LaRoche declines mutual option

The Nationals have announced that first-baseman Adam LaRoche has declined his 2013 mutual option. He will not get a buyout but will become a free agent.

LaRoche hit .271 with 33 home runs and 100 RBI in 647 plate appearances for Washington in 2012, and completely rebounded his career.

Analysis: This is a somewhat risky move by LaRoche, but I believe he'll ultimately get overpaid by someone. He has had some health issues in the past, but is a great defensive player and probably worth around $10+ million per season. He'll probably be looking at a contract along the lines of 4 years, $50 million or so.  I say the Orioles pick him up.

Yankees return Brad Meyers to Washington

The Yankees have returned Rule 5 draft pick Brad Meyers to the Nationals.

Meyers spent the entire 2012 season on the disabled list after undergoing shoulder surgery last off-season. He posted a 3.18 ERA in 138 2/3 innings in the Nationals' farm system before that.

Analysis: Myers actually has decent minor league stats and probably would have made an impact if he stayed with the Yankees. Now he'll be going back to the Nationals and I'm sure he'll get a chance to earn a bullpen spot, assuming he's healthy.

Burnett to decline 2013 option

Sean Burnett is expected to decline his 2013 mutual option that is worth $3.5 million. However, he plans on staying with the Nationals, making it his "first priority" to re-sign with the team.

Burnett signed a two year, $3.95 million extension with Washington back in December of 2010. He posted a 2.38 ERA in 70 appearances in 2012, and is emerging as one of the top left handed specialists in the game.

Burnett was originally acquired from the Pirates in the trade that sent Joel Hanrahan to Pittsburgh. When he declines his option, Washington will not be responsible for the 250k buyout that is associated with his option.

Analysis: This makes sense. Burnett is honestly one of the greatest left handed specialists in the game right now and would get a very nice deal on the open market. He'll definitely get a multiyear deal, probably in the range of $4-5 million per season. I'll say he stays with the Nationals on a three year, $15 million deal.

Carroll, Maldonado elect free agency

The Nationals have announced that outfielder Brett Carroll and catcher Carlos Maldonado have refused their outright assignments to the minor leagues and will become free agents. 

Carroll spent most of the year in Triple-A, hitting .250 with 10 homers in 111 games while playing all three outfield positions. Maldonado spent the majority of the year in Triple-A as well, hitting .210 in 51 games.

Analysis: Carroll is a fourth outfielder at best but is versatile and has some pop to his bat. Maldonado got a little playing time with the Nationals because of the Wilson Ramos injury, and showed that he really couldn't hit but was an average defensive catcher. He is really a third string catcher at best. 

Nationals officially shut down Strasburg

Finally, the day has come. The Nationals have officially shut down their prized pitcher Stephen Strasburg for the remainder of the season, according to Manager Davey Johnson. The club will have pitcher John Lannan take Strasburg's spot in the rotation. 

Johnson believed, according to reporters, that Strasburg had become distracted by the media coverage of the innings limit that Washington's front office put on him coming into the season. Originally, Strasburg was going to make his final start against the Mets on September 12, but after a poor outing last night against the Marlins, the Nationals decided to shut him down now. 

Strasburg has had a very successful season, posting a 3.16 ERA while striking out 197 batters on the season. 

Analysis: Well we all knew that this day would come. I'm surprised that they are shutting him down now, rather than wait until September 12 when he was supposed to make his final start. Yet again, I can't really blame Johnson for taking these actions because there has been so much media coverage with Strasburg this season, and I also believe that he has become mentally exhausted down the stretch. Hopefully he comes back next season and has a successful full season as the Nationals' ace. I have a bad feeling that he may get injured again, because he has definitely had quite a workload this year. 

Rodriguez undergoes elbow surgery, out for season

The Nationals announced that relief pitcher Henry Rodriguez underwent elbow surgery yesterday and will be out for the remainder of the season. The surgery was supposedly going to clean up a bone spur in his right elbow.

Rodriguez won't be able to pick up a baseball for 10 to 12 weeks, but is expected to be ready for Spring Training next season. He has posted a 5.83 ERA in 29.1 innings of relief this season. He had the closer's job earlier in the season, but he was eventually replaced by Tyler Clippard.

Analysis: Rodriguez got off to a nice start earlier in the season, converting his first 5 save opportunities. However, he started to get wild and lost his closer's job. He has an incredible raw arm, and most of his pitches end up to be around 98-100 mph. Good luck to him and hopefully he lives up to his hype next season.

