Span on time in D.C.: "I had a lot of fun there"

Span on time in D.C.: "I had a lot of fun there"
His career did not start off the way he wanted. As a matter of fact, he was surprised he didn't make the team out of spring training back in 2008. Outfielder Denard Span had already spent five seasons in the minor leagues. In spring training with the Twins in 2008, he felt he had done enough to make the squad after hitting .282. The spring prior, Span had hit .302. "My rookie year was a special one to me because I got sent down after spring training," Span said. "I didn't make the team. I...

Tracking down former Nats pitchers

Tracking down former Nats pitchers
Yesterday, we tracked down some former Nationals position players to see what has become of them since we last saw them. Today we look at former pitchers, with some particularly notable and memorable names in this bunch. ROSS DETWILER The sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft had a few big moments during his Nationals career - most notably, he tossed a gem in the must-win Game 4 of the 2012 National League Division Series against the Cardinals - but he never could sustain it. The Nats decided...

Scherzer faces Fister as Nats hit the road to play Astros

Scherzer faces Fister as Nats hit the road to play Astros
KISSIMMMEE, Fla. - The Nationals will see an old friend in today's exhibition game against the Astros. Right-hander Doug Fister, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal with Houston in the offseason, will make the start for the home team. Washington counters with righty Max Scherzer, who will be making his second start of the spring. Once again, not a lot of regulars on the trip. The Nationals are excited to play the Astros, who are only an hour away and the closest opponent on the Grapefruit...

Out of the Park: The blizzard, Throwback Tuesday and new attire

Out of the Park: The blizzard, Throwback Tuesday and new attire
Well, Winter Storm Jonas came through the area last weekend and crushed D.C. like Bryce Harper crushes fastballs. It also crushed MASN broadcaster F.P. Santangelo's elbow from all the snow it left for shoveling. Is there a Tommy John for shoveling snow? #leftarmprobs -- F.P. Santangelo (@FightinHydrant) January 25, 2016 Although Jonas left everyone stuck in their houses and exhausted from shoveling almost three feet of snow, the storm also left a pretty scene at Nationals Park. A beautiful...

Doug Fister signs one-year deal with Astros (with spring uniform photos)

Doug Fister signs one-year deal with Astros (with spring uniform photos)
Free agent right-hander Doug Fister has signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Astros after pitching the last two seasons for the Nationals. Washington acquired Fister from the Tigers in December 2013 in exchange for infielder Steve Lombardozzi, left-hander Ian Krol and minor league lefty Robbie Ray. Fister became arguably the Nationals' most effective starter in 2014, going 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA and winning the only game for Washington in the National League Division Series. Fister, who...

Doug Fister is off the board

Doug Fister is off the board
So much for the Orioles signing Doug Fister to fill out their rotation. The Astros have agreed to terms with Fister on a one-year deal. The club confirmed it in a tweet this morning. SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports that Fister will receive a guaranteed $7 million, and performance bonuses can push the total value to $12 million. The Orioles were interested in Fister, but they also had concerns about his health. He reportedly sought a two-year deal for around $22 million and the Orioles...

Another look at Yovani Gallardo, Doug Fister and the pitching market

Another look at Yovani Gallardo, Doug Fister and the pitching market
So O's executive vice president Dan Duquette told MLB Network Radio that the Orioles prefer to not give up the No. 14 pick in the draft. The O's have been linked to free agent right-handed pitcher Yovani Gallardo and would lose that pick if they signed him. Duquette said, "The question for us is, are we willing to give up our first-round pick and so far that answer has been no." I guess that also means the answer could potentially change to yes if Gallardo's salary demands or contract...

Because You Asked - Seventh Inning Fetch

Because You Asked - Seventh Inning Fetch
It's sequel time here at School of Roch, as I deliver the latest installment of "Because You Asked." The question keep pouring in and I do my best to answer them as many times as humanly possible. I'm giving you one-stop shopping this morning, but we're out of milk and bread. Do the Orioles still have their offer on the table to Yoenis Cespedes? This one became outdated late last night after Cespedes agreed to a three-year, $75 million deal with the Mets that included an opt-out after one...

Are the Orioles moving away from Gallardo?

Are the Orioles moving away from Gallardo?
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is reluctant to talk specifics with the local media when it pertains to free agents and potential trade partners. He sees no benefit in showing his hand to the rest of the industry. However, Duquette tends to be a little more forthcoming on MLB Network Radio, the latest example coming this morning. Speaking with former executives Jim Duquette (his cousin) and Jim Bowden, he basically took the Orioles out of the running for pitcher Yovani Gallardo...

Thoughts on Fowler, Fister, Cespedes and remaining arbitration eligibles

Thoughts on Fowler, Fister, Cespedes and remaining arbitration eligibles
This is the time of year when the Orioles are linked to just about every free agent on the market, no matter the position or potential cost. The speculation intensifies if the player actually matches a need. The Orioles continue their search for an outfielder, with right field the preference but not necessarily a requirement. Though Hyun Soo Kim projects more as a left fielder due to his arm, the club doesn't want to limit it's choices by making that decision in January. Dexter Fowler has...

