WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Nationals club in need of more pitching depth this spring – and perhaps beyond – added another arm to the mix today, signing veteran reliever Jacob Barnes to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp.

Barnes, 33, has considerable experience, having pitched in 265 major league games since 2016 for eight different franchises. His best success came early in with the Brewers, for whom he delivered a 3.93 ERA and 1.359 WHIP in 167 games from 2016-19. He has since pitched for the Royals, Angels, Mets, Blue Jays, Tigers, Yankees and Cardinals.

The right-hander appeared in 13 games for St. Louis late last season, finishing with a 5.93 ERA and 1.537 WHIP. That came after he enjoyed consistent success for the Triple-A affiliates of the Rangers, Phillies and Cardinals, posting a 2.47 ERA and 1.314 WHIP in 35 games.

Barnes, who already has a locker in the Nationals clubhouse, is expected to report in the next day or two and then try to make his case for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

“Another guy we feel like should still have something left in the tank,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We’re going to give him an opportunity. He’ll strengthen our bullpen. He’ll be here soon. I can’t wait to get eyes on him. … Here’s a guy that’s been a competitor. I think he’ll fit right in. You can’t have enough arms. We’re going to give him an opportunity in spring training and see what he can do.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – When MacKenzie Gore returned home in October and contemplated his season, the Nationals left-hander focused on the two extremes he experienced.

“Some good and some bad,” he said. “I’ve really just got to figure out why I was good at times, and why I wasn’t. Fix that and go into this year.”

Gore truly did pitch at both ends of the spectrum in 2023. He was either really good, or he was the opposite. Rarely did his outings fall somewhere in the middle.

Perhaps the best statistical evidence of that: In his 17 wins and no-decisions, Gore posted a 2.58 ERA and 1.282 WHIP. In his 10 losses, those numbers skyrocketed to 7.71 and 1.612.

“Just trying to figure out how to have less of those big starts where it’s like six runs or more,” he said. “It definitely helps you have confidence that it’s in there. It’s just: Can you do it for 25 starts, or whatever it is?”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was something of an offhand comment, thrown in near the end of a longer answer to a question about his bench options to begin the season. But what Davey Martinez said Wednesday made a few ears perk up.

“We’re going to have a battle for center field with Young and Robles,” the Nationals manager said in his first media session of the spring, suggesting Victor Robles and Jacob Young were on equal footing entering camp.

That was a bit surprising, if only because Robles was re-signed over the winter for $2.65 million after missing most of the season with a back injury. Young, meanwhile, began 2023 at Single-A Wilmington and finished with 33 big-league games in D.C.

So, the inevitable follow-up question came Thursday during Martinez’s second media session of the spring: Is there an open competition in center field, with both Robles and Young having the same chances of starting Opening Day?

“If I had a say right now, I’d say Vic has a little bit of the upper hand,” Martinez clarified. “But I liked everything I saw about Jacob. He’s young, but you’ve got to remember, Vic is still really young. And he got hurt. I want to give him the opportunity to come back this year, and have a good spring training and see what he can do. I love what Jacob did, and I know he can play up here and help us win games. I think he showed that, and I think he’s going to get better. But Vic was our center fielder, and right now I say they’re going to compete. If they both were equal, I would say that Vic has the upper hand.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Mason Thompson was enjoying what he believed was a productive offseason. Determined to bounce back from an erratic 2023, the Nationals reliever set out to make some mechanical changes to his delivery, and a couple weeks ago faced a live hitter near his home in Texas for the first time this year.

Everything was going swimmingly. Until his elbow told him otherwise.

“It felt great. Ball was coming out good,” Thompson said. “Made it towards the end and just felt something, just felt some discomfort, something that just didn’t feel great. Gave it a couple of days, kind of was hoping that it was just some fatigue from the first time facing hitters throwing full speed. Unfortunately, it just kind of continued to persist, and now we’re here.”

Neither Thompson nor the Nationals know exactly where “here” is yet. He’s been shut down for two weeks, at which point he’ll be re-evaluated and a course of action will be determined.

