The Washington Nationals had a rare day off from the Grapefruit League schedule on Monday and are right back at it today welcoming the Boston Red Sox to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Here is the Bovada 2017 World Series Odds (below). The Red Sox are tied with the Cubs for the top of the Vegas line. The Nationals are tied for 5th in the odds just behind the Dodgers. Today, two of the highest rated teams, the Red Sox and Nationals, face each other for the first of four Spring Training games. By the end of Spring Training, the Nationals and Red Sox will play three straight games against each other with what should be close to their final rosters prior to the start of the regular season. Could this game be a foreshadowing of something bigger?
The Nationals are also having Max Scherzer pitch a live BP today using a three-finger grip for his fastball. We should also find out shortly how some of the late roster additions are doing like Joe Blanton and Matt Wieters who have not appeared in a game to this point in Spring Training.
Another important date coming up is a week away on March 15th where teams can release arbitration players and only be responsible for 1/6th of their arbitration salary. This is rare for a team to release an arbitration player at this point in the season, but it is possible. Derek Norris has an uncertain future with the Nationals, and Jose Lobaton is the other player vying for the back-up catcher’s role. Any decision with Norris could impact the 2018 roster as Norris is under Nationals’ team control for this season and next year also.
The game today will be televised on MASN, and radio coverage will be on Boston’s feed. Yesterday Dan Steinberg of the DC Sports Bog on WaPo wrote some facts on the lack of coverage by MASN compared to other team’s coverage and found only the Oakland A’s have fewer televised games.
Today’s line-up is:
- Trea Turner SS
- Jayson Werth DH
- Bryce Harper RF
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Adam Eaton CF
- Derek Norris C
- Chris Heisey LF
- Wilmer Difo 2B
Joe Ross RHP
