Nationals Chatter: Harper, Harper, Harper and power rankings

Nationals Chatter: Harper, Harper, Harper and power rankings
Bryce Harper. Those two words dominated headlines not just in Washington, D.C., but all around baseball this past week - whether it was for his lack of hustle in Saturday's game against the Cardinals or for his hyped matchup with the Angels' Mike Trout. Here are a few headlines you may have missed from other media outlets regarding Harper and the Nationals. * Manager Matt Williams has received praise from many in the media over the way he handled the Harper situation. FOXSports.com's...

Nationals Chatter: Injury plague strikes, Williams on replay, more on Harper and Robinson

Nationals Chatter: Injury plague strikes, Williams on replay, more on Harper and Robinson
Much of the past week was dominated by the Nationals' injury woes. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and center fielder Denard Span are the latest Nats to hit the disabled list. Zimmerman is expected to be out four to six weeks after fracturing his right thumb on Saturday, while Span was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list after a collision with the Braves' Dan Uggla last Friday. In between injuries, the Nats were swept by Atlanta, but got back on the winning side of things after...

Nationals Chatter: Zimmerman fantasy tips, Rendon feature and more on Harper

Nationals Chatter: Zimmerman fantasy tips, Rendon feature and more on Harper
The Nationals made it through the first week with a 4-2 record. The Nats swept the Mets in New York, but then dropped their first series to the Braves at Nats Park. The team was bit by the injury bug several times in the first week, losing catcher Wilson Ramos and outfielder Scott Hairston while third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's status is in limbo for the time being. Here are some stories you may have missed about the Nationals from other media outlets during the first week of the season. *...

Nationals Chatter: Recovery comparisons, Williams and Desmond profiles

Nationals Chatter: Recovery comparisons, Williams and Desmond profiles
Happy new year, baseball fans! I know 2014 technically started in January, so I guess I should be more specific. Happy baseball new year! The Nationals kicked off the 2014 season in dramatic, extra-inning fashion on Monday. With the excitement of opening day, you may have missed some stories about the team from other media outlets. * Back in 2012 the Nats were in the midst of a division race with the Atlanta Braves. In early September, the team decided to shutdown ace Stephen Strasburg because...

Nationals Chatter: Nats seek identity, LaRoche's popularity grows, Desmond contract and more

Nationals Chatter: Nats seek identity, LaRoche's popularity grows, Desmond contract and more
This time next week, meaningful baseball will be played. That's right - in just five days, the regular season will be under way. You may have missed some stories from national outlets coming out of the last week of camp. Don't worry, I have you covered. * Several of the Nationals' core players have been together for many years. Many were part of the 2012 team that won the National League East title, but suffered a National League Division Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Last...

Nationals Chatter: Harper feature, drone issues, spring training facility update and more

Nationals Chatter: Harper feature, drone issues, spring training facility update and more
Friday marks the 10-day countdown until the start of the season. We've all missed seeing the boys in red play some meaningful baseball. Don't worry, the Nationals will be playing the Mets very soon. We'll just have to wait a few more days to see the team at Nats Park. Here are a few stories about the Nationals you may have missed from other media outlets. * Nobody can argue that left fielder Bryce Harper is one of the most exciting young talents currently taking the majors by storm....

Nationals Chatter: Rendon spotlight, Williams' lineup, autographed Harper gear

Nationals Chatter: Rendon spotlight, Williams' lineup, autographed Harper gear
Spring is in the air. Everywhere I look around. Just ignore that chance of snow in the forecast. You may have missed what some other media outlets are saying about the Nationals. Don't worry, I have you covered. * Infielders Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa are competing to win the starting job at second base. CBS St Louis' Rich Arleo is taking the time to profile one young player from each of the 30 major league clubs. Arleo's pick for the Nats is Rendon. Arleo believes the second...

Nationals Chatter: Strasburg offers advice, Zimmerman talks fatherhood, and more

Nationals Chatter: Strasburg offers advice, Zimmerman talks fatherhood, and more
Baseball games are being played. I repeat. Baseball games are being played. Who cares if the games are relatively meaningless? It's baseball and I'm happy. Check out below what other outlets are saying about the Nationals. * As everyone knows, Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010. The Nats then placed Strasburg on an innings limit in 2012, the first full season he pitched since having the procedure. The New York Post's Kevin Kernan recently...

Nationals Chatter: Praise for Fister and Williams, spring training facility update and more

Nationals Chatter: Praise for Fister and Williams, spring training facility update and more
Spring is (almost) in the air. That tease of warm weather we had last week was cruel and unusual punishment, Mother Nature. It got me in the mood to go to a baseball game, but instead we're dealing with frigid temperatures. How many more days until opening day? With the Nationals officially in the second week of spring training, several national outlets made a trip to Viera. Read all the latest stories on the Nats below. * USA TODAY's Paul White stopped by Nationals camp a few days ago and...

Nationals Chatter: Searching for a new spring training complex, use of a drone and fantasy outlook

Nationals Chatter: Searching for a new spring training complex, use of a drone and fantasy outlook
Ah, springtime has arrived. Well, not here in the D.C. area, but in Viera, Fla. The Nationals began spring training last week, giving us baseball in our lives once again. Several publications have written about the Nationals over the last week. Read below for a national roundup. * The Nationals' search for a new spring training home as taken another turn. The Nats have asked former congressman Mark Foley of Florida to serve as a lobbyist for the Nationals. The team is said to be interested...

Nationals Chatter: Williams profile, Fister compares rotations, Johnson to meet family friend

Nationals Chatter: Williams profile, Fister compares rotations, Johnson to meet family friend
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love you tomorrow!" Excuse my willingness to quote the musical "Annie," but baseball will be back tomorrow. Nationals pitchers and catchers are set to report to spring training tomorrow. Baseball is back. Here are a few stories involving the Nationals over the last few days. * USA TODAY's Paul White wrote an in-depth feature on how new technological analytics have changed the relationship between managers and general managers. Because of the new analytics,...

Nationals Chatter: Spring training site in limbo, plus Blevins and Stammen reunite and more

Nationals Chatter: Spring training site in limbo, plus Blevins and Stammen reunite and more
Eight days. Eight days are all that remain of a baseball-less offseason. That's right, pitchers and catchers report next Thursday. As we approach the final week of the offseason, let's take a look at what others are saying about the Nats. * The Nationals' spring training facility saga took another turn this past week. The Nationals have been linked to Fort Myers' stadium as a possible new spring training destination. Those links, however, appear to be in jeopardy. According to...

Nationals Chatter: Offseason report card, ESPN commercial and NatsFest wrap up

Nationals Chatter: Offseason report card, ESPN commercial and NatsFest wrap up
With NatsFest officially in the books, we are one week closer to spring training. There are still a few weeks left of the offseason, however, and many are still talking about the Nationals. * SI.com's Jay Jaffe released his offseason report cards for each team in baseball. Jaffe was very impressed with Mike Rizzo's offseason so far, which includes the hiring of first-year manager Matt Williams. Jaffe gave the Nationals an offseason grade of B+. He points out that the Nationals only spent...

Nationals Chatter: Balfour possibly to D.C., Gonzalez gives back

Nationals Chatter: Balfour possibly to D.C., Gonzalez gives back
We hope you're all recovering from the snowstorm and getting ready for NatsFest! In case you missed it, the Nationals could be looking to add another reliever with extensive closing experience. I know what you're thinking: "Why would the team add another closer when there are already three options on the team?" Insurance, that's why. * Last season, Nationals fans everywhere became captivated with the untucking fascination. To those that aren't familiar with the phenomenon, closer...