Washington Nationals quietly put together a very productive offseason

After a slow start, general manager Mike Rizzo and the Washington Nationals have quietly put together a very productive offseason.

After the Washington Nationals drastically underperformed and failed to reach the postseason in 2015, it quickly became clear that the team needed to make a lot of changes this offseason. Fans and analysts alike knew that the team would see great change in 2016, and that in order for the Nationals to win next season, they had to address the problems that doomed them last year.

The changes necessary were many and diverse. Some moves — such as finding a new manager and letting several key players leave via free agency — were expected. Others, such as bringing in a new infielder and outfielder while overhauling the medical staff and front office — were a bit more surprising.

Still, the Nationals were slow out of the gate this offseason. They fumbled the managerial search (big time), and almost all of the players they sought via free agency chose to sign with other teams. At one point in the offseason, it looked like general manager Mike Rizzo had failed in almost every goal he had for the Winter, and the pressure on the front office grew even higher than it already was.

But, as we have come to expect from Rizzo, he had a plan. He carried it out patiently, executed it perfectly, and now the team has a far more promising outlook for 2016 than it did mere months ago.

Slowly but surely, Rizzo has addressed nearly every single need the team had going into the offseason. Lets take a look at some of the most important moves the Nationals have made thus far.

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