Outfield getting a little crowded in Washington

With the signing of Jayson Werth the Nationals now have 7 outfielders listed on the roster of their official team website and only 3 starting slots to fill.  So now the Nationals have

Jayson Werth- a 7 year $126 million dollar contract is enough reason to say he will be starting and more than likely will be doing so in right field

Roger Bernadina- saw time at all three outfield spots for the Nats in 2010. He had a horrible second half slump but overall I think he showed a lot of potential in what was only his rookie season in the majors. He has speed, decent power and a cannon for an arm in the outfield. Personally I think he has the potential to develop in to a 20 and 20 guy and maybe even a 20 and 30 guy. I would like to see him get another chance as a starter.

Josh Willingham- when healthy he is a good player but the key part is when healthy. He has never played in more than 144 games and over the last 3 years has only played in only 349 games out of a possible 486 games. Personally I think he is a worthy candidate of being moved to a less physically demanding position in first base. However the Nats GM Mike Rizzo seems determined to fill the starting first spot with someone outside of the organization. So with that being said with a history of injuries and the fact he is a free agent next year it wont be a surprise if the Nats trade him before the start of the season.

Michael Morse- he is another guy I feel would be a good candidate for moving to first base. However though once again its like I said Riggo wants to go outside the organization and bring in a new guy to fill the role of first base. Morse put up 15 home runs and .289 batting average despite having just 289 plate appearances last season. He was a big contributor with his bat as both a pinch hitter and as a starter. If what we saw from him hitting wise last season is any indication of what he can do it almost feels like a crime to send him back to just pinch hitting which just might be what ends up happening.

Nyjer Morgan- had a disastrous 2010 season putting up a .319 on base percentage as well as having led the league in times caught stealing. Oh and there was that little issue of him getting suspended for his conduct on the field last season. Will he start? Probably… Do I think he should start? Probably not especially if it means a guy like Bernadina will end up sitting.  Morgan is a big league player but I’m not expecting a big rebound season for him 2011 and I think he is best suited as a bench player or in a platoon role.

Justin Maxwell- I like the guy and personally I root for him and would love to see him do well it just has not happened for him though. In previous seasons he had struggled to even get regular playing time. With sometimes I feel like he is the type of guy they need to just stick in there and let him play it out for a full season and see what happens and where he is as a player once the season is over. However though we know that wont be happening so time could be running out on him.

Bryce Harper- The Phenom now don’t get me wrong I think the kid is going to be great and I can’t wait to see him play in spring training but we all know the Nats are going to put him in the minor leagues once the season starts

If the Nats don’t find a trade partner that they like for Willingham personally I would like to see an outfield of Willingham/Bernadina/Werth. If they trade Willingham and do not bring in any other outfielders more than likely we will be looking at an outfield of Bernadina/Morgan/Werth with Morse and Maxwell on the bench.