Patrick Reddington: Plays at the plate still in a gray area

Patrick Reddington: Plays at the plate still in a gray area
The Nationals swept the New York Mets with Thursday's win, but on Wednesday night, the Nats came close to blowing a late lead to their National League East rivals. Jordan Zimmermann and the first two members of the Nationals' "A" 'pen, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, handed a 3-1 lead to closer Rafael Soriano, but the veteran right-hander struggled with his command after a couple of days off waiting for a save opportunity. A 2-2 fastball up in the zone to Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud...

Patrick Reddington: Denard Span's on-base streak, a closer look

Patrick Reddington: Denard Span's on-base streak, a closer look
The last time Denard Span failed to reach base in a game, the 30-year-old Washington Nationals center fielder went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. That was on June 28th. Since then, the second-year Nats outfielder has reached base in 33 straight games, lifting his line on the year from .268/.313/.392 to .300/.356/.400 in the process. In the second of those 33 games, Span went 0-for-3 with a walk to get the streak started. 12 games in an 0-for-3,...

Patrick Reddington: Nats' advice shaped Walters

Patrick Reddington: Nats' advice shaped Walters
Zach Walters was 166 games into his professional career after Arizona drafted him in the ninth round of the 2010 Draft out of the University of San Diego when the Nationals acquired him from the Diamondbacks in a July 2011 trade that sent veteran right-hander Jason Marquis to Arizona. "Zach Walters (is a) switch-hitting shortstop that we had seen as an amateur in the college ranks that we really liked," Nats general manager Mike Rizzo explained in a radio interview that summer. "He's...

Patrick Reddington: Delving deeper into Suarez not signing with Nats

Patrick Reddington: Delving deeper into Suarez not signing with Nats
Nationals scouting director Kris Kline was genuinely excited about getting left-hander Andrew Suarez with the Nats' second-round pick, 57th overall in this past June's amateur draft. Kline talked the pitcher up when he spoke to reporters about this year's picks after the second day's selections were completed. "We got Suarez from the University of Miami, who we love," Kline said. "Big lefty. Physical kid. Up to 97 with a plus slider and a plus changeup that commands his stuff very...

Patrick Reddington: Strasburg hopes for better results against Brewers

Patrick Reddington: Strasburg hopes for better results against Brewers
The Nationals were looking for a strong outing from Stephen Strasburg during the finale of the last series they played with the Milwaukee Brewers during Washington's trip to Miller Park in late June. The previous night's 16-inning marathon left the Nats bullpen depleted, but they'd outlasted the Brewers and set themselves up with an opportunity for a three-game sweep of the National League Central's first-place team. Strasburg was in the midst of a rough stretch of starts, however, in which...

Patrick Reddington: Wondering what Zimmermann's future holds

Patrick Reddington: Wondering what Zimmermann's future holds
While Ian Desmond's name was in the headline of FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal's article this week about the Nationals being in the market for a young shortstop who could potentially replace the 28-year-old infielder if he leaves as a free agent after the 2015 campaign, Jordan Zimmermann's name came up, as well. The Nats' 2007 second-round pick is due to become a free agent after next season. Both Desmond and Zimmermann were rumored to be discussing long-term deals last winter before each...

Patrick Reddington: Clippard finishes off one impressive battle against Rockies slugger

Patrick Reddington: Clippard finishes off one impressive battle against Rockies slugger
A half-inning after Ian Desmond's solo home run off Colorado Rockies right-hander Matt Belisle put the Nationals up 4-3 in the series finale in the nation's capital on Wednesday night, Nats set-up man Tyler Clippard took the mound with the top of the Rockies order due up. The Nationals' 29-year-old reliever came out of the bullpen to face Charlie Blackmon, Drew Stubbs and Justin Morneau, but if any of the three reached base, Troy Tulowitzki was due to bat fourth. Blackmon lined out to left....

Patrick Reddington: Changes in mental approach helped Roark, Souza become more major league-ready

Patrick Reddington: Changes in mental approach helped Roark, Souza become more major league-ready
Tanner Roark struggled at Triple-A in 2012, but "just got over it mentally," as he put it this past winter when asked about his breakout campaign in 2013. "That was the biggest thing," the 27-year-old right-hander said. "I knew I had the tools, I just needed to get out of my own head and that's what helped me come up here and be able to do what I'm doing right now and keep doing what I'm doing, hopefully for a long time." The former Texas Rangers prospect finished the 2012 season at...

Patrick Reddington: Dissecting the Nats' problems against Atlanta

Patrick Reddington: Dissecting the Nats' problems against Atlanta
Heading into the final series of the season with the Atlanta Braves last September, the Nationals were 4-12 against their National League East rivals, with an 0-6 record against the eventual division winners in games played at home in the nation's capital. Then-Nats skipper Davey Johnson was determined to send the Braves a message at the end of a fairly contentious, season-spanning battle between the two teams which saw several players hit with pitches intentional and questionable, ejections...

Patrick Reddington: In drafts, Nationals feel reward often outweighs risk

Patrick Reddington: In drafts, Nationals feel reward often outweighs risk
Anthony Rendon was considered the top hitting prospect in his draft class in 2011. The hard-hitting third baseman was limited to designated hitter duties by a shoulder injury in his final year at Rice University, however, after he suffered ankle injuries in the 2009-2010 seasons, both of which required surgery. So there was some concern about his durability as the First-Year Player Draft approached that June. Five teams passed on Rendon, in spite of the fact that he finished his collegiate...