Fantasy talk: Michael Morse status report

Michael Morse has finally put it all together over the last few years with the Nationals. He has become a fixture in their young lineup and has an incredible amount of raw power. He is also one of the more underrated outfielders in the game. Despite missing most of the first half of the season, Morse hasn't disappointed his fantasy owners this year, providing solid power numbers.

Morse had quite a career before we wound up with Washington. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2000 draft by the White Sox. He briefly played in Chicago's farm system for about 2 years, putting up decent numbers. He didn't provide any power, and his batting average was around .250. The White Sox front office gave up on Morse in 2003, shipping him to Seattle in a deal centered around Freddy Garcia. Seattle thought very highly of Morse once he started to hit well in their farm system. From 2005-2008, he constantly bounced around between Triple-A and the Majors. He didn't hit the way that Seattle imagined he would, so the Mariners sent him to the Nationals in exchange for Ryan Langerhans. (Yea, Remember him?) The Nationals kept Morse in a bench role in 2009 and he just did alright yet again, hitting .250 in a part time role. In 2010, Morse began to open some eyes. He hit .289 with 15 homers and 41 RBI in only 98 games. This allowed him to be in the everyday lineup in 2011, and he has run away with the opportunity. He had a huge breakout year, hitting .303 with 31 homers and 95 RBI in 575 plate appearances. He was also 29 years old at the time, which indicated that he was in his prime.

Entering 2012, Morse was still a sleeper pick in the drafts. Not too many people knew about him at the time, however his raw power appealed to many owners. Morse was forced to miss a chunk of the first half of the season, but has hit well when on the field. He has hit .292 with 12 homers and 47 RBI in 76 games. That is pretty good, and I'm excited to see what he can provide down the stretch. Morse is going to continue to be a big power threat, therefore I'd recommend that you continue to draft him. The Nationals' lineup is only getting better with each and every passing year, so perhaps next season he'll have more protection.

Nationals, Tracy agree on extension

The Nationals and Chad Tracy have agreed on a contract extension that will keep him in Washington through the 2013 season.

Tracy returned to the MLB this year after spending the 2011 season in Japan. He has hit .283 in 68 plate appearances this season. He has served as Washington's backup corner infielder.

Analysis: Not a bad move by Washington. I'm assuming that Tracy's 2013 salary, which is unknown at the moment, will be around $750k, which is what he is earning this year. Tracy is a bench player at best, but will be a nice backup to Washington's first and third basemen next year.

Fantasy talk: Edwin Jackson status report

It's hard to believe that Edwin Jackson is only 28 years old. The guy has certainly had an interesting career so far, basically bouncing around from almost every single team in the game. He has never been able to find a permanent home, but nevertheless, he still manages to pitch well every fifth day. He is also one of the most underrated pitchers in the game.

Jackson was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2001 draft. The Dodgers chose him expecting that he would be an outfielder, but they eventually converted him into a pitcher. There was a time where Jackson was regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in the game, but his stock fell down once he posting a sub-4.00 ERA in the minors. Some say that he got rushed to the majors, and in 2004, Jackson struggled for the Major League club. He was sent back down to the minors, and struggled there as well, therefore ending his status as a "can't-miss prospect." Here is when Jackson's career gets very interesting. In 2006, he was traded to Tampa Bay in the Danys Baez deal. He was used mostly in relief, and posted a 5.45 ERA that season. The next two years he struggled yet again, and was traded to Detroit in exchange for Matt Joyce. Jackson went on to have his first true good season, posting a 3.62 ERA in 33 starts. Apparently, Detroit did not want to keep him and traded him to Arizona the following winter. He was included in the three way deal that sent Austin Jackson to Detroit and Curtis Granderson to the Yankees. Jackson went on to struggle with the Diamondbacks, and was traded to the White Sox in the middle of the season in the Daniel Hudson trade. Jackson went on to toss a no-hitter for Chicago down the stretch, and played pretty well for the most part. He started the next season on the White Sox roster, but was traded to the Blue Jays in the Jason Frasor deal last summer. The Blue Jays then flipped him to the Cardinals in a huge deal that was centered around outfielder Colby Rasmus going to Toronto. Jackson played very well down the stretch for St. Louis, ultimately leading them to a World Series title. He became a free agent after the season, and signed a one year deal with the Nationals.

