Executives with rival organizations anticipate some big moves from the Nationals this winter, according to a report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Washington is particularly motivated to build out an already talented roster given its recent postseason failings, he notes.
GM Mike Rizzo appears to be dabbling in several intriguing areas. We’ve already heard of interest in White Sox lefty Chris Sale, and an official with another team says that the Nats “are hovering” on the ace southpaw. While they won’t deal Trea Turner, that exec notes that Rizzo and co. “are open on a lot of different things.”
One other intriguing possibility is Yoenis Cespedes, whom the Nationals pursued with some seriousness last winter. Generally, D.C. is “looking for a right-handed power bat,” one source tells Sherman, noting that the club also looked into Jose Bautista (now a free agent) at the trade deadline.
Whether or not any of those particular concepts comes to fruition is anyone’s guess, but it’s worth bearing in mind that the Nationals have often surprised with his biggest strikes. The signing of Max Scherzer was largely unforeseen, as was the trade for Doug Fister and the swap that netted Turner and Joe Ross.
According to Sherman, the Nats are “aggressively” shopping lefty Gio Gonzalez, who struggled in the earned run department and showed a velocity drop last year, but has largely maintained quality peripherals and thrown a lot of good innings. He’d be an appealing piece to a variety of other organizations, and might bring back a useful veteran at an area of need or simply free up funds and a rotation spot while landing some prospect capital.
As I explained in assessing the Nationals’ offseason outlook, it remains to be seen just how high the organization will push its payroll. Washington is already within $20MM of its team-record 2015 balance sheet, and has several notable needs — including, potentially, a center fielder (or shortstop), catcher, and closer. The club has also been forced to defer salary in several notable instances, at least in part due to the ongoing MASN television rights fees dispute with the Orioles. But with some roster flexibility, intriguing young pitching in the upper levels of the minors, and an apparent willingness to push the envelope, there are plenty of avenues for Rizzo to exercise his creative faculties to improve the roster over the coming months.
It won’t be Cespedes. Nats aren’t even talking to him. Yet another non-story being made into one. Bautista makes more sense for them. Less years and money. Nats have to defer every somewhat sizable contract they give out.
Well Im sure Nat’s have talked to Cespedes! They were on him till the tale end last year until he signed last year with the Mets. So I surely won’t say they haven’t talked at all!
Buatista is declining and a limited fielder. The contract may be more palatable, but I don’t see how he is a fit for the organization.
If they can give Cespedes a 5/150 and pay it out over 15 years, then maybe they’d get him
I don’t think they have the payroll flexibility to make more than one big move, and while they have several holes to fill, starting pitching isn’t one of them. It would truly surprise me if Rizzo empties the farm for Sale and then fills the more pressing needs of catcher, center fielder, and closer from within — certainly he won’t be able to do it with the return from a Gio Gonzalez trade.
I’m thinking Gardner for Gio type of trade works well for both teams
Seems like all the upside in that deal is with the Yankees.
I think thats a fair trade nats have surplus pitching and could use some defense and obp. Yanks obviously could use a starter but idk if we prefer prospects or major league talent
With Turner, Rendon, and Werth vying for the two top spots in the order, I don’t see them having a need for Gardner. More power seems to be the bigger need.
Agree Robbob, no insult to Gardner, great defence with okay OBP and speed but with an OPS barely over .700 I’d rather take my chances elsewhere, Blackmon, Fowler, Cespedes etc. Gio has extra value in this weak SP market.
Gio might be able to bring back Ozuna.
Not by himself. That’s a start, but the Marlins would definitely want more, especially since they would be trading in-division.
Won’t bring them a Championship w/ Dusty at the top.
He seemed to motivate the players and didn’t do many silly things last year. Don’t see why he’d get in the way.
The Nats owner Lerner is 91, he wants a world series pronto! The will do what ever it takes !
This is easily the most convincing reason to think the Nats would be more aggressive than ever.
I can see them trading for Cutch. And then packaging Giolito and Lopez plus for Sale. They have a lot of different ways they can go. Still need a closer and probably want to improve catcher.
Ryan Braun is very available…much cheaper than Cespedes
Depends how much you value prospects, I guess. Braun requires cash + players, Cespedes just cash. Assuming Cespedes gets say…4/100 or 5/120..and Braun has 4/84 approx remaining on his contract, that’s only 15-40mil difference (higher with extra year needed to sign him). That extra year at the back end of a Cespedes contract could be a sunk cost with little return, too.
