Five questions that need answers

1. Who plays first base for the Nationals?
It was scheduled to be Nick Johnson, but the club signed veteran left-handed slugger Adam Dunn to a two-year deal on Wednesday. Dmitri Young is also still on the team, but as a non-roster invitee.

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2. Can Joel Hanrahan become the full-time closer?
The answer is yes, as long as he lowers his walk totals. Hanrahan became a reliever last year and was named the closer last July, when Washington traded right-hander Jon Rauch to Arizona for infielder Emilio Bonifacio. The results for Hanrahan were mixed, as he posted a 3.96 ERA with nine saves.

3. Who is the everyday second baseman?
Right now, it's Anderson Hernandez. It's not a secret that he is special with the glove, but he surprised many with the bat last season, hitting .333 with 17 RBIs in 28 games for Washington. But if Hernandez falters, look for manager Manny Acta to go to Ronnie Belliard or Willie Harris. Both players have done well off the bench.

4. Should Harris play every day?
The answer is yes. He is the Nationals' best leadoff hitter and can play all three outfield positions, but Washington still considers him no more than a fourth outfielder. The Nationals seem set on giving Elijah Dukes, Austin Kearns, Lastings Milledge and Josh Willingham a chance at the three starting outfield spots.

5. Will Bowden make a move during Spring Training?
Even with the Dunn signing, it seems likely that Bowden will do something, but how big will the deal be? He most likely will have to make a trade to improve the team, because second baseman Orlando Hudson has not accepted the club's offers.

2008 record
59-102, fifth place, National League East

Projected batting order
1. 2B Anderson Hernandez:
  .333 BA, .407 OBP, .383 SLG, 0 HRs, 17 RBIs in 2008
2. SS Cristian Guzman:
  .316 BA, .345 OBP, .440 SLG, 9 HR, 55 RBI in 2008
3. 3B Ryan Zimmerman:
  .283 BA, .333 OBP, .442 SLG, 14 HR, 51 RBI in 2008
4. 1B Adam Dunn:
  .236 BA, .386 OBP, .513 SLG, 40 HR, 100 RBI in 2008
5. RF Elijah Dukes:
  .264 BA, .386 OBP, .478 SLG, 13 HR, 44 RBI in 2008
6. CF Lastings Milledge:
  .268 BA, .330 OBP, .402 SLG, 14 HR, 61 RBI in 2008
7. LFJosh Willingham:
  .254 BA, .364 OBP, .470 SLG, 15 HR, 51 RBI in 2008
8. C Jesus Flores:
  .256 BA, .296 OBP, .402 SLG, 8 HR, 59 RBI in 2008

Projected rotation
1. John Lannan, 9-15, 3.91 ERA in 2008
2. Scott Olsen, 8-11, 4.20 ERA in 2008
3. Odalis Perez, 7-12, 4.34 ERA in 2008
4. Daniel Cabrera, 8-10, 5.25 ERA in 2008
5. Jordan Zimmermann, 10-3, 2.89 ERA in Minors in 2008

Projected bullpen
Closer: Joel Hanrahan, 9/13 saves, 3.95 ERA in 2008
RH setup man: Saul Rivera, 3.96 ERA in 2008
RH setup man: Garrett Mock, 4.17 ERA in 2008

The new guys
Dunn: The 29-year-old veteran will add some pop to the middle of the Nats' batting order. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound slugger has five consecutive 40-homer seasons and sports a career .518 slugging percentage.

Cabrera: There are days when Cabrera is good and other days when he is hit hard. The Nationals are hoping that pitching coach Randy St. Claire can make Cabrera a more consistent pitcher like he did with Perez.

A ground-ball pitcher, Cabrera has induced 27 percent more ground balls (1,204) in his career than fly balls (880). His 63 double-play grounders during the past three seasons ranked eighth in the American League.

Olsen: The 24-year-old lefty figures to be part of a Nationals rotation that finished with a 4.97 ERA in 2008. The southpaw threw a career-high 201 2/3 innings. It was his best season since '06, when he went 12-10 with a 4.04 ERA. It helped that he developed a changeup to go along with his fastball and slider. Olsen is so confident about his abilities that he said he wants to be the ace of the Nationals' rotation this season.

Willingham: He still has a herniated disc in his lower back. However, Dr. Wiemi Douoguih, the Nationals' medical director, said the right-handed-hitting Willingham should be ready for Spring Training.

Terrell Young: A Rule 5 Draft pick, Young, 23, is expected to compete for a spot in Washington's bullpen. Young had a combined 2.88 ERA in 2008 for Class A Sarasota and Class A Dayton. In 43 relief outings, he tallied a 1.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio (47 strikeouts/28 walks), a statistic he has improved each season since '06.

Prospects to watch
Zimmermann: There is a good reason the Nationals are projecting him to be part of their rotation. Zimmermann, Washington's second-round selection in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, went a combined 10-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 25 games for Double-A Harrisburg and Class A Potomac in 2008. He led the entire organization in ERA and strikeouts (134), and finished tied for first in wins.

The 22-year-old earned midseason Eastern League All-Star honors, his second All-Star selection in as many years as a professional. He went 7-2 with a 3.21 ERA in 20 starts for Harrisburg. Prior to his May 4 promotion to Double-A, Zimmermann dominated the Carolina League, going 3-1 with one save and a 1.65 ERA in five appearances with Potomac.

Chris Marrero: Washington wants him to report to Spring Training early after missing half of the '08 season because of a broken right fibula. The Nationals also want to see how Marrero handles Major League pitching and how he performs defensively at first base.

Defense has been Marrero's biggest bugaboo. He started out as a third baseman, but he's blocked there because of Ryan Zimmerman. Marrero then switched to left field, but he didn't have enough range for the spot, so he was moved to first base, where he's expected to be for years to come.

On the rebound
Matt Chico: He was one of the Nationals' top pitchers in 2007, but he had left elbow reconstruction surgery last year and is not expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Shawn Hill: The man is talented, but right elbow problems have kept him off the mound. He is expected to be 100 percent by Spring Training, but the Nationals are not counting on him like they did in the past.

Johnson: Nobody questions his talent. The team is just frustrated that he gets injured and misses a lot of time every year. With the signing of Dunn, he will now be relegated to a reserve role.

Kearns: He had one of his worst seasons because of right elbow and left foot problems. For the first time since he became a member of the Nationals, Kearns has to fight for a starting job. He may end up being a fourth outfielder.

Wily Mo Pena: The '08 season was supposed his breakout season, but he hardly saw any time on the field because of a serious injury to his left shoulder.

Young: He missed most of the '08 season because of injuries and diabetes. By the offseason, he was designated for assignment, but he elected to stay with the Nationals. The chances are slim that he will get a lot of playing time.

Long gone
Chad Cordero: One of the best closers in Nationals/Expos history, Cordero was designated for assignment and elected to become a free agent. He still hasn't pitched on a mound after having shoulder surgery.

Bonifacio: The Nationals said he was their second baseman of the future, but they ended up trading him to the Marlins for Olsen and Willingham last November.

Tim Redding: The Nationals simply did not want to give the right-hander a raise because he had a tough second half, so he was non-tendered.

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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