Nationals reportedly looking at Darren O'Day to help bullpen

Nationals reportedly looking at Darren O'Day to help bullpen
The Nationals may not have to look far to solve some of their bullpen issues this winter. Darren O'Day is widely considered the best free agent reliever available after making his first All-Star team with the Orioles in 2015. ESPN.com reports the Nats and Dodgers are chasing O'Day harder than any other ballclubs, though the Braves, Tigers and Red Sox are also reportedly in the mix for the right-hander's services. O'Day went 6-2 with a 1.50 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 65 1/3 innings in 68...

Sammy Solis flashed in rookie season and finished strong

Sammy Solis flashed in rookie season and finished strong
Beyond the enormous task of hiring the team's next manager, there are a number of personnel decisions Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo faces as the winter coats come out early in the nation's capital. Chief among the problems that helped the Nationals self-destruct in August and September is the bullpen. After trading away Tyler Clippard - who pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Mets in their 4-1 National League Championship Series win last night - the Nats lost late-inning...

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...

Orioles and Nationals playing must-win games, hoping for outside help

Orioles and Nationals playing must-win games, hoping for outside help
As the interleague series between the Orioles and Nationals came to an end with a Bryce Harper grounder Thursday night, both under-achieving teams are left with an almost impossible predicament: Win every game and hope for help. The lifeless Nationals, swept by the Orioles after a 5-4 loss, have missed chances to pick up ground on the first-place Mets in the National League East. The Mets aren't the same dynamic team that swept the Nationals in D.C. earlier this month. They finished a 3-6...

Max Scherzer can't hold lead as Nats fall five games back

Max Scherzer can't hold lead as Nats fall five games back
The Nationals couldn't hold a two-run lead, wasting an opportunity as they fell back to five games behind the Mets with an 8-5 loss. Max Scherzer gave up solo homers to Michael Conforto and Kelly Johnson in the second and another to Yoenis Cespedes in the fourth. It was the third time in his last eight starts that Scherzer has surrendered three longballs in a game. "I just gotta execute better," Scherzer said. "I gotta find a way to execute pitches keep the ball out of the middle of the...

Thornton on his key two outs, Den Dekker on pinch-hit, Stammen on Act of Valor Award nomination

Thornton on his key two outs, Den Dekker on pinch-hit, Stammen on Act of Valor Award nomination
Michael A. Taylor hit the dramatic walk-off three-run shot to beat the Braves on Friday night, 5-2 in 10 innings. His former high school teammate at Winchester Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Matt den Dekker, had the RBI single to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. "I'm very happy for him, that's a huge hit," Taylor said. "It's tough when you're coming off the bench. He stayed in the game and put together a good at-bat against a good pitcher." den Dekker discussed...

Papelbon goes two innings, earns win in dramatic extra-inning 5-2 win vs. Braves

Papelbon goes two innings, earns win in dramatic extra-inning 5-2 win vs. Braves
The Nationals grabbed a dramatic victory in 10 innings Friday, thanks to a pinch-hit three-run homer from Michael A. Taylor, a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. Jonathan Papelbon (3-1) notched his first win as a National by extending to two innings, allowing two hits but no runs while striking out one. "He's a gamer," said left-hander Matt Thornton, who got two critical outs in the fifth. "He's going to take the ball. It doesn't matter if we're losing by two and they want him to pitch or...

Division lead down to one after Lucas Duda makes Nats pay on late gamble

Division lead down to one after Lucas Duda makes Nats pay on late gamble
FLUSHING, N.Y. - The second largest crowd in Citi Field history watched Mets first baseman Lucas Duda basically beat the Nationals single-handedly in New York's 3-2 come-from-behind win on Saturday night. After plating two early runs in the first off All-Star Jacob deGrom, the Nats bats went silent and the shoulders of rookie Joe Ross got heavier. Ross sped through the Mets order in the first three innings without yielding a hit. But in the fourth, Duda pulverized a sinker over the center...

Nationals' bullpen falters late in 3-2 walk-off loss

Nationals' bullpen falters late in 3-2 walk-off loss
BALTIMORE - The Nationals' bullpen couldn't protect a one-run lead as Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop launched a walk-off homer off Tanner Roark in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win. The only run Gio Gonzalez allowed came on a solo blast from Adam Jones in the fourth. Otherwise, the left-hander pitched brilliantly for the third consecutive start, exiting after walking Jimmy Paredes to begin the seventh as the Nationals held a 2-1 advantage. Aaron Barrett followed Gonzalez to the...

Nationals bullpen manages to outduel Yankees bullpen in extra-inning win

Nationals bullpen manages to outduel Yankees bullpen in extra-inning win
A big key to the Yankees' nice start to the season has been their bullpen, especially right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller. In 36 combined appearances, the duo accumulated a 0.00 ERA. Miller arrived with 13 saves already this season, but the veteran hurler allowed the game-ending, two-run shot to Ryan Zimmerman in the bottom of the 10th as the Nationals stunned the Yankees, 8-6. In what was a secondary theme of the win, the Nationals bullpen ultimately outdueled the...

