Washington Nationals News: Nats bring back Henley as third-base coach
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily looks at Washington Nationals coaching additions and offseason rumors from around the web.
Good evening DoD readers and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses the latest coaching addition for the Nationals. As Ladson writes in his article below, the Nationals have decided to bring back Bob Henley to be their third base coach next season.
Henley, who has been the Nationals’ third base coach for two seasons, had been named the club’s senior adviser in player development after he was told his contract as third base coach would not be renewed for next year. The Nationals fired their entire coaching staff after a disappointing 2015 season.
By bringing back Henley, manager Dusty Baker and the Nationals once again appear to be showing a desire to maintain at least some continuity from previous seasons. The team also brought back hitting coach Rick Schu earlier this offseason. While only two coaches are returning from last season, having two members of the coaching staff who are already familiar with the players and the organization could be beneficial to the team next season.
As Ladson notes, the Nationals are almost done putting together their coaching staff. With Henley coaching third base, Chris Speier will likely be the bench coach. Prior to the move it was widely believed that Speier would be either the third base coach or the bench coach. The team has not confirmed that Speier is joining the team.
Also in today’s Daily, Ken Rosenthal reaffirms the Nationals’ long-rumored interest in free agent infielder Ben Zobrist:
#Nationals need left-handed hitting IFer and left-handed hitting OFer. Zobrist, a switch-hitter and longtime target, could fill both roles.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 24, 2015
The last tweet on Zobrist was not simply speculation. #Nationals are interested in Zobrist. So are many other clubs. Fits almost all.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 24, 2015
Tom Verducci said on MLB Network this morning that he heard #Nationals and #Mets would be high bidders on Zobrist. Remains to be seen.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 24, 2015
The Nationals have been interested in Zobrist for several years now, so it’s unclear if recent rumors point to any actual deal being in the works between the team and the veteran infielder/outfielder. As Rosenthal notes in his tweets, Zobrist would make a lot of sense for the Nationals. The lineup is in desperate need of left-handed hitting and the team’s biggest positional question marks are the middle-infield and the outfield.
But Zobrist would likely come at a high price for whichever team signs him, and the Nationals will likely have to compete with several suitors to bring the switch-hitting veteran on board. We’ll continue to monitor these rumors as the story develops.
With the Winter Meetings rapidly approaching and rumors growing by the day, be sure to stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Nats bring back Henley as third-base coach
WASHINGTON — More than a month after being told his contract would not be renewed, Bobby Henley is back as the Nationals’ third-base coach, the same role he’s had the past two seasons. Henley is the second coach to be rehired by the team, as Rick Schu was also brought back as the hitting coach.
With Henley returning, the move likely means that Chris Speier will be manager Dusty Baker’s bench coach. The Nationals have yet to announce that Speier is joining the club. Read full article here.