Stephen Newman

Contributor at District on Deck

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Articles

Will Brady House force the Nationals to make a change at third base?

3 weeks ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

How much longer can we expect Jose Tena to hold off Brady House at third base? The popular roster battle at this moment is among the group of outfielders - specifically Robert Hassell III, Daylen Lile, a rehabbing Jacob Young, and eventually Dylan Crews when he returns from the injured list. We discussed this race yesterday, as well. However, there's another similar competition that is similarly compelling.
3 Nationals players who are tanking their trade value

1 month ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell and Jorge Lopez are among the early-season disappointments in Washington. We're in the middle of another season in which it looks like the Nationals will be sellers at the Trade Deadline. There's just one problem: they don't have players who are building up trade value. In particular, there were three players who were signed or traded for in the offseason with the potential to be flipped during the summer, all of whom are underachieving.
3 more top Nationals prospects who could receive promotions soon

1 month ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

Now that Robert Hassell III has finally received his first major league callup, who else seems close behind him? The big news over the past couple days has been Dylan Crews' placement on the 15-day injured list, and Robert Hassell III's corresponding recall from Triple-A Rochester. After once being among the top prospects acquired in exchange for Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres, Hassell is now yet another outfielder under the age of 25 on the big league roster of the Washington Nationals.
3 offseason moves that are paying dividends for the Nationals

1 month ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

A trade for a slugger, a pair of transitions to the bullpen, and the addition of a utilityman stand out among the best changes thus far this season. In a season in which the Nationals are once again racking up more losses than wins, there have been positive developments across the roster. Although Washington has continued to be reluctant to dish out any major contracts, three decisions stand out among the smartest to have been made so far this season.
4 Nationals players who are younger than you think

1 month ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

The Nationals have some players who have been in Washington so long that we may have forgotten how young they are. We talk a lot about what a young team the Washington Nationals are, but at times, it seems that we lose sight of how young some of their individual players are. With that in mind, let's take some time to acknowledge some of the team's core players who may be younger than you realize.
Is it time for this Nationals outfielder to become a full-time starter?

1 month ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

Alex Call is off to a hot start in 2025, and he's making a case to earn a bigger role. It's well documented that the Nationals had an opportunity to spend some money this offseason. In particular, there were a few star outfielders available. But instead of pursuing them, Washington decided to stick with their incumbent options. That meant James Wood and Dylan Crews in the corners and Jacob Young in center field. Or at least that's what we thought.
3 Nationals prospects who should be called up soon

2 months ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

Former starting pitchers Cole Henry and Jackson Rutledge recently earned big league call-ups. What other players could be next? We all know what this season is about. The Washington Nationals are off to a decent start, but we shouldn't expect that to continue. There are enough roster holes for there to be room to call up some players from the minor leagues. Cole Henry, a second-round pick out of LSU in the 2020 MLB Draft, was the first to earn a promotion.
4 Nationals offseason decisions that already look like mistakes

2 months ago | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

After an offseason in which the Nationals didn't do much, these decisions stand out as the biggest blunders. The Washington Nationals are currently on a four-game winning streak. In that regard, although the team lost six of its first seven games, more recently, things are going about as well as anyone could've hoped. The trouble what that thought process is it feels like we're cherrypicking and celebrating small victories, as opposed to sustained success.
This prospect drafted the Nationals passed on just made Houston's Opening Day roster

Mar 26, 2025 | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

Cam Smith is already debuting in the major leagues. Should Nationals fans care? When the Nationals selected Wake Forest infielder Seaver King with the No. 10 pick in last year's draft, he wasn't considered to be one of the best available players. One of the players most experts viewed more favorably was Florida State third baseman Cam Smith.
What players remain in camp that can still make the Nationals Opening Day roster?

Mar 21, 2025 | districtondeck.com | Stephen Newman

With less than a week of Spring Training remaining, our roster assumptions are becoming reality for the Nationals. Over the last few days, the Washington Nationals have made two rounds of cuts. Admittedly, I'm not sure that anything unexpected has happened in this regard. But still, the battles for the final handful or fewer roster spots are becoming increasingly clear.