Wieters introduction, and corresponding move, expected today

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals agreed to terms with Matt Wieters on Tuesday. Today, that contract is expected finally to become official.

Wieters was at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches yesterday, on the Nationals' side of the complex, though he stayed mostly out of view while the club waited to make the announcement. But he is believed to have passed his physical, and so there are no remaining hurdles to formally completing his deal.

Why the three-day wait? Well, it may in part have to do with the fact the Nationals need to make a corresponding move, removing someone else from the full 40-man roster, before they can add Wieters. And that corresponding move could come in any number of directions.

Perhaps the team will simply designate a fringe player for assignment, clearing the roster spot in a relatively minor move. Or perhaps they will be able to pull off a trade, whether sending the suddenly extraneous Derek Norris to another club or somebody else.

Either way, we should finally have our answer this morning, and Wieters should be officially introduced and don a curly W cap for the first time. At which point he'll quickly get to work and start learning the Nationals' pitching staff.

Dusty Baker isn't worried about his new catcher's relatively late arrival, given the fact spring training is longer than normal this year to account for the World Baseball Classic.

"Fortunately for us, this year he's right on time (compared to) past years because we have an extra week this year," the manager said. "He's healthy. He has a great guy to work with in (pitching coach) Mike Maddux and (bullpen coach) Dan Firova.

"He has some pitchers here who can kind of direct their own game until he learns them. You've got (Max) Scherzer and (Stephen Strasburg) and Tanner (Roark). They have a pretty good idea of how they want to pitch everybody. And they sit down before the games and discuss it in depth. Mike has meetings before every series, so I don't see Wieters having any problems because he's getting here ... what's today ... the 23rd? I mean we've barely been here, so I think that's to his and our advantage."

If Wieters takes the field today, he won't be out there for long. The Nationals have scheduled an abbreviated workout, with a focus on some fundamental drills and no live pitching to batters.

This is the final workout day before they open Grapefruit League play Saturday against the Mets. Gio González is slated to start that game in Port St. Lucie, with A.J. Cole scheduled to start Sunday against the Twins in Fort Myers.

The Nationals open with three consecutive road games - they play the Cardinals in Jupiter on Monday - before finally setting foot inside their new ballpark Tuesday to face their co-tenants, the Astros.