Nats moving Triple-A affiliate to Rochester (updated)

Nats moving Triple-A affiliate to Rochester (updated)
The Nationals will play Triple-A baseball in Rochester, N.Y., in 2021, a club source has confirmed. The Nats' contract with the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League expired after last season. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Nats ended up playing only 140 games affiliated with Fresno. There is no confirmation how long the Nats' contract is with Rochester. The Nats had a two-year deal in Fresno, and their Triple-A team was based in Syracuse, N,Y., from 2009-18. The...

Uncertainty abounds in minor league reorganization

Uncertainty abounds in minor league reorganization
There is so much uncertainty surrounding the 2021 season, even as the calendar creeps forward and pitchers and catchers are due to report for spring training in three months. And the uncertainty extends well beyond the major league season. If anything, there's even more uncertainty at this moment about the state of Minor League Baseball in 2021. As you probably know by now, Major League Baseball has taken over control of the minors, which for a century operated as its own entity that merely...

Nationals make few changes to minor league staffs

Nationals make few changes to minor league staffs
The Nationals are retaining the vast majority of their minor league coaches from this season, but several will be in new roles in 2020. Among the changes announced by the club today: Longtime Double-A Harrisburg manager Matt LeCroy is shifting to a roving position as quality control coordinator, Triple-A Fresno pitching coach Brad Holman is taking over as minor league pitching coordinator and Billy Gardner becomes LeCroy's replacement as the manager in Harrisburg. Most everyone returns intact...

Task force created to support minor league teams

Task force created to support minor league teams
Officials from two Nationals affiliates, the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies and the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns, yesterday praised the creation of a task force organized by members of Congress to prevent Major League Baseball from eliminating 42 minor league franchises. U.S. Reps. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), David McKinley (R-W.Va.), Max Rose (D-N.Y.), and Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) this week announced the formation of the Save Minor League Baseball Task Force. The four co-chairs said they will closely...

Matt Reynolds on fire in first week with Triple-A Fresno

Matt Reynolds on fire in first week with Triple-A Fresno
Here are some highlights from Sunday's games played by Nationals affiliates: Low Single-A Hagerstown fell to Greensboro 2-1 in 10 innings Sunday. Starter Francys Peguero allowed two hits and no runs in five innings. Angel Guillen kept the Grasshoppers off the board for two more frames. Israel Pineda singled and Jacob Rhinesmith doubled to begin a rally in the fourth for the Suns. Gilbert Lara provided an RBI groundout to stake Hagerstown to a 1-0 lead. He leads the team with seven RBIs to...

Ross joins bullpen after red eye from Fresno (Nats up 12-6)

Ross joins bullpen after red eye from Fresno (Nats up 12-6)
NEW YORK - Desperate for bullpen help only a week and a half into the season, the Nationals have promoted one of their standby starters from the minors to take over a relief role. Joe Ross, who was supposed to open the season in the rotation at Triple-A Fresno, was recalled today, with infielder Adrián Sanchez optioned to Double-A Harrisburg to clear a roster spot. Ross, who had been scheduled to make his first start of the season Monday, instead took a red-eye flight from Fresno to New York...

Fresno Grizzlies announce 2019 radio and television game schedule

Fresno Grizzlies announce 2019 radio and television game schedule
The new Triple-A Nationals affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies, have announced their radio and television broadcast agreements for the 2019 season. All 140 games, and any playoff contests, will be broadcast live on the radio on KRDU 1130 AM from Dinuba, Calif. Nats fans can access the radio broadcasts free of charge on FresnoGrizzlies.com and on the MiLB app. Radio simulcast of every Grizzlies game, home or road, is available on MiLB.tv and FresnoGrizzlies.com to subscribers, with most in high...

Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies unveil new look

Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies unveil new look
The Fresno Grizzlies, the Nationals' new Triple-A affiliate, have announced primary logos, colors and uniforms for the 2019 season. The scarlet, black, gold and beige scheme will be the Grizzlies' new permanent look. The team will wear the "F-slash" cap for road games and on alternate uniforms in 2019. The new primary logo is featured on the scarlet primary home uniform cap. However, the new color scheme was not dependent on the Nats' prominent red and white primary colors. Team president...

Soto working out with Robles in Dominican Republic

Soto working out with Robles in Dominican Republic
Nationals outfielder Juan Soto has been working out in the Dominican Republic with teammate Victor Robles, Mariners outfielder Domingo Santana and others as he gets ready to head to Florida for spring training. It was a whirlwind offseason for Soto as he got to travel to Japan to be a part of a team of major league stars playing exhibition games. This will be the first spring training that Soto will enjoy as a full-fledged major league player after making his debut in May last season. * Former...

Sorting through the Nationals' new Triple-A affiliation

Sorting through the Nationals' new Triple-A affiliation
By now, you've probably heard about the Nationals' new Triple-A affiliate: the Fresno Grizzlies. And yes, that's Fresno, Calif., not Fresno, Ohio. Fresno was not the Nats' first choice for a new Triple-A affiliate, mostly because of its inconvenient location. It's not only the 2,800 miles that separate it from Washington, but the fact the closest nonstop flight you can get from Fresno to Washington is Chicago. Which, as you know, isn't particularly close to Washington. How did this...

Nationals announce deal with Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies

Nationals announce deal with Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies
MIAMI - The Nationals announced they have signed a player development contract with Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo said the club had preferred to go to Nashville, Tenn., after the New York Mets purchased the Syracuse Chiefs. But the Nashville Sounds agreed to a four-year deal with the Texas Rangers. That left the Nats with Fresno. The Houston Astros had left Fresno to...