Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard accept new Nats bullpen reality

“Soriano is a huge move,” said right fielder Jayson Werth. “I thought that was great. I was actually hoping that would happen, silently. I wasn’t reaching out to anyone to get it done or anything, but in that back of my mind, I was like, ‘If we could pick him up and throw him in the back of bullpen and move everybody back a spot, an inning, it would catapult a really good bullpen to the best bullpen.’ “

That was, of course, the point the Nationals’ previous closers needed time to wrap their heads around. Once the shock wore off, both seemed to go through a rationalization process.

They’ll report to Viera, Fla., in two weeks and begin the process of finding their place on the 2013 incarnation of the Nationals, one that will try to find space for three closers.

“There’s no doubt he’s going to make the team better,” Storen said. “Once you kind of find out what’s going on, it’s just a matter of communication. It makes the team better, so that’s what I’m concerned about.”

“We’re all trying to work toward the same goal,” Clippard said. “If we can add a piece of that puzzle that’s going to help us get to where we want to be, if we’re sitting here on Nov. 1 with the trophy for the World Series, nobody’s going to be complaining about anything.”

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