Thursday, February 20, 2020,

Mark Lerner ribs Davey Martinez after walking in on his World Series ring fitting

There are only 34 days until MLB Opening Day 2020and 43 days to the Washington Nationals Home Opener at Nationals Park! There are 146 more days until the 2020 MLB All-Star Game in LA.

• Some of the news that we are covering today includes:
• Mike Rizzo probably isn’t leaving the Nationals, but what are the Lerners waiting for?
• Will Harris, who lost Game 7 of the World Series, is now in the middle of the Nats’ celebration.
• National' Carter Kieboom using years of tips to guide chase for third-base job
• Scandals won’t kill baseball.
• Kicking the games off the radio just might.
• Ichiro is throwing gas in Spring Training
• Baseball’s Cheating Scandal Is Ushering In A Player Empowerment Era and more...

Here are today's latest Washington Nationals & MLB Headlines. What you need to know to start your day.

Perspective: Mike Rizzo Probably Isn’t Leaving The Nationals, But What Are The Lerners Waiting For?

In 2018, Bryce Harper was in the walk year of his Washington Nationals contract. He left Washington for $330 million. In 2019, Anthony Rendon was in the same spot. He left for $245 million. The man in charge of reconstructing a Nationals roster as good, or better, without them, is General Manager Mike Rizzo, who makes $4 million a year — not much more than fourth outfielder Michael A. Taylor’s $3.325 million. Now, Rizzo is in his walk year.

Few think Rizzo will stroll away from the Nats after this season, though demand for him would be huge. He’s loyal to a fault and in love with his job and D.C.

Read the full article via The Washington Post

Nationals' Carter Kieboom Using Years Of Tips To Guide Chase For Third-Base Job

If, as he hopes, and the Washington Nationals hope, Carter Kieboom earns a job this spring as the reigning World Series champions' starting third baseman, he will do so with the help of years' worth of ideas typed into the Notes app on his cellphone.

Ever since Kieboom was in high school in Marietta, Georgia -- not all that long ago, given that he is 22 -- the 2016 first-round draft pick has kept a list of tips and observations he figures will make him a better ballplayer.

"There's no one right way to do things, which is what makes this game so special. For me, especially at a young age, we're given so much information, and I'm constantly trying to improve my game," said Kieboom, who split fielding reps at third with versatile veteran Asdrubal Cabrera on Wednesday.

Read the full article via ESPN

Half Street High Heat: Plead The Fifth (Starter)

Much of the Nationals off season discussions have revolved around the weaknesses perceived in the team’s potential lineup, particularly the lack of a big bat. But I thought it’d be nice to talk about some pitching for once. With all this off season excitement, you may have forgotten that a position battle within our rotation is already underway.

Read the full article via Monty Talyor on Wordpress

Reading The Tea Leaves Of Early Nats Spring Training Camp!

Early season camp includes literally hundreds of interviews and photos. There are so many that is hard to keep up with who said what and the context some times. Nothing really earth shattering has been said in Washington Nationals camp, but there have been some interesting conversations about batting orders that we will discuss. While the interviews, photos, and workouts were taking place, World Series signs were being affixed to walls and stanchions, and some players already want to turn the page on World Series talk. Outfielder Adam Eaton was quite outspoken yesterday that the 2019 World Series win was old news. The longest tenured Nats player, Ryan Zimmerman, felt it was time to turn the page.

Read the full article via Talk Nats

Max Scherzer & Stephen Strasburg 2020 T-Shirt For Washington Nationals Fans

Finally a unity ticket that all Washington Nationals fans can agree on: Scherzer and Strasburg 2020! the new t-shirt from our good friends at Breaking T.

GM Mike Rizzo and Co. in the Nats’ front office re-signed Stephen Strasburg this winter (on a 7-year/$245M deal) after he tested free agency, and now he’s back atop the Nationals’ rotation along with three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer.

Read the full article via Federal Baseball

Mark Lerner Ribs Davey Martinez After Walking In On His World Series Ring Fitting

The Nationals haven’t seen what their World Series rings will look like just yet, but on Wednesday players and coaches were fitted for the highly coveted jewelry they’ll be receiving during their first homestand in April.

Manager Davey Martinez’s ring sizing was caught on camera, and an unexpected guest arrived as he was trying a sample ring on.

Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington

Will Harris, Who Lost Game 7 Of The World Series, Is Now In The Middle Of The Nats’ Celebration

The reminders are on the walls, on his shirts and at the start of a conversation just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Will Harris was asked whether he had a few minutes to answer questions. He looked up from his phone, squinted across the clubhouse, then locked eyes with an analog clock. Behind the ticking hands read “2019 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS” in small font. The words were stripped across a tiny image of the Commissioner’s Trophy.

There are even reminders on the clocks.

“I had to take a few weeks to think about it and reached a pretty simple conclusion: I could only come here if I knew the World Series stuff wouldn’t bother me,” Harris said. “And once I realized I could get past it pretty quickly, I was really excited to join the Nationals.”

Read the full article via The Washington Post

Why Is Trea Turner’s Name On A Replica Super Bowl Trophy In The Nationals’ Clubhouse?

