Nationals Rumors

Nationals, Alex Cora In Serious Talks

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 16, 2011 at 9:00am CDT

The Nationals are in serious talks with Alex Cora about a potential deal, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Former Nationals utility player Willie Harris recently finalized a deal with the Mets, so GM Mike Rizzo is looking outside the organization for potential infielders.

Cora played all four infield positions in 2010, though most of his big league experience has come at second and short. The 35-year-old hit .210/.266/.278 with the Mets and Rangers last year, before Texas released him in September. Rizzo has a good working relationship with agent Scott Boras, who represents Cora and Nationals such as Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.

Though the team considered Jerry Hairston Jr. as a utility player, some in the organization believe his asking price would be too high, according to Ladson.

This post was originally published on January 17th.

Nationals Not Interested In Chris Young

By Mark Polishuk | January 14, 2011 at 7:21pm CDT

The Nationals are not pursuing free agent starter Chris Young, reports Bill Ladson of MLB.com. We heard two days ago that Young was close to a decision, with the Nats mentioned as a team that "may be in play" for his services.

With Washington out of the picture, that leaves the Mets as Young's primary suitors. The Amazins have been rumored to be interested in Young all winter and at one point were thought to have offered the right-hander a contract worth more than $1MM in guaranteed money (the Mets denied the report).

Quick Hits: Pedro, Young, Rays, Thome

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 14, 2011 at 3:00pm CDT

On this date nine years ago, Carlos Pena and Ryan Ludwick were traded for each other. Here are some links on a day that has featured a number of signings, but no trades…

Pedro Martinez told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he hasn't decided whether to pitch in the majors again or retire. The three-time Cy Young Award winner last pitched in 2009, when he made a late-season comeback for the Phillies.
Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if Chris Young is the top option remaining in the Mets' price range, now that the Royals have agreed to a deal with Jeff Francis. Mets executive J.P. Ricciardi told Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com that Young "could be a nice fit" for the team.
The Rays seem to like Vladimir Guerrero more than Manny Ramirez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman also lists his best and worst deals of the offseason.
Jim Thome, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins today, would like to play at least two more seasons, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (on Twitter).
MLB.com's Jordan Bastian takes a position-by-position look at the Indians' roster.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says it's been frustrating and disappointing not to add top starting pitchers this offseason, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.

Nationals Considering Jerry Hairston Jr.

By Mike Axisa | January 13, 2011 at 7:16pm CDT

With utility player Willie Harris seemingly out of the fold, the Nationals are now considering Jerry Hairston Jr. according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. He adds that Washington had interest in David Eckstein earlier this offseason, but the two sides haven't talked in weeks.

Hairston, 34, hit just .244/.299/.353 in 476 plate appearances for the Padres last season, though he had hit .281/.343/.432 in the two prior seasons. He missed the end of the season because of a fractured tibia, and he also battled elbow issues in 2010. Hairston provides tremendous versatility, with a ton of experience at every position other than pitcher, catcher, and first base.

Willie Harris Has Two Offers, Won’t Return To Nats

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2011 at 1:22pm CDT

Willie Harris has two offers, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter links). A Nationals source tells Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that there's "no chance" the utility player returns to Washington.

Harris played all three outfield positions and backed Ryan Zimmerman up at third base last year. In the process, the 32-year-old posted a .183/.291/.362 line with 10 homers. Harris bats from the left side and generally maintains an above-average strikeout to walk ratio.

Chris Young Nears Decision; Mets, Nats “In Play”

By Mark Polishuk | January 12, 2011 at 7:48pm CDT

Free agent starter Chris Young could be close to choosing a new team, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link). Olney cites the Mets, who have been connected to Young all winter, and also mentions that the Nationals "may be in play" for the right-hander.

When last we heard of Young, the word was that he was willing to accept a contract worth less than $2MM due to concerns about his health. The Mets denied they had made an offer worth more than $1MM to Young, but still reported favored Young over other free agent options as Jeff Francis.

Washington is a new suitor for Young, but like the Mets, the Nats can also offer Young a chance to pitch in a pitcher-friendly ballpark and a shot at rebuilding his value for a long-term offer next winter. The Nationals were known to be looking for pitching this winter, but haven't done much in that department other than signing Chien-Ming Wang and Chad Gaudin.