Now, as you can see, like I said earlier, Jackson's career has been a unique one so far. He has gotten traded so many times and it seems like he never stays with the same team for more than one year. Now he is with the Nationals, and currently has a a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts. That is pretty good, but since Jackson was formerly regarded as a top prospect, I still have higher expectations for him.

Overall, Jackson, in my opinion, is still too inconsistent to trust down the stretch in my fantasy league. He is certainly a good pitcher to have on your roster, but I would still keep a close eye on him. If you have him, you could either sell high while his value is high, which is what I recommend, or you could keep him and hope he gets even better, which is risky but possible.

Cesar Izturis clears waivers, elects free agency

The Nationals have announced that infielder Cesar Izturis cleared waivers this afternoon and chose not to accept his outright assignment. He has elected free agency. Washington designated him for assignment three days ago after claiming him off of waivers from the Brewers. 

Izturis has hit .241 in 173 plate appearances for the Brewers and Nationals this season. 

Analysis: Izturis will definitely get picked up by a team. I'm thinking maybe the Athletics? Oakland has been looking for infield depth all season long and Izturis would be a nice fit for them. 

Nationals designate Izturis for assignment

The Nationals have designated veteran infielder Cesar Izturis for assignment to create roster space for Ian Desmond, who has been activated off of the disabled list.

Izturis was claimed off of waivers by the Nats from the Brewers eleven days ago. He has hit .235 this season.

Severino clears waivers, outrighted to Triple-A

The Nationals have announced that pitcher Atahualpa Severino has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A. Severino was designated for assignment by Washington last week when the Nationals acquired Cesar Izturis and placed him on the roster. Severino has spent the entire 2012 season at Triple-A, where he has posted a 2.72 ERA in 40 relief appearances.

Rangers release Yorvit Torrealba

The Rangers have placed catcher Yorvit Torrealba on release waivers this afternoon. Texas designated Torrealba for assignment last week to make roster space for Geovany Soto. If a team doesn't claim Torrealba, he will receive his unconditional release.

Torrealba has hit .236 in 182 plate appearances so far this season. The Nationals reportedly had interest in acquiring him last month, but they acquired Kurt Suzuki from Oakland a couple days ago, so they probably don't have interest in signing him now.

Maldonado outrighted to Triple-A

The Nationals have announced that catcher Carlos Maldonado has cleared waivers and will be outrighted to Triple-A. Maldonado appeared in four games with Washington a few months ago, and has spent most of this season in Triple-A, where he has hit .223 in 146 plate appearances.

Nationals designate Severino for assignment

The Nationals have designated pitcher Atahualpa Severino for assignment to create roster space for newly-acquired infielder Cesar Izturis.

Severino appeared in six games for last year's Nationals team, but has spent the entire 2012 campaign in Triple-A. He has a 2.72 ERA in 40 relief appearances at the Triple-A level this year.

Nationals claim Cesar Izturis

The Nationals have claimed veteran shortstop Cesar Izturis off of waivers.

Izturis has hit .235 with Milwaukee this year, but his versatility will be very useful in Washington. The Nationals have been seeking infield depth with Ian Desmond on the disabled list. Izturis will be eligible for free agency after this season.

Nationals release Koyie Hill

The Nationals have released catcher Koyie Hill. Washington acquired Kurt Suzuki today, which ultimately made Hill expendable.


Hill appeared in 11 games with the Cubs this season before being designated for assignment by them and choosing free agency. He then signed with Washington in June on a minor league deal. 

Nationals designate Maldonado for assignment

The Nationals have designated catcher Carlos Maldonado for assignment. The move creates roster space for the newly-acquired veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki.

Maldonado appeared in four games with the Nationals this season. He spent most of the season in Triple-A, where he hit .223 in 146 plate appearances.

Nationals sign Mike MacDougal

The Nationals have signed pitcher Mike MacDougal to a minor league deal. He will provide the Nationals with bullpen depth, presumably at the minor league level.

The Dodgers signed MacDougal to a one year, $1 million deal before the season, but they released him in May. He then signed a minor league deal with the Cubs, but struggled, posting a 7.85 ERA at the Triple-A level. He then got released again.

Nationals release Xavier Nady

The Nationals have released veteran outfielder Xavier Nady. Washington designated him for assignment eight days ago.

Nady suffered a wrist injury earlier in the season and has been sidelined since late-June. He hit .157 with 3 homers in 109 plate appearances for Washington this year. The Nationals signed him to a minor league deal during Spring Training.