Washington Nationals News: Ian Desmond in talks with Padres, Chris Speier wants to help lead Nats to a championship
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily features stories on Ian Desmond‘s free agency and new Washington Nationals bench coach Chris Speier.
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.
We start off today’s Daily with a report from Fox Sports insider Jon Paul Morosi, who discusses Ian Desmond’s ongoing free agency and other Hot Stove topics. In his column, Morosi writes that Desmond is in talks with the San Diego Padres — a team he deems to be a “perfect fit” for the free agent shortstop.
While no deal is close between Desmond and the Padres, it’s beginning to look more and more likely that the Nationals’ longtime shortstop could be playing in San Diego next season. The Padres have been linked to Desmond since the end of the regular season, and as Morosi notes, he’s a great fit for San Diego.
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Desmond has been the Nationals’ everyday shortstop since 2010 and developed into one of the best players at his position over the last few years. The infielder is a career .264 hitter with 110 home runs and 432 RBIs. He won three straight Silver Slugger awards at shortstop from 2012-2014 and was named to the NL All-Star team in 2012.
The Nationals tried to sign Desmond to a long-term contract extension last offseason but the two sides never came close to a deal. With the team’s acquisition of shortstop prospect Trea Turner last year, it became clear that the Nationals and Desmond would go their separate ways when Desmond hit free agency this offseason.
While he won’t be with the Nationals next season, fan-favorite Desmond will be greeted with a hero’s welcome whenever he returns to Nationals Park. Only time will tell if that reunion will be on July 22 — when the Padres visit the Nationals for the first time in 2016.
Morosi’s column also discussed the Nationals’ interest in trading reliever Drew Storen, which we wrote about earlier today.
Also in today’s Daily, MASN’s Chris Johnson discusses new Nationals bench coach Chris Speier. As Johnson writes in his article, Speier is looking forward to working with his new club and his old friend Dusty Baker, who he hopes will earn his first World Series ring as a manager next season.
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.
Notes: Signing SS Ian Desmond would be a perfect fit for San Diego
The San Diego Padres are having ongoing discussions with the agent for free-agent shortstop Ian Desmond, according to major-league sources. While there’s a natural fit between the parties, no deal appears close — yet.
Two months into the offseason, the position-player sector of the free-agent market remains a multimillion-dollar staring contest. For those growing weary of the wait, it’s encouraging that the most logical scenario in the entire industry — Desmond to San Diego — remains alive. Read full article here.
Chris Speier looking for ring at Dusty Baker’s side
New Nationals bench coach Chris Speier’s long career in the majors nearly began in Washington when the Senators drafted him out of high school in 1968. But Speier opted for college and became the second overall pick by the Giants two years later.
Next: Rumors: Washington Nationals Trying To Trade Drew Storen
Speier played 19 years, mostly as a shortstop, for the Giants, Expos, Cardinals, Twins and Cubs, and made three All-Star teams. After retiring in 1989, Speier jumped into coaching with the Giants and Cubs before becoming a minor league manager in the Diamondbacks organization. He eventually was promoted to third base coach in Arizona, where he won a World Series in 2001. Read full article here.