With one eye on Harper, Eaton focused on healthy 2019

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Adam Eaton could've dodged the question, insisted he's not paying attention to the never-ending Bryce Harper saga. That would be disingenuous, though. Everyone knows Eaton's status with the Nationals is directly tied to Harper's status with the Nationals. So the veteran outfielder isn't trying to pretend it's no big deal.

"It affects me, for sure," he said this morning inside the Nationals clubhouse. "Definitely affects me. I train to play 162. That's all I can think about. That's all I can really control. Going to leave it at that."

The Nats love Eaton, and if you've forgotten about that, just go back two years and remember they traded away Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López and Dane Dunning to acquire the feisty leadoff man, a move that raised eyebrows around baseball but was made with 100 percent conviction by general manager Mike Rizzo.

But here are the facts on the day pitchers and catchers reported for spring training. Juan Soto is going to be the Nationals' left fielder this year and for many more years to come. Victor Robles is probably going to be the center fielder this year and for many years to come, unless he shows himself not to be ready yet, at which point the club turns back to Michael A. Taylor.

That leaves only right field for either Eaton or Harper. If Harper ends up signing elsewhere, the solution is simple. Eaton's the guy in right. If, however, Harper ends his four-month free agency dance by returning to the organization that first drafted and signed him ... well, somebody's got to be the odd man out. And that somebody almost certainly would be Eaton, whose contract guarantees him $8.4 million this year with club options for both 2020 and 2021.

Eaton clearly wants to stay in Washington and enjoy his first fully healthy season here, finally showing off his complete range of skills. But he also wants Harper - and Manny Machado and all the other still-unsigned free agents - to get the deals they deserve, even if that negatively impacts his role with the Nats.

"I don't want to outkick my coverage when I speak, but those guys should be playing and should be on a team, period," he said. "They need an offer that's close to what they want, and I think both sides need to be realistic with the whole situation and realize that and get these guys signed as well."

Until that situation is resolved, Eaton is focused on preparing himself for the upcoming season, thrilled to be healthy after two arduous years recovering from a torn ACL and a cartilage tear in his ankle.

Though he continues to take steps to manage his leg for long-term benefit, Eaton insisted he enjoyed a normal offseason for the first time in two years. And he believes that will pay off.

"You'll manage your whole life with this injury, but there's been no rehabilitation this offseason," he said. "It's been strength. A normal offseason. But continued body maintenance. We've talked at length the last two years about how this will give longevity to my career because I'm forced to do more body maintenance and take a lot more time out for that. It's been a focus on making sure I'm ready, and probably in a better way than I have been in the past. It's been a good strengthening offseason, and I feel strong. I'm just ready to get after it."

It was a significant challenge for Eaton to make it through the daily grind necessary to play every big league game last season. He required significant work on his knee and ankle before and after games. And that would've been the case even if he hadn't missed two months while recovering from arthroscopic surgery to repair the ankle tear he didn't realize he was playing through in April.

He wound up playing in 95 total games, still posting an impressive .301/.394/.411 slash line. Manager Davey Martinez, though, made a point to give him regular days off and to remove him from games early for defense and to help reduce wear and tear.

"You know what's funny, I kind of felt fresh at the end of the year," said Eaton, who reported to camp in early January. "Because I didn't play very much against lefties towards the tail end, and Davey was giving me an off-day a couple times a week. I felt pretty fresh. ... It didn't feel like a full season, of course, because I didn't play a full season."