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Nationals To Sign Jake Johansen

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The Nationals have agreed to terms with Jake Johansen, the last pick in the second round of the 2013 Draft (No. 68 overall). The Nats did not have a first-round pick due to their signing of Rafael Soriano, so Johansen was their first selection of the draft. The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore tweets that Johansen signed for "slot." The bonus pool value for the No. 68 overall pick is $820K.

Johansen, a college senior, was the Friday-night starter for Dallas Baptist. Keith Law ranked Johansen the No. 63 prospect in the draft, while Baseball America ranked him No. 182. MLB.com notes Johansen's four-pitch mix but says he's currently "more of a thrower," and his future might be in the bullpen.

Nationals Claim Tyler Robertson

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The Nationals have claimed Tyler Robertson off of waivers from the Twins, the clubs have announced.  Robertson was designated for assignment by Minnesota on Monday.

The left-hander is the son of Jay Robertson, who works within the Nats' front office as a special assistant to the GM.  Robertson owns a 5.54 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 across 26 innings of work over the last two seasons for the Twins.  The 25-year-old has also spent parts of three seasons at Triple-A where he posted a 3.64 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9.

Quick Hits: Biogenesis, Ortiz, Crain, Reed, Diaz

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If Major League Baseball is really hoping to suspend the 20+ players involved in the Biogenesis scandal, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal thinks the league will need more evidence than just the word of clinic founder Tony Bosch.  It will be too easy, Rosenthal argues, for the players' representatives to claim that Bosch lacks credibility and that he is only naming names to avoid possible criminal prosecution and getting himself sued by the league.

Here are some news items from around the sport…

  • "To be honest with you, all those years I got to free agency, I never thought about going somewhere else," David Ortiz tells WEEI.com's Alex Speier.  "I feel like I'm a big part of these ball clubs. I feel like what I was asking for wasn't anything they couldn't give me. You look into situations, and I never had the feeling that I was going to go somewhere else, to be honest with you."  Ortiz is off to a big start this season and is making good on the two-year, $26MM deal he signed to remain with the Red Sox last offseason.
  • Jesse Crain and Addison Reed both aren't worried about possibly becoming trade bait this summer if the White Sox decide to rebuild, MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports.  Merkin notes that the veteran Crain is the likelier of the two to be moved, and I'd argue that Chicago would only move Reed if they received a knockout offer.
  • Aledmys Diaz is playing with a Mexican League team this summer and during the winter, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports.  The Cuban shortstop hopes to sign with a Major League team in February.  Diaz drew attention from at least 10 teams last winter, though at least one team (the Twins) thought Diaz's asking price was "too high" and MLB was investigating whether Diaz was really 23 years old.
  • Nationals manager Davey Johnson told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington) that he expects both Henry Rodriguez and Zach Duke to be claimed by other teams.  The two relievers were both designated for assignment by the Nats today.

Romero Opts Out With Nats; Nearing Deal With Indians

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TUESDAY: Romero's deal with the Indians will become official if he passes a physical, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter link).  Romero will report to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday. 

MONDAY: Left-hander J.C. Romero has opted out of his minor league contract with the Nationals and is working to finalize a new minor league deal with the Indians, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Romero, who turns 37 tomorrow, had a 2.84 ERA with 16 strikeouts and four walks in 12 2/3 innings for Washington's Triple-A affiliate this season. According to Rosenthal, Romero would likely be ticketed for Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate in Columbus. Amanda Comak of the Washington Times notes (on Twitter) that Romero is on the minor league disabled list.

In parts of 14 Major League seasons, Romero has a 4.16 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. He's held opposing lefties to a .220/.314/.298 in his career. Most of his 661 1/3 career innings were spent with the Twins, who selected the Puerto Rico native in the 21st round of the 1997 draft. Romero is the only player with a significant MLB career to come from that round, although outfielder Mike Colangelo saw some brief time in the big leagues as well.

Nationals Designate Zach Duke For Assignment

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The Nationals designated lefty Zach Duke for assignment, according to a team press release.  In a series of moves, the Nats also designated reliever Henry Rodriguez, reinstated Jayson Werth from the DL, placed Danny Espinosa on the DL, recalled Anthony Rendon, and selected the contract of Ian Krol.

