NATIONALS RUMORS & GOSSIP

That's a picture of gear piled in front of lockers in the Nationals clubhouse in preparation for Truck Day at Nationals Park today (photo via the Washington Nationals). Next stop, Viera. Spring is in the air... Befriend the Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

This is the fourth post in a series that has looked at the National League East, a division that has had some dynamic movement during this off season. The first post looked at the Phillies and they are the top dogs until somebody knocks them off. The Braves were covered in the second post and it was seen that they have the potential to win 95 games if everything goes perfectly. The...

On a four hour train ride from New York City back home to D.C. I had following a business trip this week, I listened to a lot of sports talk radio. At one point, on a show which I unfortunately do not know the name of, one of the hosts was previewing the N.L. East and pointed out that Gio Gonzalez has a career 4.32 ERA outside of the Oakland Coliseum, and wondered out loud why no...

While the Nationals reveled in the fact that Baseball America ranked their farm system as No. 1 in Major League Baseball prior to the Gio Gonzalez trade, ESPN's prospect wiz Keith Law has ranked their system as the 21st best in baseball in its current form. Here is what Law had to say: "This was potentially a top-10 system before the Gio Gonzalez trade, no worse than top...

What else can baseball fans do in January but dream of October? In You May Say I'm a Dreamer, the Outside Corner staff will imagine the route to a World Series in 2012 title for all 30 teams. To think, the season started with people dreaming about how the Nationals could have been real contenders if only they hadn't been outbid for Prince Fielder by the Tigers. That all...

Bryce Harper wants everyone to know that he won't be all business during his career, going as far as name-checking the legendary Jets QB as someone he'd like to be like. 

Dmitri Young has been out of MLB since 2008 after battling diabetes and alcoholism. He's reportedly set to work out for the Pirates.

The Washington Nationals signed OF Rick Ankiel to a minor-league contract on Monday, and he will likely make the team either as a fourth outfielder or as part of a platoon in center field.  The ultimate decision for Ankiel's role may tell us exactly what the Nats expect from Bryce Harper. The Nats have signed a bevy of veteran utility type players this offseason, including...

After the Washington Nationals signed free agent pitcher Edwin Jackson, the common thought around baseball was that John Lannan, who has been with the organization since 2005, was expendable. The lefty would have been potentially one of seven pitchers competing for five starting spots in the rotation and one long-relief role, leaving one hurler in the dust. But what if I told you...

Pirates management listened to our plight and offered Edwin Jackson a contract. They reportedly offered him three years and $30 million. Jackson declined the offer and signed with the Nationals for one year and $11 million.Jackson was looking for more money than what he got when all was said and done. No team wanted to give him what he wanted, so he had to lower his asking price...

A person familiar with the deal says the Washington Nationals have signed outfielder Rick Ankiel to a minor league contract. The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because the Nationals had yet to announce the signing. The 32-year-old Ankiel batted .239 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 122 games last season with Washington. He gives the Nationals...

The Washington Nationals have been making headlines lately with big such as trading for Gio Gonzalez and getting a one-year deal with Edwin Jackson. They were even rumored to be in on the Prince Fielder sweepstakes. Some of the Nationals’ other moves understandably have garnered less attention, such as minor-league deals for veteran outfielders Mike Cameron and (more recently...

On Thursday the Washington Nationals bolstered their, already pretty strong, starting rotation by signing free-agent pitcher Edwin Jackson to a one-year deal worth roughly $10 million. With the addition of Jackson, and only five available starting spots open, someone has to either be demoted to the bullpen or traded elsewhere, which is exactly what the Nationals are trying to do...

As part of the team's "Take Back the Park" initiative, presale tickets for the series between the Nationals and the Phillies in May will be available only to residents of Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia.

Edwin Jackson finally found a home for 2012 on Thursday, but what exactly are the Nationals trying to do by making this move?