Nationals Rumors: Nats talking with clubs about Tyler Clippard, Ross Detwiler

Jim Duquette's hearing things. More on that in a minute...

The biggest news from this evening's daily Winter Meetings update with Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo is the confirmation from the General Manager of what Nats' skipper Matt Williams said last night about Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper potentially switching corner outfield spots.

As Rizzo explained today in San Diego, the potential move, which has been discussed for several years as something that might happen one day in the future is something that will happen this season.

"'We think it’s time for Jayson to take to left field and put Harp in right field,'" Rizzo told reporters at the Winter Meetings, including NatsInsider.com's Mark Zuckerman.

"'I think it’s a good time to do it this season.'"

The thinking behind the move?:

Rizzo: "'I think it gives a younger set of legs in right field. [Harper] covers a lot of ground. He throws extremely well. And Jayson, who always has taken good routes and good angles on baseballs, can maybe have less ground to cover, save his legs a little bit and be more prepared to play throughout the whole season.'"

As for the other Harper news this winter, concerning the clause that wasn't included in his contract back in 2010 which would have allowed him to opt out of the major league deal he got after he was taken no.1 overall, the 22-year-old outfielder's agent, Scott Boras, told reporters he and the Nationals are talking and said on MLB Network Radio tonight that there was a process to settle things if they couldn't reach an agreement:

Boras on Harper/Nats: "It's a situation where we're trying to work this through....if we can't, there's a structure the union has"

— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 11, 2014

Rizzo addressed the disagreement and the potential grievance hearing which could settle things this month when he spoke to reporters:

Mike Rizzo said the grievance hearing (arbitration) with Bryce Harper will be sometime in the middle of the month. #Nats #Nationals #MLB

— William Ladson (@washingnats) December 10, 2014

Rizzo says Nats-Harper grievance hearing is in mid-Dec. Hopes to reach an agreement before it & understands how it could alienate a player.

— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) December 10, 2014

How about some of those printed reports about the Nationals and Max Scherzer?:

Asked about Max Scherzer, Rizzo says "there would have to be a lot of moving parts" for Nats to be interested in free agent starters.

— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) December 10, 2014

Rizzo basically said no chance #Nats go after Scherzer. "There's have to be a lot of moving parts for us to have interest in a starter."

— Mark Zuckerman (@ZuckermanCSN) December 10, 2014

Two names that keep coming up in discussions at the Winter Meetings are Tyler Clippard's and Ross Detwiler's, according to multiple reports tonight:

Amazing how much lobby buzz there is on #Nationals this afternoon. Heard they're listening intently on Clippard, Jordan Zimmermann & more

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 11, 2014

Sources: #Nationals in active discussions with multiple clubs on both Clippard, Detwiler.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2014

And then there's this, but try to contain your excitement since it's kind of vague-ish:

.@Jim_Duquette heard the #Nationals were working on a deal last night that would "blow the roof off this place, something to keep an eye on"

— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 11, 2014

More rumors when they're available...