We're just about a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, and we still don't know where Prince Fielder will be playing baseball in 2012 and beyond. The Nationals have been rumored to be in, and out, and the favorites and not involved at all at various times throughout this process. The latest had been that the Nationals weren't going to get involved, but now according to multiple sources relayed by our Federal Baseball blog, the Lerners met with Scott Boras during the owners meetings in Arizona.
And now two sources are confirming that tonight's sit down took place with ESPN and MLBNetworkRadio host (and former Nats' GM) Jim Bowden tweeting (@JimBowdenESPNXM) that both, "Ted and Mark Lerner [met] with Scott Boras regarding Prince Fielder tonight at the Camelback resort in Scottsdale AZ. still in on Fielder." In Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore's report, he says several teams met with Boras tonight at the owners' meetings. The Nationals were apparently one of the teams, though.
So now the Nationals are back in, supposedly. January 18th is the big date to keep an eye on in these negotiations because it is the deadline for the Texans to sign Yu Darvish, meaning they likely won't be a candidate to sign Fielder. Until then, I guess we'll just have more rumors.
For more on the Nationals, please visit Federal Baseball, SB Nation's Nationals blog.