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Spring training blog: Newest Nat shows up in camp

By WTOP Staff

VIERA, Fla. – Right-handed pitcher Chris Young showed up to Nationals camp today after agreeing to a Minor League contract on Thursday afternoon with the intent of adding more pitching depth to the club.

Young pitched for the Mets last season and went 4-9 in 20 games with an ERA of 4.15. In the previous two seasons, Young was limited to just eight games because of shoulder problems which required surgery.

“He’s a veteran Major League starting pitcher,” said Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo.

“He’s had success not only in this league, but in our division, specifically. He gives us depth that we were looking for coming into spring training. It’s part of our plan to be as deep as we can,” Rizzo said.

With a rotation of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler and Dan Haren, Rizzo knows you can never have enough depth, especially in the pitching department.

“It’s hard to count on five starters throughout the whole season,” he said.

“We’re taking precautions. If something were to happen that we have a legitimate, quality, Major League pitcher in the fold.”

Young decided to sign with the Nationals after watching them from the other side of the field, impressed with what he saw.

“It’s an opportunity to be part of a winning organization, at this point a model organization,” Young said.

“I’ve played against these guys for a while and they are extremely talented and certainly, that factored into the decision greatly,” Young said.

In nine big league seasons, Young is 53-43 with a lifetime ERA of 3.79. He was part of the Expos organization and he has had also had stints with the Rangers and Padres.

Zimmerman’s workout

Nats third baseman Ryan Zimmerman continues his recovery from off-season shoulder surgery.

Zimmerman has been hitting in the cages in recent days, but today he let it loose in live BP at Space Coast Stadium during the Nats full workout. Zimmerman was throwing at about 90-feet, but hasn’t yet thrown across the diamond yet as the club wasn’t able to take it slow with his throwing plan. He did smoke some line drives into the outfield during his BP session.

“Everything went good,” Zimmerman said. “I’ve been hitting in the cages so it wasn’t like today was the first day. Hitting is great. Hitting is farther along than throwing which is expected. Throwing, we are just going to take our time and go from there,” Zimmerman said.

The plan is to have Zimmerman go through a couple of throwing session on Saturday, again from 90-feet. It’s a slow progression but Zimmerman feels is the right course of action to take since there is still a long way to go in spring training.

“Everything has felt fine hitting and we have no set back either way,” Zimmerman said.

“Throwing, we’ve had one or two bad days and that’s about it. You work and get a little bit more confident each time you throw and get a little less hesitant each time out and that’s kind of the process and why we’re taking it so slow. You are basically teaching yourself how to throw again, which is good,” he said.

Good news for Gio

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez received some welcome news from the Major League Baseball Players Association that he has tested negative for performance enhancing drugs.

The 21-game winner from last year spoke to reporters in the dugout at Space Coast Stadium.

“Like I said before, I have never taken performance enhancing drugs and never will,” Gonzalez said.

“Two days after the story broke, I was tested for blood and urine and both came out negative like I expected. Throughout my entire career, it’s been like that. I look forward to handling this with MLB and putting this behind me and looking forward to the season,” he said.

Gonzalez did not take questions from the media because of the on-going investigation by Major League Baseball.

Meet the Mets

The Nationals start the Grapefruit League season on Saturday with a 12:10 p.m. start time against the Mets in Port St. Lucie. Stephen Strasburg will pitch for the Nationals.

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(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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