Nationals' plan behind the plate remains a question

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - One of the few legitimate roster decisions the Nationals need to make this spring is behind the plate, where Matt Wieters returns as the No. 1 catcher but the backup position is up for grabs.

As much conjecture as there was over the winter about the Nationals pursuing an upgrade - J.T. Realmuto? Alex Avila? Jonathan Lucroy? - general manger Mike Rizzo continues to stand behind Wieters, who he believes is primed for a bounceback season.

The backup job? That's up for grabs.

The early February signing of veteran Miguel Montero to a minor league contract added some competition to the mix and showed the Nats weren't just going to hand the No. 2 position to Pedro Severino. And nearly three weeks into camp, that situation remains unsettled.

"It's hard, because you have the Wieters, now you have the Miguels and Sevy," manager Davey Martinez said this morning. "Sevy's right there. And who knows, he probably could catch every day. But we still have Matt Wieters, who has to play. I haven't made a decision on who's going to be on our team right now, but (Severino) is definitely in the mix."

Severino, 24, certainly has much more career ahead of him than Montero, 34. But both Rizzo and Martinez have long been fans of Montero, first when he debuted with the Diamondbacks and later when he was a key contributor on the Cubs' World Series roster.

As for Montero's messy breakup with the Cubs last summer - after giving up seven stolen bases to the Nationals in late-June, he publicly ripped right-hander Jake Arrieta for not doing a better job holding runners on first, then was designated for assignment the next day - Martinez insists it's not a true reflection of the catcher's character.

"I know Miggy personally, and it's one of those things where he just got frustrated," said Martinez, who was Chicago's bench coach. "He's a great guy. And he and Jake are pretty close now. So that thing just went by the wayside. He's thrilled to be here, and he's been working his tail off. When you see this guy call a game and catch, he's really, really good. We're happy we got him. He's getting in great shape, and he really wants to make this team and help us win."

Early in camp, the bulk of the playing time has been going to minor leaguers Spencer Kieboom (17 plate appearances) and Taylor Gushue (10 plate appearances). Montero has played in four games and has gone 2-for-8, while Severino has played three games and gone 1-for-7. (Wieters is 3-for-7 with a homer in three games played.)

Playing time for the principal contenders should pick up soon, but it's debatable how much of the decision is going to come down to spring training performance vs. track record, especially in Montero's case.

"He's a veteran guy. He knows what it takes to get ready," Martinez said. "What I like is he's very intuitive. He calls a good game. He handles a pitching staff well. And knowing Miguel, he's a big-game player. He loves big moments. And I love that."

Severino has long been considered the organization's possible catcher of the future, and he has spent the last two seasons shuttling back and forth between Washington and Syracuse. With 544 plate appearances at Triple-A, there's not much more the club needs to learn about him, but he remains far from a finished product.

"I like him a lot," Martinez said. "He's young, he's athletic. And I think eventually he'll hit enough, but his catching skills are phenomenal."

The Nationals, of course, have to think not only about the short-term but the long-term status of their catching corps.

Severino does still have one remaining minor league option, so he could be sent down at the end of the spring without risk of being lost. And given Raudy Read's 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug, the Nats may need to make sure they have a viable third catcher on call at Triple-A.

Then there's the question of how much the Nationals need to play their No. 2 catcher at all. The hope is to give Wieters more days off this season than last season, when he seemed to wear down and struggled during the second half. But that all depends on how the veteran starter (who has slimmed down and impressed club officials this spring) plays this year.

"The plan is to keep him healthy," Martinez said. "I don't know what that number is going to be. He looks great, and he's in great shape. He feels good. So the plan is to keep him as healthy as possible going into October. That's always been our plan, and we're going to stick to that."