The Morning Briefing: Is DJ LeMahieu a perfect fit for the Washington Nationals?

A lot happening in the World of the Washington Nationals as we take a look at another free agent and Pitching Prospect: Cade Cavalli

by Richard Wachtel

Updated November 09, 2020

Good Monday Morning, and welcome to the Nats Report's Morning Briefing. Thank you for starting the day with us.

It was a busy weekend on the Nats Report. In Today's Morning Briefing, we bring you up to speed.

Today's the top story: Is DJ LeMahieu a perfect fit for the Washington Nationals

Here are the latest Washington Nationals and MLB Headlines for Monday, November 9, 2020.

Washington Nationals Headlines

Late Thursday night, Juan Soto won his first-ever Silver Slugger award joining fellow Nationals such as Ryan Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy, Bryce Harper, and Stephen Strasburgh to win the award. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo was quoted as saying: "Congratulations to Juan on his first Silver Slugger Award and his incredible 2020 season as a whole. He continues to show that he is one of the top offensive players in Major League Baseball. This well-deserved honor is another addition to his growing list of tremendous accomplishments." [Read the full article on The Nats Report]

Additionally, over the weekend, we made the case that DJ LeMahieu is a perfect fit for the Washington Nationals. From the article: "Over the past two seasons in New York, LeMahieu has provided a tremendously reliable bat at the top of the lineup, slashing .336/.386/.536 and would be a great addition to the much-needed top of the Washington Nationals lineup. LeMahieu can provide the much-needed protection for Silver Slugger Award Winner Juan Soto at the top of the lineup." [Read the full article via The Nats Report]

Lastly, over the weekend, we did a profile of right-handed pitching prospect Cade Cavalli. From the article:" Cavalli was rated by Baseball America as the #22 prospect in the draft, #14 by Fangraphs, and #22 by MLB Pipeline. When he first arrived at the University of Oklahoma, Cavalli was considered a two-way player and played 62 games as a freshman but struggled at the plate as he struck out 94 times in 235 plate appearances.

Cavalli pitched mostly out of the bullpen during his freshman year, where he made nine appearances and had two starts. His two starts weren't impressive; he threw in a total of 17 innings with a 6.75 ERA, allowed 18 hits and walked 13 batters, and struck out 18." [Read the full article on The Nats Report]

Other Washington Nationals Headlines:

Necessity is the mother of invention, as baseball must reinvent itself! via Talk Nats
What Should the Washington Nationals do at 1st Base? via The Nats Report
Fuentes is the kind of innings-eater Nats covet via MASN Sports Washington.
What history says about how aggressive the Nats might be this offseason via NBC Sports Washington
Jeff Garber impressed with Washington Nationals' new infielders at Instructional League... via Federal Baseball
Nationals: A Perfect Plan For The 2020-2021 Off-Season Part 1 via District on Deck.
Nationals: A Perfect Plan For The 2020-2021 Off-Season Part 2 via District on Deck.
What's missing from the Nationals' roster? Here's an early look. via the Washington Post

Around the Horn: Major League Headlines

Do cheaters win?

To start it off on Friday, the Boston Red Sox announced that they had re-hired Alex Cora to be their manager for the 2021 season. Cora and the Redsox parted ways less than ten months ago because of Cora's role in the Houston Astros sign-stealing cheating scandal during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Cora will return to the Boston Redsox after an "exhaustive search to find their next manager."

Cora will return on a two-year deal running through 2022 and a two-year club option for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to manage once again and return to the game I have loved my entire life," Cora said in a statement. "... I am eager to get back to work with our front office, coaches, and especially our players. Boston is where I have always wanted to be and I could not be more excited to help the Red Sox achieve our ultimate goal of winning in October." [Read the full article via MLB.com]

Justin Turner will not be Punished for Breaking COVID Protocols.

As it has been reported during Game 6 of the 2020 World Series, the LA Dodgers were informed that Justin Turner's previously inconclusive COVID-19 test had returned positive, prompting Turner's removal in the eighth inning of the game along with his wife, Kourtney. However, moments after the LA Dodgers won the World Series, Turner returned to the field to participate in team photos, and he did not wear a mask. This incident spark outcry from fellow teammates and other players from around the League, which prompted calls for Turner to be punished for violating COVID protocols.

On Friday afternoon, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a lengthy statement alongside one from Turner and another from Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten.

"We all have made mistakes as we navigated these unprecedented challenges and have tried to learn from those mistakes so they are not repeated," Manfred wrote. "With this in mind, I am closing this matter by applauding Justin for accepting responsibility, apologizing and making a commitment to set a positive example going forward."

Additionally, Manfred stated in his statement: "Mr. Turner has publicly recognized that his conduct was wrong and has expressed remorse for that conduct... I have spoken to him personally and I know that he is extraordinarily upset by the incident. By all accounts, Justin is a leader in the clubhouse, a contributor to his community and a responsible person who was instrumental in the Dodgers diligently following the health protocols all season long." [Read the full statement here]