The Washington Nationals finished 2014 with the best record in the National League before they were eliminated in the NLDS by the San Francisco Giants. Rookie skipper Matt Williams took home NL Manager of the Year and the team looks to be returning strong in 2015 in a weak division.
How do the Nationals need to improve to make the push that will get them deep into the postseason?
Washington Nationals (96-66), 1st in NL East
The Nationals arguably had one of the most complete teams in all of baseball in 2014. Unfortunately, they couldn't get the bats going in the playoffs, which ultimately resulted in their elimination. The team simply cannot rely on youngsters Bryce Harper (5-for-17 with three home runs and four RBIs) and Anthony Rendon (7-for-19 with an RBI) as their sole offensive production, especially when the playoffs roll around. They also could have some issues in the starting rotation in the near future and will need to begin planning for 2016. Let's take a look at what they need to do.
Second Baseman: With the likely departure of Asdrubal Cabrera via free agency, the Nationals need a second baseman, especially since they recently told Danny Espinosa to stop switch-hitting because he's particularly not good at all doing so. Unless the team is banking on him having a rebound year (he's batting .200 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs in 158 games between 2013 and 2014), this is an immediate need for the team. Unfortunately, there aren't any free agents on the market that outshine Espinosa, so the Nats would have to explore a trade to fill this need. They shouldn't rule that out because there are many options throughout the league, including Ben Zobrist (TB), Chris Taylor (SEA), Daniel Murphy (NYM) as well as a multitude of youthful options from the Chicago White Sox (Micah Johnson, Carlos Sanchez and Marcus Semien). They re-signed utility infielder Kevin Frandsen to a one-year deal, but that's for depth purposes.
An interesting option here would be Howie Kendrick of the Los Angeles Angels. The team said Kendrick and third baseman David Freese are available if they can get the pitching they want in return. Additionally, the Arizona Diamondbacks have talked about shifting Aaron Hill to third base, but with his annual salary and the young talent on the team's roster, they could look to trade him as well. Hill would perhaps be a better option than Kendrick solely because he's signed through 2016 whereas Kendrick is only under contract for 2015. Nothing has developed on this front, but these are interesting options to think about.
Starting Rotation/Bullpen: There aren't immediate needs here, but the team has to deal with a number of arbitration eligible players this offseason and it would be best to sign some to longer extensions. Starters Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister along with relievers Jerry Blevins, Tyler Clippard, Ross Detwiler, Craig Stammen and Drew Storen are among those who are arbitration eligible, and some will be costly. My guess is that they work on longer-term deals for Strasburg, Clippard and Storen while they work out shorter-term deals for the rest of the veterans. Additionally, Jordan Zimmermann is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2015 season so the team is likely looking to lock him up for the future or possibly trade him to get value if he's wishing to test free agency (he was previously linked to trade talks with the Chicago Cubs).
Aside from these two areas of need, the Nationals are one of the most complete teams in the MLB. With Ryan Zimmerman now at first base, Ian Desmond at shortstop, Anthony Rendon at third and Wilson Ramos at catcher, the Nats have one of the better infields in the majors. They have Bryce Harper, Denard Span and Jayson Werth in the outfield along with Nate McLouth and Steven Souza Jr. to add depth. The MLB's top starting rotation (Strasburg, Zimmermann, Fister, Gonzalez and Tanner Roark) will be back in 2015, so there's no reason to believe they shouldn't be NL East champs once again.
They simply need to do some planning for the future this offseason to put themselves in the best position they possibly can moving forward.
