Will Ronnie Belliard get the starting nod at second base over Felipe Lopez?

Catchers – Johnny Estrada, Paul Lo Duca

Taking care of the Nationals catching duties this season will be two ex-Mets (yes, I know, Estrada was a Met for about 45 minutes), with a third ex-Met, Jesus Flores, waiting patiently in AAA for his opportunity. Both Estrada and Lo Duca have battled injuries this off-season (Estrada-elbow, Lo Duca- knee), but Lo Duca should be ready to play shortly, and appears to be penciled in as the starter. Lo Duca is not a "sexy" pick at catcher, but he's highly unlikely to hurt your team as many catchers can. If you don't want to spend on the big boys, Lo Duca can provide a solid, low-cost option. Expect something similar to last year (.272/.311/.378-9-54), with the potential for a higher batting average (he is a career .288 hitter).

First Base – Dmitri Young, Nick Johnson

There's no denying it, both of these guys can flat out hit. Of course, hitting is not the concern. The concern is that Nick Johnson has not played since a nauseating broken leg at Shea Stadium in late 2006, and Dmitri Young reportedly arrived at camp a shade under 300 pounds. I would expect Johnson to be the Opening Day starter, but given his very negative injury history, you have to take the “Moises Alou approach” with him, and simply hope for 100 games. Anything else is a bonus. The good news is that if/when Johnson is in there, he's an OBP machine, who, health permitting, can give you 20 home runs and 80 RBI as well. As far as Da Meat Hook is concerned, he will either be traded at some point, or will spell Johnson enough to get you 10 home runs and 50 runs batted in, to go with an average around .290 (I would not expect him to hit .320 again).

Middle Infielders – Felipe Lopez, Cristian Guzman, Ronnie Belliard

Cristian Guzman was a godsend last year (albeit in only 46 games), batting over 100 points higher than his 2005 season with the Nationals (he missed all of 2006 with a shoulder injury), before tearing a ligament in his thumb and missing the rest of the season. I sincerely question whether he can maintain a .320 average all season, and with only 174 at-bats in the last two seasons, he's as much an injury risk as Nick Johnson. However, Manny Acta appears to love him, and he is penciled in as the Nationals leadoff hitter, so there is certainly value here, especially in the runs, and theoretically, the stolen base department.  Ronnie Belliard proved to be an outstanding pickup for the Nationals, as he put together a solid all-around season, with double digit home runs, and a .290 average. As of this writing, he appears to have a leg up on Felipe Lopez for the starting second base job.  Double-digit home runs should be a given for Belliard.  The remaining middle infielder is Felipe Lopez, who is getting virtually no love, despite 24 stolen bases last year, along with 70 runs scored, and 9 home runs. He is also just one year removed from a 40 stolen base season, and two years removed from a 20 home run season.  Although he appears to be the odd man out at this point, I would certainly keep Lopez on my radar, especially given Cristian Guzman's brutal injury history, and previous struggles at the plate.

Third Base – Ryan Zimmerman, Rob Mackowiak

Although Zimmerman had a fine 2007 campaign, he appeared to regress a little bit, with a drop in batting average, OBP, slugging percentage, RBI, and stolen bases. The good news is that he is only 23-years-old, and remains a threat for 100 runs and runs batted in. He has the power to hit 30 home runs, but we don't know what to expect from the Nationals’ new park at this point (GM Jim Bowden has suggested it will favor pitchers). Add in the fact that Zimmerman had off-season surgery for a broken hamate bone (wrist), and you may want to temper your expectations for Zimmerman's power output this season. I would think that a .275-25-90 season is certainly within reach, but hardly a given.  Mackowiak's greatest value was that he could play multiple positions. Since the Nationals have adequate backups at the other positions he plays, he should have virtually no value this year, barring an injury.

