• Mike Cameron. Mark Teahen. Rick Ankiel. Brett Carroll. Mark DeRosa. Chad Tracy. Jason Michaels. Xavier Paul. Jarrett Hoffpauir. Jeff Fulchino. Andres Blanco. Waldis Joaquin. Teahen was just the latest veteran name the Nats inked to a deal this winter. They traded for Gio Gonzalez, signed right-hander Edwin Jackson. The Nats re-signed Chien-Ming Wang early this winter. They claimed Carlos Rivero off waivers from Philadelphia. They traded Collin Balester for Ryan Perry...signed a bunch of minor league free agents. They added Brad Lidge to the bullpen. That's off the top of my head. There will be new names in Spring Training, but not too many spots available on the Opening Day roster. The biggest story of the Spring, however, is going to be Bryce Harper. He topped another prospect list released yesterday...LINKS...RIGHT NOW!!
• THE BIG STORY:
• "When it comes to Harper's immediate future, Nationals farm director Doug Harris chooses to take a very conservative approach dealing with the steady swirl of media and fan interest." - "Nationals' organization preview, Top 20 Prospects" - Doug Miller, MLB.com
• NATS BEAT:
• "[Mark] Teahan, 30, will compete for a spot on the Nationals’ bench and could give them needed depth at Class AAA Syracuse." - "Nationals sign Mark Teahen to minor league deal" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "Though he'll have a chance to crack the Nationals' Opening Day roster, he'll face long odds." - "Nats add Teahen on minor-league deal" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "NatsTown has generally welcomed the return of Rick Ankiel, who has agreed to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training." - "Possible fits for Ankiel in the Nats' outfield (updated with Teahen move)" - Pete Kerzel, MASNSports.com
• "FanGraphs took down talk of Bourjos for John Lannan, countering that Jordan Zimmermann would be a better return. That's probably a little too favorable for the Angels..." - "Fake Trades: Breaking Up The Angels' Glut Of Center Fielders" - Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation
• "'And if the deliberate attempts to keep out Phillies fans persist, the Nats’ attendance will likely plummet further, ultimately driving down the franchise’s revenue...'" - "Nats ‘Take Back the Park’ campaign hits front page of Philadelphia Inquirer" - Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog - The Washington Post
• "If you've been to Nationals camp before, you know the drill. But if you're a first-time visitor, you want to know what to expect." - "Spring Training Fan Guide Part 1: The complex" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "[Mark] Teahen, who served as the third baseman and then first baseman for the Kansas City Royals for the first five years of his career, is coming off a career-worst offensive season..." - "Nats sign Teahen to minor-league deal" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "Have we mentioned that Bourjos is under team control for the next five seasons and will make something close to the league minimum for the next two years?" - "Bourjos for Lannan? Surely You Jest." - Dave Cameron, FanGraphs Baseball
• "In a city that has so often served as a backdrop for racial debate, progress and controversy, it's rather remarkable that the integration of the Washington Senators' roster in 1954 barely drew attention." - "Senators' color line broken quietly" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "Harrisburg Senators closer Hassan Pena is another reliever that could easily move up to Triple-A this season and has the stuff to pitch in the ..." - "Hassan Pena has the stuff for the majors" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "Last week, Nationals media relations manager Bill Gluvna resigned in order to take a job working for Boras Corporation." - "Nationals media relations manager Bill Gluvna leaves for Boras Corporation" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "And they have a secret weapon -- a 19-year-old wunderkind who could come up to the majors and explode one of these years." - "Could Bryce Harper Start The Season In The Majors?" - Grant Brisbee, Baseball Nation
• "There are going to be no shortage of possibilities, and there could still be plenty of changes via either trades or last-minute signings." - "The depth chart ... for now" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "Instead, Stairs will have to settle for a number of smaller accolades. He is the only player to ever play for 13 different Major League teams (though Edwin Jackson has this one marked on his to-do list)." - "Matt Stairs Was Good at Baseball" - Paul Swydan, FanGraphs Baseball
• "Rick Schu got a glimpse of just how hard it would be to follow in the footsteps of a legend, if only for a single game, when he was called up by the Phillies in September 1984." - "Advice for O'Brien: How to succeed a legend" - Mark Kram, Philly.com
• NATSTOWN:
• "The Nats don’t have a lot of superstars (at least until the next wave of youngsters come through)." - "Lookie What New Nat Jackson Can Do!" - Keara Dowd, Win For Teddy
• "The best part of the whole situation for the Nationals is that the one-year deal puts the onus on Jackson to perform in 2012." - "Edwin Jackson Turned Down Three Year Deal From Pirates" - Will Yoder, The Nats Blog
• "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..." - "Why Washington Nationals should keep John Lannan" - Zach Myles, Rant Sports
• "While you're sitting around measuring the shift in the balance of power in the NL East after the Nationals signed Mark Teahen to a minor-league deal today..." - "The Michael Morse 38 Special T-Shirt" - Nats Enquirer
• "The Nats are getting so much good publicity these days, many national baseball writers are picking them as their 'surprise team' for the upcoming season, with some picking them for the post-season." - "The Doomsday Scenario" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page
• "#Ourpark? Or #Theirpark?" - Nats Enquirer
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "Compassion is the ultimate source of success in life."
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Mets: "Headlining their approach and a fresh crop of young, high-upside pitchers is a trio of powerful right-handers: Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia, who ranked Nos. 28, 38 and 90, respectively, on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects list." - "Mets' organization preview, Top 20 Prospects" - Jon Star, mets.com: News
• Marlins: "Marlins director of player development Brian Chattin can envision the future, and he likes what sees coming." - "Marlins' organization preview, Top 20 Prospects" - Jesse Sanchez, marlins.com: News
• Braves: "Right now, Atlanta fully intends to make the right-handed trio of Julio Teheran, Arodys Viczaino and Randall Delgado -- the team's top three prospects, and in that order -- a part of its future plans..." - "Braves' organization preview, Top 20 Prospects" - Evan Drellich, braves.com: News
• Phillies: "When you're built to win, your prospects sometimes suffer. The Phillies have leveraged their farm system to help bring more talent to the parent club in recent seasons..." - "Phillies' organization preview, Top 20 Prospects" - Spencer Fordin, phillies.com: News