The Nationals are "actively shopping" shortstop Ian Desmond, with the Giants and Red Sox among the suitors, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (Twitter link). However, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post tweets that he's hearing the exact opposite about Desmond's availability. Kilgore wrote yesterday that the Nats have received several calls about Desmond, but the team views him as a core player and is reclutant to move him.
Whether or not the Nationals are actively looking to trade the 25-year-old, it seems unlikely he'll be dealt in the next week, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Ladson's source says GM Mike Rizzo is a fan of Desmond and that if he "puts it all together in one season for another team, [the Nats] would look foolish."
In a second tweet, Passan says the minor league performance of Stephen Lombardozzi, who Rizzo loves, is one reason Desmond could be available. The 22-year-old has hit .322/.372/.461 in 437 plate appearances this year in Double-A and Triple-A. Desmond, meanwhile, has played well defensively for the Nats, but has seen his OPS slip to .589, down over 100 points from 2010.