Duke, 30, posted an 8.71 ERA, 4.8 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9, and 54.4% groundball rate in 20 2/3 innings this year.  He faced more right-handed hitters than left, but those in those 30 plate appearances from lefties they hit .448/.467/.552 against him.  The Nats had re-signed Duke to a Major League deal worth $700K in December.

Duke was drafted in the 20th round by the Pirates in '01, and finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting when he came up and posted a 1.81 ERA in 14 starts in '05.  He also snagged an All-Star nod in '09.

Krol was acquired from the A's in March to complete the three-way trade that sent Mike Morse to Seattle, John Jaso to Oakland, and A.J. Cole to the Nats.  The 22-year-old lefty was dominant in Double-A this year, with a 0.69 ERA, 10.0 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and one home run allowed in 26 innings.

Nationals Designate Henry Rodriguez For Assignment

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Henry Rodriguez told James Wagner of the Washington Post (via Twitter) that he has been designated for assignment by the Nationals.  The move is a part of a roster shuffle that will allow the Nats to promote Anthony Rendon and left-hander Ian Krol.

Rodriguez, 26, owns a 4.23 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 across parts of five big league seasons with the A's and Nats.  He pitched 18 innings in relief for Washington this season, posting a 4.00 ERA with eleven strikeouts and 16 walks.  Though he might not know where the ball is going, Rodriguez is the definition of a live arm, averaging around 100 miles per hour on his fastball in his last few outings.

Rodriguez was signed by the Athletics as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2003, and was traded to the Nationals in the December 2010 Josh Willingham deal.

2014 Vesting Options Update

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With two months of baseball in the books, here's a look at the players who have vesting options for the 2014 season..

  • Kurt Suzuki, Nationals: $9.25MM option vests with 113 starts in 2013.  Suzuki was slated to split time behind the plate with Wilson Ramos this season, but Ramos' hamstring has forced the club to give the veteran catcher 39 starts thus far (counting tonight's game).  The most recent update on Ramos, courtesy of the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, says that he'll be sidelined until around July 1st.  If Ramos heals up and takes starts away from Suzuki, it will be a club option worth $8.5MM with a modest $650K buyout.
  • Jamey Carroll, Twins: $2MM option vests with 401 plate appearances. Carroll has 105 PAs in 27 games this season.  The veteran has had more than his needed total in each of the last three seasons with 500+ plate appearances in each of the last two years.
  • Wilson Betemit, Orioles: $3.2MM option vests with 324 plate appearances (combined 700 between 2012 and 2013). Betemit underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on March 26th and a late May update (from Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) indicates that he still hasn't been cleared for baseball activities.  
  • Lance Berkman, Rangers: $13MM option vests with 550 plate appearances. So far, Berkman has 199 plate appearances to his credit and is on pace to lock in his 2014 option with ease.  In 2011, his last full season, the slugger racked up 587 PAs.
  • Roy Halladay, Phillies: $20MM option vests with 259 innings pitched (combined 415 innings pitched between '12 and '13).  This was a longshot to begin with, but shoulder surgery earlier this month makes this one impossible.
  • Brett Myers, Indians: $8MM option vests with 200 innings pitched in 2013 and a passed physical after the season.  After logging 21 and 1/3 innings in 2013, Myers was sidelined with tendinitis and a mild ligament sprain in his right elbow and has yet to return.  When he does come back, it's possible that the Tribe will move him to the bullpen.
  • Barry Zito, Giants: $18MM option vests with 200 innings pitched. Zito has racked up 62 and 2/3 innings through eleven starts this season.  It's far from a lock, but as it stands the veteran still has a chance at securing his 2014 salary.  His numbers are strong as he has a 3.88 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
  • Johan Santana, Mets: His $25MM option could have vested with 215 innings pitched or winning the 2013 Cy Young Award, but he won't have a chance at that thanks to a season-ending tear in his pitching shoulder.

It's also worth noting that Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano has a $8MM club option for 2014, but it can vest at any of three levels – $5MM, $6MM, or $8MM – based on the number of days he is not on the DL this year with a recurrence of his right arm injury.  It's not known how many days the hurler must steer clear of right arm trouble in order to trigger each level of his option, however.  The left-hander made his season debut on May 11th.

