WASHINGTON -- Ask general manager Jim Bowden to talk about the Nationals' bench and he'll tell you how bad it was last season. In fact, Washington pinch-hitters hit .199 with two home runs and 25 RBIs. Carlos Baerga was the team's best player off the bench, but he didn't put much fear in the hearts of relievers.

So Bowden dramatically revamped the bench this winter, and it could be one of the best in baseball in 2006. Only Tony Blanco is left from last year's bench, and he is not expected to make the team.

Bowden didn't waste any time. Right after the World Series ended, he signed Damian Jackson, who could be this year's Jamey Carroll. Jackson can play shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield. The Nationals are hoping that Jackson will add more speed and power than Carroll did last year.

Bowden's biggest pickup, however, was signing free agent Marlon Anderson to a two-year contract. The left-handed-hitting Anderson played for the Mets last season and hit .264 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs. But it was his work off the bench that stood out. A career .308 (45-for-146) hitter with seven home runs as a pinch-hitter, Anderson went 18-for-56 (.321) with one home run and six RBIs off the bench last season.

Anderson, 31, ranked among the National League leaders in both pinch-hits and pinch-hit batting average. He also hit .351 (13-for-37) with one home run and three RBIs against the Nationals.

Anderson is expected to be the backup second baseman, and he also can play first base and the outfield if needed.

"I consider Marlon like Lenny Harris," said Bowden, referring to the all-time pinch-hit leader. "He has adjusted from being an everyday player to a guy coming off the bench. He also has good makeup."

Bowden also sacrificed defense for power behind the plate and at first base. He is prepared to have Robert Fick and Matthew LeCroy serve as the backup catchers and first basemen. Fick was 10-for-26 (.385) as a pinch-hitter and credits Mark Sweeney for teaching him how to come off the bench.

"Robert Fick has really embraced the new role," Bowden said. "Mark Sweeney helped him a lot last year, tutoring him how to prepare to pinch-hit. Fick can be our second or third catcher. [First baseman] Nick Johnson has been injured a lot in his career. Fick has proven he can play every day at first base. He can give us the left-handed bat that we lost with Terrmel Sledge being traded to Texas. He has a little flair in the clubhouse."

Washington Nationals • Starters: Livan to lead retooled rotation • Bullpen: Cordero anchors Nats 'pen • Catchers: Nats search for backup • Corner IF: Defense is reliable • Middle IF: Questions abound • Outfielders: Guillen may not be ready • Bench: Bowden revamps with vets

LeCroy hasn't played many games in the field over the last two years, but has hit 26 home runs in limited action in that span. The Nationals are loaded with left-handed-hitting reserves, so LeCroy is expected to see action against left-handed relievers.

The Nationals signed Royce Clayton to a Minor League contract earlier this month and are prepared to make him the starting shortstop if Cristian Guzman gets off to a slow start. If Guzman starts the season as the Opening Day shortstop, Clayton will be a backup to Guzman and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, if Clayton makes the team.

The outfield is crowded. For now, Brandon Watson, Ryan Church and Marlon Byrd will battle for the center-field job. Watson will be sent down if he doesn't get the job, and it seems unlikely that Church will come off the bench. One of the reasons Bowden revamped the lineup was because of how unproductive Church was off the bench. Church struck out 11 times in 24 pinch-hit at-bats.

Of the three, Byrd seems to be the only one who has been able to embrace the role of a bench player. He was 4-for-10 with two RBIs in that role last year.

With the possibility that Jose Guillen may not be ready for Opening Day, Bowden signed veteran Michael Tucker as insurance. The left-handed-hitting Tucker has been a quality fourth outfielder for the last few years. Last season, he played for the Giants and Phillies, hitting a combined .239 with five home runs and 36 RBIs.

No matter what happens, the Nationals' bench should be better than it was last season.