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Washington Nationals News: Aroldis Chapman Nats’ top trade target

By Pablo Roa

Jul 18, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 18, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Today’s District Daily has more on the Washington Nationals’ pursuit of left-hander Aroldis Chapman and some key roster decisions the Nats will have to make in the near future.

Good afternoon DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.

In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson has more on how the Nationals are pursuing Yankees flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to bolster the back end of the bullpen. As Ladson writes, Chapman is the Nationals’ top priority before the August 1 trade deadline.

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The Nationals want Chapman badly, but, according to Ladson, they’re not willing to give up some of their top prospects for him. Trea Turner, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez are all off limits.

Of course, if the Nationals are really “all-in” for this season, it’s likely that they’ll ultimately part ways with a couple of key prospects in return for a player who can make them instant World series contenders. Chapman, whom many regard as the best reliever in the game, is one of those players.

Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes discusses some key roster decisions that the Nationals will have to make in the near future. As Janes writes, Ryan Zimmerman and Sammy Solis are set to come off the disabled list soon, which means the Nationals will have to find a way to fit them on the roster.

Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.

Chapman Nats’ top target before Trade Deadline

(Bill Ladson, MLB.com)

WASHINGTON — The Nationals continue to have Yankees left-hander Aroldis Chapman as their top target before the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline.

The Nats and Yankees continue to talk about pulling off a possible deal. However, according to a baseball source, Washington is not willing to give up top prospects such as Trea Turner, Lucas Giolito or Reynaldo Lopez for Chapman.

It’s not known who the Yanks want in return, but they have had scouts looking at Washington’s farm system from Class A Hagerstown to Triple-A Syracuse. Read full article here.

Ryan Zimmerman expected to return soon, so the Nationals have decisions to make

(Chelsea Janes, Washington Post)

If all goes well in Woodbridge this weekend, the Nationals will have decisions to make. First baseman Ryan Zimmerman is playing three rehab games with Class A Potomac starting Friday, and Dusty Baker expects to activate him for Tuesday’s game in Cleveland. Reliever Sammy Solis is scheduled to pitch for Potomac Friday and Saturday nights, and Baker expects him active Sunday. Both players will need roster spots, and the Nationals must find a way to clear them.

Decisions loom anyway, with the trade deadline just more than a week away. But the more immediately, the Nationals have a logjam in the bullpen and in the infield, where Trea Turner came up when Zimmerman went down and has shown the game-changing speed the Nationals bet on when they acquired him from the Padres in the first place. Read full article here.

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