New manager OK with base-running mistakes

Breaking down plays and decisions after four Grapefruit League games is a wasteful exercise. But it is difficult to overlook the Nationals’ aggressiveness on the base paths — and the resulting mistakes — thus far.

Base running blunders have cost Washington at least eight outs in four games. Players have been picked off. They’ve been thrown out going first to third. On Monday, top prospect Victor Robles over-slid third base attempting to steal it.

And none of the errors at this early stage bothers Manager Dave Martinez, who has preached aggressiveness to his club in spring training when live experimentation doesn’t come attached with meaningful consequences.

“I’d rather them be aggressive that way than not take any chances,” Martinez said after the Nationals’ 2-1 loss to the Braves on Monday. “We talked about that early in the spring. We want you in spring training taking chances to see what you can do. Because you’ll never know. In [actual] games, they’ll be a little smarter. But go ahead and see what balls you can make, which balls you can’t make. So I’m not worried about that. I’m happy to see them playing aggressive, playing with a lot of energy.”

The aggression doctrine extends to other base running scenarios. When it comes to stealing, Martinez said the team’s better base runners — players like Trea Turner and Michael A. Taylor — will have the green light.

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