Getting a chance to hear from the newest National

Getting a chance to hear from the newest National
What a banner year it's been for the NFL. Oh, wait. Did I say "banner year"? I meant disastrous year filled with public relations nightmare after public relations nightmare. The latest NFL issue deals with the ESPN report that came out late last night saying that 11 of the Patriots' 12 footballs used in the AFC championship game were significantly underinflated. I don't know about you guys, but I'm now a bit less pumped up about the Super Bowl two Sundays from now. This controversy has...

Stammen joins Ramos, avoids arbitration (Espinosa, Lobaton agree to terms)

Stammen joins Ramos, avoids arbitration (Espinosa, Lobaton agree to terms)
The Nationals have been busy heading into Friday's deadline for arbitration-eligible players to come to contract terms before exchanging salary figures with their clubs. Earlier today, they announced that catcher Wilson Ramos had agreed to terms on a contract for 2015, avoiding arbitration. This evening, right-handed reliever Craig Stammen also came to terms, leaving the Nats with six unsigned players who are arbitration-eligible (the Nats removed one of their players on the list by trading...

Rizzo on Harper grievance and absence, Werth and Detwiler deal

Rizzo on Harper grievance and absence, Werth and Detwiler deal
Bryce Harper's upcoming grievance hearing to determine whether he can opt out of his contract and into salary arbitration will be held Tuesday in New York. But the potentially contentious faceoff has already had an effect on Harper and the Nationals. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said the star outfielder opted not to attend NatsFest, though he had previously been listed by the team among the participating players, because of the hearing, which will be held in New York. "We're...

Welcome to NatsFest!

Welcome to NatsFest!
Well, the day that many Nationals fans have been waiting for since the final pitch of the 2014 season has finally arrived. It's time for NatsFest. What, you thought I meant the day that pitchers and catchers report to Space Coast Stadium? Those of you attending today's winter baseball carnival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center will want to make sure to stop by the MASN booth. You can learn more about what's going on in our little corner of the Convention Center here. But...

It's time for teams to tender

It's time for teams to tender
The latest deadline in the offseason schedule comes at midnight, when all 30 major league teams must decide whether to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players. That means throughout the day, we'll have plenty of news popping up on teams who have offered contracts to players, reached terms with others and cut some loose, allowing them to become free agents. The Nationals had 11 (and possibly 12 - more on that in a minute) players eligible for arbitration entering this...

Time to finalize the 40-man

Time to finalize the 40-man
Over the last week, we've seen the Nationals make a couple of moves that cleared up space on the team's 40-man roster. Left-hander Matt Purke was released, and then subsequently re-signed to a minor league contract. That series of moves opened up a spot on the 40-man. On Tuesday, catcher Jhonatan Solano was also released, leaving the Nats with 38 players on their 40-man roster. And with today being the reserves deadline - the last chance for teams to add minor leaguers that are eligible for...

Matt Williams wins NL Manager of the Year award

Matt Williams wins NL Manager of the Year award
In his first year as a major league skipper, Matt Williams has earned the top award in his profession. Williams has been named National League Manager of the Year for the 2014 season, as voted on at the end of the regular season by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Williams received a total of 109 votes, including 18 of the 30 first-place votes. The Nationals manager also received six second-place votes and was written in as the third-place finisher on one ballot. Pirates...

Some of this, some of that

Some of this, some of that
While it might seem like the World Series just ended a couple days ago, the general managers' meetings begin today in Phoenix, marking the first fairly significant event in the major league offseason. By "fairly significant," I don't mean that much wheeling and dealing typically happens during the GM meetings. If we come out of this four-day stretch with news of more than a couple of trades or big free agent signings, I'll be surprised. We're still early in the offseason, after all. But...

Nats announce 2015 spring training schedule (Yankees at Nats Park on April 4)

Nats announce 2015 spring training schedule (Yankees at Nats Park on April 4)
Four months from today, the Nationals will open their 2015 spring training campaign. It'll be here before we know it. The Nats today announced their spring training schedule for next year, and they'll open their Grapefruit League season with a home game against the Mets on Thursday, March 5 at Space Coast Stadium. Matt Williams' ballclub will get a pair of visits from the National League Central champion St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, March 7 and Friday, March 27, as well as the American...

Could some Nats take home hardware tonight?

Could some Nats take home hardware tonight?
The Nationals were shut out in the Gold Glove voting this year, with Denard Span coming up short to Mets center fielder Juan Lagares and Adam LaRoche losing out to Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Tonight, we get another chance to see if any Nationals will take home some hardware. The Silver Slugger awards will be announced tonight beginning at 6 p.m. on MLB Network. As I'm sure most of you are aware, Gold Gloves are handed out to the top defensive player in each league at each position,...

