Warming up

VIERA, Fla. - It's finally here. Nationals pitchers and catchers are due to report at Space Coast Stadium to begin preparing for a 2015 season that's loaded with expectations.

World Series predictions surround this team, leaving heavy pressure resting on the shoulders, or arms, of a starting rotation that's as talented as the game has seen in the past few decades. The oddsmakers loved the Nats going into the 2015 season. How could they not after blowing away the National League East by 17 games last year? But they absolutely fell head over heels once Max Scherzer joined the staff.

The blockbuster signing of Scherzer, the 2013 American League Cy Young Award winner, is so polarizing. It presents a number of questions that will be discussed throughout the season depending how it unfolds:

* Does signing Scherzer make the Nats the favorites to win a world championship?

* Is any pitcher, let alone a 30-year-old, worth a seven-year, $210 million contract?

* How does Scherzer's signing affect the futures of Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister, both free agents after this season?

* Was it a mistake to add Scherzer to a rotation that already owned the best ERA in the NL with Tanner Roark as a member?

Roark found himself as part of the fallout from the Scherzer acquisition. He's expected to be bumped to the bullpen. A move that must seem like an unfathomable demotion following a stellar season where he went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 31 starts. Nats manager Matt Williams has said he wants Roark to prepare as a starter throughout spring training, but the right-hander won't find himself in that role unless someone suffers an injury.

It's unsure exactly how Roark will be used in the bullpen. The logical assumption is he becomes a long reliever. But with the incredible talent Williams will send to the hill each night, it's hard to believe there will be many long relief situations. He could also be used as a late-inning setup man, a role that needs to be filled after Tyler Clippard was traded to Oakland last month. And, of course, the 28-year-old Roark will be a security blanket for Williams should one of his big five miss time.

The loss of Clippard was somewhat surprising based on the veteran's reliability in the eighth-inning set-up role. Rizzo countered by signing right-handed reliever Casey Janssen. The 6-foot-4 Janssen saved 81 games for the Blue Jays over the past three seasons and owns a 3.52 career ERA in eight years in Toronto.

However, 2014 was a bit of a roller coaster for Janssen. Before the All-Star break, he was 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 23 games with 14 saves. But during the break, he experienced a rough bout with food poisoning while on a trip to the Dominican Republic and could never return to proper form. His ERA ballooned to 6.46 in the second half. If he can return to form, the eighth inning will be Janssen's and his background as a closer gives Williams options should Drew Storen encounter any problems.

Just some of the storylines we'll be following as this pitching staff gears it up today.

We're off and running.