A surprise from the start

It was supposed to be the weakest link in an otherwise improved Washington Nationals roster. The new-look lineup? Wasn’t going to be a concern. The tried-and-true bullpen? Still the strength of this team.

The starting rotation? Well, at least the Nationals weren’t holding open auditions for jobs like they did a year ago.

Who knew that unit would be the least of manager Manny Acta’s concerns one month into the season?

Sure, Washington starters have been far from perfect through 32 games. A couple of them (Matt Chico, Jason Bergmann) have been downright bad. But take those two struggling hurlers out of the equation and the numbers are staggeringly good.

Counting Tim Redding’s 61/3 innings of one-run ball yesterday, the foursome of Redding, Odalis Perez, Shawn Hill and John Lannan owns a 3.38 ERA in 23 combined starts.

Not too shabby, huh?

Hill, even though he opened the season on the disabled list, was supposed to be this good (provided his right forearm held up, which so far it has). And Lannan has been highly thought of within the organization, though even the left-hander’s most ardent supporters couldn’t have foreseen his recent streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings.

The bigger surprises have been Redding and Perez, a couple of journeyman 30-year-olds who figured to be nothing more than stopgap solutions for a Nationals club committed to going young. But the way those two have pitched, the organization could face an interesting dilemma come midsummer.

Trade talk surely will pick up if those two continue to perform with sub-4.00 ERAs and track records for lasting at least six innings every time out. And the Nationals will need to consider any offers they get for either pitcher, particularly Perez, who becomes a free agent at season’s end.

Redding, though, is a different story. Though he has bounced around for several years, he had only accrued three full seasons of big league service time entering 2008. Which means he remains arbitration-eligible for two more years and can’t become a free agent until 2011.

The Nationals actually might be wise to hang on to a right-hander who over the last two seasons has posted a 3.50 ERA in 22 starts, allowing three or fewer earned runs in 18 of those. He may never be the ace of this staff, but he certainly could be a valuable innings-eater in the middle of the rotation.

“He’s been probably our most consistent starter since the second half [of 2007],” Acta said. “He gives me a lot of peace of mind. Every five days, this guy is going to give us at least five innings.”

Acta could say the same about his other three successful rotation members right now. Really, the only blemish from the current group is Chico, who is 0-5 with a 6.87 ERA and has only one quality start in six outings.

Help could be on the way, though. Left-hander Mike O’Connor had a 1.96 ERA at Class AAA Columbus and is now pitching out of the Washington bullpen. Collin Balester, the organization’s top high-level pitching prospect, is 2-2 with a 4.13 ERA at Columbus but is throwing well and may not be far from making his big league debut.

And don’t look now but Bergmann (whose 11.68 ERA in three major league games this season earned him a surprise ticket to the minors) hasn’t allowed a run in his last 14 innings at Class AAA and is making a strong case to return to the District.

Put it all together and the Nationals’ biggest question mark entering the season could wind up being their biggest strength this summer.