Washington Nationals News: Chicago Cubs interested in Denard Span
By Pablo Roa
Good evening 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, Jordan Campbell of Da Windy City discusses the Chicago Cubs’ reported interest in outfielder Denard Span. Span, who will become a free agent after the World Series, has been the Nationals’ everyday center fielder since 2013.
At this point, it’s highly unlikely that Span returns to the Nationals in 2016. The centerfielder has been a key part of the team for the last few seasons, but his injury-riddled 2015 campaign makes it unlikely that the team will even give him a qualifying offer to stay another year in the nation’s capital.
As Campbell notes in his article, Span was limited to just 61 games in 2015 as he dealt with a hip injury and back problems for much of the season. In his three years with the Nationals, Span batted .292 with a .345 on-base percentage. He was arguably the most (and only) reliable leadoff hitter the Nationals have ever had, and he played centerfield as well as anyone in the game.
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Span became a fan-favorite during his time in D.C. and he’ll be missed by many. But the future is bright at centerfield for the Nationals, as Michael Taylor gets set to take over the everyday job for good next season. Taylor impressed during his rookie campaign in 2015, and there’s no doubt that he’ll be even better as he continues to mature as a hitter next year.
Also in today’s Daily, James Wagner of the Washington Post discusses what the Nationals could learn from the World Series-bound New York Mets.
As we all know, the Nationals were expected to run away with the NL East title in 2015 and storm into the postseason. But New York outperformed Washington all season long and now have a well-deserved shot at taking home the Commissioner’s Trophy — a feat the Nationals will once again try to accomplish in 2016.
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.
Chicago Cubs interested in Denard Span
(Jordan Campbell, Da Windy City)
he Chicago Cubs have a hole in center field as they head into the off-season and the team may look to fill that hole with Denard Span.
With the chances of Dexter Fowler returning to the Chicago Cubs’ outfield in 2016 looking unlikely, the Cubs have a need for a center fielder this off-season.
Early speculation has hinted that the Cubs are targeting St. Louis Cardinals’ outfielder Jason Heyward. Though, on a Friday, a new name has emerged as a potential center fielder for the Cubs in 2016. Read full article here.
What the Nationals could learn from the Mets’ success
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
The reality, for Nationals fans, has already sunk in: The Mets are in the World Series. Hailing from the weakest division in baseball, the Mets reaching the Series felt unfathomable as late as July, when they had a 53-50 record and were two games behind the Nationals on the final day of that month.
The Nationals can perhaps glean some lessons from a team they know well. There is no one formula to postseason success, but the Mets’ run highlights how they changed their fortunes in the second half. Their dominant starting rotation – powered by Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, with help from Bartolo Colon, Steven Matz and Jonathan Niese – has carried them. The Nationals’ rotation, while strong, wasn’t as good, betraying the team at the some of the worst times. Read full article here.
Next: Washington Nationals 2015 Player Review: Stephen Strasburg