Nationals avoided arbitration with LHP Ross Detwiler by agreeing to a one-year, $2.3375 million contract.
He’ll have a shot to earn more through incentives. Detwiler, who was in his first year of arbitration, posted a 3.40 ERA over 164 1/3 innings for the Nats in 2013. He’ll be the club’s No. 5 starter in 2013.
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Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed Thursday during Rafael Soriano’s introductory press conference that Soriano would be the team’s closer in 2013.
“Suffice it to say, Raffy is here to pitch the ninth inning,” Rizzo said. There was little doubt given the amount of money the Nats gave Soriano, but there was a need to make it official since the team has two others on the roster in Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard that are capable of closing. Rizzo isn’t worried about how Storen and Clippard will react to being used as setup men. “I?m certainly not worried about Clip or Drew,” Rizzo said. “They?re consummate professionals.”
Source: washingtonpost.com
Tagged as: Nationals, news, Rafael Soriano
Nationals and RHP Drew Storen avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.
The news was announced by Storen’s representatives at CAA. Storen is in his first of four arbitration years, so he’ll start raking in the big bucks pretty quickly if he can keep his numbers strong. The 25-year-old righty is expected to serve as a setup man behind Rafael Soriano in 2013.
Source: twitter.com
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Nationals signed RHP Rafael Soriano to a two-year, $28 million contract.
The deal includes a vesting option for a third year which kicks in if he reaches 120 games finished between 2013 and 2014. Soriano will be paid $7 million in each of the next two seasons while he’ll receive $14 million in deferred payments starting in 2018. He’s expected to move into the closer role for the defending NL East champs, which immediately makes him a top-10 option in fantasy leagues. Meanwhile, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard will serve as a bridge in the late innings.
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Nationals acquired RHP Blake Treinen from the Athletics in a three-team trade.
A 2011 seventh-round pick, Treinen posted a 4.37 ERA over 103 innings at High-A in 2012. The 24-year-old obviously isn’t close to appearing in the majors.
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Nationals acquired RHP A.J. Cole from the Athletics in a three-team trade.
Cole, 21, returns to the organization that drafted him after being traded to the A’s last winter in the Gio Gonzalez deal. The right-hander put up a 3.70 ERA with 133 strikeouts over 133 2/3 innings between Low- and High-A in 2012.
FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal report that the Mariners are close to acquiring Michael Morse.
The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore says it’s a three-team deal that will send A.J. Cole to the Nats and John Jaso to the A’s. Morse, who is under contract for $6.75 million in 2013 before hitting free agency, became expendable after the Nats traded for Denard Span and re-signed Adam LaRoche. The 30-year-old has batted .297/.343/.515 with 49 homers over the last two years for Washington. He’ll slide into a corner outfield spot.
Source: washingtonpost.com
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National signed LHP Brandon Mann to a minor league contract with a spring training invite.
Mann is back in the United States after spending the past two seasons with the Yokohama Bay Stars of Japan’s Central League, where he went 3-9 with a 4.27 ERA in 28 appearances. The 28-year-old southpaw was drafted by the Rays in the 27th round of the 2002 and has never played in the majors. He figures to serve as minor league depth.
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Nationals VP of player development Bob Boone told USA Today that the club would like to see Stephen Strasburg pitch 200 innings in 2013.
Boone was mainly clarifying a comment by Nationals manager Davey Johnson in December when he said that Strasburg would have “no restrictions” in 2013. “To say there’s no restrictions really means, ‘Hey, we’d like him to pitch 200 innings,’ ” said Boone. “But, you’re not gonna say no restrictions like you might have on Steve Carlton, who would throw 320 innings. You’re not gonna do that. There’s always restrictions, but the meaning is, ‘We’re not gonna shut him down after 160 innings.’” With Strasburg expected to exceed 200 innings for the first time, he’s poised to make a move to the top tier of fantasy starters.
Source: usatoday.com
Tagged as: Nationals, news, Stephen Strasburg
Nationals signed INF/OF Delwyn Young to a minor league contract.
The deal does not include a spring training invite. Young, 30, played last season with the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League and hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since 2010 as a member of the Pirates. He figures to serve as organizational depth.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Delwyn Young, Nationals, news