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Uh, congrats, Dodgers. We guess. Moving on. There was actual news on the first day of the 2020-21 offseason with the Nationals making some roster decisions and adding a coach to the mix. Notice we didn’t say “new coach”, though, technically, Randy Knorr is new to Davey Martinez’s staff, though he’s been with the organization since 2005. The club declining both club and mutual options on Wednesday didn’t surprise anyone. But you can check out all of the names below. Go read your links...
NATS BEAT:
Coaching Staff:
Addition of Randy Knorr finalizes Nationals coaching staff - (NBC Sports Washington)
"The Nationals finished reframing their coaching staff by adding longtime organization member Randy Knorr to coach first base and moving Bob Henley back to third."
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2021 Washington Nationals coaching staff!
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 28, 2020
// https://t.co/y3oiDyqllk pic.twitter.com/4CpcKx7RWM
Knorr returns to staff as Nats finalize coaching changes - (MASN)
"The Nationals finalized their 2021 coaching staff today, filling the one vacancy that hadn’t yet been publicly announced with one of the longest-tenured members of their organization."
Nats finalize '21 Major League coaching staff - (MLB.com)
"The Nationals and manager Dave Martinez finalized their Major League coaching staff for the 2021 season on Wednesday."
Free Agents:
Nats decline options for Kendrick, Eaton, Sánchez, Thames - (Washington Times)
"The Washington Nationals declined 2021 club options on right fielder Adam Eaton and right-handed starter Aníbal Sánchez on Wednesday, and declined their part of mutual options for infielder Howie Kendrick and first baseman Eric Thames."
Nationals decline options for Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Aníbal Sánchez and Eric Thames - (WaPost)
“With four unsurprising decisions by the Washington Nationals, Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Aníbal Sánchez and Eric Thames all became free agents Wednesday afternoon.”
Nationals decline options on Eaton, Sánchez - (MLB.com)
"On the first day of the Major League Baseball offseason, the Nationals announced decisions impacting how they shape their 2021 roster."
Nats decline options on Eaton, Sánchez, Kendrick, Thames - (MASN)
"All four veteran players immediately become free agents and are allowed to begin negotiating with other clubs at 5 p.m. Sunday."
Nationals decline options on Eaton, Sánchez and Thames - (NBC Sports Washington)
"The organization declined options on Adam Eaton, Aníbal Sánchez, Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames, as expected."
Other Stuff:
RHP Cole Henry of #Nats was drafted out of high school by Detroit but played two years at LSU and took part in instructs. “He shows pitchability that you want in a front-line starter,” farm director Mark Scialabba told @federalbaseball. “We are very excited to have Cole.”
— David Driver (@DaytonVaDriver) October 28, 2020
Trea Turner extension should be a Nationals priority – (The Athletic)
"While Turner is not a pending free agent, the closer a player gets to being one, the harder it gets for a team to keep him from testing the open market."
Teenagers Tomlin and Infante learning what it takes to succeed at pro level - (MASN)
"Fall instructional league workouts are completed for 2020. Now these Nationals prospects head home or get ready to play winter ball."
What’s next for Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"In a recent interview with Dan Patrick, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he expects new rules instituted in 2020 to revert to the old rules in 2021. That would include removing the DH from the National League."
NATIONAL(S) BEAT:
Yasel Antuna Looks To Keep Playing - (Baseball America)
"Yasel Antuna keeps finding opportunities to play in 2020. The 21-year-old's next one will be with Licey in the Dominican League, where many players will be a decade or more older than him."
How good is Arozarena? Pipeline discusses - (MLB.com)
"The guys also discuss instructional league with a focus on Nationals pitchers and open the reader mailbag to answer a question about relief prospects."
Ex-Pittsfield Sun pitcher Cade Cavalli is Washington Nationals' No. 1 prospect - (berkshireeagle.com)
"Cade Cavalli's first year as a professional baseball player was anything but normal. It was, however, a positive one."
Looking Back on Baseball’s Silent Season - (The New York Times)
"They finished dead last in their division, and didn’t play a single game before their fans as the reigning champions. As I write this sentence, enough Americans have died of the novel coronavirus to fill Nationals Park five times over."
#NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/V6DeTIM2gk
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 28, 2020
NL EAST UPDATES:
Kevin Cooney: Laying out an offseason plan for the Phillies that doesn't include J.T. Realmuto - (PhillyVoice)
"One of the main contradictions in baseball is that it moves both slowly and quickly. A season ends and a new one immediately begins within a few days of the conclusion of the World Series."
These 11 Mets are all free agents now - (New York Daily News)
"These 11 Mets became free agents Wednesday: Yoenis Cespedes, Jed Lowrie, Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha, Jake Marisnick, Justin Wilson, Jared Hughes, Erasmo Ramirez, Eduardo Nunez, and Rene Rivera."
Marlins pick up $12.5M option on OF Starling Marte - South Florida Sun Sentinel - South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Starling Marte is staying in Miami after the Marlins exercised their $12.5 million contract option for next year.
Atlanta Braves Will Prioritize Re-Signing Marcell Ozuna, But That’s One Of Many Tough Off-Season Decisions - (Forbes)
"Atlanta’s top priority this winter is retaining 30-year-old Marcell Ozuna, who led the National League in home runs and runs batted in after the designated hitter rule was officially added to NL games."