Ian Desmond
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Though Bryce Harper recently turned 23 years old, he is just months away from beginning his fifth season in the major leagues. That may be hard to believe for many of us, as it was not long ago that the now-MVP was taken first overall by the Nationals in the 2010 MLB Draft. Through four years, Harper…
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This may have been a disappointing season for the Nationals as a whole, but for a few individuals it was anything but. Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer, in particular, put together arguably the single-best offensive and pitching seasons we’ve seen since baseball returned to D.C. And even those who didn’t put up historic numbers in…
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The Nationals extended 1-year qualifying offers worth about $15.8 million to Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond in advance of Friday’s 5 p.m. EST deadline, ensuring they will at least get back draft-pick compensation for either of those free agents should they sign elsewhere this winter. The Nationals did not submit the offer to Denard Span…
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Having hired their manager and filled a couple of positions on their coaching staff, the Nationals can begin shifting attention to the biggest task of the offseason: Adjusting their roster. That process, in many ways, begins later today when one of baseball’s first key offseason deadlines arrives. By 5 p.m. EST, all clubs must decide…
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The Nationals declined to pick up contract options for reliever Casey Janssen and outfielder Nate McLouth on Monday, making both veterans free agents along with six others who officially hit the market on the day after the World Series ended. Janssen and McLouth join right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister, shortstop Ian Desmond, center fielder…
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Age on Opening Day 2016: 30 How acquired: 3rd round pick, 2004 draft (Expos) MLB service time: 6 years, 27 days 2015 salary+bonuses: $11 million Contract status: Free agent 2015 stats: 156 G, 641 PA, 69 R, 136 H, 27 2B, 2 3B, 19 HR, 62 RBI, 13 SB, 45 BB, 187 SO, .233 AVG, .290 OBP, .384 SLG, .674 OPS, 27 E, -3.7 UZR, 1.7 WAR Quotable: “When I got drafted by the…
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This was, without question, a supremely disappointing baseball season in D.C. Yes, for the Nationals. But more importantly, for those of us who covered the team all season and completely botched our Opening Day predictions. We do this every year, and every year we’re proven wrong. But we keep coming back for more punishment every…
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NEW YORK — Take the Nationals’ just-completed season on several individual merits, and the unknowing observer might well have assumed this team had cruised into the playoffs. Bryce Harper posting historic numbers that made him a potentially unanimous MVP choice? Max Scherzer throwing two no-hitters, plus a 16-strikeout 1-hitter, with a 276-to-34 strikeout-to-walk ratio that…
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NEW YORK — An emotional Ian Desmond fought back tears as he tried to sum up 12 seasons in the Nationals organization Sunday evening following what almost certainly was his final game with the franchise. “When I got drafted by the Expos, they didn’t know where the team would be,” Desmond said, pausing several times…
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ATLANTA — The jokes were flying around the Nationals’ clubhouse Tuesday night, with teammates taking every opportunity they could to turn Trea Turner’s first career homer into an excuse to make fun of his boyish looks and physique. “For 135 pounds soaking wet, he hit that ball a long way,” Ian Desmond cracked. “He might…
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For some, it was perhaps lost in the shuffle of what was an otherwise bizarre day at Nationals Park, but on Sunday afternoon there was a uniquely special moment for the Nats and their fans. In the ninth inning, with the Nats down big against the Phillies, Matt Williams removed Ian Desmond for rookie Trea Turner. Why was that…
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GAME IN A NUTSHELL: The Nationals opened their final homestand of the season with a bit of extra hop in their step, having picked up 2 games on the Mets the last two days to draw within 7 1/2 games of the NL East leaders. That positive momentum, though, came to a screeching halt once…
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GAME IN A NUTSHELL: Sigh. There are ways to lose a game. And then there are ways to really lose a game. And then there’s what happened tonight at Nationals Park. It was as painful as any loss this team has ever suffered, ranking alongside postseason heartbreakers, arguably even tougher to stomach than those. At…
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Marlins 4, Nats 3: Scherzer struggles early, mates can’t rally
