Good morning DoD readers, start off your day with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web in our District Daily:
Will the Nationals get involved in the Yadier Alvarez market?
(Patrick Reddington, Federal Baseball)
In an article this winter on the Washington Nationals‘ interest in several of the Cuban-born prospects expected to sign in the coming months, Washington Post writer James Wagner wrote about Nats’ scouts looking at a number of infielders including Jose Fernandez, Hector Olivera and Yoan Moncada with the Nationals “most interested” in Fernandez and Moncada, “whose age and high ceiling,” Wagner wrote, were a “plus.” Baseball America’s Ben Badler made a fairly convincing argument why the Nationals might make sense as a suitor for Moncada, who’s expected to sign soon for somewhere from $30-$50M and cost the team that signs him twice that with the near-100% penalty incurred by any major league team that spends beyond their alloted pool for internationals signings.
In a follow-up article earlier this month the WaPost’s Wagner added Andy Ibanez to the list of Cuban infielder the Nats have scouted this winter while considering the Nationals’ place in the Moncada market and writing that Nats’ GM Mike Rizzo was, “… leery of locking up the team’s bonus pool for three years for one player,” with the fines and other penalties for exceeding the budget for international signings. Read full article here.
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Top 10 spring training story lines: Nos. 10-6
(Chelsea Janes, Washington Post)
Though snow fell hard and fast on the field at Nationals Park on Monday night, Washington’s baseball team will be playing again soon. Pitchers and catchers must report to Viera, Fla. by Thursday, though many have done so already. Weather permitting, my colleague James Wagner and I will be joining them Tuesday.
All the Nationals must be in camp by next Thursday, Feb. 24. They’ll get physicals, then get to work. Many of those players know what their place will be, particularly those destined for a 25-man roster that is nearly set already. Among those who are locks there are still injuries to be overcome or proven to be non-issues. Beyond those 25-man locks are 40-man hopefuls, and beyond those are players hopeful just to insert themselves in the big-league conversation. Read full article here.