Washington Nationals: Predicting the fate of 5 roster hopefuls

The Washington Nationals have a few interesting players vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Which of these players will make the cut?

The Washington Nationals did not make any high-profile transactions this offseason, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Most of their roster from last year, which won 97 games, will be donning the Curly W once again in 2018.

A few key players departed in free agency, such as Jayson Werth, Adam Lind, and Matt Albers, but their absences have all been covered. Werth’s absence will be covered by the return of Adam Eaton, Lind’s absence will be covered by offseason addition Matt Adams, and Albers’ absence will be covered by the returns of Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover, along with the addition of Joaquin Benoit.

Despite very little roster turnover, the Nats have a couple spots up for grabs. Joe Ross is set to miss at least most of 2018, which creates a vacancy at the end of the rotation. Jose Lobaton also departed, which leaves Matt Wieters without a backup.

Fortunately, the Nats have several players in camp vying for each of these roles. Some of these players have made the most of their opportunity, while others have struggled.

With Spring Training winding down and Opening Day right around the corner, roster hopefuls are running out of time to prove themselves. What they are able to accomplish over the next few weeks will play a large factor in determining their 2018 fate.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the five roster hopefuls with the best chance of making the Opening Day roster, in no particular order.