Pressing questions as spring training draws closer

Would you believe Nationals pitchers and catchers will be on the field in West Palm Beach for their first official workout of the spring exactly two weeks from now?

Yep, while you can be excused for being focused on more pressing matters (like yelling at snow plow drivers for creating a wall of ice between the street and the driveway you spent hours shoveling) right now, rest assured baseball season is right around the corner.

And though the general feeling around the Nationals at this moment may not be as positive as many would have hoped, this still promises to be one of the more significant springs in club history. There’s an entirely new front office calling the shots. There’s an entirely new coaching staff leading the daily drills. And there are more new faces on the field than you probably realize. (12 players currently on the 40-man roster were not there at season’s end.)

So maybe it’s time to start turning our attention forward and consider some of the most pressing questions the 2026 Nats are going to face when they gather in the warm Florida sun in two weeks …

* HOW DIFFERENT IS CAMP GOING TO BE?
Davey Martinez ran each of the last eight spring trainings. Mike Rizzo was in charge of roster construction each of the last 16 springs. Both are gone, which would lead you to believe things are going to look very different this year.

Blake Butera may be young and inexperienced at the major league level, but the new manager ran plenty of minor league camps in recent years with the Rays, so the 33-year-old might actually be very much at home in this regard. And it will be fascinating to see how Butera’s camp compares to his predecessors. Will sessions run short or long? Will they be intense or lighthearted? And most importantly, will there be any camels in attendance?

Paul Toboni, meanwhile, attended plenty of spring trainings in his various roles with the Red Sox, but this is the first time he’s overseeing an entire organization. We know Rizzo liked to put his imprint on certain aspects of camp. (Remember the infamous “I Don’t Care How Hard You Throw Ball Four” signs staring at every pitcher in the bullpen?) How hands-on will Toboni be? And like his predecessor, who made a habit of signing multiple players after camp opened who wound up making the roster, how active will the new president of baseball operations be at continued roster construction in February and March?

* HOW MANY STARTERS ARE COMPETING FOR JOBS?
The Nationals’ rotation seems like a huge question mark heading into the spring, with no real sure things in the group. But it’s not entirely clear how many of the five starting jobs are locked up already and how many are up for grabs.

You would think Cade Cavalli, Jake Irvin and Foster Griffin are assured of jobs entering camp, but are any of those 100 percent assured? Beyond that, Brad Lord is assured of a spot on the pitching staff, but we don’t know if he’s going to be a starter or reliever. Josiah Gray hopes to prove he’s ready to return from Tommy John surgery, but he’s no lock yet. Mitchell Parker probably is competing for a job, but can he pitch his way into the rotation, or does he need someone else to falter to create an opening? And then what of Andrew Alvarez (who impressed in a limited September sample) and Griff McGarry (the Rule 5 Draft pick who probably has a better chance of sticking as a reliever but has a better track record as a starter?

Point is, there are a lot of unknowns in that mix. How much will spring performances change the way Toboni and Butera are thinking about their rotation construction?

* IS ANYBODY SWITCHING POSITIONS?
We spent a good portion of the offseason wondering if a handful of notable players might be destined for a position change, and we still don’t know the answer to any of that.

The lack of an acquisition for a proven major league first baseman leaves open the possibility somebody could be getting a real look over there this spring. Luis Garcia Jr. would seem the obvious choice, but maybe the Nats are curious about Keibert Ruiz there?

If Garcia moves to first, does that mean CJ Abrams might get moved to second?

And given the excess number of talented young outfielders, is it possible anyone from that group might be considered at a different spot on the field (such as first base)?

* WHAT’S THE BULLPEN HEIRARCHY?
The surprise trade of Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners brought the Nationals a potential new long-term answer at catcher in Harry Ford. But it left the back end of the bullpen completely inexperienced.

How will that situation sort itself out this spring? Will Cole Henry or Clayton Beeter be given an opportunity to assume full-time closer duties, or will both be used in the ninth inning? Who’s the top left-hander of the unit? If Lord doesn’t make the rotation, is he considered a significant part of the back end of the bullpen?

And, of course, might Toboni still have plans of acquiring one or more experienced relievers in the coming weeks to help shore up what on paper looks like an incredibly thin corps?

* DO ANY UNEXPECTED CONTENDERS FOR ROSTER SPOTS EMERGE?
It happens every spring. Someone who wasn’t on anyone’s radar when camp opened winds up making the Opening Day roster. It happened to Lord last year. It basically happened to Trey Lipscomb in 2024 (even though he wasn’t called up until Game 2). It happened to Hobie Harris (anyone remember him?) in 2023. It happened to Lucius Fox in 2022.

So, who’s this year’s out-of-nowhere candidate to make the club? Could Christian Franklin or Andrew Pinckney beat the odds and beat out another young outfielder? Could recently acquired Abimelec Ortiz win the first base job? Could Riley Cornelio or Jake Eder be this year’s Brad Lord?

That’s the beauty of spring training. A lot can happen in six weeks.