WASHINGTON NATIONALS NEWS

Perspective ' The scariest question in baseball: How do you get Juan Soto out? Pitchers control baseball. And Juan Soto controls pitchers.

MARCH 26, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Could Cade Cavalli make the Nats' Opening Day roster? Ask again later. Friday's outing wasn't an audition, but young right-hander is starting to look the part.

MARCH 25, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Cardinals 5, Nationals 4

MARCH 25, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Josiah Gray - Fans five in Thursday's outing Gray gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out five.

Impact After a shaky spring debut, Gray was able to hit his spots better in his second outing. The 24-year-old is locked into a rotation spot for the Nationals to begin the season, and his ability to stay out of the middle of the plate will be one of the keys to his development in 2022 after he posted an ugly 2.42 HR/9 and 5.48 ERA over his first 70.2 big-league innings last year.

MARCH 25, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Andrew Stevenson - Likely to win roster spot Stevenson is out of minor-league options, giving him an edge in the battle for a spot on the Nationals' bench this spring, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Impact The 27-year-old saw the most action of his career last season but failed to seize the opportunity, managing only a .633 OPS in 213 plate appearances with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate against only a 6.1 percent walk rate. Assuming he's on the Opening Day roster, Stevenson has a path to significant playing time again in 2022 as the Nats' outfield isn't exactly set aside from Juan Soto, but his profile doesn't suggest he'd be a fantasy asset even in a starting role.

MARCH 25, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Astros 10, Nationals 8

MARCH 25, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Strasburg, Nats not pushing for a fast return as he recovers

The Washington Nationals are willing to wait for whatever Stephen Strasburg can deliver this season

MARCH 24, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Luis García - Returns to lineup Garcia (illness) is starting Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Impact Garcia dealt with a stomach bug for several days after being removed from Monday's lineup against the Cardinals. His brief absence shouldn't impact his availability for Opening Day as he competes for a roster spot during camp.

MARCH 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Juan Soto - Cranks first spring homer Soto went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

Impact After agreeing to a $17.1 million contract the day before to avoid arbitration, Soto celebrated by launching his first homer of the spring. The 23-year-old superstar hit second in the game, a spot that Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports could be his most frequent home during the regular season.

MARCH 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Hunter Harvey - Set for bullpen Thursday Harvey (triceps) is expected to throw a bullpen session Thursday and could begin to throw live batting practice early next week, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Impact The flame-throwing right-hander has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career, an issue which caused him to get waived by the Orioles in November before spending a few months on the Giants' 40-man roster and subsequently being claimed by the Nationals this week. He's in good spirits to begin his Washington tenure, however. "I feel really good," Harvey said Wednesday. "I've been feeling good, so I'm trying to keep it that way this year and stay healthy for the full season." If the 27-year-old can stay off the injured list, his 97 mph fastball and plus curveball could allow him to claim a high-leverage role in an unsettled Nats bullpen.

MARCH 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Patrick Corbin - On schedule for Opening Day Corbin threw four scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out four.

Impact It was a strong effort from the veteran southpaw, although it came against a Miami lineup with only a handful of big-league regulars in the lineup. Corbin tossed 57 pitches in the outing, and as Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post notes, he's now lined up to get the Opening Day start for the Nationals, although manager Dave Martinez has so far declined to name who will get that assignment. Corbin is looking to rebound from a rough 2021 in which he posted a career-worst 5.82 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP and an ugly 11.0 percent K%-BB%.

MARCH 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Stephen Strasburg - Could be looking at mid-May debut Strasburg (neck) may not make his season debut until some time in May, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Impact Nationals manager Dave Martinez dropped a couple breadcrumbs Wednesday regarding the team's plans for Strasburg, saying both that he wanted the right-hander to stay in the rotation once he joins it this season, and that he's expecting 20-25 starts from him. The high end of that range would suggest Strasburg will be making his 2022 debut in mid-May, although he could also make his first start sooner than that and get extra rest between turns over the summer to meet Martinez's target. Even that big a workload might be optimistic, however, as Strasburg has tossed only 26.2 big-league innings over the last two years and is coming back from thoracic outlet surgery, a procedure which so far has had a very spotty track record when it comes to pitchers regaining their prior form.

MARCH 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Analysis ' The Nationals want Juan Soto to bat second. Here's why it just might work. Modern baseball thinking says a team's best hitter should bat second. Juan Soto certainly fits that description.

