Nationals face high expectations as they arrive at spring training

There’s still snow on the ground in Washington, but the weather’s beautiful in Viera, Florida, where Nationals pitchers and catchers are due to report Thursday morning. As they arrive, and another season with sky-high expectations begins, here are five storylines worth monitoring at Nationals spring training.

Viera’s vibe

When the Nationals last left a baseball field, the mood was, well, pretty somber. After winning a National League-best 96 games, they were unexpectedly bounced in four games by the San Francisco Giants. Manager Matt Williams was scrutinized for his pitching decisions in Games 2 and 4, and shortstop Ian Desmond said the organization’s window of opportunity to win a World Series wasn’t closed, “but it is closing.”

Time heals all wounds, as the cliche goes, but the Nationals have done this twice in the past three years now, finishing atop the NL and then making an early playoff exit. It will be interesting to see what effect (if any) last season’s end will have on the vibe in Viera during spring training.

Will the Nationals, for example, buy into their role as the odds-on favorite to win the World Series? Or will they try to foster some sort of underdog mentality? In that vein, I certainly wouldn’t expect Williams to make any “World Series or bust” proclamations like his predecessor, Davey Johnson. But I am curious to see whether Williams’ second spring training will be much different than his first. He’s meticulous in his preparation and has been mapping out the spring schedule for several months, so there will probably be some changes. The question is what will be different about this year, and why. Spring training is mostly about practicing fundamentals and re-establishing a routine, but it can also set the tone for a season. What tone will Williams and the Nationals try to set?

Nats’ new arms: Max Scherzer and Casey Janssen

All eyes will be on Scherzer, Washington’s new $210-million man, and how his arrival will impact the rest of the rotation. Obviously, the Nationals are better with him on the mound every fifth day. But in Viera specifically, Scherzer also has the potential to help make everyone else around him better. Pitchers are constantly talking shop and sharing tips and tricks. As a Cy Young award winner and one of the best pitchers in the majors over the past three years, Scherzer probably has some of those. His presence alone could be huge for some of the organization’s younger arms, like A.J. Cole, Taylor Jordan and Sammy Solis. Imagine being able to learn from Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister on a daily basis.

The acquisition of Janssen didn’t get nearly as much hoopla as Scherzer, but the 33-year-old could prove to be a critical piece, especially in the playoffs. Over the past four years, Janssen’s numbers have said it all: 14-5 with 83 saves, a 3.24 earned-run average and a 4.13 strikeout/walk ratio. He achieved all that despite a horrid stretch in the second-half of last season, something that might have been the result of the bad bout of food poisoning he suffered during the All-Star break. If Janssen gets back to his old form, he could be an effective replacement for Tyler Clippard in the eighth inning. Hopefully during his time in Viera, he’ll be careful what he eats.

Who’s on first? (And other players filling new roles)

The headliner here is Ryan Zimmerman’s return from a nagging hamstring injury and move to first base. Zimmerman has known he’d be switching positions for some time and was fielding grounders at first late last season. So while it will be adjustment, it won’t be anything earth-shattering for him, especially given his athletic ability. Perhaps more important is whether Zimmerman is completely healthy. As Wilson Ramos and others have proven, hamstring injuries have a way of popping back up, even with sufficient stretching and strengthening. The Nationals hope Zimmerman’s most recent malady turns out to be a one-time deal.

Beyond Zimmerman, there are several players up and down the Nationals’ roster who will also be moving into new roles. Tanner Roark, who was extremely impressive as a starter last season, will likely move back to the bullpen. It might seem like a simple switch, but pitching in relief takes a different type of mental preparation, and some players struggle with that after spending a significant period of time in the rotation. Elsewhere, Craig Stammen could shift from a long-relief role to the seventh inning, or become someone who is used in more high-leverage situations. Longtime shortstop Yunel Escobar, who was acquired in the Clippard trade, will start at second base. And Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth will swap corner outfield spots, with Harper moving to right and Werth going to left.

A good time to talk

The expiring contracts of Ian Desmond, Fister and Zimmermann have been storylines for a while now, and they will linger as long as those players have not signed extensions. It will be especially important to monitor their status during spring training, because players usually like to avoid contract negotiations during the season. The addition of Scherzer certainly didn’t bode well for Fister or Zimmermann (or Strasburg, for that matter), but general manager Mike Rizzo and owner Mark Lerner both insisted that Scherzer’s contract wouldn’t automatically trigger the departure of another starter. That said, this much is clear: the Nationals probably won’t have four $100-million starters in their rotation in 2017. Some sort of move(s) will be made, either now or in the future.

Desmond’s situation is a little bit different. Unlike starting pitching, where the Nationals have tremendous organizational depth, Desmond plays a position — shortstop — where the cupboard is just about bare. Obviously that will change in June, when Padres prospect Trea Turner arrives in Washington to complete the Steven Souza deal. But even then, would the Nationals really be willing to start Escobar at shortstop in 2016 and simply hand the job to Turner the following year? For that reason alone, it makes more sense to lock up Desmond, who is probably one of the top five shortstops in the league, before any of the starting pitchers.

Whether Rizzo decides to go that route is something worth watching.

A star turn for Harper?

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Harper is barely 22 years old. Of the 60 players invited to Washington’s big league camp this spring, he’ll still be the second-youngest. Or, to look at it another way, he’ll be sandwiched in age between catching prospect Pedro Severino (21 years, 7 months) and infield prospect Wilmer Difo (22 years, 10 months).

I bring up Harper’s age only to put his supposed quest for superstardom in perspective. Look at his 162-game averages through parts of three seasons — .272 batting average, 25 homers, 68 RBI, .816 on-base-plus-slugging percentage — and you see a great major league hitter who is not yet a star.

Consider his age, frequent injuries and performance in the NLDS last season, however, and you’ve got a slightly more detailed picture. That picture is of somebody who, if he’s placed in the heart of the order and stays relatively healthy, could have a monster season in 2015.

We’ve seen the 10-second clips of Harper mashing homers in Las Vegas and dragging 550 pounds in a gym, but it will be more interesting to hear if he’s done anything differently this offseason to take care of his body.

Staying healthy is a skill, at least to a certain extent. Players like Desmond, who start 150 games per year like clockwork, don’t do so by accident. To grow into a star, Harper first and foremost just has to play more. He also needs to be positioned in the heart of the lineup, where his power can do the most damage. This might be the year both of those things happen.