Nationals’ Daniel Murphy will reportedly play for USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic

We already knew that Max Scherzer was planning on pitching for the US squad in the upcoming 2017 World Baseball Classic.

It has also been reported that Bryce Harper is opting to sit this one out after initially expressing interest in competing for the USA in the WBC.

According to a report on Twitter this afternoon by MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, there is another Washington National planning on competing in the latest edition of the international baseball competition:

As the second tweet from the WBC’s official Twitter account notes, the US team has not yet confirmed that either Arizona’s first baseman or D.C.’s second baseman will participate.

Murphy finished the first year of his 3-year/$37.5M deal with the Nationals at career-high 5.5 fWAR, with a .347/.390/.595 line, 47 doubles and 25 home runs in 142 games and 582 plate appearances in 2016.

“If you can punch your ticket to the dance, you’ve always got a chance.” - Daniel Murphy

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

LINK: Daniel Murphy on his first season in D.C., potentially reoccurring injury

Murphy did not mention his intention to play for the USA in the WBC when he spoke to reporters earlier this month at the Nationals’ Winterfest event, though he did say he was already hard at work preparing for the 2017 campaign.

Scherzer talked about his interest in representing the USA during his own interview, though he said he wasn’t sure how he would be used.

The 2016 Cy Young Award winner said all it took for him to decide to play was a call from Team USA’s manager, Jim Leyland, who managed the right-hander in Detroit in 2012-13.

“When Jim Leyland calls,” Scherzer said, “I have so much respect for Jim Leyland, that when he asked me to play, you don’t say no.”

The 2017 WBC gets underway in early March and continues until March 20-22 when the Championship Round takes place in Los Angeles.