Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ Victor Robles & a potential breakout? A 2020 season? Not so fast + more Nats links...

Just when you (not us, what?) had given up hope of an MLB season in 2020, reports said the MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, and MLBPA Union Chief, Tony Clark, met and talked it out and may have found a way to bring baseball back ... provided that COVID-19 doesn’t make it all moot (or is it “mute”?).

[ed. note - “It’s moot. More on that below. More on the framework for a season, that is, not more on the not the moot vs mute thing, which, it’s moot. Also, more on. Heh.”)

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported on Wednesday afternoon that after the face-to-face between Manfred and Clark the two sides were, “... closing in on an agreement to play the 2020 season,” with a deal for a 60-game (in 70 days) season starting on July 19th/20th, with full pro-rated pay for the players, expanded playoffs in both 2020-21, a universal DH, [ed. note - “Yuck.”] and the waiving of, “any potential grievance,” on the players’ side.

Manfred even released a statement on what he saw as productive talks:

[ed. note - “That ‘subject to conversations with our respective constituents’ part is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that statement. As the kids like to say.”]

Reports that a deal were “done”, or getting done, however, were slightly premature, at least according to the MLBPA:

Oh, wait, what?

As the night went on, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote that you might want to pump the brakes on that enthusiastic reaction. It’s about the total number of games, apparently...

“Clark informed Manfred that the 60-game season proposed by the league was not long enough,” a source told Rosenthal, “... particularly when the league offered 72 games five days ago.”

Yeah, this is why we’ve basically stuck to writing about this stuff in the intro to the link post, because, why bother. Not that we’re taking sides, but we’re definitely taking a “Tell us when and where,” approach to coverage. Figure things out. Let us know. We’ll write stuff. Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

Nats have a lot to lose in shortened or canceled season - (MASN)
"I’ve been thinking about what 2020 is going to mean for the Nats as a whole and for individuals. Here are among the conclusions that stand out ..."

Reports: MLB proposes 60-game season following meeting between commissioner Rob Manfred, union chief Tony Clark - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Major League Baseball submitted a proposal for a 60-game season beginning July 19 or 20 that includes full prorated salaries for players and expanded playoffs the next two years, multiple reports confirmed Wednesday."

Why Nats first-round pick Cade Cavalli called his own pitches in college - (WaPost)
"The Oklahoma staff often wondered how Cavalli would develop if he channeled all of his energy into one position."

Coutts worked hard last two years to build his power game - (MASN)
"The Nationals have reportedly agreed to a deal with undrafted free agent outfielder/first baseman Jackson Coutts out of the University of Rhode Island this week."

Nationals Supreme Court: What is the Nats' best jersey? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Today, we look at the best jerseys ever worn by the Nationals. The votes were cast by Nick Ashooh, Chase Hughes and Matt Weyrich..."

Nats' top pick will fit right in with this hobby - (MLB.com)
"Last week, Washington added to its arsenal of hair-cutting pitchers when it selected Cade Cavalli with its first pick (No. 22) in the 2020 MLB Draft."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Washington Nationals Fantasy Superlatives: Victor Robles Breakout May be a Year Away - (Sports Illustrated)
"Hidden in his stat line is 25 times hit by a pitch, which invites injury risk along with his aggressive style of play."

I'm not counting on MLB 2020 season happening just yet: Sherman - (NY Post)
"When I heard Rob Manfred had flown Tuesday to Arizona to see Tony Clark, my first thought was, 'My gosh, the commissioner went to have a fight with the head of the union.' Such is the environment that has been created."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Draftee Elder’s winding road back to baseball - (MLB.com)
"A little more than a decade after initially ditching baseball, Elder is preparing for the opportunity created when Atlanta took him in the fifth round of last week’s Draft."

A Phillies World Series walk-off win you won't need to wait 4 hours for this time - (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
"Three hours and 41 minutes later, way past everyone's bedtime, the Phillies pulled out a dramatic, 5-4, walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Rays to go up in the series two games to one."

Marlins release at least 30 minor leaguers - (Fish Stripes)
"Sure enough, at least 30 Marlins minor leaguers were released following the MLB Draft, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic."

Should Mets' Jacob deGrom worry about Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg in Cy Young race? - (SNY)
"Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are two of the top pitchers in the National League, and both of them possess the stuff on the mound to dominate on any given night."