In taking a brief look at the Washington Nationals forty-man roster it is clear that the majority of spots are filled, but because of injuries and lack of performance a couple of competitions have emerged.

The first Spring Training battle that Beltway Bias will look at is starting second baseman and backup infielders. Daniel Murphy will be the starting second basemen for the majority of 2018, but time is running low for him to be ready for Opening Day. Assuming that he is not ready, who will start? And then who will replace the new starter on the bench?

The competition for the starting role is between Howie Kenrdick and Wilmer Difo. Kendrick was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Nationals during the season last year for minor league pitcher Mckenzie Mills. His versatility and timely hitting quickly made him a popular option for Dusty Baker. Wilmer Difo, who was signed as an international free agent in 2010., also had a break out year for the Nationals last year. He hit .271/.319/.370 (Batting Average, On Base %, Slugging) while logging playing time at six different positions.

Before the Spring Training start it would seem that this battle for the starting second baseman job would be evenly matched, but unfortunately Wilmer Difo is in the middle of slump. He is only batting .163/.200/.186 compared to Kendrick’s .320/.379/.400 for this spring. My prediction is that Howie Kendrick will win in the job.

While Kendrick and Difo both are super utility players, Kendrick’s main role on the bench will be the right-handed back-up outfielder. If Kendrick is starting, the Nationals may look to add another outfielder for the 25-man roster. On the other hand, if Difo were to start, the Nationals may look to add another infielder. Additionally, the Nationals could just go with the most convenient option and hope that the Murphy will be back quickly.

There are still many options left in camp. The players who are on a minor league contracts with an invite to Spring Training are INF Reid Brignac, UTL Chris Dominguez, OF Ryan Raburn, and OF Moises Sierra. These players would require the Nationals to create an opening in their forty-man roster. The Nationals also have INF Matt Reynolds, INF Adrian Sanchez, and OF Andrew Stevenson on their forty-man roster to choose from for this open spot that will not require an additionally move. Lets take a deeper look at the Nationals’ options:

INF – Reid Brignac is not having a great spring at the plate, but he has been able to draw 9 walks to raise his on base percentage to .459 despite his batting average is .208.

UTL – Chris Dominguez has history playing at third base, first base, and some corner outfield and is having an impressive spring campaign. He is batting .342/.333/.658.

INF – Matt Reynolds was picked up after the Mets designated him for assignment before camp and is seeing the ball extremely well, batting .278 and slugging .417, but his on base percentage is an impressive .469.

INF – Adrian Sanchez is a 27 year old INF who has been in the Nationals system for eleven season. He finally made his debut this past season. He has the ability to play third base, shortstop, and second base. This spring he is batting a .200/.250/.233 slash line.

OF – Ryan Raburn had some time with the Nationals this past season but he has not had the best spring. He is batting .053/.182/.053 but his familiarity with the role in DC may factor into Davey Martinez’s decision.

OF – Moises Sierra is probably the biggest surprise of the camp. He is a corner outfield with MLB experience. He is batting .353/.420/.533 this spring and he has turned a lot of heads in Florida.

OF – Andrew Stevenson is having an impressive spring as well. He is batting .233/.298/.395 and his ability to play all three outfield positions, speed on the base paths, and being on the forty-man option makes him an attractive option. The only down side is that Brian Goodwin, who is set to be on the bench, has the same skill set.

I believe that the two front-runners for the job are Matt Reynolds and Moises Sierra. It is hard to predict whether the Nationals will choose to take an infielder or an outfielder with their final spot. They are both right-handed and can play multiple positions. I would give the edge to Matt Reynolds because the Nationals will not have to designate any players for assignment to create his roster spot.

There is a distinct possibility that because of the play of Wilmer Difo this spring that the Nationals may choose to option him down to Syracuse Chiefs. This will give him consistent at-bats to break out of this slump. This would also allow the Nationals too carry two of the above listed and I would assume that it will be both Sierra and Reynolds at this point in camp.

Keep an eye on our social media pages as we try to keep up with the roster moves before Opening Day.