Good morning, Nationals Fans,

There are only 27 days until MLB Opening Day 2020 and 34 days to the Washington Nationals Home Opener at Nationals Park! There are 139 more days until the 2020 MLB All-Star Game in LA.

Some of the news that we are covering today includes:

• Washington Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman makes rare February Spring debut
• How defensive whiz Michael A. Taylor breaks in a new glove
• Sean Doolittle credits lavender oil on his glove for calm demeanor in October
• This terrible college team invented the shift ... sort of
• Will It Be Funny if the Houston Astros Win the 2020 World Series?
• Why officials from a Major League Baseball franchise visited Vancouver

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

Washington Nationals Headlines

Hearing From Scherzer, Martinez After 5-5 Tie

For his second Grapefruit League start, Max Scherer had simple goals. He wanted to build up his pitch count, and succeeded, throwing 49 pitches over three innings. He hoped to display better glove-side location with his fastball, something he and catcher Kurt Suzuki had talked about between starts.

Those were the things Scherzer could plan for. It was what he couldn’t have anticipated - and what looked like a momentary loss of command during a top of the first that required him to face seven batters - that brought out the best in him.

Read the full article via MASN Sports

How Defensive Whiz Michael A. Taylor Breaks In A New Glove

With great precision and a light smirk, Michael A. Taylor dipped two fingers in a small tub of leather conditioner, made sure it was the right amount, then, while squinting into a new mitt, began to rub it into the crevices. “This is the first step,” he said, sitting in a lounge chair in the Washington Nationals’ clubhouse Wednesday afternoon and sprinkling sarcasm into a clinic. “So make sure you watch really closely.” Taylor couldn’t help it after that one. His smirk spread into a wide smile. He thought this was silly, uninteresting, something he does every spring, and who wants to read about that? But Taylor is so good with his glove in the outfield and so devoted to shaping it to his liking that it seemed worth asking about. He breaks in two fresh mitts before each season and has developed a detailed process.

Read the full articel via The Washington Post

Washington Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman Makes Rare February Spring Debut

Washington Nationals’ skipper Davey Martinez joked earlier this week that it would be a victory of sorts if Ryan Zimmerman appeared in a game in February, with the veteran infielder’s distaste for all things Spring Training well-established at this point in his career.

Zimmerman’s appearance in last night’s game was actually his first in the month of February since back in 2014, when he snuck one game in on the 28th. Will he get two in this year with the extra day in the leap year?

If he does it would be the first time he played twice in February since the ‘09 season.

Martinez said told reporters, including MASN’s Pete Kerzel, before yesterday’s game that it did really catch him by surprise when Zimmerman said he was ready to go in Grapefruit League action.

Read the full article via Federal Baseball

Washington Nationals: Strasburg Over Rendon Was The Safe Move

During the offseason the Washington Nationals re-signed Stephen Strasburg to a long-term contract which all but punched Anthony Rendon’s ticket out of Washington. Many believe the Nationals made the wrong decision between the two, but history indicates differently.

The Washington Nationals had big decisions to make this offseason regarding two of their longtime stars; Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon. In December, Nationals owner Mark Lerner made it clear that the Nationals couldn’t (or wouldn’t) afford both Strasburg and Rendon, which meant the Nationals would be choosing between the two of them.

You can argue about Rendon’s interest, or lack thereof, in returning to DC, but inevitably the Nationals made their choice signing Strasburg to a 7-year $245 million contract.

Read the full article via District on Deck

Sean Doolittle Credits Lavender Oil On His Glove For Calm Demeanor In October

Washington Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle moves a glove out of the way as he reaches into a shelf in his spring training locker and grabs a different one, which he then hands over with a simple, if unusual, instruction:

“Smell it.”

So, of course, you do -- getting a sweet, soothing whiff of lavender, the sort you might get from a candle or bowl of potpourri. And now you know what Doolittle sniffed each time he jutted his right elbow toward home plate and tucked his glove under his chin to get his catcher's signs during last season's World Series.

Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington

Early Spring Reasons To Be Encouraged Or Discouraged

Spring training is only 33 percent complete at this point. Two weeks have passed since pitchers and catchers reported to West Palm Beach. Four weeks remain until the Nationals face the Mets at Citi Field and officially begin their title defense.

