Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ pitchers and catchers report this week; Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez contract questions + more...

The Oscars are over. Go see Parasite if you haven’t already seen it. Now that that’s over with, it’s time for Spring Training to get started. Nationals’ pitchers and catchers report this week, and Washington begins the defense of their World Series crown. Are you ready for baseball to sort of be back? Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

Spring training storylines: Rizzo and Martinez's contracts - (MASN)
"Really, why would anyone spend a second wondering how secure Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez’s jobs are? Why? Because at this moment, neither man is assured of working for the Nationals beyond the 2020 season."

Spring training storylines: The No. 5 starter competition - (MASN)
"As the calendar shifts to March and pitching coach Paul Menhart needs to start lining up his rotation for the regular season, the club will need to begin making some decisions."

Baseball America Nats No. 7 prospect: RHP Andry Lara - (MASN)
"Baseball America’s Nats correspondent, Lacy Lusk, said [Andry] Lara appears in the Nats Top 10 because the right-hander is versatile for his age."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Ranking MLB's closers right now, 1 to 30 - (MLB.com)
"11) Nationals -- Sean Doolittle, LHP: He is no longer the only reliever the Nationals trust, which can only help him and his usage. It still feels strange that he wasn’t the guy on the mound for the last out of the World Series."

NL East teams at the start of spring training - (Albuquerque Journal)
"With the notable exception of [Anthony] Rendon, the Nationals are mostly the same group that finally came through in the postseason, winning the ex-Expos franchise’s first World Series title — and the first for the nation’s capital since 1924..."

NL East Rotation Comparison - (SI.com)
"The rotation will be the strength of this team, especially until we know if their bullpen can be improved. People will wonder if Scherzer’s back will hold up this season."

Inside look at Mets' foes in competitive NL East - (NY Post)
"How do the Nationals overcome the loss of Rendon? They’ll need the 21-year-old Juan Soto to continue to develop into one of the best hitters in the majors, and they’ll watch top prospect Carter Kieboom, who made an 11-game cameo with Washington last year."

San Francisco Giants’ Trevor Gott Has Got A Chance To Be Good - (Forbes)
"[Trevor] Gott had middling results over 52.2 relief innings for the Giants, but showed that he has the potential to be something more."

Previewing the 2020 Hagerstown Suns - (Notes From the Sally)
"RHP) Mason Denaburg- Age 20, listed 6’4″ 195 lbs, he was drafted 27th overall in the 2018 draft, out of High School in Merritt Island, FL (50 miles east of Orlando)."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Phillies pitchers and catchers report: Ranking every arm and backstop heading to Clearwater - (PhillyVoice)
"Here's a loose ranking of the hurlers and backstops who will either be using the next month as an audition, or a tune up for the 2020 season..."

Mets' next buyer could evade issue that killed Steve Cohen deal - (NY Post)
"Want to buy the Mets without enduring a messy transition? That could happen in the wake of the latest sale fiasco with the Wilpons."

Spring about fitting pieces together for Miami - (MLB.com)
"All offseason, the Marlins searched for fits to help upgrade a lineup that ranked last in the Majors in homers (146) and second to last in runs (615) in 2019."

Braves roster preview: Outfield boasts star power and fascinating possibilities - (AJC.com)
"Possibly the most intriguing facet of the 2020 Braves, the outfield is headlined by Ronald Acuna, who again should be an All-Star and MVP candidate. Acuna, arguably the most exciting player in baseball, is set to man right field in his third season."