Washington Nationals: Winter Meetings A Mixed Bag
By Ron Juckett
An underwhelming Winter Meetings leaves fans unsure of where the Washington Nationals are. Can they break through and win a playoff series?
The Washington Nationals leave the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings a different team than they were a week ago.
With three top pitching prospects going to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Adam Eaton, the Nats signal they are ready to win now. As fans of Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning adjust to their loss, the Nationals hope they have the offense in place to advance past the National League Divisional Series.
It is that hurdle—stumbling three times in five seasons—that frustrates fans and the front office alike. What should be done to clear it is a matter of great discussion.
It is clear from comments in social media that a chunk of you are unhappy with the Eaton trade. With no established closer on the roster, and Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon signing elsewhere, that the business Washington wanted to finish this week has not.
After boasting about having the prospects to nab both Chris Sale and Andrew McCutchen in trades, Sale landed in Boston and McCutchen returns to Pittsburgh an angry player. Instead of crowning achievements a few minutes away from Nationals Park, fans wonder what went wrong.
At the core, this is largely the team that won the NL East by eight games and secured 95 wins in 2016. Yet, most of what fans and the Nats hoped would happen along the National Harbor did not.
As we head into the holidays where do the Nationals stand? Where did old friends go? What happens next year?
Let’s break it down and find out.