Yan Gomes walked by a bright, silver emblem which represented his personal joy and has sat in the middle of the Nationals clubhouse as a beacon of trash talk this spring. He stopped, then rubbed his shirtsleeve over it to maintain its gleam.

At first glance, the replica looks precisely like the Vince Lombardi Trophy. And, it’s central location in the clubhouse makes it impossible to miss, which is the point.

“That’s Yan flexing on all of us,” Max Scherzer said, shaking his head.

Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington

Obstacles That Will Prevent Kieboom From Washington Nationals Roster Spot

This week the Washington Nationals conducted their first full-team workouts of the spring and all eyes have been on top prospect Carter Kieboom. The general consensus is that Kieboom will need to be a major contributor in order for the 2020 Nationals to be successful. I agree with this ideology, as Kieboom will look to put a dent in the offensive production vacated with the departure of Anthony Rendon. But while much of the National’s success hinges on Kieboom’s season-long production, it does not mean that Kieboom should make the opening day roster. In fact, he probably won’t.

Much of the decision around Kieboom’s inclusion on the opening day roster is related to what MLB calls “service time.” Service time is used to determine when a player is eligible for free agency. According to league rules, an MLB regular season lasts 187 days; if a player spends 172 of those days on a major league roster or injured list, that player earns a year of service time. Players can earn a year’s worth of service time incrementally—so in Kieboom’s situation, the 11 games that he played with the Nationals last season impact Kieboom’s accrued service time—but after earning 172 days in total, his clock to free agency begins.

Read the full article via District on Deck

Around the Horn: News from Around the League

Rob Manfred Has An Option: Censure The 2017 Astros

Now even LeBron James has weighed in on the Astros scandal, with the King calling on commissioner Rob Manfred to listen to aggrieved, angry players like Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Justin Turner, and do something more than what he has done.

Manfred's options are limited by the immunity granted to players during the sign-stealing investigation, but more because of the inherent limitations of operating under a collective bargaining agreement. As some opposing players have noted, taking away the Astros' 2017 World Series title is impractical, maybe even a little silly; the games were played, they were won and lost, and you can't go back in a time machine and take away the Astros' competitive advantage. And it's possible that if Manfred tried to vacate the title, he would run afoul of the MLB Players Association, which could legally challenge the premise that he has the power to unilaterally take away a championship.

Read the full article via ESPN

Perspective: Scandals Won’t Kill Baseball. Kicking The Games Off The Radio Just Might.

When experts examine the decline of 21st-century Major League Baseball, it won’t just be performance-enhancing drugs or sign-stealing scandals that pointed the way. It will be teams’ decision to take baseball off the radio.

The news from Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday shocked people for whom baseball and radio are the perfect partnership: The Oakland Athletics will not broadcast games on local radio in 2020. They become the first MLB team to remove their play-by-play from their home radio airwaves. For fans on the move, or not in front of a television, the A’s games will be available only via streaming. A laptop, desktop, smartphone or other device will be required to hear the broadcasts.

Read the full article via The Washington Post

Bryant Becomes Cubs' Newest Leadoff Hitter

After Kris Bryant wrapped up his opening press conference of the spring, a discussion that lasted more than a half-hour with Chicago media on Saturday morning, the slugger headed back into the clubhouse.

Bryant was then greeted by manager David Ross.

"I said, 'Step into my office, please,'" Ross said on Wednesday.

The goal of that initial closed-door conversation for Ross was to see how open-minded Bryant would be about being the Cubs' leadoff hitter in 2020. That crucial slot in the lineup has been a revolving door for Chicago in the

Read the full article via MLB

Jim Gray Slams MLB's 'Ridiculous' Response To Astros Sign-Stealing Scandal, Calls For Player Suspensions

Veteran sportscaster and Fox News contributor Jim Gray slammed the MLB's "ridiculous" response to the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal on Wednesday and called for players' suspensions.

In an interview on "America's Newsroom" with host Ed Henry, Gray said that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who is entering his sixth season, is making the situation much worse.

"It doesn't matter who you're a fan of. If you're a fan of baseball, you've got to be upset with this," said Gray. "The job of the commissioner is to uphold the integrity. He has had a massive failure of judgment on all ends. He's antagonized the fans, the players, the very owners that he works for, and the media."

Read the full article via Fox News

Yoenis Cespedes’ Brother, Yoelkis Cespedes, Prepping For MLB Showcases

Yo, here comes another Cespedes.

Cuban outfielder Yoelkis Cespedes, the 22-year-old half-brother of boar-attacked Mets outfielder Yoenis, is planning showcase events for scouts next month in Florida and Arizona, according to MLB.com.

Yoelkis Cespedes, who played for Cuba in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, defected from the national team last summer and has been working out over the winter in the Bahamas, including with his brother, before Yoenis reported to Mets camp in Port St. Lucie.

No official dates for Yoelkis Cespedes’ workouts have been announced because he still hasn’t been declared a free agent in order to be eligible to be signed by a major-league team.

Read the full article via NY Post