John Lannan, who started for the Nationals on Opening Day in 2009 and 2010, will begin the season at Triple-A Syracuse. The left-hander has a salary of $5 million for this season. In an unexpected move, Washington optioned Lannan to the minors and shifted lefty Ross Detwiler from the bullpen to the starting rotation. "I came to terms with going to the bullpen and being the long guy and waiting for an opportunity," said Detwiler, the No. 6 overall pick in 2007, "and it came up a whole lot quicker than I thought it would."