The conclusion of Day One at the 2023 MLB Winter Meetings is marked by a relatively quiet atmosphere in Nashville. Despite the subdued nature of the day, some noteworthy news emerged from Nashville.

Let’s dive right into it…

Davey Martinez & Mike Rizzo Meet the Press

Yesterday, Washington Nationals Manager Davey Martinez was interviewed on MLB Network, and he shared some intriguing insights. Following his interview, GM and President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo met with reporters during the Winter Meetings.

Davey Martinez

In Martinez’s MLB Network interview, he discussed various topics, including his plans for Joey Meneses. Martinez expressed a desire for Meneses to have a versatile role, splitting time between playing as a designated hitter and taking on first base duties. He stated, “I want him to do a little of both, I really do. I want to see him play some more first base.” Martinez also revealed that Meneses had dealt with a knee issue during the 2023 season, a surprising revelation.

Mike Rizzo

During his media session, Rizzo touched upon the potential return of Jeimer Candelario to the Nationals. Despite not naming specific free agents, Rizzo spoke highly of Candelario, stating, “He's a great guy. We liked what he did for us last year, and knowing that if you want to go after that type of player, you'll have to go multiple years. I think we're prepared to do that also in the right situation.”

This year, Rizzo elaborated on the Nationals' approach to free agency, acknowledging the team's need to address several positions. He stated, “We've got several holes to fill... We've got our work cut out for us this year, and I think we're going to take our aggressive approach when it suits us and wait for the market when it suits us. I think we're going to be busy here.”

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Additionally, Rizzo discussed two specific areas of need that he wanted to focus on “I think we’re going to be aggressive again this year looking for a bat that can play the corner infield, be it third base or first base or DH or left field, or a combination of all three of those… And then we’ll resort back to getting more pitching.”

This seems in line with what Talk Nats reported on during the weekend.

Former Washington Nationals Player News

Two former Washington Nationals pitchers made minor headlines yesterday and early this morning.

Joe Ross

The former Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher, Joe Ross, has reportedly reached a major league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, as per Robert Murray of FanSided. Jim Bowden of The Athletic provides additional details, stating that the agreement is valued at a guaranteed $1.75 million and includes unspecified financial incentives.

On Monday afternoon, another noteworthy development involved former Washington Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the former MLB pitcher and 2023 KBO MVP was in the final stages of negotiating a two-year deal with an undisclosed MLB team. Later in the day, Feinsand updated that two teams, the Mets and the White Sox, were competing for Fedde's services. It was anticipated that the 30-year-old right-hander would finalize a contract with one of these clubs as early as today.

Coming up today: the 2024 Draft Lottery

In years past, Major League Baseball’s final regular-season standings would mostly determine the following year’s Draft order. However, we know that things have changed thanks to the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, that script has changed. The non-playoff teams are in a lottery for the top six picks in the Draft. The lottery will take place at the Winter Meetings.

The lottery will be broadcast live on MLB Network. Beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. Unfortunately, because of another rule change, the Nationals are ineligible for this year’s lottery because teams that are “payor clubs” -- clubs that give, rather than receive, revenue-sharing dollars -- are not allowed to be selected in consecutive lotteries. Because the Nationals were selected last year, their odds are reduced to zero this year even though they finished with the fifth-worst record in baseball in 2023. Additionally, the Nationals may not receive better than the 10th overall pick.

They would only select lower than that if all four clubs that finished with a worse record are not selected in the lottery, and the chances of that are less than .03%.

We will be all over the news tonight on what spot the Nationals will end up getting to pick from in the 2024 MLB Draft. Stay tuned!

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