Right-handed starter Jordan Zimmermann and shortstop Ian Desmond were among a group of players agreeing to contracts with the Washington Nationals on Friday, avoiding arbitration. Zimmermann and Desmond, two homegrown cornerstones of the team, received two-year contracts. The Nationals announced the deals on its Twitter feed but declined to reveal the financial terms. Other Nationals players agreeing to contracts before Friday's deadline for submitting arbitration figures included former closer Drew Storen, catcher Wilson Ramos, and lefties Ross Detwiler and Jerry Blevins. More...