Rosenthal: Nats’ Dunn learning about life at first

Around the camps with Robothal…

“He can be above-average. He might even be above average right now picking balls in the dirt,” says Nats quality-control coach Tim Foli, a former major-league infielder who has been working with Dunn.

“He’s really got nice hands. But he’s 6-foot-12. And because he’s 6-foot-12, he’s got to get on the ground so his legs work and his hands are soft. It’s easy for a shorter guy to get down there.

“He doesn’t want to be a big donkey. He wants to be an athlete. And he is an athlete. To me, the sky’s the limit with him over there.”

...Dunn is aware of the club’s increased emphasis on defense, how his value as a free agent might be affected if he is perceived as a below-average defender.

“I’m not doing it for all that,” he says. “I’m doing it because I know we need that for this team to win. I don’t want to be the reason why we stink.”

...Reds left-hander Aroldis Chapman has his last name tattooed in big letters across his upper back. He wears a large gold chain on the mound — “a cowbell,” one Reds veteran says, smiling. “You’ll hear it.”

...White Sox infielder Alexei Ramirez on his fellow Cuban, Reds left-hander Aroldis Chapman: “Minimum 10-game winner.”