Hello everyone from rainy Atlanta, or at least what I think is Atlanta. I can't see out the window of my hotel room right now because the cloud cover is so low. Hoping we can get tonight's game in, but don't be surprised if there are delays. In the meantime, there's plenty to talk about your 1-7 Nationals. Not necessarily good things to talk about, but things to talk about nonetheless. Let's get to your questions...

Q: The starting pitching seems to be improving. Are there any other improvements you see?
-- David R., Alexandria

A: First off, yes, the starting pitching has been much better since the first time around the order. Shawn Hill is going to be a quality major-league pitcher as long as he stays healthy (and so far, there's no reason to believe he won't). John Patterson is starting to come around, though he's still nowhere close to his top form from 2005. Matt Chico has shown he's got the mental toughness to handle what will be an up-and-down rookie season. And Jerome Williams and Jason Bergmann showed marked improvement in their second starts.

Other improvements? Well, there aren't many, because the offense as a whole has struggled. But Chris Snelling has looked solid since taking over for Kory Casto in left field, and Ronnie Belliard has been a godsend both at the plate and in the field (his one egregious error in Atlanta aside). Ryan Church has been the club's most-productive hitter and looks relaxed at long last. There are still several key offensive contributors who need to turn things on, though, headlined by Ryan Zimmerman, Austin Kearns and Brian Schneider.

Q: If the Nationals are rebuilding a team, why aren't they letting some of the rookies get in there a little more like Levale Speigner? All the relief pitchers need to get a chance in a pressure-type situation.
-- Thomas

A: Maybe so, but there's still a heirarchy to these things. Manny Acta's first objective is to try to win games, and that means he's going to use his best and most-proven relievers in the late innings of tight ballgames. Chad Cordero is his closer, Jon Rauch is his primary set-up man, Micah Bowie is the left-handed specialist, and Ryan Wagner and Jesus Colome are the sixth- and seventh-inning guys.

Speigner's role is as a long reliever, and while there may not be much glory in that, it's still an important role on a ballclub, especially one with so many questions about its starting rotation. Speigner is capable of throwing multiple innings, so that's why he's valuable in that role. However, his future might well be as a starter, so don't be surprised if he's bumped up to the rotation at some point this season.

Q: I am fully on board with Stan Kasten's "Plan," but we have to keep in mind that even when the minor league pieces look like they are falling into place, the players we amass still need to perform.

For instance, Zech Zinicola, who everybody assumed would be in the majors sometime this summer, is pitching terribly in Harrisburg, with an ERA over 16.50. On the other hand, the team continues to work under the radar by picking up former prospects like Brent Abernathy for our Class AAA team.

I guess the point is that the Nats will need some luck along with good scouting – some of the scrap heap acquisitions need to blossom, because not all high draft picks will pan out as intended.
-- Kevin Costello, Fairfax

A: Good points, all. As much as the Nationals are touting all the top prospects they've added to the system in the last year, history tells us only a percentage of them will actually make it to the major leagues, let alone become productive players.
Kasten and Co. have done well to stock up at certain premium positions, and that's the best way to ensure success in the long run.

Look at shortstop: Washington has three highly touted prospects (Esmailyn Gonzalez, Stephen King and Ian Desmond), which should increase the odds that at least one of them makes it. And if by some chance two of them pan out, that organizational depth can be used as trade bait to help fill other more glaring holes.

But the No. 1 point to remember is this: Big-name prospects don't always become major league stars. And conversely, no-name minor leaguers often burst onto the scene to become key contributors.

Q: Can you tell me why they did not trade Alfonso Soriano last year when they could, if they knew he was not going to re-sign with them, for players that could help this team in the future?
-- Jim Ward, Kentucky

A: All these months later, the Soriano saga still comes up, and rightfully so. The Nats' decision to let him walk as a free agent will have lasting ramifications for the organization.

To repeat how the whole process went down: 1) The Nats tried to sign Soriano to a long-term deal last summer; he declined. 2) The Nats tried to trade him last summer, but according to the club, did not receive any offers worth accepting (only second-level prospects). 3) The Nats made one last attempt to re-sign him after the season but came nowhere close to matching the Cubs' eight-year, $136 million offer. 4) Washington decided the best course of action was to let Soriano walk and accept two draft picks (a sandwich pick after the first round and a second-round pick) from Chicago as compensation.