MARCH 24, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Perspective ' Baseball took Victor Robles's joy last season. He wants it back. Once the Nationals' most hyped prospect, the center fielder has spent two years trying to rediscover the form that made him a key part of th...

MARCH 24, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Soto acclimates quickly to No. 2 spot, homers JUPITER, Fla. -- Manager Dave Martinez is glad whenever he writes Juan Soto’s name into the Nationals’ starting lineup. After jotting it int...

MARCH 23, 2022 • MLB.COM

The Nationals are working to get Stephen Strasburg back. 'Slowly but surely,' Dave Martinez says. Based on Dave Martinez's comments Wednesday, the best case is for Stephen Strasburg to join the rotation in May.

MARCH 23, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM

Marlins 3, Nationals 2

MARCH 23, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tanner Rainey - Reaches deal with Washington Rainey and the Nationals agreed to terms Tuesday on a one-year contract to avoid arbitration, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Impact Rainey endured a turbulent 2021 campaign in which he struggled from both a performance and health standpoint, but he at least closed the season on a high note. Following a call-up from Triple-A Rochester for the final two weeks, Rainey made six appearances out of the bullpen and turned in a 1.41 FIP over that stretch while notching two saves. Rainey's strong finish to the season along with an impressive 20.1-inning sample in 2020 looks like it'll be enough to keep him in the closer mix heading into 2022, as manager Dave Martinez said early in spring training that he was hopeful the right-hander would seize hold of the job. The skipper may not formally name a closer heading into Opening Day, but Rainey should be in the mix for the gig if he turns in a productive spring.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Bell - Reaches $10 million deal with Nats Bell signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Impact Bell is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility and will receive a bump in pay after making $6.35 million in 2021. The 29-year-old rebounded last season after a rough 2020 and slashed .261/.347/.476 with 27 home runs, 75 runs and 88 RBI in 144 games.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Juan Soto - Settles with Nats for $17.1 million Soto agreed to a one-year, $17.1 million contract with the Nationals on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Impact Soto received a huge figure in his second year of arbitration eligibility after earning $8.5 million last year. The 23-year-old reportedly turned down a 13-year, $350 million extension from the Nationals prior to the start of the lockout in December, as it appears he's not in a major rush to ink a long-term deal. Soto hit .313/.465/.534 with 29 home runs, 111 runs, 95 RBI and nine stolen bases in 2021 and finished as the runner-up in NL MVP voting behind Bryce Harper.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Austin Voth - Reaches deal for upcoming season Voth and the Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year, $875,000 deal Tuesday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Impact The means the two sides won't have to go through arbitration. Voth pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen for the first time last season but didn't have much success, struggling to a 5.34 ERA in 57.1 innings while walking a carer-high 11.3 percent of opposing batters.

MARCH 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Erick Fedde - Gets over $2 million Fedde signed a one-year, $2.15 million contract Tuesday, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Fedde finally reached arbitration eligibility in his fifth big-league season last year and will receive a fairly substantial raise as a result. That raise comes despite the fact that he struggled to a 5.47 ERA in 133.1 innings last season.

MARCH 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Joe Ross - Signs deal without arbiter Ross (elbow) and the Nationals avoided arbitration Tuesday, agreeing to terms on a one-year, $2.4 million deal, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Impact Ross gets a raise of just shy of $1 million after a strong 2021 season. He struck out a career-high 23.7 percent of opposing batters across a career-high 108 innings, helping him to a 4.17 ERA, his best mark since 2016. It's unclear what he'll be able to offer the Nationals this season, however, as he'll miss at least the first two months of the season after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow.

MARCH 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Alberto Baldonado - Misses out on roster bid The Nationals reassigned Baldonado to minor-league camp Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Impact Baldonado was among the 10 players sent to minor-league camp during Washington's first wave of spring cuts. The 29-year-old southpaw made 14 relief appearances for the Nationals last season, logging an 8.44 ERA and 1.59 WHIP across 10.2 innings.

MARCH 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Andrew Young - Sent to MiLB camp The Nationals reassigned Young to minor-league camp Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Impact Young was among the 10 players sent to minor-league camp during Washington's first wave of spring cuts. The Nationals selected Young in the minor-league Rule 5 draft earlier this offseason after Arizona outrighted him off its 40-man roster in late November. He saw action in 58 games for the Diamondbacks in 2021, hitting .209 with six home runs and 15 RBI across 104 plate appearances.

MARCH 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE