Espinosa impressed with young talent in Nats system

Espinosa impressed with young talent in Nats system
The Nationals farm system helped general manager Mike Rizzo make a trade this week for Tom Gorzelanny. Two minor league pitchers, Graham Hicks and A.J. Morris, were sent to the Chicago Cubs along with outfield prospect Michael Burgess. The team still has prospects that have impressed. making it easier for Rizzo to make such moves because there is finally some organizational depth to work from now, and other major league teams are taking notice. Rizzo has some pieces to play with now. The...

Riggleman: Starters Nationals have can be successful

Riggleman: Starters Nationals have can be successful
General manager Mike Rizzo used the word "disappointed" when describing the Nationals' efforts to obtain a top of the rotation starter during the winter. Although there is still a chance a starting pitcher could be brought on from the free agent market or by trade prior to spring training, manager Jim Riggleman still feels pretty good about the 2011 starting rotation with the guys that are available now and back healthy from an injury-plagued 2010. "I think our starting pitching will be...

NatsFest scheduled for March 30 (updated)

NatsFest scheduled for March 30 (updated)
The Washington Nationals have announced that the third annual NatsFest will take place on Wednesday, March 30. In previous years, the Nationals hosted a winter caravan leading up to NatsFest in late January, but they are trying a new approach in 2011. The event is on a Wednesday, though the team believes fan participation will be higher than ever. "Through this event, we hope to engage our fans like never before and get them excited for what is sure to be an electrifying baseball season,"...

Detwiler says hip is healthy, ready for Viera

Detwiler says hip is healthy, ready for Viera
Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler has had a productive offseason as he recovers from a nagging hip injury that slowed down his 2010 season. Due to the injury, Detwiler was limited to five starts in 2010, appearing in eight games with a 1-3 record and finishing with a 4.25 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. Detwiler has been working out in his native Missouri in the offseason under the direction of Nationals head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz and believes he will be ready to go for spring training. "It...

Espinosa regaining hand strength, will be 100 percent for Viera

Espinosa regaining hand strength, will be 100 percent for Viera
Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa told me on 106.7 The Fan in D.C. that his hand is healing well from hamate surgery and he will be good to go for next month's spring training. He says injured players are expected to report to Viera, Fla., on Feb.13. "I am working out," Espinosa said. "It has gone really well. I have progressed very quickly. I really like where I am at (with the recovery from surgery). My scar has healed great. My hand strength is higher than it was when I was...

Riggleman pencils in 2011 starting lineup

Riggleman pencils in 2011 starting lineup
Now that the Nationals have Adam LaRoche in the fold and patrolling first base, the 2011 starting nine is taking shape. So without Adam Dunn in the cleanup spot, does that mean that Jayson Werth will instantly slide into that role? Manager Jim Riggleman says Werth can go there sometimes. So could Ryan Zimmerman or LaRoche, depending on pitching matchups. With left-handed hitters Nyjer Morgan, Roger Bernadina, Rick Ankiel, Corey Brown, LaRoche and switch-hitter Danny Epinosa, Riggleman has...

Nats owners impressed with Ted Leonsis

Nats owners impressed with Ted Leonsis
Speaking at a Washington Post breakfast forum sports business featuring the owners of area teams Tuesday morning, Washington Nationals principal owners Robert Tanenbaum and Marla Lerner Tanenbaum discussed the challenges of owning and developing a baseball team in the nation's capital. Joined by Redskins owners Dan Snyder, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and D.C. United owner Will Chang, the group fielded questions from the Post's Mary Jordan about the market, the business, failures, customer...

Bryce Harper is Baseball America's top prospect in Nats' system

Bryce Harper is Baseball America's top prospect in Nats' system
It is always fun when you can complete a top 10 list and your No. 1 prospect in the organization is considered arguably the best amateur hitting prospect of all time. Bryce Harper was picked No. 1 overall by the Nationals in the June draft, signed in mid-August, played in the instructional league and then rode the taxi squad in Scottsdale to the Arizona Fall League title. With naysayers skeptical of his placement in the advanced league in the first place, Harper went out and hit a...

Nats' top prospects - No. 2: Derek Norris

Nats' top prospects - No. 2: Derek Norris
What a season it was for catcher Derek Norris. After fighting through a hand injury and getting hit in the head with a pitched ball, Norris rebounded with championships in the Carolina League and the Arizona Fall League. Baseball America ranks Derek Norris as the No.2 overall prospect in the Nationals organization. Aaron Fitt of Baseball America says Norris has the potential to be as good offensively as what the Nats have at the major league level. "(Norris) has got more offensive upside...

Riggleman: "Subtle" move will pay dividends for years to come

Riggleman: "Subtle" move will pay dividends for years to come
Manager Jim Riggleman is excited about how the 2011 Nationals shape up with a new right fielder - and now a new first baseman in Adam LaRoche. "I think the acquisitions that Mike Rizzo has made and that the Lerners were supportive of throughout this off season have been outstanding," Riggleman said. "They are going to pay dividends in (2011) and the future." Riggleman points to the Jayson Werth signing and Josh Willingham trade as the first two big alterations that really could adjust...