Notes on Chen, Parra and more offseason moves for the Orioles and Nationals

Notes on Chen, Parra and more offseason moves for the Orioles and Nationals
The Miami Marlins have signed pitcher Wei-Yin Chen and the Colorado Rockies have added outfielder Gerardo Parra, so that puts the Orioles in the middle of trade speculation and free agent signings with pitchers. The news focus is left-handed batting outfielders, whether it is the Nationals or the Orioles. Parra, who played for the Orioles last season, gets three years and $27 million. He gives the Rockies four left-handed hitting outfielders along with Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon and...

With rotation spot available, Cole adding weight and strength for long run

With rotation spot available, Cole adding weight and strength for long run
The major league debut for right-hander A.J. Cole did not go as well as he might have envisioned. That night at Turner Field certainly did not demonstrate the capabilities the laser-throwing prospect had shown at the minor league level. In his April 28 debut at Atlanta, Cole registered two innings and allowed nine runs, four them earned on nine hits, with one walk, one strikeout on 55 pitches. "The way I look at it is it's good to get up there and get the feel for it. I went down and had a...

Report: Nationals pursuing free agent starter Mike Leake (offer extended)

Report: Nationals pursuing free agent starter Mike Leake (offer extended)
NASHVILLE - The Nationals have been preparing for the departures of veteran free agent right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister from their starting rotation. General manager Mike Rizzo has said in recent weeks that he was content in plugging right-handers Joe Ross and Tanner Roark into the starting five joining fellow righties Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg along with left-hander Gio Gonzalez. But Rizzo always is intrigued by adding strong starting pitching, even when it may not seem...

Breaking down the local free agents and who might be interested in them

Breaking down the local free agents and who might be interested in them
The free agent season has arrived and the two local nines will look different in 2016 given their free agent list and the value of those players on the open market. The Nationals and Orioles won't be able to keep everyone. Every team needs pitching and the list for free agent starting pitchers is long, so how will that affect the market? The Orioles need rotation help and stability in their outfield corners. The Nationals, with new manager Dusty Baker, have to fix their bullpen and decide how...

Which Nationals receive qualifying offers before today's deadline?

Which Nationals receive qualifying offers before today's deadline?
The time many Nationals fans have been dreading is nearing. Free agency officially begins after the clock strikes midnight, meaning beloved veterans Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Denard Span, Doug Fister, Matt Thornton and Dan Uggla have the right to sign elsewhere. Before then, the Nationals have until 5 p.m. today to extend a qualifying offer to any of their pending free agent players. The qualifying offer is a one-year deal worth $15.8 million, the average of the top 125 salaries in the...

The Nationals and qualifying offers

The Nationals and qualifying offers
Baseball is a game dictated by numbers, and we now know an important one that will help shape the offseason. Sports Business Journal reported late last week that the qualifying offer for pending free agents this year will be $15.8 million, up from $15.3 million last offseason. The figure is determined by averaging together the top 125 salaries in the major leagues. Teams have until five days after the World Series to extend a qualifying offer to their prospective free agents, and the players...

Jonathan Papelbon brushes off first blown save

Jonathan Papelbon brushes off first blown save
PHILADELPHIA - Recently acquired Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon gave the few thousand Phillies fans left in the 10th inning last night exactly what they came to Citizens Bank Park to see. Tasked with locking down a 7-6 lead, Papelbon surrendered a leadoff homer to Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis. Until the game-tying leadoff blast, Papelbon had been the lone remaining closer in the majors this season without a blown save. In fact, the last time he coughed up a lead was exactly one year...

In rough and unexpected season, Doug Fister picks up first save

In rough and unexpected season, Doug Fister picks up first save
PHILADELPHIA - Raise your hand if you had Doug Fister saving a near meaningless game in mid-September this season. That's exactly what happened last night when manager Matt Williams called on Fister for the first time in 13 days to close out a seesaw contest that left the Nationals leading the Phillies 8-7 in the bottom of the 11th. Fister walked Cameron Rupp to start the frame, but then settled down, whiffing Andres Blanco and Odubel Herrera before getting Freddy Galvis to line out to end the...

Tanner Roark or Doug Fister could step in for Joe Ross if he has reached innings limit

Tanner Roark or Doug Fister could step in for Joe Ross if he has reached innings limit
The Nationals were able to get almost to the fifth inning Sunday with right-handed rookie starter Joe Ross in an 8-4 win over the Braves. But manager Matt Williams and pitching coach Steve McCatty saw that Ross' fastball velocity was down from what he had delivered in the past. "Today starting in the third inning, the fastball was down to 90 mph, which is a sign of fatigue," Williams said. "He got through that one, he got through the fourth. But with the lefties coming up there, we're not...

Nationals set to open crucial series in St. Louis

Nationals set to open crucial series in St. Louis
Trailing the Mets by 5 1/2 games, the Nationals are set to open a crucial three-game series in St. Louis while New York prepares to host the last place Phillies. Yesterday's 7-4 win over the Marlins secured the Nats' fourth consecutive series win since Aug. 18, yet they've actually lost a game in the standings to the red-hot Mets over the stretch. "We got a long way to go," Jayson Werth said after driving in three runs in Sunday's win over the Marlins. "We got a tough three-game road...