Max Scherzer always looking for improvement

Right-hander Max Scherzer arrived in Washington last January after pitching the previous five seasons in Detroit, which included winning the American League Cy Young award in 2013. In his first season pitching in the National League since 2009 with the Diamondbacks, Scherzer dominated hitters, tossing two no-hitters and challenging to win another Cy Young.

"Last year, I thought I had the upper hand a little bit because it was the first time for me to actually face them," Scherzer told ESPN Radio 101 FM in St. Louis about advantage in the NL. "This should be an interesting year because now everybody has gotten the chance to see everything that I do. Obviously, they will be making adjustments against me."

In nine days, Scherzer and the rest of the Nationals pitchers and catchers will arrive in Viera, Fla., as spring training gets underway. Last year, Scherzer added a cutter to hit repertoire, using the exhibition season to test his new pitch.

"You try to work on your different pitches," Scherzer said. "For me, it's always trying to develop a better curveball. Tinker with the changeup, tinker with the sliders and finding different ways to use them. You kind of find different patterns in different counts with different hitters that you like to use your pitches. You try to think about envisioning different ways you can use your same pitches and get the guys out in a different way because you're going to need to do that throughout the course of a season. That's when in spring, you can try some new things out on what you want to accomplish. So, for me, that's what I look forward to in 2016."

Much of the focus of spring training will be on new Nationals manager Dusty Baker, who takes over in Washington after leading the Giants, Cubs and Reds to the playoffs previously in his career.

"It should be exciting," Scherzer said. "I've talked to a bunch of a different players who have played with Dusty throughout the years. From all the different generations who have played with him and for him, they just talk about how awesome he is. They just rave about him. I'm really looking forward to getting down there and seeing what he's really about because I think he can help our ballclub."

Of course, Baker's patience will surely be tested early by a guaranteed round of questions on how to prevent any carryover from last year's dugout fight between veteran closer Jonathan Papelbon and reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper. For Scherzer, one of the clubhouse leaders, it's a non-issue.

"We had that happen last year and by the time the game was over, everybody was over it," Scherzer said. "To us, as players, we really didn't care. It happened and it was over. I actually look forward to having Pap back."

* The Cleveland Indians yesterday signed former Nationals reliever Craig Stammen to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training. The 31-year-old right-hander made only five appearances at the start of 2015 before missing the remainder of the season after flexor surgery in his throwing arm. A 12th-round pick out of the University of Dayton in 2005, Stammen posted a 3.91 ERA in 221 appearances with the Nationals.

* The Nationals won't have to contend with right-hander Tyler Clippard in their division next season, but they will likely still face him a few times. Clippard, who was traded to the Mets last July, yesterday signed a two-year, $12.25 million deal with the Diamondbacks.