Local SABR event scheduled for Jan. 29

Local SABR event scheduled for Jan. 29
The 37th annual meeting of the Bob Davids Chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) will be held at the Holiday Inn Rossyln at the Key Bridge on Saturday, Jan.29 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Guests and non-members are invited to attend. The cost is $32 and includes a lunch buffet. The day-long event will include baseball trivia, elections of officers, networking, speakers, baseball books, presentations, raffles and more. In the morning, David Vincent will present research on...

Tanenbaums to speak at sports business forum

Tanenbaums to speak at sports business forum
On Tuesday, Jan.11, The Washington Post will host "Scoring Big: The Business of Sports," a breakfast forum featuring local sports executives. Nationals owners Robert Tanenbaum and Marla Lerner Tanenbaum are scheduled to participate in the event. Other participants include Redskins owners Dan Snyder, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and D.C. United owner Will Chang. Mary Jordan, editor of Washington Post Live, will moderate the conversation. The forum will also be streamed live at ...

Arizona writer: LaRoche "so natural and so smooth" at first base

Arizona writer: LaRoche "so natural and so smooth" at first base
Nick Piecoro covers the Diamondbacks for the Arizona Republic and saw first-hand last season what kind of player Adam LaRoche is and how he set the bar very high at first base for his team. Piecoro witnessed a transition in Arizona at first base that the Nationals are embarking on today. He says Nats fans will see a big difference defensively between Adam Dunn and LaRoche. "At one point, Adam Dunn was here in Arizona, then Conor Jackson and Chad Tracy were converted first basemen,"...

Nats' top prospects - No. 3: Danny Espinosa

Nats' top prospects - No. 3: Danny Espinosa
Making a big splash for the Nationals in September 2010 was shortstop/second baseman Danny Espinosa. The Long Beach State product smacked three homers and had 10 RBIs in his first five games, including a dramatic grand slam, getting the home crowd pumped for the future of an Ian Desmond/Espinosa double-play combination in the middle of the Nationals' infield. Espinosa followed up his September debut with an impressive run in Puerto Rico during the winter, hitting .281 with six doubles, two...

Nats' top prospects - No. 4: A.J. Cole

Nats' top prospects - No. 4: A.J. Cole
One of the other big signings coming out of the 2010 draft is Oviedo, Fla., right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole. The Nationals gave the 18-year-old (he turns 19 Wednesday) a $2 million signing bonus, reportedly the highest ever given a fourth-round selection. The 6-foot-5 Cole pitched one inning for Single-A Vermont last summer, and then spent a great deal of time honing his skills at fall instructional league in Viera, Fla. Aaron Fitt of Baseball America ranked Cole as the No. 4 overall prospect...

Nats' top prospects - No. 5: Wilson Ramos

Nats' top prospects - No. 5: Wilson Ramos
Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos did quite well for himself after being acquired from the Minnesota Twins organization last season in the Matt Capps trade. Ramos batted .278 in 22 games with 79 at-bats, seven doubles, one homer and five RBI. Even with such a short amount of time in D.C. with his new team, Baseball America rates Ramos as the No. 5 prospect in the Nats system. Aaron Fitt of Baseball America says Ramos' play is impressive because of the way he protects his pitcher. "Ramos...

Nats' top prospects - No. 6: Sammy Solis

Nats' top prospects - No. 6: Sammy Solis
Not a bad summer at all for left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis. He gets drafted by the Nats in June, signs a deal over slot, pitches well in Hagerstown with two starts and then with Scottsdale, minutes from his home, wins the championship game of Arizona Fall League. Not bad, not bad at all. Solis was 1-0 with a 3.80 ERA with the Scorpions, starting five games, striking out 12 batters and allowing only 10 earned runs. And now Solis is ranked No. 6 on the Nationals' Top 10 prospect list...

How is Philadelphia reacting to loss of Werth?

How is Philadelphia reacting to loss of Werth?
So how is Philadelphia reacting to the loss of Jayson Werth? Former Phillies standout John Kruk was on ESPN talking about the team's signing of Cliff Lee. He told the story of when he woke up his son with the news, "Guess who the Phillies signed?" His son answered, "Did they get Jayson Werth back?!" It gives you an idea of the impact of Werth had on the Phillies and their fans. Matt Gelb covers the Phillies for the Philadelphia Inquirer. I asked Gelb to go back to the first time...

Nats' top prospects - No. 7: Cole Kimball

Nats' top prospects - No. 7: Cole Kimball
Coming in at No. 7 on Baseball America's Top 10 Nationals prospects is right-hander Cole Kimball, who made a meteoric rise up the rankings with a very successful 2010 in several challenging leagues. The 25-year old Kimball was ranked fourth among minor league hurlers in the Nats organization in 2009, after posting 122 strikeouts for Single-A Hagerstown in 2008. The 2006 12th-round selection was so good this year, he was rewarded with a place on the 40-man roster last month. Aaron Fitt of...

Plans for Nats baseball academy move forward (updated)

Plans for Nats baseball academy move forward (updated)
The D.C. City Council has approved a lease with the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation to build the long-awaited baseball academy at Fort Dupont Park, Mike Henderson of Nats Daily News reports. The measure, which was approved Tuesday, will allow construction and operation of the youth baseball academy on land transferred to the city in June, as well as an opportunity for the District to provide a $10.2 million grant for financing the project. Chairman Vincent C. Gray pushed for this...