Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ offseason needs?; Why not Stephen Strasburg AND Anthony Rendon? Bring back Baby Shark?

So, last night was the one-week anniversary of the Washington Nationals’ World Series win? What did you do to celebrate the one-week anniversary? But seriously, has it only been one week? Feels like forever ago already, and the baseball world has already moved on to 2020. Can’t we just celebrate what happened a little while longer, please? Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

Dave Martinez’s view of the Washington Nationals parade - (WaPost)
"Martinez, now a World Series-winning manager, was embraced at a parade just five months after many called for him to be fired."

What are the Nationals' positions of need this winter? - (MASN)
"Thus, the Nats have no choice but to start making plans for next season. Which means we have no choice but to start looking at what they need for next season."

Another One: Could the Nationals go back-to-back and win again next season? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Todd Dybas and Tim Shovers break down the possibility that the Nationals could repeat as World Series champs and win another pennant in 2020."

Anthony Rendon over Stephen Strasburg - (Washington Times)
"Now, of course, you want the championship … AND Strasburg … AND Rendon. Why break up a good thing if you don’t have to?"

The Nationals’ playoffs run offers lessons for all of us - (WaPost)
"One of the hardest lessons of sports is sometimes you try your hardest and things don’t turn out as you wanted them."

What are the Nationals' options at third base if Anthony Rendon leaves? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Two options exist next season at third base for the Nationals: well-compensated Anthony Rendon returns or someone has the enormous task of replacing an MVP finalist."

The case for Stras, Rendon to stay with Nats - (MLB.com)
"I hoped that Bryce Harper would stay with the Nationals when he was the same kind of homegrown free-agent star that Rendon and Strasburg are now."

Wrapping up Nats in AFL, including Garcia, Banks and Sharp in title game - (MASN)
”Despite allowing the big hit in the final, right-hander [Sterling] Sharp, 24, was on point in the AFL, posting a 2-1 record with a 1.50 ERA, and striking out 24 in 24 innings.”

LOCAL COVERAGE:

Gerardo Parra wants to stay with the Nats, keep ‘Baby Shark’ as walk up music - (WTOP)
"After a historic World Series win for the Washington Nationals, free agent Gerardo Parra doesn’t want to go anywhere. And neither does 'Baby Shark.'”

Could Max Scherzer win his 4th Cy Young Award? - (wusa9.com)
"So while the winner of the Cy Young won't be announced until Nov. 13, it looks like Scherzer is taking good care of the hardware he already has."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Washington Nationals 2020 Top 10 MLB Prospects Chat - (Baseball America)
"[Kieboom] should be ready for another chance at a different infield spot early in the 2020 season. Of course, shortstop is the only job that's definitely set in the Nats' infield."

The Nationals Went All In On Just A Few Great Pitchers. Will Others Do The Same? - (FiveThirtyEight)
"The Nationals ended a 95-year World Series drought in Washington, D.C., by employing a different type of road map than that of most MLB champions this century."

With or without Stephen Strasburg, the Padres will continue to raise payroll – (The Athletic)
"Those who know Strasburg say he generally dislikes change. The former No. 1 overall draft pick long ago grew comfortable in Washington, where he is now regarded as a franchise legend."

Nats' analyst F.P. Santangelo gets into Twitter fight with Tempur-Pedic - (Awful Announcing)
"The Washington Nationals’ World Series title has led to some unexpected things, and we can now add Nationals’ television analyst F.P. Santangelo’s exchange with mattress company Tempur-Pedic into that mix."

Superlatives for the 2019-2020 MLB free-agent class - (ESPN)
"Corbin still has five years remaining on his six-year, $140 million contract, but with a World Series title in hand, you can argue anything moving forward is gravy."

Cole Hamels Joins Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole Among Top Pitchers On Baseball’s Free Agent Market - (Forbes)
"That market received a real jolt this past weekend when Stephen Strasburg opted out of the last four years of his deal with the World Series-winning Washington Nationals worth $100 million."