Aug 28, 2015, 9:55 PM EST
GAME IN A NUTSHELL: Max Scherzer taking the mound used to be a sure thing for the Nationals. These days, it’s anything but. Scherzer’s August struggles continued when the right-hander served up a pair of early homers to the Marlins, putting his team in a hole. He did bounce back to finish his night on…
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Each week this season, we’ll take the temperature of the Nationals roster to see whose stock is rising or falling. Record: 2-4 Team slash: .239/.332/.410 Team ERA: 5.76 Runs per game: 5.16 STOCK UP Stephen Strasburg, SP: 2 GS/ 1-1/ 1.38 ERA The Nats rotation’s had a pretty tough time of late, struggling so often…
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Call it desperation. Call it a hunch. Call it a calculated gamble. Whatever you want to call it, the lineup card Matt Williams filled out Tuesday in Colorado was unlike any he had attached his signature to since becoming manager of the Nationals last year. Jayson Werth, owner of a .261 on-base percentage (.203 in…
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If it feels like you’ve been watching the Nationals’ worst stretch of baseball in a long time … well, you’re absolutely right. This team has gone 4-13 over the last 2 1/2 weeks, the franchise’s worst 17-game stretch since 2011. That’s also the last time the Nats finished with a losing record, a fact that…
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Each week this season, we’ll take the temperature of the Nationals roster to see whose stock is rising or falling. Record: 3-4 Team slash: .265/.348/.416 Team ERA: 4.50 Runs per game: 4.85 STOCK UP Ryan Zimmerman, 1B: .435 AVG/ 8 RBI/ 1.375 OPS It appears that treating the plantar fasciitis in his…
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The Nationals’ offense has been a problem area in recent weeks, so one game will not solve all of their woes and reinstall them as one of the most potent lineups in the majors. But in Thursday night’s win, there were several indicators that suggest they are moving in the right direction as a team.…
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GAME IN A NUTSHELL: After an embarrassing loss Wednesday night, Matt Williams gathered his players together before Thursday’s game with a simple message: Play the game their way, aggressively, and good things would be more likely to happen. They did display some of that in their series finale against the Diamondbacks, swiping some bases and…
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It’s a new day in D.C., and the Nationals can only hope that means a reversal of fortunes after last night’s debacle. There was one roster move made earlier today: Aaron Barrett, who didn’t surrender a run in July but gave up the decisive runs last night on a throwing error, was optioned to Class…
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If you add up their last nine offensive innings (beginning with the bottom of the ninth Monday night), the Nationals have scored nine runs on 14 hits against Diamondbacks pitching. That’s a potentially encouraging development for this struggling lineup, though we’ll see if it carries over into tonight’s game. One significant change to that lineup,…
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GAME IN A NUTSHELL: On the heels of a weekend sweep in New York that left them in a virtual tie with the Mets atop the NL East, the Nationals hoped the opener of a homestand against the sub-.500 Diamondbacks and Rockies would serve as a much-needed elixir for this ailing ballclub. It didn’t. And…
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Each week this season, we’ll take the temperature of the Nationals roster to see whose stock is rising or falling. Record: 2-4 Team slash: .254/.346/.381 Team ERA: 4.50 Runs per game: 3.83 STOCK UP Ian Desmond, SS: .400 AVG/ 3 HR/ 1.350 OPS Nats fans must be hoping and wishing that Desmond,…
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There was a lot to talk about on this week’s episode of The Baseball Show, as the Nationals just lost a four-game series at the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2015 trade deadline is also quickly approaching, as the Nats have stumbled out of the gate in the second half of the season. There is also a…
- Which Washington Nationals might show up on 2019 MLB awards ballots?
- It’s time to fix baseball’s postseason award shows
- The Nationals need a left-handed rotation piece; Why Patrick Corbin is their best option
- How to entice Bryce Harper into re-signing with the Nationals? With food, of course!
- Here's why one writer voted for Max Scherzer over Jacob deGrom for NL Cy Young
- Nathan Eovaldi represents the versatile type of pitcher the Nationals need
- Scherzer finishes second in Cy Young voting
- Nationals can afford to lose Bryce Harper, the Orioles will just lose with or without Manny Machado
- How does Max Scherzer's recent dominance compare to other stretches in MLB history?
- Here's how the Nationals outfield could sustain the loss of Bryce Harper
