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How have the last six weeks been since you were named manager of the Nationals?

It’s been busy. It’s been an adjustment. The baseball part of it is all the same. But we’re busy with roster planning, Spring Training schedules and all of that stuff. I had the chance to get back to D.C. a couple of times, trying to get to know everybody, so that’s been good. It’s been fun.

Mike Rizzo introduces new Nationals Manager Matt Williams.

After that initial weekend in D.C. for your press conference, was it nice to get home and get focused on the job?

It was nice to get to work. You go do the interview, you don’t know if you’re going to get hired, you don’t know when it’s going to happen, and then all of a sudden it happens. And then it’s time to get to work. I’ve enjoyed that process, putting together everything and looking toward Spring Training.

What was it like getting to know Randy Knorr in Arizona?

It was great. It was easy. Randy came out and spent parts of four days with us. He’s got a unique knowledge of all these guys, which is important. He’s great with everything – letting me know what his thoughts are, how he views things. I’m going to rely on him a lot because of that knowledge and his familiarity [with the club]. We went through everything you can possibly think of. He’d come over for dinner, we’d eat dinner and all of a sudden it was midnight. We had fun. We enjoyed it.

What has your communication been like with the other coaches?

We have weekly conference calls. They’re all going through their own responsibilities, and we’re taking their input into the schedule for Spring. So I’ve been getting to know everybody and their philosophies, their thoughts on guys and how those thoughts could be best implemented.

With everybody strewn all over the place, it’s great this way. Everybody jumps on the conference call and we go through it. Those calls last, probably, a couple of hours. It’s been good.

Probably after the first of the year, I’ll get a chance to see (first base coach) Tony Tarasco, he’ll come out to Arizona, and I know (hitting coach) Rick Schu from Arizona. But it’s been good communication on all fronts, which is great.

Tanner Roark, Ian Desmond, Jayson Werth and Randy Knorr sat in on Williams’ press conference.

What kind of communication have you had with your players thus far?

I went to Jayson Werth’s house when I was in D.C., talked to Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche, and talked to Stephen Strasburg via text. I’ll continue to make an effort to reach out to the players. It’s holiday time, families have new babies, and all kinds of stuff so guys are busy.

But from a baseball perspective, once the first of the year hits, it’s baseball time again. I’ll continue to reach out and talk to those guys. We’re going to put together a schedule for Spring and I’ll get a chance to send that to the players and let them review it so they have a sense of what they’re getting into. Then I’ll follow up with a phone call and say, ‘Hey, here’s what we expect. What are your thoughts? What would you like to accomplish?’ But I’ve talked to some of the guys already.

Have you enjoyed those chats?

Yes. When guys are comfortable, and they know that their manager has their back and he understands them, then their natural playing ability comes out easier. That’s what I hope to accomplish: to get to know them first as men. They know the manager-player relationship. We all do. But I want to understand them. That’s part of the process. So when they tell me something, I know what they really mean. That’s half the battle.

What was your reaction when Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo told you about the trade for Doug Fister?

Oh yeah. Wow. He’s somebody who I view as undervalued. His numbers stack up against anybody’s. He does it a different way — it’s not a power, 97-mph fastball — but he throws strikes, he commands the strike zone, throws over the plate, he’s a ground-ball machine. He knows how to pitch. What I like about him is that he pounds the strike zone. He’s not afraid. That’s a good thing. I’m glad to have him.

And when you look at our board and see our depth, it’s unusual to see a board like that. You’ve got, potentially, eight or nine guys competing for your starting rotation. It causes problems, too, but I don’t know anybody who wouldn’t want to look at that board and say, ‘That’s our team.’

Has it been interesting for you to be here and be a part of the roster planning?

It’s great to know that there’s been a lot of thought put into the roster and what everybody can bring to the team. Ultimately, we need that depth to win a championship. Very rarely are there 25 guys who play every day, all season. I want to understand everybody in the front office, and how they’ve formed their opinions. It’s great to be a part of.

Do you think at this time next year you’ll feel even more comfortable asserting your opinions on how to shape the team and what you’d prefer as a manager?

I know, from a defensive perspective, what I want now. I have strong opinions on that. But it’s all a product of who’s available and what you’ve got in other aspects of the team. Those questions happen every year.

I don’t know how many years of baseball knowledge are in (the Nationals suite at the Winter Meetings), but when you look around the room, it’s easy to know that there’s a lot. There’s a lot of value there. And everybody’s been great with me so far. It’s been fun. It’s been good to see everybody and get to know the guys who I don’t know. They’re not holding back, which is good. They’re giving me their opinion. It’s good that they feel comfortable. I value that, because it’s important to have it.

Does it feel like it’s taking forever for Spring Training to arrive?

Yes. And I’m anxious to get going. Everybody is. I think everybody sees the potential. I’m not alone in that. But it takes time to make sure we get it all planned out, and that’s good, because then we can make sure it runs seamlessly when we get there.