Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ Home Opener would have been today + Max Scherzer talks + more Nats links...

Washington’s Nationals and the New York Mets were supposed to meet today in the home opener in the nation’s capital, but, obviously, there’s no baseball being played these days, so all we have to offer you this morning are links. Sorry about that. Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

Not-Home-Opener Links:

Nats Park Is Quiet on What Was Supposed to Be Their Opening Day – (NBC4 Washington)
“'Thursday was not supposed to be like this.' It’s a sad day for D.C. baseball fans as the Washington Nationals were set to play their home opener."

A letter to Nationals fans from Mark D. Lerner - (Curly W Live)
"I hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy. While we are disappointed we aren’t celebrating Opening Day tomorrow, you can still bring the magic of baseball into your homes!"

A long way from their banner day, Nats fans can find solace in October memories - (WaPost)
"All winter, until the world changed, my column for the Washington Nationals’ home opener, which would have been Thursday, was all set in my mind."

Lamenting what should have been a glorious home opener - (MASN)
"We know instinctively that the Major League Baseball season should be a week old now, and we’ve seen various simulations suggesting what might’ve taken place had the games proceeded as scheduled."

Max Scherzer & Ryan Zimmerman talk:

Max Scherzer remains in West Palm Beach, continues to work toward the start of the season - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Scherzer continued his workouts at the facility until it was closed and converted to a coronavirus testing center late last week. Since, he’s been home in a rental house and maintaining on his own."

Exclusive: Max Scherzer on baseball’s stoppage, its limbo, and what is important when it restarts - (NBC Sports Washington)
"In between the Disney watching and workouts, Scherzer, a member of the eight-player MLBPA executive subcommittee, was part of the group trying to work a deal between the Major League Baseball Players Association and the league."

Ryan Zimmerman on coronavirus pandemic: 'It's like I'm retired, but I can't leave the house' - (NBC Sports Washington)
"During the difficult times for many, they have helped hospitals by sending over lunches, donating money, and purchasing items for a local women's shelter through an Amazon wishlist."

Other Nats Links:

Nationals value graduates of their Dominican academy - (MASN)
"The Nationals continue to do a very good job of fortifying their roster with quality prospects who started out at their Dominican baseball academy."

Nats prospect watch: Teenagers Lara and Yean near top of pitching list - (MASN)
"Nationals minor league pitching coordinator Brad Holman has insight on a couple of younger prospects who have reached the top 10 in the Nationals top 30 prospect list according to MLBPipeline.com, pitchers Andry Lara and Eddy Yean."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

“It Was ‘The Office’ Does Major League Baseball”: An Oral History of the Nats’ First Year - (Washingtonian)
"The former Montreal Expos arrived in late 2004 with no staff, decrepit facilities, and less than six months to establish a big-league operation in D.C."

Here are baseball's nastiest changeups - (MLB.com)
"He throws it relatively hard -- in the upper 80s -- and imbues the ball with tremendous late movement that sends it diving toward the dirt and away from a left-handed batter."

A new way to measure Scherzer's dominance - (MLB.com)
"Statcast debuted in 2015, the same time Scherzer became the Nationals' ace. In the five seasons of Statcast tracking, there's only one starter with an expected ERA under three every year: Scherzer."

Scout tells terrific tales from his 53-year career - (MLB.com)
"Now a special assistant to the GM in scouting for the Nationals, Rizzi is in his 53rd year of working in the game."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Will Phillies’ Andrew McCutchen still be elite after return from knee surgery? Even medical experts don’t know for sure - (Philadelphia Inquirer)
"But while there’s little doubt that McCutchen will return to the field, it’s fair to wonder if he will be able to do so at his previously elite level of performance, according to multiple medical experts."

7 Line Army founder deals with no Mets baseball - (New York Daily News)
"For the 7 Line Army, the Mets were always a distraction. A distraction from the news or life’s daily stresses. Whatever was weighing on their minds before walking into Citi Field got pushed aside for a few hours."

Marlins' Top 5 first basemen: Frisaro's take - (MLB.com)
"2. Derrek Lee, 1998-2003 - Key fact: NL Gold Glove Award winner in 2003 - A towering 6-foot-5, 240-pound presence at first base, Lee was a force on the 2003 World Series title team."

Leadoff: What's new at Truist Park? New grass, new scoreboard sign - (AJC.com)
"No one knows at this point when a baseball game will be played there, but Truist Park has new grass on the field and a new sign atop the scoreboard/video board."