March 05, 2012; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder

Shortly after this afternoon’s game against the Yankees, an 8-5 loss, the Nationals sent four more players out of Major League camp. Right-hander Yunesky Maya was optioned to Triple-A and outfielder Eury Perez was sent to Double-A. Right-handers Jeff Fulchino and Waldis Joaquin were sent to minor league camp.

Perez is the most notable of the group, having impressed in his Spring Training. The speedster went 6 for 18 in 8 Grapefruit League games, scoring four runs. He’ll start the season in Harrisburg, as expected. Aside from Corey Brown (who’s potential is still uncertain), of the team’s potential future center field options Perez is the one that is likely the most MLB-ready.

Maya, Fulchino, and Joaquin were never really expected to make the team’s 25-man roster. Fulchino and Joaquin were brought in on minor league deals over the winter. Fulchino has a greater track record and more experience, but there weren’t many anticipated openings in the bullpen. Maya was expected to end up in the minors, as he’s been nothing but a disappointment since being signed by the team two years ago.

August 9, 2011; St. Louis, MO. USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson (22) throws to a Milwaukee Brewers batter in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

Nationals Manager Davey Johnson reportedly told Mark Zuckerman this morning that Edwin Jackson is tentatively scheduled to make that first start – March 3 – against the Houston Astros. John Lannan will start their 3rd game against the New York Mets. Jordan Zimmermann will follow two days later against the St. Louis Cardinals. Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez will presumably start the other two games, though a specific order hasn’t yet been revealed.

Chien-Ming Wang is scheduled to throw a simulated game the same day that Lannan starts. He’s long removed from the shoulder injury that cost him nearly two full seasons and arrived in camp healthy but the team has chosen to take extra precautions with him.

Keep in mind that the order at the beginning of Grapefruit League games isn’t necessarily a big deal. Teams won’t set their rotations until mid-March in preparation for the regular season. Sure, we know with some certainty the first four who’ll fill out the regular season rotation but there is a competition for the remainder of the group. But their performance on the mound is ultimately what is going to be more important to watch, rather than what order they make those appearances.

The Nationals will handle the early Spring Training games just like most other organizations. In Jackson’s start next Saturday, for instance, he’ll likely only throw 2-3 innings. He’ll be followed by one of the remaining starting options in camp – a group that consists of Ross Detwiler, Tom Gorzelanny, Craig Stammen, and Yunesky Maya – who’ll also only pitch 2-3 innings. Eventually these guys will need to start working deeper into games, which will present a new set of logistics for the team to address. Some will throw in minor league games just to get work in. This could also be where we start to see guys like Gorzelanny and Stammen start to work into the bullpen mix, as the possibility exists they could make the team in that capacity. Maya seemed destined for the minor leagues, and could even be one of the first cuts once the team starts to trim down the roster.

Image courtesy: curlyw.mlbblogs.com

With Spring Training just over two weeks away, let’s take a look at some of the questions facing the members of the Washington Nationals as they arrive in Viera, Florida. To start, let’s look at the pitchers on the current 40-man roster (in alphabetical order for no particular reason).

Sean Burnett, LHP – Which Burnett will the Nationals see in 2012: the one who faltered in the first half of 2011 or the one who was able to bounce back with a strong second half?

Over 41 appearances in the first half of 2011, Burnett allowed opposing hitters to post a .273/.348/.413 line with a 5.67 ERA, seven blown saves, and five losses. After the All Star Break, however, those numbers improved to .228/.297/.326 and a 1.16 ERA. The left-hander won’t turn 30 until mid-September but his performance this season will likely go a long ways towards determining if the organization exercises their side of a mutual option in place for 2013.

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