Wire Taps: Reckoning with Bryce Harper and his legacy; Bag policy update; Cleaning up the Nationals’ clubhouse

The Nats, if you can believe it, had a day off yesterday. They’re 6-5, only behind Baltimore and the city that shall not be named in winning percentage. Bowl of grapefruit, here we come!

Here’s the scoop from South Capitol:

Cleaning up “the mess”: Inside the Nationals clubhouse overhaul (The Athletic)
Last year's Nationals clubhouse was a dumpster fire, from Brandon Kintzler to Shawn Kelley to Mike Rizzo. But everyone thinks that adding Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki — two guys who the baseball world regards as leaders and good guys — as well as Trevor Rosenthal, Patrick Corbin, Matt Adams, and Aníbal Sánchez could undo the damage — and Howie Kendrick should help as well.

Nationals' Tres Barrera Enjoying His First Big League Spring Training (Baseball America)
Barrera caught in the AFL last season, and hit .263 in Potomac. This year will be a more important litmus test for his offensive future.

Bryce Harper still matters to me. Sorry. (WaPo)
"And so I probably care less about Bryce Harper the human being or Bryce Harper the slugger than I do about Bryce Harper the symbol: what he meant to you as you fell in love with these Nats or as you reveled in their rise or as you rooted against them or as they let you down yet again and what he means to you now that he’s gone."

Bryce Harper should have a legacy in Washington. Why can’t I find it? (WaPo)
Every iconic Nats moment minus a few (ultimately) meaningless playoff home runs doesn't include Bryce Harper. He wasn't the best player in the game. He never really convinced us he loved DC beyond a few Tweets. He was an ad revenue force at most.

Nationals Opening Day roster nearly set (MLB.com)
The player on the hottest seat may be Wilmer Difo, who is now in a serious competition with Adrian Sánchez (a player the Nats want to turn into a super-utility man) for the spot next to Howie Kendrick.

Projecting the Nationals 25-man roster (NBCSW)
The biggest surprise here is Wander Suero, in case you thought there were any questions left about this year's team.

After backpack ban, Nationals will provide storage lockers at park — for a fee (WTOP)
The team will give away a number of drawstring bags, and anyone who wants to can store a bag in a locker for a "nominal fee" that goes up to $10.

After backpack ban, Nats announce lockers will be available outside ballpark for a fee (WaPo)
In a shocking turn of events, fans weren't super happy to hear that the team will now charge them *and* inconvenience them.

Update to Nationals New Bag Policy — Storage Lockers Available for Backpacks (Press Release)
"We recognize this will present an inconvenience to some fans. We pride ourselves on offering a first-class fan experience. Part of our responsibility, then, is to ensure that when we make decisions that impact you directly, we also consider how to make the changes as seamless as possible."