Ah, the welcome sign of spring — pitchers and catchers reporting in Florida (Florida Today)! As always, it is appropriate that snow is on the ground in D.C. when the Washington Nationals begin showing up in Viera, Fla. for spring training.
One pitcher who won’t be checking in Ross Detwiler, who just had hip surgery (Nats Insider). He is out until at least May. Nationals Enquirer reminds us that a former team employee said Detwiler could be pitching in 2009, if not 2008. Also, the original report said he’d be out 10 weeks, now it is 12 weeks. Given the way these things have gone for the Nats, I hope you like your new hip Ross.
Speaking on pitchers who won’t be on the mound until May, Chien-Ming Wang is going to be introduced today (nationals.com).
American hero John Lannan is really the only starting pitcher the Nats have developed (The Post), something that nobody really expected. He enters his third full season as the likely #2, a spot that will hopefully mean more than 9 wins for the Long Island native. No pitcher with 200+ innings had fewer than Lannan’s 89 strikeouts. Countering that, no other pitcher induced as many double plays, making Lannan the poster boy for the “pitch to contact” philosophy.
Reliever Brian Bruney doesn’t seem to care for arbitration as told to Sirius/XM and transcribed by Federal Baseball, I guess DC Sports Bog was busy.
Capital Punishment doesn’t care for Bruney.
Another reliever, Sean Burnett also went to arbitration (nationals.com), said it was “interesting” and he didn’t want to do it again.
The Nats have not talked to Kris Benson’s agent (@washingnats) due to arbitration. Usually, the lack of multitasking is a concern — not this time. I don’t want that loser Benson mentoring Stephen Strasburg.
Bench coach Pat Corrales enters his 51st spring training.
So, the Post spring preview is an online-only top 10 list?