Thompson, though, is no stranger to arm injuries. He had Tommy John surgery nine years ago while still a junior in high school. He dealt with a biceps strain in 2022 with the Nats and missed three months as a result.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – When he threw his first pitch off the mound Monday, Cade Cavalli could have flashed right back to the last time he performed such an act, that horrible day nearly one year ago and about 50 miles up the road in Port St. Lucie when he tried to throw a changeup to Brandon Nimmo and felt his elbow ligament snap in the process.

Instead, Cavalli chose to focus on what this moment – his first bullpen session since Tommy John surgery – meant for him. There was no feeling of regret, only a feeling of achievement and optimism for what he hopes will come in another few months when he finally pitches for the Nationals again.

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it much,” the right-hander said when asked about the pending anniversary of his injury. “I just want to forget about it and move on. I’ve got a new elbow. It’s a new me. That’s how I’m approaching it. It’s been a great 11 months.”

Cavalli already was something of a “power of positive thinking” guy before any of this happened. The injury only pushed him to embrace that mindset even more as he began the long, slow, often infuriating process of rehabbing from ligament replacement surgery.

“It’s something that happens, and I believe like I said to you guys 11 months ago, it’s how you look at it and how you approach it,” the 2020 first-round pick said. “If you just approach it with a positive mindset – that this is a blessing in this moment, and I believe God is putting me through something to get me stronger to be able to help this club in the long run – that’s what my mindset’s been.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It’s impossible to miss inside the Nationals clubhouse. It’s prominently located, at the end of a row of lockers belonging to the rest of the members of the team’s starting rotation.

It’s the same locker Stephen Strasburg has used since the organization began training here in 2017. And it continues to be adorned with his name, his jersey, his shoes and a stack of correspondence, virtually unchanged from the state it was in one year ago.

And as was the case one year ago, Strasburg isn’t here using his locker. He remains at home in Northern Virginia, having conceded last summer he could no longer attempt to revive his pitching career.

But because Strasburg and the Nationals have not been able to agree to the financial details of his retirement, he remains on the club’s 40-man roster. Which means he still gets a locker. Which, it appears, the organization now believes he is obligated to use.

Do the Nats actually expect Strasburg to come to West Palm Beach this spring?

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Though a number of Nationals who ended the 2023 season injured reported for spring training on target to return as planned, a new ailment cropped up over the winter for one potential member of the bullpen.

Mason Thompson experienced elbow discomfort while throwing an offseason bullpen session and was told not to throw after arriving in West Palm Beach. The right-hander will be shut down for two weeks before he’s re-evaluated, according to manager Davey Martinez.

“Mason, right now, he’s got a little arm issue,” Martinez said this afternoon in his camp-opening session with reporters. “We’re going to see what’s going on with him. We’ll take it slow with him.”

Thompson, who turns 26 next week, has a history of arm injuries, most notably a biceps strain that forced him to miss nearly three months of the 2022 season. He hasn’t missed any time due to arm injuries since, but he spent 15 days on the injured list last summer with a bruised knee.

“We’re a little bit concerned,” Martinez said. “Like I said, we’ll take it slow with him. We’re still really early in spring training, so we’ll see. We’ll rehab him and see where we’re at in two weeks.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There admittedly hasn’t been a lot of juice at Nationals spring training in recent years. Such is life when you tear down the remnants of a championship roster and start over, recognizing it’s going to be a while until the fruits of your labor pay off.

For the last two years, it felt like there was more reason to pay attention to minor-league camp than major-league camp, as the franchise’s next wave of prospects began the long trek up the organizational depth chart.

The Nats aren’t all the way there yet. There is no serious talk of contention in 2024. When the season begins, those prospects are almost certainly all still going to be in the minor leagues.

But for the first time, several of them will be participating in major-league camp. And even if none of them survive to the end of March, their presence alone is going to create some sorely needed juice that’s been lacking in recent springs.

The three big non-roster invitees to camp are Dylan Crews, James Wood and Brady House, the organization’s consensus top three prospects. Two first-round draft picks (House in 2021, Crews in 2023) and perhaps the best of the five young players acquired in the Juan Soto trade (Wood). All closed out last season at Double-A Harrisburg, suggesting all could be on track to debut in D.C. sometime this season.

One of the least eventful winters in Nationals history concludes today, spring officially commencing Wednesday when pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach, Fla., for their first workout of 2024.

