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Good Morning, Washington Nationals fans.
Here are your Washington Nationals Morning headlines, news, analysis, and more for Monday, February 9, 2026.
Hi, my name is Anna, and I am going to be writing the Nats Report's Morning Briefing this spring. Baseball always has been and always will be the love of my life, so I’m really looking forward to having an outlet for all of that passion and positive energy. We will be publishing the Morning Briefing this spring on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Have feedback or would like to see a topic discussed?
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Offseason Recap
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
Now that spring is upon us and the offseason is almost over, we can look back at the moves the Nats made to improve themselves for the present and, in particular, the future. It’s clear with these moves that the brand new front office is looking ahead in order to rebuild the Nationals to their former glory.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
Left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore traded to the Rangers for five prospects
The five prospects the team got in return are third baseman Gavin Fien, first baseman Abimelec Ortiz, shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald, right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario, and centerfielder Yeremy Cabrera
Acquired right-handed pitcher Luis Perales from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher Jake Bennett
Sent left-handed pitcher Jose A. Ferrer to the Seattle Mariners for catcher Harry Ford and right-handed pitcher Isaac Lyon
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
According to former general manager Jim Bowden in an article for The Athletic, “they acquired one of the best offensive catching prospects in the game, Harry Ford, and one of the best pitching prospects in the Red Sox farm system, Luis Perales.”
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
Are these prospects enough to jump-start hope in the future of the Nationals?
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Spring Training Preview
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
Spring training is every baseball fan’s first idea of where their teams are and how far they’ve come since the end of the season. Every team has something to teach their fans and the outside world about how they’re going to set the tone for the beginning of the season.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
Specific attention on the coaches’ emphasis on particular aspects of player development such as pace, fundamentals, and workload management
Focus on the progression of younger players and how they’re being brought along early in camp
Concentration on how this spring training fits into the plan that general manager Paul Toboni laid out
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
With all of the new prospects the team acquired during the offseason, it’s expected that there will be a heavier focus on player development. This is in hopes that they’ll adjust to a new team and new system quickly so that they can start rising through the ranks in the minors and become major league-ready.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
What are your expectations and hopes for spring training? What growth do you hope the team’s made over the offseason that they can build on during camp?
📬 SUBSCRIBER CTA
Make sure to follow the spring training live blog for up-to-date spring training updates. Also, Nats Report’s own Ryan Shenker will be down in West Palm Beach covering the day-to-day details of spring training. Be sure to follow him on socials!
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👉 As Opening Day approaches, now is the moment when reader support has the greatest impact. Every contribution large or small helps us plan coverage, expand reporting, and remain fully independent throughout the season.
World Baseball Classic
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
The World Baseball Classic is almost (finally) here! From rosters to tournament format, there’s a lot of information to take in for baseball’s international competition.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
The roster for Team USA includes such strong competitors like Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, and Clayton Kershaw
Samurai Japan, winners of the last WBC, has seasoned champions in both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as newcomers such as Munetaka Murakami
Team Dominican Republic holds 16 all-stars in the formidable bats of Vlad Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr.
The tournament’s first round will be split into four different pools in San Juan, Tokyo, Houston, and Miami with the top two teams from each pool moving on to the quarterfinals
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
The buzz around last WBC’s finals competitors, the US and Japan, is palpable as both teams have built their rosters out of multi-time World Series winners and numerous all-stars. Though, with how powerful both the pitching and hitting lineup for the Dominican Republic is, they should not be counted out.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
What team do you think is built to win the World Baseball Classic? What are you looking forward to most about the tournament?
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Stay tuned to our social channels for more about a special event the Nats Report crew will be attending on Tuesday night!
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WHAT WE THINK THE NATIONALS FRONT OFFICE IS READING
Speed Reads
📌 What would a successful season look like in 2026 for the Washington Nationals? (Federal Baseball)
📌 Here are the Top 100 prospects heading to big league camp (MLB)