Competition for bullpen, bench jobs begins

JUPITER, Fla. – The handful of competitions in Nationals camp this spring involve the bullpen and bench. General manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez have a multitude of ways they could go about deciding who makes the Opening Day roster and who doesn’t, and today they’ll get their first look at several of the competitors.

The Nats bullpen can probably be divided into two categories: Late-inning specialists and multi-inning arms. The former group is mostly set, with Kyle Finnegan, Carl Edwards Jr., Hunter Harvey and Sean Doolittle (if healthy) all but assured of making the club. The latter group is more wide-open.

Only Erasmo Ramirez has a guaranteed contract. Paolo Espino, Cory Abbott, Mason Thompson, Jordan Weems and Victor Arano all have minor league options. Thaddeus Ward, a Rule 5 draftee, must remain on the big league roster or be offered back to the Red Sox. Alex Colomé and Andres Machado are trying to make the team off minor league deals.

The big question, ultimately, may be this: How many multi-inning relievers do the Nationals want to keep?

“It’s going to be a competition, because we have so many of those guys,” Martinez said. “But I like them all.”

Martinez even went out of his way to throw another name into the mix: Wily Peralta. The veteran right-hander has been a starter most of his career, and Martinez said last week the plan was to stretch him out to start. But this morning he mentioned Peralta as a bullpen candidate as well.

“He can do a lot of different things,” the manager said. “He can spot start. He can come out of the bullpen and give us multiple innings. And he’s throwing the ball really well. He looks good.”

Peralta, Colomé, Machado, Ramirez and Ward all are scheduled to pitch in relief of MacKenzie Gore this afternoon. Results from spring training games, especially the Grapefruit League opener, aren’t usually taken too seriously. That might be different in this case.

When it comes to the bench, the Nats are projected to carry a backup catcher (either Riley Adams or Israel Pineda), a backup infielder (most likely Ildemaro Vargas), a backup outfielder (either Alex Call or Stone Garrett) and one more open slot. That could go to a second outfielder, with non-roster invitee Derek Hill also in the mix. It could go to a pure hitter like Matt Adams, also here on a non-roster invitation.

Or it could go to another infielder, with Jake Alu, Michael Chavis and Jeter Downs among the options.

One factor that could tilt the scales in someone’s favor is the ability to play the outfield as well. Chavis has some experience in right field. Alu, who has mostly played third base, is also getting work at second base and could get work in left field later this spring.

“We’re going to play them everywhere,” Martinez said. “Some of them can play left field, too. For right now, I want to keep them in the infield. We want them to get their legs underneath them. The biggest thing with those guys who can do that is their arm. Make sure their arms are good and stretched out before I put them in the outfield. They’ve all been spoken to.”

Here’s one other key factor to consider: The Nats will have at least one guy on their bench who can play shortstop. That guy won’t be Luis García, who is now firmly entrenched as the starter on the other side of the bag.

“No,” Martinez said. “He’s going to play second.”