This offseason saw precious little action from the Nats. They added only four players on major-league contracts, signing Joey Gallo, Nick Senzel and Dylan Floro for a combined $9.25 million and adding Nasim Nuñez (who has never played above Double-A) via the Rule 5 Draft. They didn’t make a single trade.

Even by recent Nationals standards, this was a dead winter.

But does that mean they’re done adding players? There were reasons all along to believe they might not be done. And then they did do something Monday evening, albeit on a minor-league deal.

Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez were pretty clear about their wish list back when the offseason began. Both specifically mentioned an experienced starting pitcher. Both specifically mentioned more power for their lineup.

It didn’t happen until the second-to-last day of the offseason, but the Nationals finally added another potential bat to their 2024 lineup.

The Nats have signed veteran outfielder Jesse Winker to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league spring training, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. Though he didn’t get a guaranteed contract, Winker should have a good chance to make the Opening Day roster if he’s healthy after an injury-plagued 2023 season.

An All-Star with the Reds in 2021, Winker is the owner of a strong .369 on-base percentage and .813 OPS over a seven-year career. His breakthrough 2021 campaign included 32 doubles and 24 homers in only 485 plate appearances, with a .305/.394/.556 slash line.

But the last two seasons saw a drastic drop in Winker’s production, from a .688 OPS with the Mariners in 2022 to a .567 OPS last season with the Brewers. His one year in Milwaukee, though, was marred by neck, back and leg injuries, leading to two long stints on the IL.

A minor league deal signed two days before pitchers and catchers report for spring training signals the lingering doubts the Nationals and other clubs had about Winker. But the 30-year-old’s track record, combined with the Nats’ specific need right now, suggests he’s likely to come north with the team if he proves he’s healthy again.

What was the most unexpected development of the Nationals’ 2023 season? How about the way they managed to keep the vast majority of their roster healthy?

The Nats used only eight starting pitchers, and five of them topped 120 innings. Seven of their regular nine position players avoided the injured list altogether. Four relievers appeared in 50-plus games.

It was a remarkable run of good health for an organization that didn’t exactly boast a lot of depth to account for major losses.

Not that the Nationals completely avoided the IL. Cade Cavalli tore his elbow ligament in March and missed the entire season. Victor Robles hurt his back in May and barely played after that. Stone Garrett broke his leg and injured his ankle on a scary play in August. Riley Adams broke a bone in his wrist in September. Oh yeah, and then there was Stephen Strasburg.

When the team reports for spring training this week, though, optimism will reign throughout the clubhouse. This should be, for the most part, a healthy roster to open camp. But plenty of eyes will be focused on the aforementioned players returning from injury.

The most significant moment of the Nationals’ 2023 spring training didn’t happen on the field. It happened in an office room at the team’s complex, when Keibert Ruiz grabbed a pen and signed a long-term extension with the club.

Whether Ruiz’s eight-year, $50 million deal was a good move for the organization or the player remains to be seen. He enjoyed an improved season at the plate but regressed behind the plate, calling into question his ability to stick as a franchise catcher for years to come.

But the significance of the move doesn’t change. After countless attempts to get other young cornerstone players to sign long-term extensions before reaching free agency fell flat, the Nats finally got this one done. And they got it done five years before Ruiz would’ve even been eligible for free agency, making him the first player in club history to agree to such an extension at such an early stage of his career.

That, of course, produced an obvious follow-up question: Can they do it with anyone else?

“This is the first one we’ve ever got done, yeah,” general manager Mike Rizzo said at the time. “But it wasn’t the first attempt at it.”

We’ve entered the homestretch of the offseason at last. Pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach on Wednesday, at which point the 2024 season begins in earnest.

So we’re going to spend these final days of winter previewing the top stories that are likely to play out at spring training. And one of the more intriguing ones involves a couple of still-young everyday players who could be running out of time to retain their jobs.

Neither Victor Robles nor Luis García Jr. enjoyed a positive 2023 season. Robles because he barely played due to a back injury that proved far more serious than initially believed. García because he regressed at the plate and in the field and wound up demoted to Triple-A for a brief while.

Entering the offseason, there was real reason to wonder if one or both wouldn’t be back this spring. Or, at the very least, if the Nationals might bring in some competition to push them.

At this point, that hasn’t happened. Robles enters camp as the starting center field. García comes to West Palm Beach as the starting second baseman. But neither should feel totally secure about his standing yet.

