Washington Nationals Analysis: Winter Meetings Preview
By Matt Weyrich
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Yunel Escobar stays put… for now
While there have been reports of Nats’ infielder Yunel Escobar’s availability on the trade market heading into the meetings, the Nats won’t trade him just yet. The common belief is that Rizzo will swap Escobar for a reliever, similar to how the A’s traded him to them in the first place.
Escobar had a career-year at the plate, hitting .314/.375/.415 with nine home runs and 75 runs scored in 139 games. While the offensive production was not unwarranted, he did finish with a Baseball-Reference WAR of 4.7 in 2011, it was completely unexpected around baseball. With his value higher than ever, it would make sense for the Nats to part ways with the Cuban infielder if the price was right.
If the Nats sit on Escobar, they have a better chance of securing the right return for the 33-year old with a team friendly contract. Teams who miss out on players like Zobrist and Daniel Murphy could turn to Escobar as a solid back up option. His poor defense could hurt his overall value a little bit, but most teams wouldn’t back off just because he struggled at a brand new position.
The Nats had many expectations in 2015, and if Mike Rizzo makes the right moves, they might again in 2016. Already sitting at the sixth best odds to win the World Series next season, according to Vegas Insider, the Nationals should be right in the thick of things come October. In order to get there though, the right players need to be put on the field. If the Nats have an eventful Winter Meetings, that might just be enough to push them into the playoffs.