District Daily: Nationals could have options with Zimmermann, Fister

Oct 4, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher

(27) is taken out of the game in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants in game two of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit:

-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning DoD readers! Start off your day with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web in our District Daily:

Nats could have options with Zimmermann, Fister

(Bill Ladson, MLB.com)

WASHINGTON — According to USA Today, the Nationals have told opposing teams they would listen to possible deals involving right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister. Fister and Zimmermann are free agents after the 2015 season and general manager Mike Rizzo would like to sign them long term. Fister and Zimmermann were two of the Nationals’ best pitchers this past season.

Although he missed the first month of the season because of a lat strain, Fister still led the team in victories and finished eighth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. The game goes fast whenever Fister is on the mound. He is not a power pitcher by any means, but he throws strikes and keeps the hitters off-balance.

Teammate Stephen Strasburg may have the best stuff in the organization, but Zimmermann is the ace of the staff. Look at what Zimmermann has done the last three years: 45 wins, a 2.96 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Read full article here.

Jordan Zimmermann wants to stay in D.C. but understands his situation

(James Wagner, Washington Post)

In a perfect world, Jordan Zimmermann wants to stay in Washington, the only organization he has ever known. But it’s not that simple and the Nationals’ homegrown star understands the position he is in. The Nationals control him for only one more year, the 2015 season, before he is eligible for free agency. The two sides have talked in the past — not since last winter — about a long-term extension to keep him in Washington past 2015 but nothing has materialized.

So it comes as no surprise that Zimmermann’s name has come up in trade rumors — and some, such as one linking him to the Cubs last week, have been exactly that, rumors  shot down publicly by Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo. As many as 10 Nationals players, including key cogs such as Zimmermann, Doug Fister and Ian Desmond, could be eligible for free agency after the 2015 season. And the Nationals haven’t shied from admitting that they will listen, if the price is right, for deals for any of their players close to free agency. So what will happen with Zimmermann, the two-time all-star and author of a no-hitter? Read full article here.