Last chance to make moves before tonight's expected lockout

Last chance to make moves before tonight's expected lockout
After an awfully quiet start to the offseason, then a furious 48 hours of nonstop news, now baseball has fewer than 24 hours to wrap up any remaining business before the collective bargaining agreement expires and a league-imposed lockout is expected to commence. All of this has made for an unusual couple of days as clubs around the sport rushed to make moves both big and small before a transactions freeze brings a stop to all activity until owners and players can agree on a new CBA. It could...

Suero, Harper, Ford are non-tendered by Nats before deadline

Suero, Harper, Ford are non-tendered by Nats before deadline
The Nationals chose not to tender contracts to relievers Wander Suero and Ryne Harper, plus minor league first baseman Mike Ford, before tonight's league-wide deadline, making all three free agents only 28 hours before Major League Baseball is expected to begin a lockout of players that could stretch through most of the winter. The Nats did tender contracts to all other unsigned players on their 40-man roster, including seven arbitration-eligible players - Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Joe Ross, Erick...

Nationals face tender decisions with nine players today

Nationals face tender decisions with nine players today
After a frantic Monday that saw a handful of clubs handing out hundreds of millions of dollars to free agents like candy, every major league club now faces a busy Tuesday deciding whether or not to retain a bunch of its own players. By 8 p.m. today, teams must tender contracts to all arbitration-eligible players. Those who don't receive offers are non-tendered and immediately become free agents. So while the Nationals have been awfully quiet on the transaction front so far this winter, they...

What kind of payroll is reasonable to expect from Nats next year?

What kind of payroll is reasonable to expect from Nats next year?
The Nationals' lengthy run as one of baseball's most consistently successful franchises coincided with ownership's willingness to spend like one of the sport's richest franchises. In each of the last nine seasons, dating back to 2013, the Nats had one of the majors' 10 highest payrolls. They peaked, appropriately, in 2019, spending more than $205 million on players' salaries en route to their first World Series championship. And while the final tally has fluctuated a bit year to year, it...

Rainey gets another chance with Nats, Suero sent down

Rainey gets another chance with Nats, Suero sent down
In their never-ending quest to find some combination of relievers who can provide quality work late in games, the Nationals recalled Tanner Rainey from Triple-A before today's game against the Rockies and optioned Wander Suero to Rochester. Whether that one transaction makes a significant impact for a bullpen that is running on fumes as the season winds down remains to be seen. But Rainey's experience and recent success in the minors were enough to convince club officials to bring him back up...

Bullpen gives up eight to ruin Rogers' strong start (updated)

Bullpen gives up eight to ruin Rogers' strong start (updated)
The baseball that was displayed for 3 hours and 53 minutes this afternoon at Nationals Park was not of a caliber many in the announced crowd of 16,309 could have found satisfactory. The Nationals and Marlins took turns trying to out-underperform each other, from the Nats' inability to produce with runners in scoring position to the Marlins' inability to play clean defense to both bullpens' inability to protect leads. (Or, in Miami's case, throw strikes with the bases loaded.) It all made...

Nats battle Braves one final time before falling in 10th (updated)

Nats battle Braves one final time before falling in 10th (updated)
If the final month of this lost season is about giving young players a chance to grow and establish their place within the Nationals' plans in 2022 and beyond, tonight's 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Braves provided no shortage of evidence for several potential building blocks on the roster. In both positive and negative ways. The positives: Carter Kieboom and Lane Thomas delivered clutch hits in the late innings. Luis García produced a highlight-reel sequence at the plate and in the field in...

Nats send message, then topple Braves (updated)

Nats send message, then topple Braves (updated)
For Sean Nolin and the Nationals, the message (standing up for a star teammate against an opponent that appeared to hit him on purpose the previous night) superseded all else. If it meant the rest of the pitching staff would face an extreme uphill battle from that point on, so be it. The message, even if nobody would publicly admit it after the fact, was more important. And when Nolin intentionally threw at Freddie Freeman on successive pitches in the bottom of the first tonight in Atlanta,...

Robles optioned to Triple-A, Finnegan on paternity leave

Robles optioned to Triple-A, Finnegan on paternity leave
Victor Robles, not long ago a more highly touted prospect than Juan Soto and only two years ago the starting center fielder on a World Series champion, is now a minor leaguer. The Nationals optioned the slumping Robles to Triple-A Rochester prior to tonight's game against the Phillies, a transaction that had shock value in the moment but in truth was weeks in the making. Andrew Stevenson was recalled from Rochester to take Robles' roster spot. The Nats also placed de facto closer Kyle...

Rainey shut down for now, Suero gets a few days off

Rainey shut down for now, Suero gets a few days off
A two-game interleague series doesn't usually bring for a lot of news and notes at this point in the season. But the Nationals did have some updates on two bullpen arms that are currently down on the farm. Most significantly, Tanner Rainey has been shut down at Triple-A Rochester for the time being with an injury to his side. It's another bad break for the promising young reliever, who is struggling through this season. "Rainey had a pain in his side," Nationals manager Davey Martinez said...

