Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ DH options; Spring Training 2.0 plans; Will D.C. welcome Nats back + more...

So, if baseball is coming back, does that really mean that we have to stop reading books all day long every day? Seriously, we’ve read all those books that have been piling up over the years while we’ve been watching the Washington Nationals and writing about it all. There’s Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc book; a couple Proust-related books (one about a meeting with Proust, Stravinsky, James Joyce, and Picasso; another about fin de siècle duchesses who were models for the Duchesse de Guermantes in Remembrance of Things Past; + another written by his live-in caretaker, Céleste Albaret); and we even managed to finish DFW’s masterpiece*, and that was not easy, (and from what I’ve read on the internet makes us jerks for reading it though we didn’t know that); + about a dozen other books. But seriously, we should stop all that and start watching baseball again? Twist our arms. But seriously, nix the guy on second in extras thing, please? Go read your links...

[ed. note - “* = David Foster Wallace’s ‘Infinite Jest’. Also this footnote is an IJ joke. Which is something else that probably makes us jerks.”]

NATS BEAT:

Nationals in the 2020 MLB Season:

Mike Rizzo's forward-thinking has led to great success for Nationals; so what's next? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"One of the reasons why Mike Rizzo has established himself as one of the best executives in baseball is his ability to look ahead."

Nats have a World Series stud to step in at DH - (MLB.com)
"The Nats made the call on a DH last year during the World Series when they played the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston."

Nationals’ Davey Martinez is going to need his playoff creativity in 60-game season - (NBC Sports Washington)
"A slow start could quickly turn into an insurmountable deficit. One key injury might spell disaster for a team without enough roster depth."

Nationals FAQ: Details on the upcoming season - (MLB.com)
"Last year, the Nats were 27-33 after 60 games on June 4. But that was less than two weeks after their 19-31 start, and, well, things turned out quite differently by the end of the year."

With baseball returning, Nationals' GM and manager contracts remain a pressing issue - (NBC Sports Washington)
"When asked May 1 if there were any discussions at that point about his contract, Martinez responded, 'Nothing.' Understandable in the prior climate. It's not now."

Nationals' return to play: What to know, from schedule to universal DH plans - (Washington Times)
"Everything is still tentative at this point, and if any sport knows the meaning of 'It ain’t over till it’s over,' it’s baseball."

After 60 games in 2019, Series champ Nats were in trouble - (FOX Sports)
"Maybe this gives fans a sense of what it will mean to have a Major League Baseball season shrunk down to just 60 games this year during the pandemic: Where were the Washington Nationals that far into 2019?"

A primer on the plan for the 2020 season - (MASN)
"What’s it going to look like? How’s it going to work? You’ve got questions. We’ve got (some) answers ..."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

The Washington Nationals Want To Train, But They Need D.C.'s Permission First - (DCist)
"After more than a three-month delay due to COVID-19, the Washington Nationals are ready to defend their World Series title at Nats Park. But D.C. needs to approve their return to the city first."

Ray Torres’ odd path from high school to Washington Nationals - (Charlotte Observer)
"On paper, Ray Torres is a pretty straightforward young man, living out the fantasies of countless kids from the past, present and future."

In MLB Return, National League Clubs Can Use A Designated Hitter; Here’s A Candidate For Every Team - (Forbes)
"The Nationals are a club loaded with DH candidates. Zimmerman and Kendrick are good hitters, but each has seen his prime."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Tough regional schedule might be ‘reality check’ for Phillies’ playoff ambitions - (Philadelphia Inquirer)
"Four months ago, general manager Matt Klentak called the NL East 'the most competitive division in baseball.' Two-thirds of the Phillies' games in the coronavirus-shortened season will be played against the NL East."

Mets 'getting close on a deal' with 2020 first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong: report - (SNY)
"According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, the Mets are 'getting close on a deal' with first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong."

DH in the NL: What it means for the Marlins - (MLB.com)
"The two players who will likely be most impacted by this are the left-handed-hitting Matt Joyce and the right-handed-hitting Garrett Cooper."

Braves expect Cole Hamels to be ready for start of season - (AJC.com)
"The Braves expect left-hander Cole Hamels to be ready for a late-July opening day, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday afternoon."