Wire Taps: Washington Nationals’ 2021 Non-roster invites; Stephen Strasburg in ‘21 + more Nats links

Well, pitchers and catchers reported officially yesterday. Yeah! Now comes the first workout of Spring Training, followed by press conferences with both Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez. We’ll have stories from those Zoom calls this afternoon.

For now, all we’ve got for you are links. Well, and a table-reset sort of story about the Nats’ new first base duo in D.C.

Hopefully we remember to add a link to that story above before we post this. Yes! We did it!

Go read your links...

NATS BEAT:

The Nationals’ biggest spring training roster questions are all on the margins - (WaPost)
“Can Stephen Strasburg return to form after undergoing season-ending carpal tunnel surgery last August? Can Carter Kieboom, in what may be his last shot as the everyday third baseman, be a lot better than he has through 44 career games?”

Nats invite 71 total players to big league camp - (MASN)
"With minor league camp delayed until after the big leaguers head north at the end of March due to COVID-19 restrictions, teams are allowed a pool of up to 75 players this spring."

Top prospects, 'Baby Shark' among Nats' NRIs - (MLB.com)
"Pitchers and catchers will report for their first workout on Thursday, and the Nats will hold their first full-squad workout on Tuesday."

Nationals’ top pitching prospects in spring training spotlight - (WaPost)
“In all, the Nationals will start out with 71 players in camp, including the 39 on their 40-man roster.”

Nationals announce non-roster spring training invites - (Washington Times)
"The Washington Nationals unveiled their list of non-roster invites for spring training Wednesday, a group featuring several well-known veterans and a few fresh-faced prospects who will receive their first taste of a major league camp."

Camp to begin as Stras returns - (MLB.com)
"Stephen Strasburg is back from injury, competition heats up for the final spot in the rotation and more..."

What Does a Trea Turner Extension Look Like with the Nationals? - (The Nats Report)
"Even if you aren’t a fan of the limited sample size of 2020 stats, Turner still showed that his bat was real in 2019..."

Spring training storylines: Holding camp in a pandemic - (MASN)
"Suffice it to say, as much as we all wished - maybe even assumed - things would be back to normal by now, there will be nothing normal about spring training 2021."

New Nats looking forward to playing with young stars - (MASN)
"With the additions of Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Brad Hand, Jon Lester and Alex Avila, the 2021 version of the Nationals will look quite different than last year’s team..."

Three Nationals storylines heading into spring training - (Washington Times)
"The Nationals are coming off a 26-34 season, but they won the World Series in 2019 — the most recent 162-game campaign. Many of the players from that title-winning team have departed, but there were several offseason additions to the core group."

Fantasy baseball draft targets: Which Nationals are worth picking? - (NBC Sports Washington)
"Below are the top 10 players on the Nationals ranked by average draft position (ADP) with the case for why fantasy owners should or shouldn’t invest in them for the 2021 season."

NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

Just you wait ... These 10 hitters will break out - (MLB.com)
"The Nationals have given their former top prospect ample opportunities to establish himself; he hasn’t done so yet."

How middle infield is shaping up in NL East - (MLB.com)
"Washington has options at this position, but there also are questions: how many games will Castro play? Manager Dave Martinez described him in December as a 'full go.'"

Daniel Murphy sings praises for former teammate Bryce Harper - (106.7 the FAN)
"Daniel Murphy recently announced his retirement after a 12-year career that included memorable stops with the Mets and Nationals, but after laboring through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with the Rockies, the 35-year-old decided it was time to call it quits."

Cockcroft's fantasy baseball players to grab, avoid in 2021 - (ESPN)
"One of the great disappointments of 2020 was not getting to see Soto available for the Washington Nationals' full 60-game schedule."

Hagerstown City Council hears proposal for short-term use of Municipal Stadium - (WDVM25 & DCW50)
"The city council has been looking for new ways to use the former Hagerstown Suns field since the end of their affiliation with the Washington Nationals."

NL EAST UPDATES:

Phillies add lefty Watson to 'pen (source) - (MLB.com)
"A source told MLB.com that the Phillies and left-hander Tony Watson agreed to a Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Training. The club has not confirmed the deal."

Braves win Swanson arbitration case (source) - (MLB.com)
"The Braves won their arbitration decision involving shortstop Dansby Swanson, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Swanson will earn a $6 million salary in 2021 after he had filed for $6.7 million."

Mets' James McCann set for chemistry test with Jacob deGrom - (NY Post)
"James McCann’s first opportunity to handle his new pitchers will come Wednesday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., but the brainstorming sessions are already underway."

Miami Marlins’ Derek Jeter excited about 2021 season - (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
"Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter is confident his team will resume its winning ways this season."