The Nationals’ minor-league coaching staffs are mostly unchanged for the 2024 season, with one notable exception: They’ve overhauled much of their hitting staff.

The organization announced its full player development staff this afternoon, five days before pitchers and catchers officially report for spring training. Though there was a change at the top of the depth chart – former director of scouting operations Eddie Longosz replaced De Jon Watson, who was let go after two seasons leading the department – most of the coaches and trainers are returning to their same roles.

That includes the managers of all six minor league affiliates: Matt LeCroy (Triple-A Rochester), Delino DeShields (Double-A Harrisburg), Mario Lisson (High-A Wilmington), Jake Lowery (Single-A Fredericksburg), Luis Ordaz (Florida Complex League) and Sandy Martinez (Dominican Summer League).

Most of the pitching coaches return, as well: Rafael Chaves (Triple-A), Mark DeFelice (High-A), Justin Lord (Single-A) and Franklin Bravo (FCL). Rigo Beltran, formerly the Guardians’ bullpen coach, replaces Joel Hanrahan as Double-A pitching coach (though Hanrahan is staying with the Nats as rehab pitching coordinator). Feliberto Sanchez is the new pitching coach in the Dominican Summer League.

All development coaches also return this season: Billy McMillon (Triple-A), Oscar Salazar (Double-A), Mark Harris (High-A), Carmelo Jaime (Single-A) and Destin Hood (FCL).

The Washington Nationals announced their 2024 Player Development staff on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Vice President and Assistant General Manager of Player Development and Administration Eddie Longosz made the joint announcement.

New Staff Members

• Rigo Beltrán will serve as Harrisburg’s pitching coach after spending the 2023 season as the Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen coach. He moved to that role after four seasons (2019-22) between Triple-A Columbus and Cleveland’s Alternate Training Site. During that time, 19 pitchers made their Major League debuts after being called up from one of the two affiliates. Beltrán spent the 2018 season as the pitching coach for Double-A Akron after three seasons (2015-17) with High-A Lynchburg. Beltrán appeared in 78 Major League games across five seasons with Montreal (2004), Colorado (1999-00), New York Mets (1998-99) and St. Louis (1997). He was selected in the 26^th round of the 1991 June Amateur Draft out of the University of Wyoming.
• Tommy Everidge, who spent the last two seasons as the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics, will serve as Washington’s Minor League hitting coordinator. Prior to his role on the A’s Major League staff, he worked eight seasons in Oakland’s Minor League system. He began his coaching career as the hitting coach for short-season Single-A Vermont for two seasons (2014-15) before moving to Single-A Stockton (2016-17) and Double-A Midland (2018-20). He spent one season with Triple-A Las Vegas in 2021 before being promoted to the Major League staff in 2022. Everidge spent seven seasons in Oakland’s system as a player, eventually making his Major League debut in 2009. A native of Santa Rosa, California, Everidge was selected in the 10^th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft from Sonoma State University.
• Niomar Gomez joins the coaching ranks after a five-year professional career in Washington’s Minor League system. He appeared in 55 games (38 starts) from 2017 to 2023, going 7-12 with a 5.32 ERA and 180 strikeouts in 187.2 innings.
• Mike Habas joins the organization after five seasons as a hitting coach in Milwaukee’s Minor League system. He spent the previous two seasons (2022-23) with the Arizona Complex League Brewers after starting his career as the Dominican Summer League hitting coach from 2019 to 2021. Habas joined the Brewers’ organization after two years (2017-18) as a coach for the Gary SouthShore RailCats. A native of Homewood, Illinois, Habas played collegiately at North Greenville University after stops at Moraine Valley Community College and South Suburban College.
• Kylie Kain was promoted to Minor League Nutrition Coordinator after joining the organization in 2023 as the performance dietitian for Triple-A Rochester, the first ever female field staff member for the Red Wings. Kain was the owner of Kylie Kain Nutrition in Washington, D.C., a private practice to help clients and athletes reach health and performance goals, while also working as a part-time fitness coach. Kain earned both a Master and Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Physical Performance from St. Louis University. She earned her first degree in philosophy from Colgate University in 2014 where she was also a member of the lacrosse team.
• Jeff Livesey returns to Double-A Harrisburg where his coaching career began in 1996 as the hitting coach for the Senators. He spent two seasons with Montreal’s Double-A affiliate before joining Pittsburgh’s organization in 1998. Prior to joining the Nationals, Livesey spent the last four seasons (2020-23) as Miami’s Minor League hitting coordinator. He was also Miami’s catching coordinator in 2023. He moved to the Minor League side after serving as their Major League assistant hitting coach in 2019. Prior to his time with the Marlins organization, Livesey spent 16 seasons (1998-2005, 2011-18) with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, including five seasons on their Major League staff from 2014-18. Between stints with the Pirates, Livesey worked in Japan as the bench coach for the Hiroshima Carp (2006-09) and the Rakuten Eagles (2010). Livesey played eight professional seasons in New York’s (AL) Minor League system before joining the coaching ranks in 1996.
• Chris Prieto spent the previous two seasons (2022-23) as Tampa Bay’s first base coach. Prior to joining their Major League staff, he served as their Minor League outfield/baserunning coordinator in 2020 and 2021. Prieto joined Tampa’s organization after seven seasons with the Seattle Mariners, including six seasons on their Major League coaching staff. He was their third base coach in 2019, first base coach in 2018, special projects coach in 2017 and their quality assurance coach from 2014-16. Prieto joined the Major League staff after leading Rookie-level Pulaski to an Appalachian League title in 2013. He joined the coaching ranks in 2011 as a hitting coach for Single-A Eugene in San Diego’s system after a 13-year professional career that included a two-game stint with the Los Angeles Angels in 2005. Prieto graduated from Carmel (CA) High School and attended San Jose City College and the University of Nevada. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 24^th round of the 1993 June Amateur Draft.
• Jason Wood joins the Nationals organization after spending the last four seasons (2020-23) with the San Francisco Giants as their Minor League infield coordinator. Prior to his time with the Giants, he worked 11 seasons (2008-19) in the Texas Rangers system, spending the last nine as a manager across various levels. In 2014, Wood was named the Texas League Manager of the Year after leading Double-A Frisco to a league-best 80 wins. In 2012 and 2013 as the manager of High-A Myrtle Beach, Baseball America cited Wood as the top managerial prospect in the Carolina League. Wood appeared in 153 games across five Major League seasons with Oakland (1998), Detroit (1998-99) and Florida (2006-08). Wood amassed 1,840 hits in 1,890 games across 17 Minor League seasons from 1991 to 2008.

