Wire Taps: Nationals may use more than one closer; Phils get Jake Arrieta; Adam Eaton close to big leagues

Look. This column has shamelessly begged for Jake Arrieta to sign.

With that said:

We didn’t mean it like that.

Here’s the news from Nats Park.

(17 days until Opening Day)

Doolittle, Madson, Kintzler may all close
Dave Martinez has three arms with experience closing — and even though Sean Doolittle will have the job when he's healthy and rested, it doesn't mean that he'll be unafraid to use Brandon Kintzler or Ryan Madson in a situation where Doolittle needs some time. Also apparently he's interested in using Joaquin Benoit in high-leverage situations, which sounds like a *bad idea*.

Phillies land Jake Arrieta, and Nationals deal with rotation questions
Suddenly, the Phillies' rotation rivals that of the Nats, and Philly's status as a sleeper contender for the NL Wild Card is only growing by the day. Now, the question: will the Nationals retaliate?

Adam Eaton is close to playing in big-league games
Eaton, who tore his ACL last April, has been spending time in minor league games, where the Nats can control his activities more. As a function of keeping him there, Victor Robles is getting a whole lot of at-bats.

Brandon Kintzler is an impromptu Nationals pitching coach, and even Max Scherzer is listening
Kintzler is more than willing to tell his teammates what he's thinking about their pitching, and will tell you if he's unhappy or has an opinion (thus: "salty"). It doesn't matter if you're Max Scherzer or Erick Fedde, you're getting some advice, even if it's about the placement of your big toe.

Astros will visit White House today
They leave West Palm Beach in the morning, go to the White House during the day, and come back home by the evening. Since the team isn't going to be in the D.C. area until they play the O's in September, they're making the trip now.

Adam Eaton near return from left knee injury
Eaton's main obstacle at this point is not running or sliding, but instead surrounds the timing of his swing — but the team is convinced he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Today’s Game: Nationals vs. Tigers
Probable Pitchers: Edwin Jackson vs. Matthew Boyd