Dusty Baker on Matt Williams, Sammy Solis on crowded bullpen picture

During his briefing with the media this morning at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, new Nationals skipper Dusty Baker quipped that he didn't necessarily pack appropriately for his trip to Washington, D.C., and sounded like the unseasonably warm temperatures caught him by surprise. He made some new friends last night at the nearby Marriott Marquis, where a bunch of Nats fans hunkered down in anticipation of Winterfest weekend and took selfies with the incoming manager.

This morning, Baker repeated something he mentioned during his media session at the Winter Meetings: that he connected with good friend and former Nats manager Matt Williams before beginning the negotiatons that wound up with him as Williams' successor.

"I wanted to get his good graces on me approaching the Nats with taking over for him," Baker said. "He had called and talked to me before he was offered this job and at the same time, I talked to him after (he was fired). He told me about the organization, I asked him about some guys. When you first get fired, it hurts. We're human. Nobody likes to feel dejected and neglected, and that's how he felt. He wondered what did I do wrong? Was it my fault? How could I change? You're down."

When Williams told him that he had an offer to return to the Diamondbacks as their third base coach, Baker suggested he take the job.

"I urged him to get back on the field. He said he could take a job in Arizona as third base coach, and I urged him to do that because this isn't his last go-around," Baker said.

* Left-hander Sammy Solis knows the score. He sees the additions the Nationals have made to the bullpen, he's listened to general manager Mike Rizzo talk of the need for some relief reconstruction and he knows he could be on the outside looking in come opening day.

It'll be tough for him to crack the 'pen, even after posting a 3.38 ERA in his first major league go-around, especially with lefty Felipe Rivero returning and the Nats signing southpaw Oliver Perez to a two-year deal.

"Honestly, that's what I was trying to do last year and the year before and the year before, so nothing's really changing," Solis said. "It's coming in and working hard and hopefully finding a spot in the (bullpen) rotation somewhere."

Having had a taste of the bigs certainly helps, Solis said.

"A lot, a lot. Last year, I didn't honestly expect to really get up at all - maybe a September call-up - and I was fortunate to get called up in April," he said. "Now that I've had a little taste of it, it's left me wanting more. ... I learned that I can compete at that level. Yeah, I had ups and downs, for sure, but what rookie doesn't?"