The Washington Nationals today announced the broadcast schedule for the eighth season of Nationals Spring Training in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Nationals open the Grapefruit League schedule at home at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches against the Houston Astros on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 6:05 p.m. Tickets for all games are available now at nats.com/Spring.

Fans not making the trip to Florida can catch the action on TV and radio, as Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), 106.7 The Fan, The Team 980, 1580 AM and nats.com combine to present 19 pre-season games. The Nationals Spring Training schedule features seven games televised on MASN and a combined 16 radio broadcasts.

Along with traditionally scheduled Grapefruit League games, fans will have opportunities to view top Nationals prospects during MLB’s Spring Breakout Series in Florida and during ON DECK: NATIONALS FUTURES GAME in D.C. Nationals prospects will face up-and-comers from the New York Mets on Friday, March 15, as part of MLB’s inaugural Spring Breakout Series, beginning at 3:10 p.m. from Port St. Lucie and available via radio broadcast streamed live on nats.com. ON DECK: NATIONALS FUTURES GAME will conclude the club’s 2024 exhibition season, showcasing top prospects from across the organization’s Minor League system alongside current Nationals Major Leaguers. First pitch for ON DECK: NATIONALS FUTURES GAME is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at Nationals Park and will be broadcast on MASN and 106. The Fan.

In addition to game programming, 106.7 The Fan will host four editions of “Nats Spring Training Live!”, the 60-minute talk show hosted by Nationals radio voices Dave Jageler and Charlie Slowes. “Nats Spring Training Live!” programs are free to attend and feature special guest appearances by Nationals players, coaches and personalities. The shows broadcast live on 106.7 The Fan from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25, March 3 and March 10 from Duffy’s Sports Bar Clematis St., and on Saturday, March 16, from Duffy’s Village Blvd. The March 10 radio show will also stream live on nats.com. 

