It was somewhat surprising to see Jackson sign just a one-year deal with the team when other clubs were offering him as much as three years and $30 million.

However, Jackson’s agent, Scott Boras, advised his client to take a one-year deal and then try to get a better contract on the open market next year.

Jackson would be just 29 and would have the chance to put up very good numbers pitching in the National League and on a decent team.

For the Nationals, it gives them another innings-eater for their starting rotation and a guy that could blossom in the nation’s capital.

It was the best possible outcome the Nationals could have hoped for after Strasburg had Tommy John surgery less than a year ago.

The team will obviously be quite cautious with him for the final month of the season, but what a great story.

He is the team’s most prized possession and could be the ace of the staff for many years to come.

It’s a shame that his debut had to come on a night when the weather was so terrible that the ballpark was empty.

Strasburg pitched a few innings and came away with a very impressive performance.

He was hitting 97 MPH on the radar gun with his fastball and looked a lot like the guy we saw before Tommy John surgery.

It remains possible that Strasburg will get called up to the Nationals and pitch in September.

Washington will be very cautious with their prized picher, but it would be helpful to get him work at the big league level before next season.

The team did a great job of getting past the Jim Riggleman saga and hasn’t missed a beat under new skipper Davey Johnson.

The Nationals are sitting at the .500 mark, which keeps them right in the thick of the wild card race.

They have been very good at home, going 28-18 at Nationals Park.

It will be interesting to see what the club decides to do with both Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman if they are in the wild card race come September.

Harper has shown power and speed while tearing up Single-A, and the team wanted him to get a taste of a higher level for the final two months of the season.

The Nationals are hopeful that Harper does well enough in the final two months to earn a promotion to Triple-A at the start of the 2012 season.

The club is adamant that Harper will not be playing for the big league team this season and that he will not be rushed through the farm system.

Washington likes what they see from Harper but believes he still needs to get better at a lot of the little things before he is ready for the majors.

Johnson has plenty of ties to the area, though most of them are with the team just 40 miles to the north.

He played for the Baltimore Orioles for many years before guiding them to the playoffs for two straight years in the mid 90’s.

The day he was named Manager of the Year, owner Peter Angelos unceremoniously fired him, a move that has haunted the franchise to this day.

Johnson, 68, is expected to receive a contract that will make him the manager through at least the 2013 season. 

It was a stunning announcement and bizarre timing given that the Nationals are now above .500 and have been rolling the past two weeks.

Riggleman apparently wasn’t happy over his contract situation and wanted an extension, so he went to management before the game.

He gave them an ultimatum, saying he would step down following the game if the team was not willing to show their support of him in the form of a contract extension.

The Nationals said they were not yet ready or willing to commit to him for a longer period of time, and the manager decided to step down. 

The Nationals finally got to Zach Britton in the middle innings, knocking him out of the game after a Mark Reynolds throwing error sparked a big inning.

Jason Marquis certainly wasn’t spectacular, but like he has done so many times this year, the veteran kept his team in the game and gave them a chance to win.

The Nationals are looking to make amends after dropping two of three to the Orioles earlier this season when the two clubs met at Camden Yards.

They have to like their chances of grabbing the second game of the series with ace Jordan Zimmermand taking the hill against the struggling Brian Matusz.

Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery near the end of last season and is not expected to pitch at all this year.

The club wants to be extra cautious with the prized pitcher, considered the cornerstone of the franchise.

He said he is really really good and progressing nicely but just wants to take his comeback one day at a time. 

Strasburg reported to spring training in better shape than last year, sporting a noticeably thinner physique.

With performance incentives, Coffey has the ability to earn over another quarter of a million dollars.

Coffey spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers where he actually served as their closer for some time.

He went 2-4 with a 4.76 ERA last year with Milwaukee in 69 appearances. However, his career ERA is only 4.15.

The Nationals have made rebuilding their bullpen a priority, and he is just the club’s latest addition.