Williams a finalist for NL Manager of the Year

Williams a finalist for NL Manager of the Year
Matt Williams was recently selected as the Sporting News National League Manager of the Year, an award voted on by his peers. Tonight, we found out that he's one of three finalists for the league-endorsed NL Manager of the Year award, voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Also nominated for this Manager of the Year award are the Giants' Bruce Bochy and the Pirates' Clint Hurdle. Bochy won the award back in 1996, when he managed the Padres, while Hurdle is the...

The offseason begins

The offseason begins
There are a few things that I can't believe as of this morning. I can't believe Madison Bumgarner is actually a human being, and not, in fact, a machine. Bumgarner's five-inning save in Game 7 last night left him with a ridiculous 52 2/3 innings of work this postseason, with a 1.03 ERA in that time. His career World Series ERA is now 0.25. How is that real? I can't believe that the one postseason game that the Nationals won this year was started by Bumgarner. A guy who was that dominant for...

Nats live to see another day with 4-1 win in Game 3

Nats live to see another day with 4-1 win in Game 3
SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals said coming into San Francisco that if they just played their game and got a break or two along the way, that they could very easily come back to win this series. They might have just gotten that break. Madison Bumgarner's throwing error on a Wilson Ramos sacrifice bunt led to two runs, and the Nats tacked on an additional run in the seventh inning to take a 3-0 lead. Ramos came up with two on and nobody out after Ian Desmond's leadoff single and a Bryce Harper...

A scoreless ballgame through five

A scoreless ballgame through five
SAN FRANCISCO - Doug Fister's command hasn't been there early on. But he's thrown two scoreless innings, keeping this game knotted at zeros as we go to the third. Fister has needed 43 pitches to get through two, including 27 in the second inning, when the Giants loaded the bases on a Pablo Sandoval single to left-center and two walks. That brought up Giants starter Madison Bumgarner with the bases loaded, and by no means is the left-hander (who bats right-handed) an easy out. Bumgarner has...

Trying to turn the page

Trying to turn the page
The Nationals had the last four days to look ahead to this afternoon's ballgame. The last two and a half weeks, if you count the time since they clinched the National League East title. They had a couple of days to wonder about whether they would face the Giants or the Pirates, and a couple more to map out how they might match up against San Francisco. Now they have less than 24 hours to turn the page and move on to a crucial Game 2. In the regular season, the focus is on the big picture. You...

Harper and Cabrera crank homers, but Giants win 3-2

Harper and Cabrera crank homers, but Giants win 3-2
Game 1 of the National League Division series is under way in Washington, D.C. It is only the fourth home playoff game in the nation's capital since 1933. Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg induced three flyouts to begin the game. Giants right-hander Jake Peavy walked Jayson Werth with two outs in the bottom of the first. He was the first baserunner for either team. But Adam LaRoche struck out to end the inning. Update: Peavy has managed to get swinging strikeouts to end the first two...

Williams discusses roster decisions involving Soriano, Detwiler, Hairston

Williams discusses roster decisions involving Soriano, Detwiler, Hairston
The Nationals' starting lineup for Game 1 of the National League Division Series didn't feature any surprises. The back end of the team's 25-man roster might have surprised some. The Nationals opted to put Rafael Soriano on their roster for the NLDS, while Ross Detwiler was left out of the eight-man bullpen. Detwiler had one clunker down the stretch, allowing three runs in an inning against the Braves, but was unscored upon in seven of his eight September appearances. Soriano was tremendous...

Who do you want - Pirates or Giants?

Who do you want - Pirates or Giants?
The postseason is officially under way, and we've now reached October. And if what we're about to see over the next month in any way resembles the drama and excitement we witnessed last night during the American League wild card game, we'll be in good shape. The Royals pulled out a thriller over the A's last night, coming back from a four-run deficit in the late innings to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, and then again coming from behind with two runs in the bottom of the 12th to...

Mets jump on top early on a soggy Thursday (Mets win 7-4)

Mets jump on top early on a soggy Thursday (Mets win 7-4)
On a soggy field and a misty Thursday, it did not take long for the Mets to get on the board in Game 1 of a split doubleheader. Facing Nationals starter Blake Treinen, the Mets connected on three singles in the first inning. Curtis Granderson's single to right field plated Wilmer Flores and the Mets lead 1-0. In the bottom of the first, the Nationals went 1-2-3 against Dillon Gee. The Mets lead 1-0 heading to top of the second. Update: In the third inning following a Danny Espinosa leadoff...

We're scoreless in Atlanta (Nats fall 3-1)

We're scoreless in Atlanta (Nats fall 3-1)
Well, we have a pitchers' duel in Atlanta. Nationals rookie Blake Treinen and Atlanta starter Alex Wood have each thrown three scoreless innings. Wood has allowed one hit, a single to Danny Espinosa, and has struck out five. Treinen has given up three hits and struck out two. Before the game, manager Matt Williams said Treinen is expected to throw between 60 and 70 pitches. Treinen has thrown 29 pitches through three innings. Update: Steven Souza Jr. broke the scoreless tie in the...