The Morning Briefing: The Nationals Bullpen Is going to be a place of strength

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball headlines, news and the latest news coming out of Spring Training

by Richard Wachtel

Updated February 23, 2021

Good Tuesday Morning, Washington Nationals Fans. Thank you for starting the week with us.

Make sure to follow The Nats Report on Twitter for updates on the latest from the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball during the day!

Today's weather in West Palm Beach, according to the National Weather Service:

A chance of showers before 11am, then a slight chance of showers after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. West wind 7 to 14 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

[Don't forget to head to our Spring Training Page during the day, where we give updates on the latest news coming out of West Palm Beach, FL, including a Picture of the Day!]

Today's Spring Training Quote:

"The guy takes the ball every day. He's a competitor. ... We felt like he got back to that for like he was when he was an All-Star." - Washington Nationals Manager Dave Martinez on Jeremy Jeffress

Countdown Clock:

Exhibition Games Begin: 6 Days

Opening Day 2021: 38 Days

2021 MLB All-Star Game: 141 Days

Today's Top Story: The Nationals Bullpen Is going to be a place of strength

With RHP Jeremey Jeffress's signing, the Washington Nationals bullpen becomes a sign of strength after years of hoping and praying.

In a way, it's refreshing to start Spring Training with a bullpen full of experienced closers and relievers that actually might perform. At the start of the past few seasons, Nationals fans have had to hold their breath and pray that the offense got enough runs in the early part of the game to withstand a potential meltdown when the starting pitcher was pulled.

Read the full article on The Nats Report.

ICYMI: Washington Nationals fans are left wondering if they will be returning to Nats Park this season.

As the Coronavirus vaccine continues its rollout to all regions of the U.S., Major League Baseball teams and the local governments that oversee them will be asked an important question: Should fans be allowed to attend games?

Washington Nationals fans have been left in the dark on what's going on this season. The Nationals have not released any information even to their season ticket holders.

Click here to read the full article on The Nats Report.

New Podcast Alert: In the Clubhouse with the Nats Report

Today, we have a new episode of In the Clubhouse with the Nats Report. Richard sat down with the newest Washington Nationals beat reporter for The Athletic Maria Torres. During the episode, Maria shares her impressions of the Washington Nationals and former Washington National and fan-favorite Anthony Rendon.

Apple: http://apple.co/37BMBb2

Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2P876WF

Megaphone: http://bit.ly/3kjNSIT

Perspective: The Case For Victor Robles Leading Off

Washington's Lineup is in a weird spot right now. They have a good amount of high-level talent, but it's not as deep as many would like, so Victor Robles might be a good option to lead off. Based on Mike Rizzo's recent comments, it appears that the Nationals are done adding players and they haven't been outwardly linked to anyone who hits leadoff.

Thankfully, they may have the perfect leadoff candidate on the roster in Victor Robles.

Click here to read the full article on The Nats Report.

NL East 2021 Season Preview: The Atlanta Braves

Since moving to the National League East in 1994, the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals has been one of the best rivalries in baseball, and 2021 looks to be more of the same. Some teams were thrown off by the chaos of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but the Atlanta Braves didn't miss a beat, winning their third straight division title and their 15th NL East Crown in the last 25 seasons.

Despite their regular-season dominance, Atlanta failed to reach the World Series again, losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers in game 7 of the NLCS.

Read our previews of the other NL East Teams:

Click here to read the full article via The Nats Report.