The Nationals unveiled slugger Adam Dunn in style Feb. 12, with a team spokesman calling the announcement of Dunn's signing a "historic day" and principal owner Mark Lerner suggesting Dunn could be the slugger the town has been waiting for since his childhood hero, Frank Howard.
But no one was biting on the question of where Dunn will play. The only thing that's certain at this point is that Dunn will get time at both first base and left field during spring training, and that he's likely to unseat an established veteran no matter where he starts. The only hint manager Manny Acta gave was that the team would enjoy having Dunn, a left-hander with a .381 lifetime on-base percentage, in the same lineup as first baseman Nick Johnson (whose OBP is routinely around .400).
Johnson arrived at the team's spring training complex in Viera, Fla., a week before the mandatory reporting date to work with new hitting coach Rick Eckstein and continue rehabbing the torn tendon sheath in his right wrist that ended his season last May.
As heated as a Dunn/Johnson competition could be at first, the battle could be even stiffer if Dunn lands in the outfield. The Nationals already have a surplus of players fighting for the three spots, including Dunn's close friend Austin Kearns, who is in danger of being unseated in right field after an injury-filled and ineffective 2008 season.
Dunn said he would be willing to play either position, and as secretive as Acta has been about his roster in past springs, it's likely Dunn will rotate between the two positions throughout the next seven weeks while the manager trots out each possible scenario.
"Don't think that it hasn't come to our thoughts about what a great lineup it could be, having two guys that are close to .400 on-base percentage, left-handed bats with pop in the lineup," Acta said. "It's still open. At the end of camp, we're just going to do what's best for the Nationals to win."
WHERE, WHEN: Space Coast Stadium, Viera, Fla. First exhibition game is Feb. 25 against the Astros in Kissimmee, Fla.
TOP CANDIDATE TO SURPRISE: 2B Anderson Hernandez has never managed to hit consistently in the major leagues. But the 26-year-old posted a .333 average in 28 games after his acquisition from the Mets last fall, and he was voted the second most-valuable player of the Dominican winter league. With an opportunity to win Washington's starting second base job, Hernandez could be primed for a career rejuvenation.
TOP CANDIDATE TO DISAPPOINT: RHP Shawn Hill was touted as perhaps the Nationals' future ace when he arrived at spring training in 2008. But persistent forearm pain derailed his season and left him with an unsure future. Hill says he's healthy again, but he's never managed to make it through a full year intact, and there's little reason to believe he can reverse course now.
AUTHORITY FIGURES: Manny Acta is well-respected throughout the Nationals organization and throughout baseball. But after a dismal 2008 season that saw Washington lose 102 games, Acta could find himself on the hot seat. The club has yet to pick up his option for 2010, leaving him a lame duck. GM Jim Bowden also fired all of Acta's staff (except for pitching coach Randy St. Claire) at the end of the season, putting more pressure on the manager to deliver this year.
Play FOX Fantasy Baseball today
