Can the Nationals repeat? Manager Dave Martinez would prefer to focus on 'compete,' and Max Scherzer has had very short offseasons.
Friday, February 21, 2020,
There are only 33 days until MLB Opening Day 2020 and 42 days to the Washington Nationals Home Opener at Nationals Park! There are 145 more days until the 2020 MLB All-Star Game in LA
Some of the news that we are covering today includes:
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Here are today’s latest Washington Nationals & MLB Headlines and what you need to know to start your day.
At the winter meetings in December, Washington Nationals Manager Dave Martinez was walking through the hotel restaurant, a gathering place of the who's who in baseball, when he heard someone call out, "Hey, kid!"
Martinez saw ex-managers Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland sitting at the same table, motioning for him to join them. Calling this trio “ex-managers” would be like saying Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln were ex-politicians.
Read the full article via The Washington Post
Spring training life for the defending champions is a bit different than in previous years. There are questions about trying to repeat. New signs all over the place touting last fall’s achievement. Fingers to be sized for championship rings. Everybody’s in a good mood, for good reason.
But there’s something lacking from Nationals camp so far, something that can be found at other camps across Florida and Arizona, something that could be found around here in many previous camps.
Drama. As in, there isn’t any.
Read the full article via MASN Sports
Kris Bryant was a fixture of trade rumors all offseason, with the Nationals frequently mentioned as a potential suitor. Washington lost third baseman Anthony Rendon in free agency, making them a logical candidate to acquire the Cubs third baseman.
A deal obviously never came to fruition, and Bryant said he expects to be with the Cubs through the trade deadline. One reason a Cubs-Nationals deal specifically didn't occur, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, is because Washington wouldn't match the Cubs' asking price in multiple trade scenarios.
Read the full article via Yahoo Sports
Over a thousand people showed up as 2019 World Series Champions, the Washington Nationals, held a parade and rally during Clematis by Night to celebrate their win. The celebration included city and county dignitaries, players, The Racing Presidents.
The parade started at 6 p.m. in the 500 block of Clematis Street. The Palm Beach Lakes High School marching band and local Little League teams were also participated in the parade. The first 100 attendees who checked in at the Nationals tent received a free swag bag, compliments of the Washington Nationals and FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Read the full article via WPBF 25 (ABC)
One of the Washington Nationals’ few true Spring Training battles this year involves the fifth spot in the rotation behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, and Aníbal Sánchez.
Erick Fedde, Joe Ross, and Austin Voth are in camp competing for the final spot, and their remaining options could clearly play a role, with Fedde (who recently discovered he has a rare 4th option), the only one of the three who can be sent down if he isn’t the choice to fill out the starting staff.
So will the obvious scenario play out? Ross or Voth in the rotation or bullpen and Fedde down to Double (if the Nationals want to keep him close by) or Triple-A?
Read the full article via Federal Baseball
The three locker nameplates are in a row — Joe Ross, Austin Voth, Erick Fedde — and the three names will be linked a lot in the coming weeks.
Who will be the Washington Nationals’ fifth starter? Ross, Fedde or Voth.
Who will get the final spot in the Nationals’ bullpen? Ross, Fedde or Voth.
What are some of the biggest questions facing the Nationals during spring training? Aside from Carter Kieboom, their potential third baseman, the answer is Ross, Fedde and Voth.
“I’m pretty used to this,” Fedde admitted with a laugh. “This is, what, the third spring training now that everyone is asking if I’m going to be the fifth starter? If anything, Austin is the new one to this. It feels like people have been putting Joe and me in the same sentences for a long time.”
Read the full article via The Washington Post
When the Nationals take the field the for their Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Houston Astros, Washington skipper Davey Martinez isn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary from his players.
I’m hoping that on our side—I can’t tell you anything about the Houston Astros or what they’re going to do, whatever—but for us that we act professional, we go about our business and get ready for the season,” Martinez said. We’re going to “go out there and compete and just get ready to play.”
Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington
t didn’t compare to the parade they threw the Nationals in Washington three days after Game 7 of the World Series. How could it?
Maybe there weren’t hundreds of thousands of fans lining Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach on Thursday evening. But those who did turn out - and there were plenty who did - were treated to a yet another nice celebration of the 2019 champs, this one in their spring home.
