

Update: The Nationals this morning announced a series of hirings and promotions within their major league and amateur scouting departments.

Mike Cubbage and Terry Wetzel were named special assistants to president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo.

Cubbage, who played eight major league seasons with the Rangers and Twins, comes to the Nats from the Rays, where he spent the previous nine seasons as a major league scout and a special assistant to the general manager. He has also been a coach for the Mets, Astros and Red Sox, and served as an interim manager of the Mets in 1991. The Charlottesville, Va., native attended the University of Virginia before being drafted by the Washington Senators in 1971.

Wetzel spent the previous 15 seasons with the Rockies as a special assignment scout. He also spent 17 seasons in the Royals scouting department, starting as a part-time scout and rising to senior director of scouting in 1987.

In a continued expansion of their amateur scouting operation, the Nats added Brandon Larson and Scott Ramsay, who take over newly created scouting territories in the United States. Justin Bloxom, Buddy Hernandez and Steve Leavitt were hired to scout existing territories.

Larson, the 14th overall pick in the 1997 First-Year Player Draft by the Reds, will cover Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Ramsay, who comes to the Nats from the Royals, will cover Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

Bloxom, an 11th-round pick of the Nationals in the 2009 draft, spent six seasons in the organization, topping out at Double-A Harrisburg from 2012-14. He will scout amateur players in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. Leavitt and Hernandez come to the Nats from the Braves. Leavitt will work central and southern California, while Hernandez will scout central and northern Florida.

In addition, the Nationals promoted Eddie Longosz to assistant director of scouting operations. He is in his fifth season with the team.