According to various sources, the Nats signed RHRP Tyler Walker to a one-year, $650,000 major league contract, and signed LHSP Chuck James and OF Chris Duncan to minor league deals.

Walker is a useful righty specialist, who had a good season with the Phillies last year, with a K/BB rate of 3.0 in 35.1 IP and a 3.06 ERA.

James has spent the last season and a half recovering from rotator cuff AND labrum surgeries. In 2006-07, he went 22-14 in 48 starts with a 4.05 ERA and 1.320 WHIP, striking out 6.6 per nine innings.

Duncan hit 22 and 21 home runs in 2006-07 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, but just a combined 11 in the last two seasons. He was released by Boston, never appearing for them, after a July trade for SS Julio Lugo.

There has been no official word from the Nationals as of this posting on any of these signings.