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Washington Nationals News: Nats planning to shop Drew Storen at Meetings

By Pablo Roa

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Today’s District Daily discusses the Washington Nationals’ plans for reliever Drew Storen and Craig Stammen‘s thoughts on being non-tendered.

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 how the Nationals are planning to shop Drew Storen on the trade market during next week’s Winter Meetings.

Storen, who was once considered the team’s closer of the future, is coming off a rough 2015 season in which he lost his job as the team’s closer to Jonathan Papelbon and subsequently self-destructed in the eighth-inning setup role. Storen’s confidence was shattered after the team traded for Papelbon, and after struggling mightily in the eighth inning, the right-hander’s season came to a devastating and fitting end when he broke his hand after smashing it on his locker in frustration.

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The trade for Papelbon and Storen’s demotion created a tense relationship between Storen and the Nationals’ front office, so it’s not surprising that the team is looking to trade him this offseason. It’s unclear at this point what kind of return he Nationals could expect for a player like Storen, but as Ladson notes, at least one team could be interested in acquiring the right-hander.

Trading Storen appears to be part of the team’s plan to rebuild the bullpen this offseason. Along with Storen, many expect the team to try to trade Papelbon, whose season came to an end after he received a suspension for choking teammate Bryce Harper in a late-season dugout altercation.

It remains unclear exactly what the Nationals’ plans are for revamping the bullpen, but we should have a clearer outlook of the situation once the Winter Meetings begin on Monday.

Also in today’s Daily, recently non-tendered reliever Craig Stammen reflects on his career with the Nationals.

Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.

Nats planning to shop Storen at Meetings

(Bill Ladson, MLB.com)

WASHINGTON — With the 2015 Baseball Winter Meetings scheduled to start on Monday, the Nationals are looking to trade reliever Drew Storen, according to three baseball sources with knowledge of the situation. It’s not known what the Nationals are looking for in exchange for the right-hander.

MLB.com has confirmed an ESPN report that the Astros may consider trading for Storen. After winning the American League Wild Card this past season, the Astros are looking for relievers to help them go to the next level. If Storen were to go to the Astros, he could be a closer or setup man. Storen has done a great job doing both during the regular season, but has struggled as a closer in the postseason. Read full article here.

Craig Stammen on being non-tendered by Nationals: ‘I’m excited to start a new chapter’

(James Wagner, Washington Post)

As Craig Stammen’s agent and the Washington Nationals talked on Wednesday, the pitcher held out hope he would reach a deal to return for his 12th year with the organization that drafted him in the 12th round of the 2005 draft. By some projections, Stammen was perhaps likely to see a modest raise through baseball’s arbitration system from his $2.25 million salary in 2015. But the two sides couldn’t reach a deal following a season in which the right-hander reliever pitched in only five games before needing forearm surgery, so the Nationals non-tendered him before the midnight deadline.

“It’s unfortunate,” Stammen said Thursday afternoon. “I’m definitely disappointed that I’m not going to have a chance to pitch for the Washington Nationals next year. I feel extremely healthy. I’ve been throwing and I’m ready to roll. I’m excited to start a new chapter in my baseball career and get ready to pitch and compete for a championship with another team.” Read full article here.

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