Wire Taps: Washington Nationals News; Not Opening Day for defending World Series champions + more Nats links...

So what are you going to be doing today instead of watching the Washington Nationals’ 2020 season opener? Baseball will likely return ... at some point, but when that will be is one of many unknowns in our lives these days. So there is no Opening Day today, and it won’t likely happen for some time now. You can read MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s thoughts on what it might happen this summer (and potentially fall and winter) below...

Stay healthy, help your neighbors, wash your hands often and as thoroughly as possible, sneeze into your elbow or whatever they’re recommending these days, and find some way to share the day with family, friends, and your fellow Nats fans, preferably in a virtual forum that allows you to social distance and be safe.

Federal Baseball loves you (we do, and we mean you) and we hope that we’ll see you at the ballpark at some point this summer. Go read your links, and wash your hands...

NATS BEAT:

MLB to celebrate ‘Opening Day at Home’ with classic games for each team available to stream - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Fans may be missing out on Opening Day this Thursday, but MLB is hoping to fill some of that baseball void with its digital streaming initiative, 'Opening Day at Home.'"

What was Opening Day like the last time a Washington baseball team was defending champion? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Instead, the holding pattern continues. Nationals players are in West Palm Beach, Washington or at their homes. They continue to work out and hope baseball will resume at some point this summer. There was no such wait back in 1925."

Lack of opening day brings a whole new appreciation for it - (MASN)
"Baseball is secondary right now. Not even secondary. Tertiary, or whatever comes after that. It’s the last thing anyone should be thinking about in this moment that demands our complete attention and willingness to shut ourselves out from family and friends and neighbors and, yes, our favorite baseball teams."

Nats’ World Series clincher featured in MLB’s ‘Opening Day at Home’ - (WaPost)
"With no live baseball on a normally joyous, hopeful day, MLB announced it will present a full slate of 30 classic games across its various platforms, including digital streaming and social media."

Rob Manfred’s ‘optimistic’ view for MLB is to ramp up ‘at some point’ in May - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Washington’s players are scattered. Thirteen remained in West Palm Beach at the team’s spring training facility. Rizzo and Davey Martinez also stayed there. Medical and training teams are in Florida, too."

Watch '19 World Series Game 7: 3 p.m. ET - (MLB.com)
"Enjoy the glory of the Nationals’ first World Series championship with a Game 7 win over the Astros last season when the game airs at 3 p.m. ET on Nationals.com and MLB's YouTube channel."

What DMV sports fans are missing: Opening Day for Nationals, reminiscing of World Series glory - (wusa9.com)
"But Nats fans were also looking forward to a franchise first: being able to reminisce on the previous season with no regrets, as the Nats captured their first World Series 'Curly W' during the 2019 season."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Why A Shortened MLB Season Could Lead To A Chaotic Race Between The Mets, Nationals, Phillies And Braves -(Forbes)
"Should we get a season, certainly shortened, possibly without live fans, it could be delightfully cacophonous, with nearly every team a four-game sweep away from a playoff spot or close contention."

MLB Scout's Video View: Analyzing Nationals Prospect Luis Garcia - (Baseball America)
"While the game is away, Baseball America is digging into its video database and asking scouts around the game to analyze what they see from some of the sport's best prospects. Today's subject is Nationals infielder Luis Garcia."

It’s Opening Day. Baseball Is Closed. - (The New York Times)
"Leave it to Rogers Hornsby, who starred for the St. Louis Cardinals a century ago, to find the words that neatly fit our troubled times."

Will coronavirus lead to a Christmas World Series? You won’t believe Scott Boras’ plan to save MLB - (nj.com)
"But uber-agent Scott Boras has a plan to save all 162 regular-season games and the playoffs in 2020, according to the Los Angeles Times. But are you ready for the World Series on Christmas Day?"

The most hyped catching prospects of the 2000s - (MLB.com)
"Nationals: Derek Norris - Norris, a fourth-round pick in 2007, never cracked MLB.com’s Top 50 Prospects list, though he likely would have in multiple years (2010-11) had the list been extended to include 100 prospects."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Didi Gregorius is now a tattoo artist and he's pretty good at it - (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
"On Tuesday, Phillies shortstop, Didi Gregorius, donned a different style of gloves and swapped his bat for a tattoo machine. Yes, you read that right. It turns out number 18 is pretty nifty with the needle and ink."

NL scout on what Noah Syndergaard's absence will mean for Mets - (NY Post)
"Replacing Noah Syndergaard in the Mets’ rotation might not be as difficult as finding substitutes for his replacement."

Rodríguez brothers unite on hometown Marlins - (MLB.com)
"The uniqueness of their situation didn't fully hit Sean and Robert Rodríguez until the latter threw batting practice to his younger brother on a back field at the Marlins' Spring Training complex."

With Opening Day delayed, savor these 10 from Braves past - (AJC.com)
"Mike Soroka would have been the starting pitcher. Marcell Ozuna would have made his Braves regular-season debut in left field. Austin Riley or Johan Camargo would have started at third base. Maybe Freddie Freeman or Ronald Acuna or Ozzie Albies would have had a big game."