So it’s probably unfair to start drawing any conclusions yet. But it’s not unfair to point out some things that appear to be going well at Nats camp and some things that appear not to be going so well.

With that in mind - and since I’m writing this as I prepare to board a flight home for a brief mid-spring break while Pete Kerzel takes the reins for a week - let’s look at a few encouraging and discouraging developments so far ...

Read the full article via MASN Sports

Analysis: For Nationals’ Depth Relievers, Spring Auditions Really Matter

There is a small group of Nationals pitchers competing to be this year’s Austen Williams. Yes, this year’s Austen Williams.

That may seem odd after Williams, a 27-year-old reliever, missed almost all of 2019 with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. But once upon a time, he was the first pitcher called on to help a struggling bullpen.

Read the full article via The Washington Post

Washington Nationals’ Rotation Contender Joe Ross Impresses In Grapefruit League Debut Vs New York Yankees

Joe Ross retired all six batters he faced in Wednesday’s Grapefruit League game against the NY Yankees...

Joe Ross warmed up to take over for Max Scherzer when rain interrupted the Grapefruit League opener last week, but he never pitched when the deluge continued for over 90 minutes, and a decision was made to scrap the matchup with the Houston Astros.

Washington’s 26-year-old right-hander came into Spring Training as one of three starters in the mix for the fifth spot in the Nationals’ rotation, with manager Davey Martinez telling the assembled reporters in West Palm Beach, FL that he expected big things from Ross in 2020 after a 2019 campaign in which he showed flashes of being the pitcher the Nats thought he might be when they acquired him from the San Diego Padres in 2014.

Read the full article via Federal Baseball

History Says The Washington Nationals Won’t Repeat, But They Have A Strong Case

As MLB Spring Training begins and the Washington Nationals prepare to defend their World Series championship, it’s time to examine how such title defenses usually go.

If history is to tell us anything, it may be smart to expect a new winner this year. MLB hasn’t had a repeat champion since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.

Read the full article via Forbes

Fredericksburg Nationals Choose A Flagship Radio Station

As we get closer to opening day, the Washington Nationals Class A-Advanced affiliate: the Fredericksburg Nationals have chosen a flagship radio station, where listeners can tune in and listen to baseball games all season long: NewsTalk1230 WFVA

Read the full tweet via the Federicksburg Nationals

Juan Soto's Wild Card Game-Winning Hit Broke Eric Thames’ Heart

Eric Thames felt like something bad was about to happen last fall after Michael A. Taylor reached first base next to him.

Milwaukee held a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning when Taylor was awarded first base after a review determined the call of hit by pitch would stand. The ruling was dubious. Regardless, Taylor was on first and the unraveling process for Josh Hader and the Brewers had begun.

“The playoffs is all about mojo and there’s certain plays you’re [like] oh, it's not looking good,” Thames told NBC Sports Washington. “And it was the hit by pitch to Taylor, reviewed it, hit off the knob, they reviewed said hit by pitch. We were all pretty upset about that. Once [Ryan Zimmerman] got the broken. [Watch the full interview]

Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington

World Series Won, What's Motivating Max Scherzer Now?

Max Scherzer won’t tell me what he would be doing if he wasn’t heading into his 13th major league baseball season as the presumptive Opening Day starter for the reigning world champion Washington Nationals. That’s not even what I asked him, to be fair. I had asked if he has any goals outside of baseball, and he had volunteered how much fun it can be to think about what life would look like if he wasn’t a three-time Cy Young Award winner and one of the most recognizable faces (the eyes help) in the game.

OK, I said, then give me just one example. And that’s where Mad Max clammed up. He’s accessible to the media and takes his role as a spokesman for his teammates, both unofficially and as a high-ranking member of the players association, very seriously. But he is also incredibly savvy and self-aware about what he says in the presence of reporters. He admits that some answers will be different on and off the record. At one point he says “sh--” and immediately asks to expunge it, as if we haven’t all seen videos of him muttering far worse under his breath on the mound.

