Saturday Nationals workout observations

February 19, 2011 1:53 PM by Ben Goessling View Comments

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals concluded their third pitchers-and-catchers workout of the spring early this afternoon. Here are a couple observations from the workout:

* Ross Detwiler was trying to work out his mechanics last year, but his surgically repaired hip prevented him from doing everything he wanted to do. You can see early this spring that Detwiler has made some changes. He's not throwing across his body nearly as much as he used to, and his entire delivery is much more streamlined than what we've seen from him in the past. I'm not sure it will be enough to put him in the rotation this spring, or if he'll put it together at some point in the majors, but him being healthy and mechanically sound is a step.

* Tyler Clippard seemed frustrated with his control today - he was missing his spots a fair amount during his bullpen session. In the time I spent watching Drew Storen, he continued to look good. At one point during his bullpen, he was spotting 0-2 sliders to a hypothetical right-handed hitter, putting them off the plate and in the dirt with regularity. That, obviously, is exactly where you'd want that pitch on an 0-2 count to get hitters to chase it.

* Chris Marrero, who is in big league camp for the first time, just looks more grown up this spring than he has in the past. He's sporting a beard, and his arms look significantly larger. If he doesn't start at Triple-A Syracuse, he'll have a chance to be there fairly early in the season. If Marrero, the Nationals' top pick in the 2006 draft, still has a chance to be the team's long-term solution at first, he'll need to have a big year.

* All of the Nationals' key position players are in camp - I saw Jerry Hairston Jr. and Adam LaRoche today. Position players report tomorrow, and the team's first full-squad workout is Tuesday morning.

If there are certain players you're curious about, just ask, and I'll make a point to write about them.