Washington Nationals: News You May Have Missed
Catch up on the biggest Washington Nationals news from across the internet including that Bryce Harper won’t be playing in the World Baseball Classic and Daniel Murphy’s odd transformation into an elite hitter.
The Washington Nationals’ manager had a strong first year in D.C., winning 95 games and leading the team to their third National League East division title in five years. At 67 years old, Dusty Baker’s been around the block a few times and has a boatload of stories and sayings. Federal Baseball’s Patrick Reddington collected some of the skipper’s best quotes from this season.
Bryce Harper isn’t likely to play in the WBC
Speaking of the World Baseball Classic, Nats star right fielder Bryce Harper will reportedly turn down any offer to play for Team USA in the WBC. Harper’s drop in production was puzzling to say the least, but an offseason focused on improving at the plate might be more beneficial than traveling around with Team USA for the young slugger.
MASN’s “Nationals Classics” schedule
Want to relive Stephen Drew’s walk-off triple from earlier this season? The game Adam LaRoche entered in the ninth and drove in five runs in 2014? How about Stephen Strasburg’s sparkling major league debut? MASN has all those and more on the slate over the next week.
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The Nats’ spring training stadium is 80% complete
The Nationals and Astros new joint spring training facility in Palm Beach is well on its way to being baseball-ready once the pitchers and catchers report to Florida. With the World Baseball Classic pushing up the spring training schedule, the ballpark has a deadline of February 1, 2017.
The transformation of Daniel Murphy from a high average, low power hitter into an MVP candidate with more power and an even higher average has been a strange one. He is now one of the best all around hitters in all of baseball, but how did it happen?
Next: Is Trading Gio For Brian McCann A Good Idea?
DoD Spotlight: The front office should keep an eye on Greg Holland
Mark Melancon is a free agent, and the Nationals have a hole in the closer role once again. Former Royal Greg Holland missed all of 2016 after undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of the prior season. If he can regain his 2013-2014 form, Holland could be an intriguing option in a likely expensive free agent reliever market.