The Washington Nationals 2023 starting rotation

Posted on December 13, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo of Cade Cavalli in Triple-A Rochester  (Stephen Lasnick for TalkNats)

The 2023 Washington Nationals starting rotation will look different from the previous season’s version with the addition of free agent Trevor Williams who will join incumbents Patrick Corbin and Josiah Gray in the rotation. The other two spots will get more clarity after general manager Mike Rizzo is finished making offseason acquisitions. You can almost expect the left-handed MacKenzie Gore and Nats’ top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli as pieces of the puzzle. Continue reading →

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The Rebuild: How did we get here, where do we go?

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Dan Zaudtke

Photo by Laura Peebles for TalkNats

Here we go again. For those of us who have followed this team since then-mayor, Anthony Williams, uttered those magical words “…there will be baseball in Washington in 2005,” this is not unfamiliar territory, if unwanted. When this team moved here, they were barren from years of cheap and horrible mismanagement by the MLB stewards. The Lerners purchased the team and built a winner in six years, in spite of having Jim Bowden’s inept leadership until he resigned, shamefully, in March, 2009. A decade later, we were World Champions. Since that magical run, we have run into hard times. We have gone from the top of the mountain to the depths of the worst record in baseball, quickly. What happened? Continue reading →

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The one ball that could change the fortunes of the Washington Nationals was realized!

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

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Trevor Williams adds pitching flexibility to the Nats roster!

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Andrew Lang for TalkNats

“Many times, teams set the framework for a deal at the Winter Meetings, and will wrap deals up shortly” afterwards which is what we wrote during the Winter Meetings. It looks like general manager Mike Rizzo got a pitcher to take the Washington Nationals’ money.  That acquisition is Trevor Williams who has been a starter as well as a bullpen arm. The interesting part was that there were whispers we got that Williams was talking with Rizzo. So we got a quote two days ago that seemed timely, but as he said, he wouldn’t kiss and tell (wink, wink). Continue reading →

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The Winter Meetings wrap-up today, and Nats have the Rule-5 draft and other unfinished business!

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

The Winter Meetings wrap-up today in San Diego with the Rule-5 draft as the finale to the 3-day event.  The Washington Nationals choose first in this Rule-5 draft at 5 p.m. ET/2 PT (Live audio stream on MLB.com). Sources have told us that general manager Mike Rizzo will choose a player, and that player is RHP Thad Ward. Last night was the inaugural Draft Lottery, and the Nats secured the second pick in the draft which should yield a top prospect for the future of the team.  That’s the good news to this point.  Continue reading →

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The inaugural draft lottery with Nats hopes the ball bounces their way!

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

 

MLB image

The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of 2022 changed so many aspects on the future of baseball, and it ended nearly six decades of having the team with the worst record from receiving a guarantee to pick first in the MLB draft. The old draft format began in 1965, and the Washington Senators chose third and picked pitcher Joe Coleman in that draft. Now it is a draft lottery system that will determine the first six spots in the future drafts, and tonight’s the night to find out where the Washington Nationals will pick at the top of the draft. Continue reading →

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The gut punch that many expected — happened and Rizzo/Martinez speak at the Winter Meetings, and tonight is the Draft Lottery!

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

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The top priorities for the 2023 season revisited before the Winter Meetings!

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

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Notes from the Umps Care virtual visit to the MLB Replay Center

Posted on December 1, 2022 by ArVaFan aka Laura Peebles

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Winter Meetings start this weekend and the current Nats situation!

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Stephen G. "Ghost" Mears

Photo by Marlene Koenig for TalkNats

The Winter Meetings are just three days away. There are certainly reasons for trepidation with the 2023 Washington Nationals team with regards to the ownership situation, spending levels, and the current roster. FanGraphs today has the Nats projected for a 69-93 record which is +14 wins from the 2022 season. Maybe a little too optimistic versus our 65-97 record that we have.

After this year’s team finished the 2022 season with an horrific 55-107 record, the worst in Nats’ history, some would say the only direction to go is up. You hope that is the case that 2023 cannot be as bad as the 2022 team. There’s nothing wrong with being hopeful, but wishing upon a shooting star does not always come true unless that star is a huge free agent superstar coming the Nats’ way — and the chances are very remote that happens. At this point, the Nats have signed a bounceback candidate, Jeimer Candelario, as their first free agent signing. Continue reading →

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