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Here are today’s latest Washington Nationals & MLB Headlines and what else you need to know to start your day.

Washington Nationals Headlines

Priority #2 a new acquisition to bat after Juan Soto in the lineup!

Over the next few weeks we will go through the Washington Nationals’ priorities we laid out for the off-season. We are on the second priority which could be the toughest to fill given the limited supply of legitimate middle of the order right-handed bats available who could bat after Juan Soto in the lineup and give him the protection he needs. If you look at the trade market or free agency for that player, it will be a tough ticket to fill. If you want that player in free agency without a QO tag, it might not be possible.

Read the full article via Talk Nats

Washington Nationals’ Davey Martinez reportedly making more changes to staff...

Now-former Washington Nationals’ pitching coach Paul Menhart told veteran Washington Post columnist Barry Svrluga last week that when Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez called him and told him he, Menhart, wasn’t being retained, the manager said the club was looking for, “... an older, more experienced guy, a major league-experience guy,” to guide their staff in 2021 and beyond.

Read the full article via Federal Baseball

Thames’ poor year again leaves Nats with first base questions

For the last half-dozen years, the Nationals have made sure to sign a left-handed first baseman who can share the job with Ryan Zimmerman. It began with Clint Robinson in 2015-16, then Adam Lind in 2017, then Matt Adams in 2018-19. And it continued this year with Thames, who was viewed internally and externally as perhaps the most productive hitter of that entire group.

Read the full article via MASN Sports Washington

Washington Nationals: And you can close the book on Roenis Elias

There were a lot of retreads brought in to audition for the 2019 Washington Nationals bullpen. Roenis Elias was not one of them. He was targeted, and gifted a job.

While many of the relievers proved ineffective and were jettisoned (Kyle Barraclough, Tony Sipp, Justin Miller, Trevor Rosenthal, Dan Jennings, Jonny Venters, we could go on), Elias didn’t really have the opportunity to showcase his talents.

Read the full article via District on Deck

Aaron Barrett’s emotional journey with the Nationals appears to end

The end in Washington for one of the greatest comeback stories in baseball history came quietly Saturday afternoon.

The Nationals announced Aaron Barrett has declared free agency after clearing waivers and being assigned to Triple-A on Friday. Paolo Espino and Roenis Elías also declared free agency.

Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington

Nationals will not retain coaches Kevin Long and Chip Hale

The Washington Nationals’ coaching staff will look far different in 2021, with the club choosing not to retain hitting coach Kevin Long and third base coach Chip Hale, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Those decisions come a week after the Nationals parted ways with pitching coach Paul Menhart. After signing a new contract and after a down season for Washington, Manager Dave Martinez will handpick coaches in a way he wasn’t able to when he was hired in 2017.

Read the full article via Washington Post

Washington Nationals: Anibal Sanchez and the masterpiece I missed

The Washington Nationals had just dispatched the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers and were descending upon the St. Louis Cardinals for Game 1 of the NLCS. Little did Nationals fans know, we were about to get the best Anibal Sanchez could offer.

Read the full article via District on Deck

Reconstructing the Nationals: What happened to the rotation?

The garish numbers bear out what was known: the Nationals starting pitching was bad in 2020.

It’s weird to say, think, write. The organization has been anchored in starters since turning the corner toward relevance in 2012. Mike Rizzo builds the foundation of the team around starting pitching. It’s also where the large sums of cash go.

Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington

Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo on 2020; building for 2021

During the press conference announcing Davey Martinez’s extension, Mike Rizzo talked about the Nationals’ 2020 run and planning for 2021.

Read the full article via Federal Baseball

Priority #1 Extend Trea Turner

In 2016, Trea Turner looked to be destined for stardom in his rookie season. With all of the negative press on Turner that his arm was too weak for shortstop, and he would never hit for power — Turner proved the doubters wrong again and again as the arm was more than adequate, and the power has been better than average. In the truncated 2020 season, the Nats’ shortstop put up elite numbers that surpassed his rookie season stats and flashed all five-tools in his .982 OPS season.

Read the full arrticle via Talk Nats

Around the Horn: News from Around the League

League News: Major League Baseball Hits Streak Of 40 Days With No Reported COVID-19 Cases

On October 9th, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced the latest COVID-19 testing results.

Read the full article via The Nats Report

MLB playoffs 2020: What we've learned so far this postseason

Everybody came into this postseason expecting the unexpected, considering how many unusual features were built into the Major League Baseball postseason, tailored for the unique circumstances of the 2020 season. Just for starters, we faced an expanded field of teams, a wild-card series instead of an elimination play-in game and the potential impact of no days off between games within the first two rounds.

Read the full article via ESPN

In a Golden Era for the Yankees, the Mound Belonged to Whitey Ford

Ford was a mainstay on a series of dominant teams in the 1950s and ’60s, collecting nearly every record for World Series longevity along the way.

Read the full article via New York Times

Tatis says Padres' future will 'be a fun ride'

The way he plays, the way he has captivated a city and a sport, it's easy to forget that Fernando Tatis Jr. is a 21-year-old who has played all of 149 Major League games.

As he’s quick to point out, there’s still room to learn, still room to grow.

"This game, every day will teach you a new lesson," Tatis said after he learned a bitter one on Thursday night. "I'm just going to keep getting better."

Read the full article via MLB.com

Let Them Have Dingers

Normally, when Aaron Judge steps up to the plate, the booming beats of his walk-up song mix with the cheers of fans wearing purchased pinstripes. The chilled air smells like hot dogs and spilled beer, and the bass pulses through bodies in the Bronx. Feet crunch over peanut shells and vendors throw crinkly bags of Cracker Jacks. There’s that familiar lull between pitches while the tension — that beautiful, maddening, postseason baseball tension — grows thicker throughout Yankee Stadium until it’s released in a home run sent flying into the stands, or deflated with a strikeout.

Read the full article via Fox Sports

On Baseball: MLB begins to slash minor league teams

The Portland Sea Dogs have maintained their solvency, but other franchises are in jeopardy as Major League Baseball overhauls the minors.

Read the full article via Press Herald