Scott Olsen News

After watching his team drop 103 games this past season, it's pretty clear what general manager Mike Rizzo has to do to improve the Nationals: acquire quality pitching.

Adam Dunn was the big news of last off-season, and should be a big focus of this one.

After as busy a first year as anyone could ask for, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo has another decision to make.

Before the 2009 season started, the Nationals believed they would be better than last year's team, which lost 102 games.

Josh Willingham and the other Marlins due to receive hefty pay raises through salary arbitration knew that many would not be returning next season.

Ian Desmond is starting at second base -- a position he hasn't played since his junior year of high school.

The Washington Nationals ' much-anticipated September call-ups include a couple of names long suspected for promotion as well as a few surprises.

The Nationals designated right-hander Jorge Sosa for assignment on Tuesday. The news comes after Washington promoted pitchers Ross Detwiler, Marco Estrada, Logan Kensing and Zack Segovia, and shortstop Ian Desmond to the big leagues.

The Washington Nationals' pitching staff lost another starter to a season-ending injury Friday night when the team learned right-hander Craig Stammen will need arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow.

There may come a day -- the Nationals certainly hope so -- when mowing down big league hitters in the biggest of moments and in the biggest of stadiums will be the norm for Stephen Strasburg.

Even though they no longer are teammates, Ricky Nolasco and Scott Olsen spent most of their offseason playing catch at Founder's Park in Aventura -- a place they grew to be close friends.

Mariners left-hander Erik Bedard is going to have another surgery on his throwing shoulder, all but ending his season and perhaps his time with Seattle.

Interim manager Jim Riggleman said he talked with Zimmermann in the past few days, trying to reassure the 23-year-old that the surgery won't compromise his future.

Before going forward, a caveat: It's possible orthopedist James Andrews will take a look at the MRI of Washington Nationals pitcher 's right elbow, the one that acting general manager Mike Rizzo said showed "concerning facts," and find nothing to suggest the promising right-hander's career arc is about to smack into a brick wall.

Posted by Pat Andriola One of the more under-the-radar deals of the off-season involved two low-budget teams looking to gain ground in the NL East.

Tracking the Nationals ' news and trends from the past week: SCOTT OLSEN [DOWN] Done for the year after shoulder surgery; he'll have to fight through a crowded rotation next year LANNAN/STAMMEN COMBO [UP] Day after left-hander pitches his first big league shutout, righty goes 7 1/3 in win over Mets MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES [UP] After Riggleman lights ...

I thought it was no-brainer, really. When it was announced last winter that the Washington Nationals had traded Emilio Bonifacio and a minor leaguer to the Florida Marlins for Scott Olsen and ... by Farid Rushdi 86 reads Opinion I thought it was no-brainer, really.

The Washington Nationals have until Aug. 17 to sign top draft pick Stephen Strasburg, and they've known all along negotiations with the right-hander and his agent, Scott Boras, almost certainly will go down to the wire.

As soon as Washington Nationals team doctor Wiemi Douoguih began operating on pitcher Scott Olsen, a decision crystallized that could be one of the key points of the team's offseason.

All-star knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is headed to the disabled list. The Boston Red Sox said Wakefield, who turns 43 next week, has a strained lower back.