The Nationals fired broadcaster Tom Paciorek:

Paciorek, a former outfielder for six major league teams, was hired by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network as an analyst before this past season, joining longtime Cardinals broadcaster Bob Carpenter. By most fan accounts, the tandem worked well together, and both men said they became close friends while covering the Nationals for 162 games.

MASN executive producer Chris Glass notified Paciorek he would not be retained, although the decision was made by officials from the Nationals, not the network. Paciorek said he was originally told that the rationale for his dismissal was that the team simply "wanted to move in the right direction."

"I'm thinking, I've been in this business for 17 years, and I think I deserve better than that," he said.

When he pressed MASN officials further about the reasoning, Paciorek said he was told the team was interested in an analyst more knowledgeable about pitching and catching.

MLB Extra Innings carries most MASN broadcasts, and that duo was fine. It seems with the manager firing and the hiring of new scouts, the new ownership is putting its mark on the team. Some good news for Harold Reynolds fans:

A replacement for Paciorek has not been named, but there are several high-profile broadcasters who could be looking for work, including former ESPN baseball analyst Harold Reynolds and Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, who was dismissed by TBS and the Atlanta Braves last month.

Given that they're looking for someone more knowledgeable about pitching, Sutton seems the logical choice.