Bullpen success never more important than in one-run wins

Bullpen success never more important than in one-run wins
The bullpen has started to set itself recently. After Saturday's contest, the Nationals' relievers had put together 8 2/3 innings over their last four games, allowing only four hits, three earned runs and one walk, and registering 10 strikeouts. Then Sunday, Tanner Roark notched two huge outs, including a strikeout of Ruben Tejada in the seventh. Matt Thornton battled past two walks to get two outs himself. Aaron Barrett struck out Michael Cuddyer to end the threat. As we noted on "Nats...

Bullpen finishes win over Phillies, looks back at importance of Stammen

Bullpen finishes win over Phillies, looks back at importance of Stammen
The Nationals took down the Phillies 5-2 in their return to D.C. with the help of 2 1/3 scoreless innings from the bullpen. Matt Thornton, Aaron Barrett and Drew Storen came in to hold the Phillies without a run on just one hit for the final seven outs. In the seventh, with the bases loaded and the Nationals ahead 5-2, Thornton was able to force the often dangerous Chase Utley to line out to center field to end the threat. "It's a three-run lead and I'm trying to make sure that I don't let...

Who's left in the Nationals bullpen?

Who's left in the Nationals bullpen?
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals lost a valuable member of their bullpen yesterday when left-hander Jerry Blevins was traded to the Mets for outfield Matt den Dekker. Blevins was shaky for most of last season, as well as this spring, but nobody can argue what he provided for the Nats down the stretch a year ago - and especially in the National League Division Series. Blevins inherited runners all over the bases and was unhittable, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings in critical situations during the...

Gonzalez and Roark roughed up, while bats are quiet (Nats drop a pair)

Gonzalez and Roark roughed up, while bats are quiet (Nats drop a pair)
NATIONALS QUICK WRAPS Score: Marlins 4, Nationals (ss) 0 Recap: It was a quiet day for the Nationals offense, which managed just three hits against Marlins pitching. In fact, the Nats didn't have a runner reach second base until Michael A. Taylor's leadoff triple in the sixth inning. Gio Gonzalez allowed four runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Need to know: There were some encouraging signs from the Nats bullpen, which didn't allow a Marlins run or hit...

Replacing Clippard isn't easy

Replacing Clippard isn't easy
When evaluating the Nationals as they prepare to embark on a season with the highest of expectations, it's easy to get caught up in the incredible starting rotation that general manager Mike Rizzo has assembled. Few uncertainties surround this team, but a glaring one is the dilemma of who will step in to replace the departed Tyler Clippard. The reliable right-hander was expected to resume his role as the eighth-inning set-up man in 2015 until Rizzo traded him to Oakland for infielder Yunel...

Motivated Scherzer determined to be even better

Motivated Scherzer determined to be even better
VIERA, Fla. - Max Scherzer arrived for his first official day of work with the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium on Friday. After a mandatory physical and some clubhouse introductions, the $210 million man met the media for the first time since he was introduced at Nationals Park on Jan. 21. "Just to be able to be a part of this organization, it's been great so far," said Scherzer. "They've treated me so well so far. It also helps having a few faces around here that I know as well. I played...

Nats positional preview: Bullpen

Nats positional preview: Bullpen
With just two days left until pitchers and report to Space Coast Stadium for spring training, our positional breakdown reaches the relievers. A couple of major moves by Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo in January changed the whole dynamic of the bullpen. First, the departure of Tyler Clippard surprised many. The reliable right-hander was expected to resume his role as the eighth inning set-up man in 2015 until a trade sent him to Oakland for infielder Yunel Escobar. Clippard, a two-time...

Another option to consider in the late innings

Another option to consider in the late innings
When discussing possible in-house replacements for Tyler Clippard in the eighth-inning role, the names of Aaron Barrett and Blake Treinen have been thrown around by myself and others. Both are young and still relatively inexperienced at the big league level, but both have shown promise in their limited major league action. There's a far more experienced option in the organization that we haven't talked much about since the trade that sent Clippard to the A's, however. That option is Matt...

A different look at the crop of pending free agents

A different look at the crop of pending free agents
We've talked a lot this winter about the crop of pending free agents that the Nationals have and how it will be interesting to see how general manager Mike Rizzo proceeds with that group. When discussing the Nats' list of upcoming 2015 free agents, five names are usually listed - Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, Tyler Clippard and Denard Span. Pretty strong list there, one that contains five major contributors to this squad. But beyond those five, there are a few other players who...

Looking back on Nats' late-season roster additions

Looking back on Nats' late-season roster additions
It might be easy to forget now, given that the Nationals were knocked out of the postseason in the National League Division Series and have spent the last week reflecting on how everything quickly came to an end, but Mike Rizzo and his staff had a very successful six-day stretch from late July to early August that played a major role in the Nats' success. And while Nats fans are disappointed that their team isn't still playing, it's still worth looking back on just how much the roster got a...