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The 2017 Washington Nationals season will be the Nationals' 13th season as the baseball franchise of Major League Baseball in the District of Columbia, the 10th season at Nationals Park, and the 49th since the original team was started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Team news
The Washington Nationals announced in October 2016 that their entire coaching staff would return for the 2017 season, led by manager Dusty Baker.
The team lost several players to free agency after the 2016 season, including right-handed relief pitcher Matt Belisle, left-handed reliever Sean Burnett, infielder Stephen Drew, outfielder Chris Heisey, right-handed pitcher Mat Latos, closer Mark Melancon, catcher Wilson Ramos, and left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski. Additionally, the Nationals chose not to exercise their 2017 option on right-handed pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, who also became a free agent, and injured right-handed reliever Aaron Barrett declined an outright assignment to the minors and elected free agency as well. The team did not extend a qualifying offer to any of its free agents. Ramos was considered a likely candidate for a qualifying offer, but due to an injury late in the 2016 season expected to sideline him for part of the 2017 season, he did not receive one; he ultimately signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Outfielder Ben Revere was eligible for arbitration, but after an injury-plagued and offensively dismal season, he was not tendered a new contract and became a free agent; he later signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for less than he was due to earn through the arbitration process. The Nationals extended one-year contracts for the 2017 season to all of their other arbitration-eligible players: shortstop Danny Espinosa (who ended up being traded before arbitration to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), right fielder Bryce Harper, catcher Jose Lobaton, third baseman Anthony Rendon, and right-handed pitcher Tanner Roark.
At various times during the off-season, the Nationals were linked in trade talks to the Chicago White Sox for left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale (ultimately traded to the Boston Red Sox) and right-handed reliever David Robertson, the Pittsburgh Pirates for center fielder Andrew McCutchen, the Tampa Bay Rays for left-handed reliever Álex Colomé, and the Minnesota Twins for second baseman Brian Dozier, among other players. The Nationals also reportedly made an attempt to re-sign Melancon, who instead signed with the San Francisco Giants, and to sign right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen, a free agent who ended up returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They also were reported to have interest in other free agents, including right-handed pitchers Tyson Ross (ultimately signed by the Texas Rangers), Greg Holland (ultimately signed by the Colorado Rockies), and Sergio Romo (ultimately signed by the Dodgers), as well as catcher Matt Wieters.
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Spring training
Plans call for the Nationals to hold their 2017 spring training at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, a new facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, they will share with the Houston Astros.The new facility, which will provide each team with two major-league-size practice fields, four-minor-league-size practice fields, an agility field, a half field, batting cages, and pitching mounds, will center around a new baseball stadium with 6,400 ticketed seats and 1,250 berm seats, and will place the Nationals far closer to other teams during spring training, facilitating travel for spring training games. The new facility is scheduled to open on January 15, 2017.
Record vs. opponents
Through games of [month] [day], 2017.
Batting
(Updated as of xx/xx/xx)
Players in bold are on the active roster.
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Walks; SO = Strikeouts; Avg. = Batting average; OBP = On Base Percentage; SLG = Slugging Percentage; SB = Stolen bases
Pitching
(Updated as of xx/xx/xx)
Players in bold are on the active roster.
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts