New spring facility will accelerate relations between Nationals and Astros

The opening of The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the new spring training facility shared by the Nationals and Astros, will be extremely beneficial to the preparation for the 2017 season and beyond for both clubs.

The 6,500-seat baseball stadium will be state-of-the-art for spring training. The 12 practice fields outside the main diamond - six for each team - will be easy to navigate for players and fans. With a hat tip to the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Arizona, shared by the Diamondbacks and Rockies, The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will have a similar effect on the Nationals and Astros working within close proximity.

The Nationals and Astros will face each other seven times at the new facility from Feb. 25 through March 29. The Nationals will have 16 games at home. Jupiter, spring training home of the Marlins and Cardinals, is 19 miles to the north. Port St. Lucie and the Mets are less than an hour away.

From a prospect watch point of view, the Nationals system (No. 11, previously No. 10) has been considered in the top 15 for a while now. The Astros farm system (No. 6, previously No. 3) has been in the top five for a few seasons, as well.

It cannot hurt to be partners with another up-and-coming club. I also think it helps that the Astros are an American League team because there might be a better chance of trading with them because you wouldn't see them as many times as you would a team from the National League. This is a good reason why general manager Mike Rizzo finds willing trading partners in the White Sox and, for many years, the A's.

That's why I believe that Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and Rizzo will become fast friends these next few weeks and months. If they haven't already commiserated about their rosters, they will now. And each will be able to see these players in action daily and not have to rely on a scouting report.

Astros director of player personnel Quinton McCracken and his Nationals counterpart, Doug Harris, will talk - if they haven't already. Nationals senior advisor Bob Boone and director of player development Mark Scialabba most likely will have a chance to meet and talk with the Astros assistant general manager Mike Elias and the likes of special assistants to the general manager Craig Biggio, Enos Cabell and Roger Clemens.

You have to believe that the Nationals sharing a facility with the Astros will give each club an opportunity to get to know the other's player personnel at field level, and it's a good bet they will work together to help each other out with a trade or player acquisition in the future.