“I am very impressed with all the players that are here,” West Palm Beach mayor Keith James said at the rally that followed the five-block parade. “I won’t mention it, but we did this a couple years ago for another team that will remain nameless. There weren’t as many players. So thank you for showing up. ... We are so proud and honored to have you in our city.”
Read the full article. via MASN Sports
This is not the first time that Max Scherzer has had a shortened offseason due to his team’s previous years success in the postseason. When he was with the Detroit Tigers, he went to three ALCS and one World Series. After he pitched in the 2012 World Series and his team lost, Scherzer entered the following season even more motivated to move to the elite level of pitchers — and he won his first Cy Young award in 2013. But there are some differences between then — and now. The three-time Cy winner did not pitch his first Spring Training game on February 22nd of 2013 and his first regular season start was not until April 6th of that year, and he was also a spry 28-year-old pitcher in his prime back in 2013. Baseball is cruel at times. There is age discrimination. They measure you in dog years sometimes. But if anyone can handle the rigors of a shortened offseason plus his prior year’s injury history it would be Mad Max.
Read the full article via Talk Nats
The Nationals will send Max Scherzer to the mound on Saturday as they take on the Houston Astros in what will be their first organized game of baseball since facing off in the 2019 World Series.
Washington and Houston have shared their spring training facility in West Palm Beach since 2017 and have made it a tradition to kick off their respective Grapefruit League schedules against each other.
Read the full article via NBC Sports Washington
Of all the reactions to the idea of Trea Turner hitting third, and there were many, Turner’s was by far the most telling: The 26-year-old shortstop thought it was a joke. He has one at-bat — one! — in that spot across his five-year career. He spent almost all of last season batting first, in front of Adam Eaton, and has 1,572 career plate appearances in the leadoff spot. He has otherwise hit second (444 career plate appearances), sixth (52) and seventh (20).
Read the full article via The Washington Post
Reports surfaced earlier this month that Major League Baseball is "seriously weighing" multiple changes to its current postseason format. These alterations -- which appear likely to happen in some form -- would increase the amount of postseason teams per league to seven (with top seeds being granted first-round byes) and division winners would have their choice of whom they would prefer to play in the three-game wild card round.
Any changes to the playoff format would need to be agreed to by the players union in the next collective bargaining agreement, which takes place after the 2021 season. Early indications show players probably won't be on board.
Read the full article via CBS Sports
Astros Cheating Scandal Shows No Sports Secret Is Safe
It’s now ritual, trying to apply common sense to the preposterous. You can try this at home. But it can’t be done. Consider:The trouble with secrets is people. Once a second person knows, the secret is cut in two. Add a third confidant and the secret is just 33 percent confidential. And soon and so forth until there’s no keeping the lid on the dugout garbage can.It’s reasonable to believe that with 45 or more folks within the Astros’ organization aware that the club was playing with a marked deck, another 45 or 450 people knew through first and second-hand info.
Read the full article via NY post
The Crookedest Team In Baseball History
I want to attend every Houston Astros game this season with a trash-can lid and bang it every time one of their sign-stealing cheatballs comes to bat. I want to find Commissioner Rob Manfred and pelt him with Stay Puft marshmallows for his pillowy-soft punishment of the most crooked team in baseball history. Chicago Black Sox? Please. That scandal was eight players in one series. This was the whole team, and coaches, for two full seasons.
Read the full article via The Atlantic
Ex-National Matt Adams Thankful To Get Opportunity With Mets
Matt Adams was hardly shocked when he wasn’t offered a major league contract this offseason.“That is kind of the way free agency has gone, but I am thankful for the opportunity here,” the veteran slugger said before a workout with the Mets on Thursday. “It’s a very good club and I had to play against these guys for several years on the other side, so thankful to get here and be able to know the guys and just hit the ground running and keep working.”
Read the full article via NY Post
Phillies Beat J.T. Realmuto In Salary Arbitration Hearing
The Phillies have beaten catcher J.T. Realmuto in salary arbitration, a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia. The All-Star catcher will make $10 million in 2020. Realmuto, who made $5.9 million last season, had sought $12.4 million in arbitration.
An arbitration panel heard arguments from both sides during a hearing Wednesday in Phoenix and on Thursday informed the parties that it had decided in the team’s favor.
