District On Deck
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Washington Nationals: It might as well be Spring Training for the Nats

By Blake Finney

VIERA, FL - MARCH 11: Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals checks a runner at first during a spring training game against the New York Mets at Space Coast Stadium on March 11, 2016 in Viera, Florida. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
VIERA, FL - MARCH 11: Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals checks a runner at first during a spring training game against the New York Mets at Space Coast Stadium on March 11, 2016 in Viera, Florida. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Nationals get Spring Training underway Wednesday. Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post joins Blake on the podcast to preview what’s ahead.

Washington Nationals Spring Training begins on Wednesday when their pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach. Players, coaches, reporters and fans alike are all excited for the season ahead.

The Washington Post‘s Nats beat writer, Jesse Dougherty, joins Site Expert Blake Finney on the DoDCast this week to help preview the main storylines down in Florida. You can check out the podcast here.

On this edition of the podcast, they discuss the following:

More from District on Deck

  • The never-ending Bryce Harper puzzle
  • Analyzing the recent Jeremy Hellickson signing
  • Previewing position battles this spring
  • Any other storylines during Spring Training
  • Answer some listener questions

Since the last podcast, the Nationals have yet again continued to be active with the signing of Jeremy Hellickson to a one-year, $1.3 million deal. The right-hander is coming off of a solid season with the Nats where he posted a 5-3 record with a 3.45 ERA in 19 starts and immediately appears to be the favorite for the fifth starter role.

After bringing in Hellickson, that once again brings Bryce Harper to the forefront in terms of remaining major league moves the team could make this offseason. The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants have seemingly entered the fray in recent times, but their interest doesn’t seem quite as high as the interest of the Phillies and Nationals.

Among some of the interesting storylines to monitor as the Nationals begin their spring workouts will be the performances of top prospects Victor Robles and Carter Kieboom. The starting centerfield job seems to be Robles’ to lose, but he should impress just as he did last year. Meanwhile, even though Kieboom almost certainly won’t start on the big league roster, he could leave a lasting impression on the team in extended time this spring to prove he’s nearly ready.

Want to hear more about the Washington Nationals on our DoDCast? You can subscribe to us on iTunes, Google Play or Spotify and have episodes automatically downloaded for you. You can also listen to us on other podcast platforms such as Stitcher and Spreaker.

Next. Best Nats Prospects at Each Position. dark

By the time our next podcast records, there will be Washington Nationals player throwing and hitting baseballs again. You can almost taste the crack of the bat, we’ve nearly made to end of the long baseball-less winter Nats fans.

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