Outfielders – Wily Mo Pena, Lastings Milledge, Austin Kearns, Elijah Dukes, Willie Harris

Starting in left field for the Nationals will be Wily Mo Pena. Pena has always had legitimate power, with extremely questionable plate discipline (approximately 1 walk every 5 games for his career). With a full time role, 20-25 home runs is absolutely attainable, with upside for 30 or more. However, the Nationals have several talented outfielders, and they may not be extremely patient with Pena, if he struggles out of the gate.  In center field is Lastings Milledge, another ex-Met, acquired this off-season in a deal for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider. Milledge has seemingly been around forever, due in part to the New York press, but also due to some "controversy" over his attitude and antics (which, as a Mets fan,  I thought were vastly overblown). It's worth mentioning that he will only be 23-years-old to start the season. I like Milledge's skill set, and he may have a chip on his shoulder after being discarded to Washington for what many Mets fans thought was a mediocre return. I'm predicting a 20-20 season for Milledge.  In right field will be Austin Kearns, who was solid last year, but just has not fulfilled the promise that he displayed when he was first coming up. It may be time to lower expectations for Kearns, although, a 20-25 home run season is not out of reach. And hey, he's still only 27 (28 in May), so he could easily put it all together this year.  The Nationals bench outfielders include talented, but potentially psychotic Elijah Dukes, speedster Willie Harris, defensive specialist Ryan Langerhans, and 26 year-old prospect Kory Casto. Dukes and Harris could have some value in deep leagues, but there is no need to rush out and grab them, unless there is an injury.

Starting Rotation – Shawn Hill, Jason Bergman, Matt Chico, John Patterson, Tim Redding, John Lannan, Odalis Perez(?)

The Nationals starters do have some potential, but the two best of the bunch, Shawn Hill and John Patterson may be hard pressed to top 200 innings combined, let alone individually. As of this writing, Shawn Hill has just received a cortisone shot in his throwing arm, which is generally not a good sign. If healthy, he is a solid pitcher, although, he will not be a huge strikeout guy. I would expect about 150 innings, at most, with an ERA slightly less than 4.00, and a WHIP below 1.200.  Patterson has reported no injury problems this spring.....so far. Although, he has a world of talent and 2005 showed how good he can be (3.13, 1.19, 185 strikeouts), I would not touch him with a 10-foot pole, until he proves that he can pitch more than 3 starts in a row without getting hurt.  The remainder of the potential rotation is a mish-mash of inexperience (Matt Chico, John Lannan, Jason Bergmann), former "can't miss" prospects (Tim Redding), and pure evil (no Odalis, I have not forgiven you for 2006 yet). Some of these guys are interesting as late $1-2 gambles (Chico and Bergmann most of all), but do not expect too much from anyone here.

Bullpen – Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Ray King, Luis Ayala, Jesus Colome, Saul Rivera, Brandon Claussen, Mike Bacsik, Ross Detwiler

Chad Cordero burst on the scene in 2003, and has been effective ever since, although, he appears to regress slightly every year. Last season he put on far more base runners than ever before, and despite the 37 saves, he may be walking a very thin line if his strikeout numbers drop any further. Of course, Cordero is constantly the subject of trade rumors (and probably not to a team that needs a closer), and you should certainly keep that in mind when selecting him. Still, assuming he stays on the Nationals all year, he is pretty much a lock for 30 saves, and he should have an earned run average in the low 3.00's, with a lower WHIP than last year, albeit somewhat higher than 2006 (1.10). Think 1.20.  If you are going to consider the likelihood of Cordero being traded when drafting, you obviously must consider Jon Rauch, the likely successor to Cordero. Rauch has been a workhorse the past two seasons, amassing about 180 innings. He cut down on his walks last season, as well as his strikeouts, but his earned run average rose a bit. Still, if he keeps the walks and home runs down, he is a fine middle reliever (and a stud if you count holds as a category). And the potential of him inheriting Cordero's closer role adds a buck or two to his value.  Out of the rest of the pen, Ray King is a lefty specialist (ignore); Ayala has some value as he begins his first full season since Tommy John surgery, and the rest are not worth rostering unless you are in an extremely deep NL-Only league (or can roster minor leaguers- in which case, Detwiler is not bad).

Projected Lineup

Cristian Guzman SS

Lastings Milledge CF

Dmitri Young/Nick Johnson 1B

Ryan Zimmerman 3B

Wily Mo Pena LF

Austin Kearns RF

Ronnie Belliard 2B

Paul Lo Duca C

Projected Rotation

Shawn Hill

John Patterson

Jason Bergmann

Matt Chico

Tim Redding

Closer

Chad Cordero

Next in Line

Jon Rauch