WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Anthony Rendon isn't one to analyze ... well, much of anything. Maybe he'll break down his beloved Houston Rockets' chances of unseating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA's Western Conference, or offer a slight glimpse into his rationale for cutting his once-flowing locks of hair. But he's not about to get into a deep conversation about the state of his swing, his defense at third base or really anything having to do with baseball. "Keep it simple," is...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - So much for those quick, streamlined pitchers and catchers workouts. With position players joining them on the fields today, the Nationals experienced their longest session of the spring, by far. Though technically a voluntary workout - the first official full-squad day is Wednesday - every healthy member of the roster participated this morning (and afternoon). Everyone gathered on the agility field for the daily "Circle of Trust" meeting at 10:45 a.m. Position players...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As every other position player on the Nationals roster took the field for the first time as a team this morning, Daniel Murphy could only watch. Though the veteran second baseman, still rehabbing from late-October knee surgery, has begun some baseball activities, they are admittedly limited. "I started doing some knee drills," Murphy said. "Played a little bit of catch. And that would be the extent of it right now. So ground balls on my knees and then play a little...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Position players reported to camp Monday, and though we haven't seen the entire squad on the field together quite yet, it does feel like spring training has finally begun in earnest. The vast majority of Nationals position players had already reported early, some by multiple weeks, so there were only a handful left to check in Monday (the official reporting date). Of the 61 players in big league camp - that number will go up to 62 today when reliever Joaquín...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Every pitching coach has his own philosophies, his own advice for those who take the mound under his watch. And when a new coach takes over a club, he typically wants to start imparting his wisdom on his pitchers right from the get-go. Derek Lilliquist, though, didn't inherit any old pitching staff. He arrived here earlier this month to a Nationals staff that features the man who won the last two National League Cy Young Awards, another who finished third in voting,...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Since the day he was hired, we've all wondered what kind of manager Davey Martinez would be, especially when it comes to in-game strategy. Having had no prior managerial experience, there's no advance scouting report to consider, only speculation based on his answers to various questions posed his way. We got a few glimpses into Martinez's strategic mindset over the winter, and we're starting to get more in these early days of spring training. Such as his philosophy...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Sean Doolittle will be the Nationals closer to open the season. That declaration, made this afternoon by new manager Davey Martinez, did not constitute earth-shattering news. Given the way Doolittle performed late last season, and given the current makeup of the Nats bullpen, that was a foregone conclusion. The more notable development this season for Doolittle would involve not when he pitches but what he pitches. After firmly establishing himself as a top-notch...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez is serious about keeping his workouts short and efficient. Today's session outside The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the second official pitchers and catchers workout, wrapped up in 90 minutes once again. Players were already back in the clubhouse well before the South Florida sun reached its peak. Don't confuse short workouts with lazy workouts, though. Players went through all the usual spring drills, and those pitchers who threw off the mound did so...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez walked into his first press conference of the spring, sat down in front of a microphone and addressed the room full of reporters. "I have to say, I'm tired," he sighed. Tired? At 12:30 p.m.? On Day One of spring training? "Well, I've been here since 5:30," he said. "I get up every day at 5. Can't slow the brain down. I've got a lot to think about, you know. Pretty good team." Yes, it is. And rarely has any first-time manager ever been handed the...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals admittedly don't have many jobs up for grabs this spring, a scenario few other clubs can appreciate, but the highest-profile competition this spring is of keen interest to Davey Martinez. With the top four slots in his rotation well established and locked in, Martinez needs only to decide who will serve as his No. 5 starter come April. The candidates, for now: inconsistent right-hander A.J. Cole, top prospect Erick Fedde and veteran journeyman Edwin...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As anticipated, yesterday was a light day at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Well, aside from the media horde that descended upon the other side of the complex, where the defending World Series champion Astros officially reported for work. On the Nationals side, pitchers and catchers wandered through the clubhouse, training areas and weight rooms. Some went out to the back fields to play catch. Nothing organized, just the mundane stuff pitchers do every day to keep...