Suero optioned to Rochester, Adams and Guerra join roster

Suero optioned to Rochester, Adams and Guerra join roster
The Nationals optioned Wander Suero to Triple-A Rochester this afternoon, demoting the struggling reliever in hopes of getting him straightened out after a series of late-inning meltdowns that culminated with a blown save Monday night. Suero was one of two players removed from the active roster prior to tonight's game, joining catcher René Rivera, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow contusion. To fill those spots, the Nationals called up just-acquired catcher Riley...

Gray impresses in debut, but bullpen blows it in ninth (updated)

Gray impresses in debut, but bullpen blows it in ninth (updated)
There are going to be more nights like this at Nationals Park the rest of the season, nights that include legitimate reason for optimism and then legitimate reason for anguish. It's up to everyone - the players, the coaches, the front office, the fans - to decide what to care most about. On this unseasonably cool August Monday night, the optimists could look at Josiah Gray's Nationals debut and be thrilled with the young right-hander's five innings of one-run ball and long-term...

Fedde pushed early, Hernandez wins it late for Nats (updated)

Fedde pushed early, Hernandez wins it late for Nats (updated)
If you're wondering - for practical, in-game purposes - what will be different the next two months from everything that came before it, here was a good example in the top of the sixth this afternoon at Nationals Park. Erick Fedde, who had been cruising along against a depleted Cubs lineup, opened that frame allowing a single to Andrew Romine, then a two-run homer to Rafael Ortega at the end of a long, seven-pitch at-bat. The Nationals' lead was down to one, Fedde's pitch count was up to 91...

With chance for sweep, Nats collapse in loss to Phillies (updated)

With chance for sweep, Nats collapse in loss to Phillies (updated)
Would you believe me if I told you this morning that the Nationals would have a very good chance to sweep the Phillies in today's doubleheader after a COVID-19 outbreak in the visitors' clubhouse, trade rumors heating up about Washington's first starting pitching, an ominous forecast all day in Philadelphia and blowing a 7-0 lead in the second game? Well, they did have a chance, but that's not what happened after the Nats followed up a strong win in the first game with a complete collapse...

After rain, Dodgers rally to send Nats back under .500 (updated)

After rain, Dodgers rally to send Nats back under .500 (updated)
The largest crowd at a D.C.-area sporting event since Dec. 22, 2019, when the Washington Football Team hosted the New York Giants in Landover, gathered on South Capitol Street tonight to watch some baseball, get an early start on Independence Day weekend and witness a fireworks display on a picture-perfect Saturday evening. What the sellout crowd of 42,064 at Nationals Park got instead was a compelling yet ultimately frustrating 5-3 loss to the Dodgers, a 1-hour, 44-minute rain delay that...

Bullpen thin today, but help could be coming soon

Bullpen thin today, but help could be coming soon
Asked during his pregame Zoom session with reporters around 2:15 p.m. who he planned to have pitching the late innings today if the Nationals hold a lead, Davey Martinez laughed like a manager who knew there was no simple answer to that question. "Actually, I've got a meeting at 3 o'clock with (pitching coach Jim) Hickey, so we're going to start figuring this stuff out," Martinez said. Suffice it to say, the situation is more complicated than it normally would be. Four key late-inning...

What's the state of the Nats pitching staff entering Sunday?

What's the state of the Nats pitching staff entering Sunday?
So, after all that, what's the state of the Nationals pitching staff heading into today's series finale against the Giants? Not as bad as it could have been, all things considered. But there are still bullpen concerns. The Nats made it through Saturday's 15-inning doubleheader in one piece, thanks to Erick Fedde's five scoreless innings in the opener and Jefry Rodriguez's four scoreless innings in the nightcap. Now they'll turn to Joe Ross for today's nine-inning game. Originally...

Is the bullpen starting to show cracks?

Is the bullpen starting to show cracks?
The Nationals believed they were going to enter the season with as deep a bullpen as they've had in some time. With new closer Brad Hand joining experienced late-inning right-handers Daniel Hudson and Will Harris, plus up-and-comers Tanner Rainey, Wander Suero and Kyle Finnegan, the Nats were reasonably confident they had an ample supply of arms to win games late. Fifty-six games into a 162-game season, they were somewhat right about that. The bullpen has been perhaps the least of the...

Suero activated, Espino optioned to Rochester

Suero activated, Espino optioned to Rochester
The Nationals have activated Wander Suero from the 10-day injured list and will have their workhorse reliever available for tonight's game against the Phillies. To clear space on their active roster for Suero, the Nats optioned veteran right-hander Paolo Espino to Triple-A Rochester. Suero, who had been out since April 18 with a left oblique strain, was cleared to return three days after a one-appearance rehab assignment for Rochester. Starting the game against Lehigh Valley, he gave up two...

Strasburg builds up to 62 pitches, Suero almost ready to return

Strasburg builds up to 62 pitches, Suero almost ready to return
Stephen Strasburg took a significant step forward in his return from a shoulder injury today when he threw 62 pitches over four innings during a simulated game at Nationals Park. Strasburg, out since April 18 with right shoulder inflammation, was initially scheduled to only pitch three innings but felt strong enough after walking off the mound following the third simulated frame to ask for an opportunity to go back out for another. The club's coaching and medical staff agreed, so he wound up...