VIERA, Fla.
When the Washington Nationals convened at Space Coast Stadium some six weeks ago, they bore only slight resemblance to the team that now occupies the clubhouse and breaks camp in one week.
Adam Dunn had been signed just two days before, and there was reason to believe the slugger would wind up as Washington’s first baseman, with Nick Johnson destined to be injured or traded.
Odalis Perez was the favorite to emerge as the Nationals’ No. 4 starter, with Shawn Hill and Collin Balester the front-runners for the final spot. Jordan Zimmermann likely was headed to Class AAA Syracuse. Shairon Martis wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
Only two relievers were assured of a job: closer Joel Hanrahan and right-hander Saul Rivera. Manager Manny Acta had no idea who his eighth-inning setup man would be.
And, of course, Jim Bowden was still general manager and Esmailyn Gonzalez was still the name of one of the organization’s top prospects.
My, how much can change in such short order.
First things first
After an offseason that was spent pursuing Mark Teixeira and yielded the signing of Dunn, it appeared a foregone conclusion that Johnson wouldn’t make it to Opening Day as the Nationals’ first baseman. But as camp winds down, Johnson looks more and more like a safe bet to open the season in the starting lineup.
Plagued by injuries the past two seasons, Johnson finally is healthy and productive. Thanks in part to working with new hitting coach Rick Eckstein, the 30-year-old has regained his stroke and has impressed with his renewed ability to drive the ball to the opposite field.
The Nationals are still shopping Johnson, but with no reasonable offers coming in, they appear content to go into the season with him as part of the immediate plan.
Two outfielders too many?
Even if Johnson were traded and Dunn moved to first base, the Nationals still faced an overcrowded outfield. That logjam is even more evident now, with Dunn penciled into left field and Lastings Milledge in center. That leaves Elijah Dukes, Austin Kearns, Josh Willingham and Wily Mo Pena searching for starting jobs - and only one position available.
Dukes is the organization’s preferred choice, though Kearns - who, like Johnson, is being shopped but isn’t fetching much in return thanks to his $8 million salary - has enjoyed a strong spring. Willingham, acquired this winter from Florida, has done nothing wrong but seems destined for the bench.
Pena has been an afterthought this spring and is expected to be released before Opening Day, with the Nationals swallowing his $2 million contract.
The fight for fifth
When camp opened, the top three spots in Washington’s rotation were locked up: John Lannan, Scott Olsen and Daniel Cabrera. That hasn’t changed.
But the back end of the rotation certainly has. Acta originally planned to go with Hill (provided the right-hander was healthy) and Perez (who agreed to a minor league contract in early February). Hill, though, was released last week even after bouncing back from forearm tightness. Perez wound up jobless after announcing he was holding out for a better deal.
That left Balester, Zimmermann and Martis competing for the final two spots. Balester came in with the most major league experience, but he has struggled as Zimmermann and Martis have dazzled.
It’s still possible Zimmermann won’t get the last spot if the Nationals want to avoid starting his arbitration clock, but Martis looks like a sure bet to crack the rotation.
Any more moves?
One of Bowden’s hallmarks as general manager was his fearlessness in making bold roster moves any time of the year but especially during spring training. Even though Bowden resigned March 1, the Nationals have continued their tradition of spring shake-ups.
Reliever Joe Beimel signed for $2 million. Fellow pitchers Julian Tavarez and Kip Wells signed minor league deals. So did catcher Josh Bard, creating competition for the backup spot behind Jesus Flores.
Are the Nationals done? Acting GM Mike Rizzo has said he’s willing to go into the season with the pitching staff and outfield status quo. But don’t be surprised if he jumps at any reasonable offer that comes in for Johnson, Kearns or even Willingham if it nets a veteran pitcher.
What’s next for Dukes?
This figured to be an important spring for Dukes, who was coming off a debut season with Washington that was notable for his impressive play, his string of injuries and his continued off-field issues.
Perhaps the spring’s biggest surprise, though, has been how Dukes has remained in the background. He is playing well and has made a strong case for the starting right-field job. But he hasn’t received much attention - for his play or for other, negative reasons.
This can be considered only a positive for the Nationals, who would like nothing more than for Dukes to seize the starting job and enjoy a breakout season without making headlines for the wrong reasons.
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