Quick Hits: Pujols, Jones, Nationals, Ledezma

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 11, 2011 at 2:13pm CDT

One year ago today, the Reds won the bidding for Aroldis Chapman. The Cuban left-hander made 15 relief appearances in the majors last year and figures to have an even bigger impact on the 2011 season. Here are today's links…

The Cardinals' negotiations with Albert Pujols could resemble the Yankees' negotiations with Alex Rodriguez, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Cardinals executives have acknowledged that an extension with their first baseman would take the organization "places it hasn't gone" in terms of contract value and potential incentive clauses, Goold writes.
Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues says he'd lean toward Andruw Jones over Marcus Thames for the Yankees in 2011.
Meanwhile, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rockies still have some interest in Jones (Twitter link).
The Rangers are concerned that Jim Thome would prefer to return to Minnesota, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The Rangers are interested in Thome, though he's not a perfect fit for their needs.
The Nationals need a utility player who can back Danny Espinosa up at second base and potentially play in the outfield, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com. He lists Willie Bloomquist, David Eckstein and Willie Harris as possible fits.
Dan Szymborski explains the challenges the Giants face if they want to repeat as World Champions in a piece for ESPN.
The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted Wil Ledezma to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Quick Hits: Liz, Rangers, Cubs, Nationals, Gonzalez

By Zachary Links | January 8, 2011 at 10:05pm CDT

Links for Saturday evening…

Curious about how all the recent free agent activity has impacted the 2011 draft order? Check out the updated order here.
Right-hander Radhames Liz has signed with the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization according to the Yahoo! Sports transactions log. MLBTR has confirmed the signing. The Padres released Liz earlier this week.
MLB.com's Peter Gammons says the Rangers thought they'd be able to acquire Robinson Chirinos from the Cubs, then package him with Derek Holland, Engel Beltre, and Frank Francisco to get Matt Garza from the Rays. Texas would have kicked in some money to offset Francisco's salary.
"We're not giving away the farm to try and win in one year," said Cubs GM Jim Hendry when asked about the Garza deal, according to Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Garza is still under team control through 2013.
It appears that the Nationals will have a smaller payroll than last year, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.
Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports applauds the Rockies for keeping their nucleus together. Earlier this week Colorado agreed to terms with Carlos Gonzalez on a contract extension.
The Orioles' may have trouble finding an undervalued lefty reliever on a one-year deal, writes Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.
Joe Torre is in talks to become the next executive vice president of operations for MLB, according to Teri Thompson and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News. Torre stepped down as Dodgers manager towards the end of 2010 season.
Matt Murton talked to Anna Katherine Clemmons of ESPN The Magazine about his time in Japan.

Nationals, Eckstein Have Not Talked Recently

By Mike Axisa | January 8, 2011 at 7:11pm CDT

The Nationals and free agent infielder David Eckstein have "not communicated in a long time" according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (on Twitter). Any interest in Eckstein would have presumably been for a bench role, since the team appears ready to start 2011 with Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond holding down the middle infield.

It's been a pretty quiet winter for Eckstein, other than some news about his return to the Padres being a long shot. His 36th birthday is less than two weeks away, and over the last three years he's hit just .264/.327/.335 in 1,436 plate appearances. He's been relegated to second base defensively for the last two-and-a-half years because of his arm, so it's unclear if he'd even be able to handle the left side of the infield at this point.

Quick Hits: Garcia, Delgado, Nationals, Rockies

By Mark Polishuk | January 7, 2011 at 10:52pm CDT

Happy birthday to the Big Cat, Johnny Mize! The Hall-of-Famer was born on January 7, 1913 in Demorest, Georgia. Other notable players born on this day include Jon Lester, Alfonso Soriano, Eric Gagne and Francisco Rodriguez.

Onto the news items….

A reunion between Freddy Garcia and the Tigers is "possible, though unlikely at this point," writes MLB.com's Jason Beck. Garcia, who made three starts for Detroit in 2008, "is believed to be open" to the idea and Tigers officials at least discussed the prospect, Beck reports. The right-hander appears to be behind at least Jeremy Bonderman and Brad Penny on the club's list of veteran depth options for the rotation.
Carlos Delgado is recovering from his third hip surgery but still hasn't ruled out a Major League comeback, writes Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
The Nationals are counting on a much-improved defense to help them in 2011, reports Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post.
While the Rockies haven't made any huge additions, their moves to keep their young core players gave them the most successful offseason in the NL West, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com.
Ed Wade says the Astros might consider acquiring a replacement for Jeff Keppinger if none of their young infielders can fill the backup role in Spring Training, reports Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle.
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com says the Indians need to start seeing some production in 2011 from the young players the team received in the Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia trades.
Frank McCourt met with executives from the comissioner's office to outline his plans for keeping control of the Dodgers amidst his divorce proceedings, reports the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin.

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