Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ Sean Doolittle on sign stealing; Nats’ 2020 uniforms? MASN update + more...

The whole offseason progression we’re used to is significantly sped up when the team you are following/covering makes it all the way to (and wins) the World Series. For example, it’s only been a couple weeks since the Washington Nationals won it all, and it’s already at that point where the articles start to dry up and the reality of a winter without baseball starts to set in. Going forward (as we did today), we’ll collect everything we can in your morning link post. There are some Scott Boras quotes, some Nationals uniform news, Sean Doolittle on sign stealing, and even a MASN update today. Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

Scott Boras is once again in place to control the Nationals’, and baseball’s, offseason - (NBC Sports Washington)
"The calendar has once again put Scott Boras into the spirit."

Doolittle: 'We had our guard up' for Astros stealing signs - (106.7 The Fan)
"Sean Doolittle of the World Series champion Nationals took to Twitter on Thursday to weigh in on the sign-stealing controversy the Houston Astros are currently embroiled in."

Healthy all year, Eaton finally showed his true value to Nats - (MASN)
"Turns out he’s the kind of player whose contributions become more obvious in the big picture versus the small picture."

Take a look at the Nationals’ new Nike jerseys - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Fans who visited the Nationals’ team store were greeted with some new merchandise Friday, when the team’s first official Nike jersey and a new alternate hat were made available."

Robles flashed plenty of potential during eventful rookie year - (MASN)
"At the plate, Robles was inconsistent. He particularly struggled (as so many young hitters do) with changeups, hitting a scant .178 with a .244 slugging percentage on that pitch."

LOCAL BEAT:

Coach K became ‘a huge fan’ of Dave Martinez’s Nats this season - (WaPost)
"Legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski knew the Nationals had championship potential in August after they swept Chicago at Wrigley Field."

Judge says MASN should pay Nats based on MLB panel decision - (Washington Times)
"A judge has ordered lawyers for the Nationals and Baltimore Orioles to submit a proposed judgment of what the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network should pay Washington for television rights from 2012-16 based on the decision issued in April by an arbitration panel of three baseball executives."

Coming in 2020…the Playeros de Harrisburg - (Mayflies & Big Flies)
"The Harrisburg Senators announced on Thursday afternoon that they would be one of 92 minor league teams participating next season in the Copa de la Diversión..."

Two New Caps and a New Jersey for Nationals in 2020 - (SportsLogos.Net)
"The World Series Champs will be taking the field in some new threads next season according to a series of new items added to the official shop of Major League Baseball."

Nationals visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with the World Series trophy - (NBC Sports Washington)
"On Friday, the hardware visited the veterans and patients at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Will the Yankees Chase a Big-Name Starter This Winter? - (The New York Times)
"The Yankees have been more restrained in their spending recently. But with the elite pitchers Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg on the market, they just might open their wallet."

Phillies’ options for improving starting rotation will extend beyond free agents - (Philadelphia Inquirer)
"Next week marks the one-year anniversary of Patrick Corbin’s free-agent tour, a three-city journey that included a stop at Citizens Bank Park."

History tells us why megadeals matter - (MLB.com)
"Scherzer did the same in this postseason for the Nationals, as they were winning the first World Series in franchise history. Max didn’t do it alone, none of these big-ticket guys ever do it alone, it’s baseball."

1 player on each team it makes sense to trade - (MLB.com)
"The starting outfield of Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Adam Eaton returns next season, and while Taylor is a solid fourth outfielder who can play all three positions, he earned $3.25 million last season and is due a raise in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility."