Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ season ends, questions begin... Dusty Baker’s future + more...

Soooooooo... many hot takes. Soooooooooooooooo boring. We haven’t gone back over Game 5 and probably never will because it was bad enough the first time. So now that that’s over, the questions start again: Will Dusty Baker be back? Are we entering Bryce Harper’s final season in D.C.? Did we just watch Jayson Werth’s last game with the Nats? How many feathers are on a Purdue chicken? How many fibers are intertwined in a Shredded Wheat biscuit? How many times did the Batmobile catch a flat?

It was a disappointing night in the nation’s capital on... Thursday? Was that Thursday? We genuinely have no idea what day it is right now, but still, we managed to collect whatever interesting stuff we could find from the last 24 hours to keep everyone up to date on the latest Nationals news...

NATS BEAT:

For Dusty Baker and the Nationals, an uncertain future starts now
"Throughout the season, Baker repeated he wants to return for 2018, and Nationals officials repeated they want him to do so."

Is the Nationals' championship window really closing after 2018?
"Given the sorry state of the NL East, you can already pencil the Nationals in for another division title. But beyond 2018, what will the team look like?"

“This” Could Be It For The Nationals
"The disconnect between the Nats’ performance before and after October reminds me of the great sports debate on the best way to lose."

What lies ahead for Nationals' Dusty Baker?
"As the Nationals begin this offseason -- which came much sooner than they expected -- the biggest question looming will be the status of manager Dusty Baker."

Key moments in the wild NLDS Game 5 between the Nationals and the Chicago Cubs
"The questions about the future — whether Manager Dusty Baker remains here, what tweaks to the roster are forthcoming..."

Zimmerman takes some solace in club's recent winning ways
"Zimmerman has talked before about a season being a failure because the Nats did not reach their ultimate goal, even in seasons in which they won 95 or more games."

What does the future now hold for Baker and Werth?
"Did Dusty Baker just manage his last game for the Nats (or for anyone)? Did Jayson Werth just play his last game for the Nats (or for anyone)."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

No billy goat or 'Bambino' but Washingtonians wonder if baseball team is jinxed
"Unlike some other cities, Washington has no cute anecdotes about baseball jinxes..."

Dusty Baker's postseason woes continue with Nationals' loss to Cubs
"Dusty Baker, the Washington Nationals' skipper who managed the Cincinnati Reds from 2008 to 2013, is thought by many to be a Hall of Fame manager."

Out at Home: Baseball Breaks Fans' Hearts Once Again | RealClearPolitics
"Today is Friday the 13th, a date long associated with bad luck, which was certainly the case in the wee hours this morning for the Washington Nationals and their fans."

Exhausted Joe Maddon rolls into press conference looking like a 1980s alt-rock superstar
"What is it with the kids these days and their nostalgia for old looks?"

The Nationals are the owners of baseball’s most unavoidable and underrated sadness
"The Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs played a dumb, hilarious, captivating Game 5 that lasted eight hours and 47 minutes, give or take."

MLB playoffs: Clayton Kershaw doesn't believe baseball teams can take advantage of fatigue
"Kershaw and the Dodgers lost to the Cubs in last year's NLCS, but he would have been just as happy beating the Nationals this year."

Is the Nationals' championship window really closing after 2018?
"Given the sorry state of the NL East, you can already pencil the Nationals in for another division title. But beyond 2018, what will the team look like?"

Matt Wieters Continues to Be Cursed
"Baseball can be really weird, but the game has rarely facilitated action more unusual than the sort that occurred in the fifth inning of Game 5 on Thursday night between the Nationals and Cubs."

The disappointing reason why the Washington Nationals have never won a postseason series
"It’s bad luck. That’s it. Many in the club’s fanbase and media will now squint and scratch to identify some indication of systemic postseason inadequacy..."

What's next for the Washington Nationals?
"Harper will get the most attention, but it isn’t just his status that makes 2018 an almost must-win for the Nats. Daniel Murphy, Gio Gonzalez and Ryan Madson will also be free agents after next season."

Cubs Add a Chapter to Nationals’ Painful Postseason History
"There are moments in baseball history that have forever seared into the hearts of the Washington Nationals and their fans."