District 34 podcast: 2017 Nationals season preview

Baseball is back and that means so is the District 34 podcast presented by MASNsports.com!

Bobby Blanco and Byron Kerr are back with brand-new episodes all season long to bring you the best Nationals coverage filled with in-depth analysis and behind-the-scenes features for your listening pleasure.

When we last left you, the Nationals had just been eliminated from a close matchup with the Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. Now we have an entire offseason's worth of trades, free agent signings and roster moves to discuss, plus some impressive performances in spring training.

The big headline this offseason was the Nationals' trade with the White Sox at the Winter Meetings that sent pitching prospects Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning to Chicago and brought center fielder Adam Eaton to D.C. Was it the right move for the Nats, or did they give up too much?

In terms of free agent signings, none were bigger for the Nats than All-Star catcher Matt Wieters signing during spring training. Is he a good fit for the Nats and will he be as productive as he once was with the Orioles?

These are just some of the questions we answer to kick off the 2017 season, along with: Who should be the Nats closer? How many home runs will Bryce Harper hit? How many bases will Trea Turner steal? How will this season end for the Nationals?

Byron also gives you the rundown of what's new at Nats Park for this season, including some grub named after a certain MASN commentator's catch phrase.

Thanks for joining us again for another exciting season of Nationals baseball. We hope you follow along and enjoy the District 34 podcast throughout the season, and subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

Enjoy the first episode of 2017 to take you up to opening day!