Eaton's path to playing time is finally wide open

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There were times last season when Adam Eaton would slice a ball into the gap and briefly forget that trying to stretch a double into a triple might not be the best of ideas, given his surgically repaired ankle.

When speed has been your calling card, learning to rein it in can be a challenge. After rehabbing from a grisly knee injury in his first year with the Nationals, an awkward slide into home plate landed Eaton back on the disabled list early last season. When he came off the DL, the mind and intentions were willing, even if the wheels sometimes weren't.

So when Eaton pushed it hard and went from first to third on a hit during the first week of Grapefruit League play without even giving his ankle a thought, it marked a milestone of sorts for the veteran outfielder.

"It's funny, I get to second base and I'm like, I kind of feel good, let's just keep running, usually where I'd be like, 'Let's stay here, let's relax,' so you know I'm excited about it," Eaton said. "I feel healthy, I feel good and like I said, I think you kind of can see it in the play. A little more confidence, especially in the box, I can do a little more with what I have now, which is good, and like I said, I'm excited that I'm finally healthy, again have that confidence that I have my legs underneath me."

With rumors no longer swirling about a last-minute attempt by the Nats to enter the bidding for Bryce Harper after the free agent signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies, perhaps no Nats player is more impacted by Harper's megadeal than Eaton.

Had Harper returned, Eaton would have been the odd man out in the outfield. The Nationals surely would have used youngsters Juan Soto and Victor Robles to man left and center, respectively, and Harper would have returned to right field. Instead, it'll be Eaton in right and in either the first or second spot in the lineup, with Robles and Michael A. Taylor battling for center and incumbent Soto in left.

Even if Eaton never talked publicly about how the Harper-controlled dominoes might affect him, he knew there was a chance he might be playing elsewhere if Harper re-signed. Now that it's a moot point, Eaton couldn't be happier.

"The confidence person in me would say that wherever he would land, my services would be needed somewhere," Eaton said. "I'm so happy to be here - yeah, absolutely, this place is heaven on earth for me. I love Washington, I love playing in front of our fans and I think this team has something special in stock for this year."

But to get to this year, and to remain in D.C., Eaton needed a clear path to playing time. When you're making $8.4 million, you tend not to ride the pine.

"Whatever uniform you do put on, you put your best foot forward, but like I said, I'm happy to be here, and like I said, you can't get wrapped up in it," he said. "Most people do because it's just a mind game that they play, and they don't try to control the controllables. But for us, we're taught from when we are 8 years old to control what you can control. And in this game it's so highly sought after, being able to control what you can control, so it goes on and off the field, so that's all I can do, to try to get better in the uniform that I am in and the guys that I am with. And try to make everyone better, including myself."

The things Eaton can control - accentuating his speed, improving his defense, creating havoc from the top of the lineup - are the things he'll work on in spring camp.

Manager Davey Martinez chuckled at the notion that Eaton ever plays the game at less than 100 percent, the injuries he's sustained notwithstanding. But he's happy to have a speedy and effective Eaton as a weapon in his offensive arsenal.

"It's good that he can clear his mind about that play, you know?" Martinez said. "He's a big part of our success. So him being 100 percent healthy and (he's) going to play right field and (hit) leadoff or second in our lineup, is good."

So far, Martinez hasn't figured out whether Eaton will hit leadoff or No. 2 behind shortstop Trea Turner, but it seems like he's leaning toward putting Turner atop the order. Martinez has challenged Turner to increase his stolen base output to north of 75 bags this season. And Turner is excited for the potential the duo has to do damage from the first and second spots in the lineup.

The numbers say Eaton is equally dangerous in either the No. 1 or No. 2 spot. As a leadoff man, he's got significantly more experience, 537 career games during which he's slashed .287/.365/.414. In 56 career starts in the two-hole, Eaton has a .284/.357/.432 line. Eaton has 54 steals in 81 tries as a leadoff man and is 11-for-11 out of the second spot.

Turner has slightly better numbers in the No. 2 spot, where he's slashed .301/.369/.466 with 17 steals in 24 tries in 92 games, than in the leadoff spot, where he's started 220 games with a .292/.341/.466 slash line and 100 stolen bases in 115 attempts.

"When I first came up, (leadoff) was about all I did," Turner said. "Then last year, I kinda moved around a little bit but mostly hit second. You know, the top two spots are where I've hit the most of my life, so I feel comfortable up there. Getting back to leadoff, I think it'll probably help me run a little bit more. Definitely will change my game a little bit in that I'll get pitched differently, I think, with Eaton behind me. I think he's a really good bat-control guy. He can do a lot of different things: He can bunt, hit and run. I think it's going to be fun. If we do hit one and two, I think it's going to be fun to put pressure on the other team and do some different things."