In the end, was it the right move? It'll be years until we can say for sure, based on how those soon-to-be-drafted players pan out.

Hi everyone and welcome to our second live chat of the regular season. It's been an interesting week, what with the Nats turning things around to win three of four, playing well against the Mets and Braves and then honoring the fallen in Blacksburg by wearing Virginia Tech hats last night. Very nice tribute, the brainchild of devoted Nats fan (and message board poster/moderator) Dave Lanham.

Jason Bergmann vs. Adam Eaton tonight at RFK, with fourth place in the NL East on the line against the struggling Phillies. Let's get to your questions, and remember, to submit your own, either e-mail me at natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com, or just click on the submit link at the top of the page...

Q: Now that Nick Johnson is further along in his rehab, any guess as to when he'll be ready to rejoin the Nats? -- Jason Hankey, Silver Spring

A: The club still isn't putting any official timetable on it, but I'm starting to think it could be sooner than we all thought. If you had asked me on the first day of spring training, I'd have said there was no way Johnson would be back before the All-Star break (and I wouldn't have been stunned if he didn't play this season at all).

But Nick has made some significant strides since then. He's now running full-speed, doing agility drills, playing catch and hitting balls off his knees. He's still got a long way to go, and it's going to take time for him to get his baseball skills back, but maybe (just maybe) we could see him before mid-July.

Q: How has the pickup of Dmitri Young affected the Nats' clubhouse so far this season? I would think having a veteran like Young around would be beneficial for a team as young as Washington. -- Shane, D.C.

A: You're right: Young has had a positive influence on the Nationals' clubhouse, which may come as a surprise to some (considering his off-the-field issues from last year). But Young has always been a popular and respected player among his peers, and he takes his role of clubhouse leader seriously.

I also think this offseason humbled him. After getting released by the Tigers and finding out he has diabetes, Young was forced to swallow his pride and accept a minor-league deal to come to spring training in Viera. He wound up embracing the whole thing and using his month at minor-league camp to get to know some of the young prospects in the system and take them under his wing.

At the time, the Young singing looked questionable. These days, it looks like a brilliant move.

Hi everyone and welcome to our regularly scheduled, weekly live chat. I'm actually not in Philadelphia with the Nats -- taking this series off in preparation for the upcoming, three-city, nine-game trip to San Diego, Chicago and Milwaukee -- so I'm typing to you from right here in the greater Washington metro area. That doesn't mean I can't still offer plenty of insight into this club, which has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride for the last week or so. If you have a question you'd like to ask, click on the above link or just e-mail them directly to natsmailbag@washingtontimes.com. Let's get started...

Q: I know the Nationals' bullpen remains one this team's strengths, but hasn't that group as a whole pitched worse than expected? -- Wayne Hopper, Arlington

A: Yes, it has. Washington relievers have a 4.53 ERA, second worst in the National League. That number is still better than the rotation's 4.81 collective ERA, but we all knew the starters were going to struggle.

The bullpen was supposed to help keep this team in games and be able to maintain a late lead. That hasn't happened nearly enough, and it's largely an indictment of three guys who were supposed to be Manny Acta's go-to guys: Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch and Ryan Wagner. Each has an ERA of more than 5.00, and each has been hit hard in crucial situations of games.

The Nationals are going to need all of them to return to their top form if they want to remain competitive.

Q: What are the dimensions of the Nationals' new ballpark? Will it be a pitcher-friendly haven like RFK, or will guys have a better chance of hitting home runs? -- Steven Koren, Washington

A: We won't really know until we get into the place and see how the ball travels, but all indications are it will be a fair park that doesn't favor either hitters or pitchers.

The dimensions are 332 feet down the left-field line, 377 feet to the left-center gap, 409 feet to center field, 370 feet to the right-center gap and 335 down the right-field line. There will be an 8-foot tall fence in left that goes up to 12 feet in center and right. Just based on those numbers and drawings I've seen, it looks like right-center will be the place to try to hit them out. Left-center could require more of a poke.