Beltway Notes: Strasburg, Orioles, Nats, Rauch

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Here's a look at the latest on the Nationals and Orioles..

  • It makes no sense to question the Nationals' decision last year to put an innings limit on Stephen Strasburg's arm last year due to his current troubles, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Strasburg's is dealing with an oblique injury while last year's move was made in order to protect his arm. 
  • Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com (Twitter link) asked Dan Duquette if Jon Rauch has an opt out clause in his deal but the Orioles GM didn't answer.  That leads Ghiroli to surmise that he probably has one in his contract.  The O's signed the veteran hurler to a minor league deal earlier today.
  • Duquette says that Rauch replaces the veteran experience of Luis Ayala, Ghiroli tweets.  The Orioles shipped the reliever to the Braves back in April for minor league lefty Chris Jones.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link) notes that the Orioles had interest in Rauch over the offseason before he signed with the Marlins.  The 34-year-old got a $1MM deal with incentives from Miami.

Quick Hits: Ramirez, Brewers, Upton, Red Sox

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Here's tonight's look around baseball..

  • Aramis Ramirez may be a popular name in trade rumors this deadline, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. The Brewers may look to move the veteran third baseman, with the club struggling in last place in the NL Central. Ramirez understands the speculation, saying "It’s part of baseball. When teams don’t perform, you see changes." The 34-year-old is signed through 2014, and has played well despite injuries this season, slashing .305/.387/.512 in 93 plate appearances. 
  • Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told reporters that he has discussed sending major offseason acquisition B.J. Upton to Triple-A to work out if his current struggles, according to an Associated Press report. Gonzalez acknowledges that there may be some obstacles involved, "I think there's some logistics — contractual things and that sort of stuff — that they might not be able to do it that easy."
  • In his latest mailbag, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe answered questions about possible trade deadline targets for the Red Sox, as well as Jacoby Ellsbury. Cafardo doesn't feel the club needs to make a deal to improve its pitching, but he did state that Jonathan Papelbon continues to be a likely target.  Meanwhile, Cafardo thinks that it would still take a major contract to keep Ellsbury in Boston past this season.  
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com looks back at the Nationals' decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg in light of the young starter’s latest injury scare.  Morosi feels that last season may have been the Nationals best shot at a World Series, and wonders what could have been done to best utilize Strasburg’s prized arm.

Zimmermann Will Wait Until Offseason To Negotiate

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Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann recently shot down rumors that his representatives at SFX and the Nats were exploring a multiyear extension, and the pitcher expanded on that statement by telling Adam Kilgore and James Wagner of the Washington Post that he doesn't expect contract negotiations to get going until the offseason.

“We talked a little bit in Spring Training,” Zimmermann said. “My agent and I said once the season starts, we’re going to wait until after the season. Hopefully, we’ll maybe spring something up at the end of the season or going into next season or something."

It was rumored last winter that the Nationals were interested in locking Zimmermann up in a long-term agreement but the two sides instead just settled on a one-year, $5.35MM contract for 2013.  Zimmermann, a Super Two player, still has two remaining years of arbitration eligibility and is eligible for free agency after the 2015 season when he is 29 years old. 

MLBTR's Steve Adams recently speculated that a Zimmermann extension could take the form of a five-year, $60MM-$65MM deal.  That said, Adams noted that "Zimmermann's case is unprecedented to some extent," and the right-hander could earn more given the new collective bargaining agreement and the fact that the Nationals (like every team) has more money to spend due to TV contract money.  These factors could bump the value of a five-year deal up to the $75MM-$80MM range, not to mention the fact that Zimmermann has raised his own value by pitching like a Cy Young candidate thus far in 2013.

If Zimmermann was confident enough to put off long-term contract talks for now, it seems as if he's also confident in his current and future performance to only accept an extension on his own terms.

“I’d be interested, see what they have to say. At the end of the day, it’s got to be the right deal for me," Zimmermann said.  "I’m not just going to take a deal that’s team friendly. It’s got to be fair."

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