Nats outfield has big names, but how much will they produce?

As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series concludes today with the outfield ...

There are no questions about the identities of the Nationals' three starting outfielders. Those jobs are locked up, two by longtime club stars and one by a high-profile newcomer.

It remains to be seen, however, how those three perform, and whether this defensive alignment proves to be the best one.

Everything starts, as it usually does, with Bryce Harper. One year ago, he was coming off a dominant MVP performance, wholly expected to duplicate his feats - or perhaps even surpass them. This year, the right fielder is coming off a significantly disappointing performance, leaving everyone wondering just what version of this player we'll see in 2017.

It would be foolish to bet against Harper. He often has been at his best when others are questioning if he's overrated. There's no doubt he'll report to West Palm Beach as motivated as he's ever been, wanting not only to put last year's disappointment behind him but also to begin re-establishing his value in the first of his final two seasons under contract with the Nationals.

Are Harper's right shoulder and neck healthy? We'll find out. Despite his insistence nothing was physically wrong last season, it sure looked like something was to just about every keen-eyed observer. We'll get a sense of the answer to this question watching Harper takes swings this spring, noting whether he is able to drive outside pitches to left-center field the way he did so well in 2015 but not in 2016.

Speaking of health questions, how much can the Nationals count on Jayson Werth, who turns 38 in May? The veteran left fielder was still a productive player last season, especially after manager Dusty Baker bumped him up to the second spot in the lineup.

But let's not ignore the fact Werth is not the player he once was. He still draws walks and works the count exceptionally well, and he still hits for some power. But his strikeout rate has gone up the last two seasons, he doesn't hit as many line drives as he used to hit, and his range and arm in the outfield have diminished.

In the end, the Nationals will be plenty happy if Werth can keep himself in good shape, keep working the count and reaching base at a nice clip, and finish out the D.C. portion of his career in style.

The newcomer is Adam Eaton, who will be under a significant microscope in his first season in Washington. The former Diamondbacks and White Sox outfielder cost an arm (actually, three top prospect arms) and a leg to acquire, but the Nats believe he was worth the steep price because of his ability to reach base (his on-base percentage over the last three seasons in .362), his speed (at least nine triples and 14 steals each of the last three years) and his emerging power (14 homers each of the last two seasons).

Eaton plays with an edge, and that's a quality the Nationals may have felt they lacked. But can he play a good center field? The metrics suggested he was far better in right field than center field with the White Sox. He and his new team, though, believe he can more than hold his own sandwiched between Werth and Harper before a potential switch to a corner spot in 2018.

The Nationals were pleased with the power production they got off the bench last year from Chris Heisey, so they wasted little time re-signing the veteran to a one-year, $1.4 million deal. Heisey has been one of baseball's most potent pinch-hitters for some time, and he should be perfectly comfortable holding down that role again.

The fifth outfielder's job could come down to a spring training battle between Michael A. Taylor and Brian Goodwin. The most promising player in camp one year ago, Taylor wound up being one of the most disappointing players on the roster during the regular season, hitting .231 with a .278 on-base percentage and 35 percent strikeout rate. Goodwin finally emerged from the farm system five years after he was drafted and impressed in limited action in September, but it remains to be seen if the Nats trust him to be in the big leagues come opening day.

In big league camp for the first time this spring will be 23-year-old Rafael Bautista, a promising center fielder who hit .282 and stole 56 bases for Double-A Harrisburg, earning a spot on the 40-man roster. Other outfield non-roster invitees are expected to be announced soon.