VIERA, Fla. — Saturday at Space Coast Stadium was, in a word, busy.
Pitchers and catchers had their first official workout. The Nationals picked up the 2016 option in Matt Williams’ contract. Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer threw their first bullpens of the season side-by-side, to the delight of fans standing on tip-toes to see over the chain-link fence. And Mike Rizzo wore a pair of bright neon green sneakers. So there’s that.
Then late in the afternoon, after the day’s work was done, Williams and Rizzo each addressed the media for the first time this spring (and the first time in a while). As such, there was a ton of questions and a lot to get to. Here’s some of what was discussed, and a few additional observations from Day 3.
Shaking off the rust
There was a lot of it, even for the biggest names. Scherzer groaned and shook his head after missing his mark on a few pitches during his bullpen session. Strasburg popped up a few bunts in a later drill. There was some head-shaking, but also laughs all the way around. It’s Day 1. It happens.
Saturday’s workout began with a warm-up jog and a light game of catch. Pitchers were then split into five groups in five locations, each focusing on a different fundamental. One station was the bullpen. Another was for fielding grounders. Another was for practicing pick-off moves. And so on. At the end of the workout, players returned to a main field to do agility work and stretch before heading back to the clubhouse.
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“It’s a good vibe, right off the bat, from the [team] meeting to going out there stretching,” Gio Gonzalez said. “I’m excited. Spring training just turned up a notch in my book.”
Williams said he didn’t make any earth-shattering changes from last year’s spring training schedule.
“But of course you have to freshen it up a touch so it doesn’t get monotonous for these guys, especially during pitcher/catcher camp,” he said.
Position players trickle in
Position players aren’t due in Viera until Tuesday, and they don’t have an official workout until Thursday, but more than a dozen showed up early this week.
“More than we probably expected,” Williams said.
SEE ALSO: Nationals pick up Matt Williams’ contract option for 2016 season
When the pitchers and catchers were done with their workout, the position players took turns hitting in a cage on the main field at Space Coast Stadium. For many, it represented their first workout with the team (albeit an unofficial one).
Anthony Rendon, Kevin Frandsen and Dan Uggla were among those who arrived Saturday. The other early arrivals: Emmanuel Burriss, Danny Espinosa, Cutter Dykstra, Brian Goodwin, Kila Ka’aihue, Nate McLouth, Tyler Moore, Clint Robinson, Matt Skole, Ian Stewart and Michael Taylor.
Rizzo’s expectations for Jayson Werth
Werth’s brief stint in jail caught the headlines, but more important is his recovery from right shoulder surgery last month. His listed timetable for recovery (2-3 months) puts Opening Day in question, but Rizzo is optimistic.
“We think there’s time for him to be ready for Opening Day,” Rizzo said. “He takes really good care of his body and probably as well-versed as getting prepared for the season as anyone that we have. We’ll see when he gets here and feel comfortable and confident that’s he’s going to be available at the beginning of the season.”
Emphasis on efficiency
When asked for a specific area of improvement, Williams said he’d like to see the Nationals be more efficient on offense this season. What exactly does that entail?
“We want to pick up the RBIs that are given to us,” he said. “As an example, we want to be really good at man on third and less than two out. We want to be really good at getting that guy over from second base to create that opportunity for us. The offensive efficiency in that regard is what I mean. We want to give ourselves more opportunity to score more runs on any given night. So those little things add up, they add up. There’s going to be times where our guys slug the ball over the fence too, but on an everyday basis for 162 [games], if you do the little things, you give yourself a chance.”
Breakfast links
— The Nationals exercised their 2016 option in Matt Williams’ contract, ensuring the upcoming season will not be his last.
— Introducing Casey Janssen, the 33-year-old who could fill Tyler Clippard’s role in the bullpen this season.
Worth watching
Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister will be among those throwing a bullpen session on Sunday. Beyond that, the schedule should be more or less the same. I’ll be interested in talking with a few potential bench guys tomorrow: Nate McLouth and Dan Uggla. Each had a disappointing season last year, and each will be trying to solidify (or earn) a spot on the bench this year.
Quote of the day
Williams was asked if it’s fun to get back to work.
“No,” he deadpanned.
Then he laughed.
“It’s always fun,” he continued. “I mean, gosh, who wouldn’t want to be the manager? And especially who wouldn’t want to be the manager of this team for crying out loud?”
Quote of the day, Part II
Rizzo, when asked about his neon green shoes: “They don’t want me to sneak up on them, so I wear these shoes.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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