The Nationals’ Blake Treinen runs on the warning track after he pitched during Monday’s intrasquad game in Viera, Fla.

Feb. 29, 2016 The Nationals’ Blake Treinen runs on the warning track after he pitched during Monday’s intrasquad game in Viera, Fla. Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post

The Nationals continue spring workouts as new Manager Dusty Baker puts names to faces, charms fans and roams the fields of Viera, Fla.

The Nationals continue spring workouts as new Manager Dusty Baker puts names to faces, charms fans and roams the fields of Viera, Fla.

The Nationals continue spring workouts as new Manager Dusty Baker puts names to faces, charms fans and roams the fields of Viera, Fla.

Danny Espinosa, who likely will be a significant part of the Washington Nationals’ middle infield this season, explained the key to good team defense this way: Good defenses make routine plays look like routine plays. And they make all of them.

“If you don’t make that play, give them the extra out, that loses ballgames,” Espinosa said. “The diving play, the jump-throw play, those won’t win you games. They might save the game, but that’s not what wins or loses. That’s not the expected play.”

The Nationals did not make as many of those routine plays as they would have hoped last season. In most defensive statistics — errors, fielding percentage, defensive runs saved — Washington ranked in the middle of the major league pack. But anecdotally, because the 58 unearned runs they allowed always seemed to come at inopportune moments, less-than-reliable defense cost them.

“It’s hard to play on my team if you can’t catch,” Manager Dusty Baker said earlier this spring. A few of his likely regulars — Espinosa, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, come to mind — have the athleticism and defensive skill set to make those unexpected plays. All of them are capable of making the routine ones. But how do these Nationals ensure they do that as often as possible?

[Wilson Ramos flies back to Washington for lasik surgery]

1 of 13 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × New faces in familiar places View Photos The Washington Nationals welcome a new manager, new coaches and new players to spring training in Viera, Fla. Caption The Washington Nationals welcome a new manager, new coaches and new players to spring training in Viera, Fla. Pitching coach Mike Maddux, left, and Manager Dusty Baker have spent a lot of time together in the first week of training camp. John McDonnell/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

The Nationals added speedy Ben Revere and defense-first Stephen Drew this offseason. Another addition, second baseman Daniel Murphy, is considered below average defensively. Espinosa will replace Ian Desmond at shortstop.

Jayson Werth said Thursday that he remembers getting five batted balls of practice in left field last spring training and therefore never really got comfortable last season. He will have more experience there. First base no longer will be new to Ryan Zimmerman. Rendon will return to third base, his natural position.

“It was a byproduct of the injury situation that we had several guys playing out of position last year, which is obviously not the optimal way to start the season,” Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said. “I think getting guys back to a comfortable spot and comfortable position is going to be a major factor for us. Getting in a routine early in spring training is going to help.”

Corny as it sounds, intangible as it is, familiarity helps. A shortstop’s step to the right comes with a corresponding move from a familiar second baseman, a shared anticipation, Espinosa said.

“We all move together. We don’t leave open holes,” Espinosa explained. “. . . Guys don’t just say, ‘I’m comfortable here.’ ”

A glance between converging outfielders who have played together means more than it does between those who haven’t, explained Werth, who admits he hasn’t played much with Revere but that spring training is a time to build shared history.

“Even if you just stink, the more you play with somebody, the better feel you have, the better you are defensively,” Werth said. “You know where a guy’s going to be. The communication is better.”

Baker’s bench coach and new infield instructor, Chris Speier, played 19 big league seasons, mostly as a shortstop. He debuted at age 21, a rookie shortstop in 1971 for the San Francisco Giants, who included such established veterans as Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry. His manager and coaches told him he was the captain of the infield anyway, so he had to speak up.

“I called all the coverages. I called the steals. I called whatever. I got blessed by having to do that. I had to be that guy,” Speier said. “To me, that’s one of the things I’m impressing on all of our guys, not just the shortstops — but verbal, verbal, verbal.”

[Clint Robinson misses the bus — and that’ s a good thing]

As the Nationals ran through infield drills in the days before Grapefruit League games began, Speier would remind players to yell “I got it” or “Take it” three times each, to talk between plays and to remind the pitchers where to go.

“I know [pitching coach Mike] Maddux is talking to pitchers about having presence of mind to get over to third,” Speier told his infielders one day. “But I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

Speier was half-joking, though while he and other coaches did not say much after misplays and bobbled balls, they corrected every breakdown in communication. More than once, they made pitchers cover first again for yelling “Take it!” two times instead of three.

“That’s being aggressive when you got a situation where both guys are going for the ball — one guy being aggressive, saying ‘I got it,’ ” Speier said. “. . . Always be aggressive but always have that verbal communication.”

Baker identified another subtle key to the defensive puzzle: the ability to separate offense from defense. After bad at-bats, Baker, who grew into a Gold Glove winner by age 32, changed his thinking.

“My theory is, if I ain’t getting no hits, you ain’t getting none either. You’re going to be as miserable as me,” Baker said. “. . . I’m serious. Defense takes pride.”