Baker on Bonds the coach, plus other pregame notes

JUPITER, Fla. - Some pregame notes to whet your appetite before the Nationals and Marlins get going here at Roger Dean Stadium ...

* Trea Turner is in the lineup today, starting at second base. We've already seen him at shortstop early this spring. I asked Dusty Baker if he wants to see him play both positions.

"I talked to him about it. I talked to other people about it. I just want to see him play," Baker said. "The fact he can play short and second, which a lot of people can't, especially at that young age ... you don't know where he's going to end up going. Plus, it's a way to get him into the lineup. I'm curious to see him, period."

The same applies for a lot of young players in this camp, guys Baker hasn't ever really seen either in person or on TV. Expect a lot of playing time over the next two weeks for players like Turner, Michael A. Taylor, Tyler Moore and others.

Baker has made a point to ask general manager Mike Rizzo, other front office folks and returning members of the coaching staff for their opinions on several players. Then again, he recognizes the ultimate evaluation of these players has to come from himself.

"You know, I trust others' opinion, which I have to," he said. "But I trust me more. I've been around the longest. It's just like driving to the airport. If you're in a hurry, would you rather drive or would you rather hang onto the door? The guy hanging onto the steering wheel is like: 'Man, what are you flinching for?' I'm telling you, man: When in doubt, I want to drive."

* This is the first of 24 meetings between the Nationals and Marlins in 2016 (five of them coming down here in the Grapefruit League) and so it's the first meeting between Baker and Barry Bonds in their new respective jobs. Bonds, hired this winter as Miami's hitting coach, had a big smile on his face when he saw Baker stroll onto the field during batting practice this morning and the two exchanged a hug and talked for a few minutes.

Baker was thrilled when he learned Bonds was returning to the majors as a coach.

"Baseball needs it, minds like Barry's," he said. "I just wish he wasn't in our division. I know Barry sees things that most people don't see."

Despite that, Baker didn't necessarily think Bonds (who played for him in San Francisco from 1993-02) would become a coach after retirement.

"No, similar to myself," he said. "I know he could, just like I always thought I could. But I never thought about being a coach. Some people, that's their life-long destination and goal, but it wasn't his and it wasn't mine, either. That was the last thing on our minds probably. But to say that, he can be as good as he wants to be."

* The Nationals return to Viera tomorrow to host the Tigers at 1:05 p.m. The pitching matchup: Stephen Strasburg vs. Jordan Zimmermann. Yeah, that's going to be strange.