Patrick Reddington: Denard Span's big month for the Nationals

Patrick Reddington: Denard Span's big month for the Nationals
Determined as he was to produce over a full season what he did in the final two months of his first year in the nation's capital, Nationals center fielder Denard Span struggled to a .233/.295/.314 line in the first 96 plate appearances of 2014. Three weeks later, after a 5-for-5 game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 20, the Nats' 30-year-old leadoff man was up to a .263/.308/.363 line. A 17-game stretch in which he put up a .297/.325/.418 line in 77 plate appearances helped him start to...

Patrick Reddington: The Nationals' once and future closer

Patrick Reddington: The Nationals' once and future closer
In 6 2/3 innings pitched this spring, 26-year-old former Nationals closer Drew Storen gave up nine hits, six walks and six earned runs (8.10 ERA) with opposing hitters posting a .310 batting average against him in Grapefruit League action. Storen endured a tough 2013 campaign in which he was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse for a stretch before returning to finish strong with 19 1/3 innings in the majors that saw him allow just three earned runs (1.40 ERA), while holding opponents to a combined...

Patrick Reddington: Is A.J. Cole the Nationals' next big thing?

Patrick Reddington: Is A.J. Cole the Nationals' next big thing?
Two unearned runs scored on a bases-loaded error by Harrisburg Senators third baseman Adrian Sanchez and two more on came in on a two-out RBI double later in the sixth inning of last night's game in Arm and Hammer Park in Trenton, N.J., where the Senators beat the Trenton Thunder 6-4 with a five-run comeback in the top of the ninth inning. A.J. Cole, 22, left his ninth start of the season after 5 2/3 innings with a 1.97 ERA on the year and the Senators down 4-1. But the Matt Skole-led rally in...

Patrick Reddington: Nats need Desmond to get back on track

Patrick Reddington: Nats need Desmond to get back on track
Ian Desmond is one of three Nationals to play in all 40 games so far this season. Unlike right fielder Jayson Werth (.304/.391/.453) and second/third baseman Anthony Rendon (.282/.312/.479), the other two Nats to play in all 40, the 28-year-old shortstop has struggled at the plate (.226/.275/.368), while committing a major league-leading 10 errors. With the primary backup at short, Danny Espinosa, pressed into everyday action with Ryan Zimmerman on the disabled list, Nats skipper Matt Williams...

Patrick Reddington: Finally, it's time for Fister's debut

Patrick Reddington: Finally, it's time for Fister's debut
Gio Gonzalez said this winter that he was a "big, big fan of Doug Fister." The acquisition of the 6-foot-8 right-hander, according to Gonzalez, was like "knowing that you just got the brand-new car you wanted for Christmas." "For me," Gonzalez said, "when you've got someone with that kind of presence, he's going to set the tone in the fourth spot, fifth spot, first spot, second spot. It doesn't matter where he is in that rotation. He's just going to be to us an ace." Ross Detwiler,...

Patrick Reddington: Minor move pays big dividends for Nationals

Patrick Reddington: Minor move pays big dividends for Nationals
Jayson Werth hit the big game-tying ninth-inning double last Wednesday night, on a 3-0 pitch from Angels closer Ernest Frieri. Adam LaRoche took Fernando Salas to left in the next at bat for a walk-off winner that capped off an improbable comeback in a game the Nationals appeared out of until catcher Jose Lobaton homered to start the bottom of the ninth inning. Both Werth and LaRoche pointed to Lobaton's blast to right field as the spark that got the offense started after they were held to one...

Patrick Reddington: The takeaway from Williams on Harper's benching

Patrick Reddington: The takeaway from Williams on Harper's benching
Late in the 2012 campaign, former Nationals manager Davey Johnson, who was tasked with helping to oversee the first two years of Bryce Harper's development as a major leaguer, was asked if there was anything he would like to see the then-19-year-old change? He said, "No," initially. "I like him just the way he is, to answer your question," Johnson told the reporter who asked. The all-out, hard-nosed, free-wheeling, super-aggressive approach Harper, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, brought...

Patrick Reddington: Former piece now part of Nats bullpen

Patrick Reddington: Former piece now part of Nats bullpen
General manager Mike Rizzo told reporters during Rafael Soriano's introductory press conference in the winter of 2013 that the signing a week earlier of first baseman Adam LaRoche freed the Nationals up to deal one year of control of Michael Morse to the Mariners in the three-team trade with Seattle and the Oakland A's that went through on the night before Soriano's official introduction. The deal netted the Nationals right-handers A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen and left-hander Ian Krol. Cole,...

Patrick Reddington: Looking at Aaron Barrett's road to the big leagues

Patrick Reddington: Looking at Aaron Barrett's road to the big leagues
Matt Williams and Aaron Barrett first crossed paths in the Arizona Fall League in 2012. Williams, in his first managing gig at any level of the game, and Barrett, then 24 and coming off a strong campaign split between low and high Single-A in the Nationals' system, were both members of a Salt River Rafters roster that made it to the AFL Championship game that fall. After a dominant season on the mound as a 24-year-old in the low minors that season, Barrett embraced the opportunity to test...

Patrick Reddington: Casting a watchful eye to the farm

Patrick Reddington: Casting a watchful eye to the farm
Four of Washington's minor league affiliates started their respective 2014 campaigns Thursday night. There are interesting prospects to follow throughout the Nationals organization, so we decided to take a look at five players we'll be following closely this season on MiLB.tv or on trips to minor league parks. Matt Purke: Taken 14th overall by the Texas Rangers in 2009, Purke didn't sign, choosing instead to attend Texas Christian University where the left-hander put together an impressive...