Nats get Meyers back from Yankees

The Nationals have re-acquired right-hander Brad Meyers after the Yankees sent the Rule 5 draft pick back to Washington following an injury-plagued season.

Meyers, 27, was selected away by New York in last December's Rule 5 draft and was expected to spend the season on the big-league roster (per draft rules). But he landed on the disabled list with a shoulder cartilage injury prior to Opening Day and never returned.

Meyers wound up making only one professional appearance in 2012, giving up eight runs on eight hits in an April 9 rehab start for Class A Tampa that lasted only 1 2/3 innings. He was subsequently transferred to the 60-day DL, where he remained the rest of the year.

Because he spent the season on the DL, Meyers would again have to remain on the Yankees' 25-man roster in 2013 or else be offered

LaRoche wins first Gold Glove

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Managers and coaches voted Adam LaRoche the NL's best defensive first baseman.

The best offensive season of Adam LaRoche's career may actually have helped the Nationals first baseman be recognized at long last for his fielding prowess.

LaRoche won his first-ever Rawlings Gold Glove award tonight, selected as the best defensive first baseman in the National League in voting among managers and coaches.

LaRoche has long been considered stellar in the field, but the 32-year-old had never been recognized for it, losing out in previous Gold Glove selections to the likes of Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez and Derrek Lee.

The NL's managers and coaches finally gave LaRoche his due this year, citing his .995 fielding percentage and ability to snatch up

Handicapping award season

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Ian Desmond has a chance to win both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award.

The regular season has long since ended. The postseason is now over, as well. And the offseason is about to kick into high gear.

But sandwiched in between all of that is another season, one that Nationals fans will need to pay attention to more than any previous year: Award season.

Yes, the time has come to hand out plaques, statues and bats and gloves made out of precious metals. The fun begins tonight with the Gold Glove awards, then concludes Nov. 15 with the MVP awards.

Plenty of Nationals are going to be in the mix for all of the honors. Let's run through each award and handicap everyone's chances...

GOLD GLOVES
Announced: Tonight, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Previous Nats winner: Ryan Zimmerman (2009)
Who votes: NL managers and coaches
Two Nationals infielders were named finalists: Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche. Desmond faces stiff competition from three fellow

Desmond, LaRoche: Gold Glove finalists

Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche are finalists to win their first Gold Glove awards.

Desmond is one of four National League shortstops up for the award, joining the Marlins' Jose Reyes, the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins and the Reds' Zack Cozart. LaRoche is one of three NL first baseman named finalists, along with the Braves' Freddie Freeman and the Reds' Joey Votto.

All winners will be announced at 9:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday in an awards show televised by ESPN2.

Gold Glove awards are voted on by major-league managers and coaches, who submit their choices in late-September.

Neither Desmond nor LaRoche has ever won the award. Desmond is coming off a breakthrough season in which he was named an All-Star for the first time while excelling in the field. He was charged with 15

Window with LaRoche closes Saturday

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Adam LaRoche can begin negotiating with other clubs on Saturday.

When Miguel Cabrera took a Sergio Romo fastball down the heart of the strike zone late last night, the 2012 Major League Baseball season came to an end. And the Hot Stove League immediately commenced.

While the Giants are busy celebrating and the Tigers are busy moping, everyone else around the sport is preparing for the official start of the offseason, with some important decisions that will need to be made right off the bat.

All eligible players become free agents this morning, a group that will include Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche, right-hander Edwin Jackson, left-handers Sean Burnett, Michael Gonzalez and Zach Duke and utilityman Mark DeRosa.

Though they'll technically be free agents right away, those players won't have the right to negotiate with other clubs until five full days have passed. Thus, the Nationals have until Saturday morning to