Fans will hear familiar voices throughout the Spring Training and regular seasons with the return of all five Nationals on-air broadcasters. MASN telecasts will feature color commentator Kevin Frandsen, while Bob Carpenter and Dan Kolko will split play-by-play duties. Jageler and Slowes will be on the call for all 16 radio broadcasts in addition to the “Nats Spring Training Live!” shows.

Nationals pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach in five days for the start of spring training. Two weeks later, as the Grapefruit League gets rolling, MASN will be in town for the first of seven exhibition broadcasts.

MASN’s spring broadcast schedule, revealed this morning, includes six games in Florida, plus the new-look exhibition finale in D.C. featuring the club’s Opening Day roster against the organization’s top prospects.

The spring training slate commences Feb. 28 when the Nats host the Red Sox at the newly renamed CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The crew will be back four days later for a March 3 tilt with the Marlins.

Three of MASN’s spring broadcasts are for road games, though two of those (March 9 and 22) still take place in West Palm Beach, with the Astros the designated home team in the shared facility. But on March 15, the broadcast will originate from Port St. Lucie, where the Nats face the Mets at 6:05 p.m. in the nightcap of an exhibition doubleheader that opens with a 3:05 p.m. game between both club’s top prospects.

The Nationals’ March 17 home game against the Mets also will be broadcast live on MASN from West Palm Beach.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals announced that they are in agreement with CACTI on a naming rights deal for their Spring Training ballpark in West Palm Beach, FL. The agreement is a collaboration with internationally acclaimed multi-platinum, diamond-certified, GRAMMY® nominated artist Travis Scott, who is the owner of the CACTI Hard Seltzer brand. As part of the multi-year deal, the ballpark will be renamed CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches ahead of the 2024 Spring Training season. Additionally, the ballpark will undergo a complete rebrand throughout, and CACTI brand product will be available for fans at Astros and Nationals Spring Training games.

“With the official U.S. launch of CACTI coming, I am psyched to be partnering with the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals for CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches,” Travis Scott said.

“The Houston Astros are excited for the opportunity to work with Travis Scott and the CACTI Hard Seltzer team,” said Creighton Kahoalii, Astros Senior Vice President, Affiliate Business Operations. “This collaboration supports our continued efforts to provide a great fan experience not just during Spring Training, but at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches throughout the year.”

“We are pleased to partner with CACTI Hard Seltzer and the people behind the brand to continue offering our guests a first-class experience,” said Alan H. Gottlieb, Chief Operating Officer, Lerner Sports Group. “This relationship will ensure that CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches remains a top entertainment destination, attracting individuals from around the area for sporting events, concerts and more.”

On February 24, prior to their first Spring Training game of the 2024 season, the Astros and Nationals will host a special ceremony at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, which will include a ribbon-cutting by Travis Scott. Scott will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to that night’s 6:05 p.m. game between the Astros and Nationals.

The countdown is on, at last. Pitchers and catchers are set to report to West Palm Beach in six days, at which point the longest, slowest offseason ever will come to an end and we can all turn our sights upon the 2024 season for real.

There will be much to preview about spring training in the coming days, so be sure to check each day for those articles. But before we get to that, let's do one final Q&A to wrap up the offseason.

Submit your questions in the comments section below, then look for my responses throughout the morning ...

We’ve spent much of the winter discussing the Nationals’ offensive strengths and weaknesses, asking if the changes they’ve made will make a positive difference this season. We looked at the pitching staff and wondered where the improvement will come from in 2024.

But what about the Nats’ defense? Should it be improved from last season? Could it be worse? It’s about time we tackled that subject as we move within a week of the start of spring training.

For those who don’t remember, the Nationals were not a good defensive team in 2023. They were 26th in the majors (tied with the Phillies) with minus-30 Defensive Runs Saved. They were charged with 90 errors, ranking in the bottom half of the league. Their “Defensive Efficiency” – the percentage of balls in play they converted into outs – was 68.2 percent, ranked 24th. Their catchers threw out only 14 basestealers, tied for second-fewest in the majors.

Which isn’t to say everything was bad in the field.

CJ Abrams made major strides at shortstop, and by season’s end he was both making all the routine plays as well as a number of non-routine plays, looking every bit like a keeper there.