I understand MIL may chip in with a few bucks, but he isn’t all that cheaper in the end.
as a yankees fan i’m really hoping for a gardner / Gio deal
Would the Nats be interested in one year of JD Martinez? Maybe a JDM for Erick Fedde & Andrew Stevenson swap?
Chapman to Nats 5 years 90MM
Chapman to the Yanks 5 years 100MM
Giolito and Gio for Adam Jones.
Pease be sarcasm
Up until the lock-out.
Gio and a couple of good prospects for Wade Davis.
I still like the idea of McCutchen and Watson (after the Nats lose Melancon) for a package of a veteran pitcher (Gonzalez or Roark) and a young pitcher (Giolito or Ross).
But, what about Watson for Gonzalez?
The Pirates would have to rebuild the bullpen from scratch, but would have to do that next year anyway unless they are going to extend Watson.
Gonzalez could be the #3 starter behind Taillon and Cole.
I don’t think that they would be able to get really anything for zimmmerman but they should try to trade him. Trade giolito, difio, kieboom, freede, Cole for sale and Robertson. Then trade gio for a decent prospect. Sign wieters to a 1 yr deal with an option. Then sign fowler. Move turner to ss or 2b which everyone he’s better at and put Espinosa at the other. Move Murphy to 1st. This frees up salary with gio and Zimmerman gone and they get more athletic. And they get sale
Zim has a full no-trade clause and he’s not about to waive it. He likes DC too much. Might as well forget that idea.
McCutchen and Watson for Giolito and Robles?!?!?!?
Nats ought to go hard for Fowler, who would help in a number of need areas – leadoff, switch hitter, speed, CF, great clubhouse guy – move Turner permanently to SS. Then do whatever possible to deal Werth to an AL club in need of RH power (Texas?) and slide Zim back out LF, and overwhelm White Sox for both Sale and Abreu with top MiL prospects.
Fowler – CF
Turner – SS
Harper – RF
Abreu – 1B
Murphy – 2B
Rendon – 3B
Zimmerman – LF
Lobaton – C
SP
You want to overwhelm the White Sox for Sale and Abreu? Ok, we start at Turner and negotiate from there.
Man, I can’t wait to see a sac fly attempt to LF with Zimmerman and his Gumby arm trying to get it back in. You might need 2 cut-off men.
Zim did just fine out in LF in 2014. He’d be ok. You’re not going to get anything in trade, and he’s too valuable to sit. Is it ideal? No. But look at that lineup – c’mon man!
Ellsbury for zimmerman
On a pure player-for-player standpoint, that isn’t a terrible idea. I just don’t really see that much appeal for the Yankees unless they think playing Zimmerman at DH might boost his numbers a bit (because he wouldn’t have to play the field). From a pure contract standpoint, the money is off. Zimmerman is due roughly $48 million over 3 years (including the buyout of a fourth year). Ellsbury is due roughly $90 million over the next 4 years (including the buyout of a fifth year). Assuming its a straight contract-for-contract trade, the Yankees would have to eat atleast $30-$40 million to make it worth it for the Nationals’ to take on Ellsbury’s contract.
Even the best GMs make big mistakes, Rizzo problably wishes he didn’t sign Werth and Zimmerman, like others signed Heyward, Panda, Ellsbury, and Crawford. With Werth coming off the books in 18, I think they might look to trade for Sale and obtain Cespedes.
The Werth deal wasn’t optimal, but hardly one to lose sleep over. He had a few great years and a few other good ones, but more importantly instilled a winning attitude in the Nats clubhouse. Werth It.
This also marked the moment when the Nat’s signaled to baseball agents everywhere that they were now players in the FA market. ‘Cheap’ was out.
Time for the Nats to contact the Rays about Archer and Colome. It will cost a ton in prospects, but both players are young, come with a ton of control, will fit better financially and are very good.
I agree @therealryan, Archer is a quality pitcher who knows how to strike out batters. I like the idea of Sale, but he might cost too much. I’m thinking maybe, Ross, Lopez, and Austin Voth. Three pitchers to potentially replace Archer.