Right-hander Max Scherzer was in the press room as the Nationals announced Stephen Strasburg's new seven-year, $175 million deal to remain with the club. "When I was signed here, there were a few other players that were at my signing as well and I always remember that," Scherzer said. "It's important that you show some camaraderie and you show you support your teammates. "When I heard the news last night that he had signed, I took it upon myself the time to make sure that I was there for...

The Nationals officially announced their opening day roster, which was reduced to the requisite 25 players after the club released veterans Sean Burnett and Reed Johnson and reassigned Brendan Ryan to the minor leagues. The 25-man roster essentially was finalized Friday night when the club announced Chris Heisey had secured the final spot on the bench and Blake Treinen would round up the bullpen. But the fates of Burnett, Johnson and Ryan remained somewhat up in the air, with each veteran on...

Dusty Baker has been making roster cuts for two decades, and he admits they're never easy, especially those that come on the cusp of opening day. The cuts the Nationals' new manager had to make Friday night might have been his toughest ever. "My heart goes out to these guys," Baker said. "I didn't really sleep that well last night, at all, because it affects him. I've been there. I know their families are affected. But it's a big boy game, and that's part of the game." The club's...

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals essentially have two more roster decisions to make by Sunday's major league deadline. One involves the bullpen. The other involves the bench. We've gone through the various bullpen options (which are complicated some by the possibility of the Nats carrying eight relievers until they need a fifth starter on April 13), but we haven't spent as much time running discussing the final bench options. There are all sorts of factors to consider here. It's not nearly as...

LAKELAND, Fla. - Center fielder Ben Revere is doing just what the Nationals want him to do. Or is he? Two hits in three at-bats in an 11-5 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday lifted his Grapefruit League average to .500. That means he's getting on base. But two of his five hits so far have been for extra bases, including a third-inning double into the right field corner off Justin Verlander. And it's not just dumb early-spring luck that has Revere powering up. He spent the offseason studying...

VIERA, Fla. - The presumed opening day Nationals shortstop has played in only three of the team's first seven Grapefruit League games and has yet to reach base. Danny Espinosa is 0-for-7 with four strikeouts, yet all signs still point to him manning the position when the Nats open in Atlanta on April 4. If there are any signs of concern, they aren't evident. Espinosa may be stumped by his slow start at the plate, and he certainly doesn't want to waste an opportunity, not with promising...

Dan Uggla and Clint Robinson were among a host of veterans brought to Nationals spring training on minor league deals last year with seemingly no shot to crack a packed roster fresh off a division crown. Longtime major league outfielder Reed Johnson joined them in final days of camp. After years as one of the game's best power-hitting second basemen, Uggla's offense had dropped off a cliff in the couple of seasons prior and his appearance was considered more of a charity case when he showed...