Read the full article via Yahoo Sports

Stop Harp(Er)Ing On Your Ex

It’s been a year since the break-up, and yet he still lingers in the back of your head, like a sad song with lyrics you can’t quite recall. A soft smile appears on your face as your mind plays the images of his illustrious hair flips on a reel. That smile disappears quickly, however, at the thought of him now galivanting around the country with whom you’ve always hated most. Anger replaces your sadness as you scowl out from the darkness to the rain outside your window.

Memories flood your brain as the dam holding back your emotions collapse. When you first met him in the spring of 2012, you were just kids. He was barely 19 and didn’t even have his beard yet. It was a summer of love as together you experienced new and amazing things. Sure, he had self-confidence bordering on arrogance but that was part of his charm. More importantly, it was his passion and hard-work that endeared himself to you and so many. With his unlimited potential, you thought you would accomplish so much together.

Read the full article via Monty Davis

Around The Horn: News From Around The League

David Ortiz Selling Baseball Mementos, Household Items

Former Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz is cleaning house, and you might be surprised by what he's selling.

The man known to Red Sox fans as Big Papi is, of course, selling tons of memorabilia from his baseball career at an estate sale scheduled for Saturday at his home in the affluent Boston suburb of Weston. But he is also selling other odds and sundry, including a neon Rolls Royce sign, a backyard composter and a stone owl sculpture.

Read the full article via ABC News

This Terrible College Team Invented The Shift ... Sort Of

The once-sure single instead gets gobbled up by a second baseman positioned in the outfield grass. The double play to the right-hand side is scored a 5-6-3, not 4-6-3, because it was the repositioned third baseman who initiated it. The base hit up the middle that ordinarily would have scored the runner from second results only in him advancing to third, because the shifted shortstop swooped in and fielded it 25 feet behind the second-base bag.

From the living room in Middlebury, Vt., where he watches Red Sox games, Gene DeLorenzo keeps seeing these unconventional defensive shifts stealing hits. And though the comment is in jest, the former collegiate coach often turns to his wife, Katharine, and ponders the possible.

Read the full article via MLB

Astros Players Are Getting Hit, But Everyone Needs To Chill: There's No Cause For Concern (Yet)

Much is being made of Houston Astros players getting plunked in the first week of spring training, but the reality of the situation is far less unseemly.

Through Wednesday, Houston players were hit by a total of seven pitches in five games, the most of any team so far in spring training.

That understandably raises eyebrows considering the rest of the league's contempt for the Astros in the wake of their sign-stealing scandal, but even the slightest bit of critical thinking quickly puts a damper on the theory that Houston is being targeted right now.

Firstly, the Astros don't even lead the league in hit batsmen per game. The Cincinnati Reds have had six players hit in their four games (1.5/game), slightly more than the Astros' 1.4/game.

Read the full article via USA Today

Will It Be Funny If The Houston Astros Win The 2020 World Series?

The Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal has a little bit of everything. Trashcans. Half-hearted apologies. Buzzer-related conspiracy theories. Threats of violence. Sure, it’s a blight on baseball and will leave the results of the 2017 World Series in doubt forever, but it also makes for a pretty funny train wreck.

I understand why some folks may resist seeing the humor in all this. The Astros steamrolled through the American League during the second half of the previous decade; their success directly impacted rival teams and altered the trajectories of players’ careers. We’ll never know the full extent to which Houston benefitted from its sign-stealing scheme—partly because it’s a tangled mess of hypotheticals, but also because Major League Baseball’s clumsy efforts to control the fallout have produced a heap of contradictory information, obfuscations, and precisely zero punishments for the players involved.

Read the full article via Slate.com

The Dodgers And Yankees Are Both Projected To Win At Least 102 Games. Take The Under.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a huge splash this winter by acquiring Mookie Betts and David Price from the Boston Red Sox, significantly inflating the team’s already lofty expectations.

Since breaking into the big leagues in 2014, Betts has batted .301 with an .893 OPS. His 37.2 career wins above replacement is second only to Mike Trout over that span. And he creates runs at a rate 35 percent higher than average after taking into account league and park effects. He will join a Dodgers lineup that also features reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Max Muncy and top prospect Gavin Lux. The Dodgers are projected to have the best-hitting club in the NL, per FanGraphs, with 33.6 projected wins above replacement based on playing time and ability.

Read the full article via The Washington Post