Washington
Should the Washington Nationals Trade for St. Louis Cardinals Star Pitcher?
The Washington Nationals are on the right track when it comes to their current rebuild.
After the Nationals won the World Series in 2019, a big contract for their MVP, Stephen Strasburg, did not work out due to a bizarre injury that ultimately ended his career. This failed contract and the questions surrounding the organization’s future ownership forced the front office to move on from their biggest star, Juan Soto.
The organization has had some great luck with the pieces they’ve added during the rebuild and the minor league development has also excelled. After a 71-91 season, 18 games out of the playoff picture, the team is ready to take the next step.
One way to do that would be to dive right back in to the phones, but instead of selling off players as they have for the past few seasons, they buy.
On Monday, The St. Louis Cardinals announced that President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak would be turning over to Chain Bloom at the end of 2025. As they prepare to transition after the following season, significant changes to the roster also seem to be looming.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cardinals will reduce payroll in 2025 and look to move on from some of their higher-paid players. The news comes from Mozeliak, who set the tone for the upcoming offseason for St. Louis. Some names that Nightengale included third baseman Nolan Arenado, catcher Willson Contreras, and starting pitcher Sonny Gray.
Although not all of those veterans would make sense for the current construction of the Nationals roster, adding a top starter like Sonny Gray would make a lot of sense.
With the team building an impressive young core, including names like Mackenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker, and DJ Herz, Gray could lead the rotation as the Nationals would look to take the next step in their rebuilding plans. Add in the likely return of Nationals eighth ranked prospect Cade Cavalli, who is recovering from Tommy John Surgery, and you have a solid pitching staff to battle against the toughest division in baseball, the NL East.
It would be a bold move by general manager Mike Rizzo and the rest of the Nationals front office if they went out and made a move for Gray, but it could have an immediate impact for the good of the club. The 34-year-old finished as the runner up in 2023 for the American League Cy Young Award with a 2.79 ERA. He also led the league with a 2.83 FIP.
Gray signed a three year, $75 million deal this past offseason with the Cardinals but only made $10 million in 2024. If the Nationals were to acquire the right hander they would be on the hook for $25M in 2025 and $35M in 2026. They also would have the choice of a $30M team option in 2027, his age 37 season.
Gray went 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA and a 3.12 FIP, recording 203 strikeouts over 166.1 innings of work. His 11 K/9 on the year was a career high for the 12-year pro. If he is traded this offseason, he could be joining his sixth team since making his MLB debut in 2013.
Although Gray’s numbers on the year were the worst since his final season as a member of the New York Yankees in 2018, he still would have outpitched the entire Nationals starting rotation. His ERA would have been the best on the roster, with the exception of Trevor Williams (2.03) – when healthy, of course.
The Cardinals would be taking a major hit if they decide to move on from Gray. Since the contract they signed him to in the offseason surpassed $60 million, they were forced to forfeit their second round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft to his former team, the Minnesota Twins as compensation.
However, if they are set on moving on from the salary concerns and looking to bolster their farm system, one that is currently ranked 19th according to MLB Pipeline, plenty of suitors should be calling for a top of the rotation type of talent.
Washington should definitely be one of them.
With the in-season injury to Josiah Gray, who is likely out for the majority, if not all of 2025, adding the three time All-Star to lead the rotation would send a bold message to the rest of the National League and instantly make the Nationals a contender for at least a wild card spot next season.
Washington
Deputies shoot armed suspect in Leesburg Walmart parking lot
Deputies shot an armed suspect in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Leesburg, Virginia, late Tuesday morning, authorities say.
Detectives, deputies and special agents from the FBI had tracked the suspect down after he tried to rob the Bank of America at Dulles Crossing on Monday, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said. The suspect, who still hasn’t been named, didn’t get any money before taking off from the bank.
Authorities found the suspect was parked at the back of the Walmart parking lot just before noon Tuesday.
Deputies pulled up behind the suspect’s blue sedan at the back of the Walmart parking lot about 11:40 a.m. Tuesday. As they approached, the suspect got out with a gun, Sheriff Mike Chapman said.
Deputies then fired their guns at the suspect, hitting him. Chapman did not say how many times the suspect was shot or give specific information about his injuries.
Medics took the suspect to a hospital.
No deputies were injured, the sheriff’s office said.
Chapman said it was too early in the investigation to say if the suspect fired his gun or how many officers were involved in the shooting.
Stay with News4 for updates to this developing story.
Washington
The American story projected on the Washington Monument came from North Texas
Steve Deitz walks with the energy of a coach; however, he does not hide that he and his team are digital nerds and storytellers who specialize in large-scale visual content and software development. More specifically, the 48-year-old makes a living creating the wow factor at his agency, “900lbs.”
“We started the company working for the Dallas Mavericks, telling large-scale visual content on the Jumbotron, and next thing you know, Activision, Blizzard calls,” he said. “We get to work in the Perot Museum on the biggest exhibit in the museum, and then fast-forward another 12 years, and here we are now.”
His current project is wrapping up in the nation’s capital — sorta. Since Dec.31, projections of America’s story have been given to his agency.
“We’re telling the story of the 250-year birthday of America in the biggest way possible on the facade of the Washington Monument on all four sides,” Deitz said.
He said they started testing out the results a couple of nights before New Year’s Eve. Scenes from Thomas Edison’s light bulb, the Empire State Building, the Model T Ford, and the Industrial Revolution, to name a few, are projected onto the Washington Monument.
Deitz gives his team a ton of credit from the moment he received the call about the project. He also thinks back to the times when he was an athlete who loved to draw in Merkel, Texas. The kid who dared to dream beyond the city limits and outside of the box. The CEO is giving advice to that child who may need a little inspiration.
“Hard work, perseverance, dedication, surround yourself with a team of brilliant people that are way smarter than you, and do the best you possibly can,” he said.
Deitz said there is a likelihood his team’s creations will return to the nation’s capital this year.
Washington
Tracking crime in the DMV: Some areas see drop in violent crime, homicide
It is not the way any homicide squad wants to start an already busy new year.
Prince George’s County police Sunday were trying to figure out who was found dead in a car behind a strip center overnight and why. Police, who responded after a call about gun shots, told News4 they’re still searching for the most basic details.
It comes just a day after three people were shot and killed at a Temple Hills banquet hall early Saturday morning. Police told News4 that investigation is active and showing signs of promise.
But the busy start somewhat hides the bigger picture about crime in the area.
Despite the tough start to 2026, homicide in Prince George’s County was down 40% in 2025 percent compared to 2024, and violent crime on a whole was down 19%, both through mid-December according to Prince George’s County police.
In D.C. is a similar story.
“Now we have no crime in Washington, DC. We have no killing,” said President Donald Trump Saturday during a news conference about action in Venezuela.
While the crime rate is not nearly as good as Trump has repeatedly said, the District recorded five homicides in December and 126 in all of 2025. That’s down 32% over 2024. Violent crime is down 29%, according to D.C .police crime statistics.
In Fairfax, homicide is down 14% — but the county only had 12 total — and violent crime dropped 4%, according to the county’s online reporting.
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