Washington Nationals: Ranking the team’s remaining needs this offseason

1st – Starting Pitching

Adding another starter is by far and away the top need remaining for the Washington Nationals this offseason. After the trade of Tanner Roark at the Winter Meetings, they now need to acquire at least one more pitcher, if not two.

The Nats currently boast one of the top trios at the top of their rotation right now in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin. However, after those three, there are a lot of question marks that leave a bit of uncertainty.

Joe Ross is the most likely internal candidate to be in the major league rotation come Opening Day next season. But even then, he’s coming off a season in which he was eased back in after his Tommy John procedure and it will be difficult to rely on him as the fourth starter in the rotation.

That’s where the need comes in, as even in a best-case scenario, Ross will give you a solid fourth or fifth option, leaving one spot remaining. While the likes of Erick Fedde, Kyle McGowin and Austin Voth had flashes of promise, it’s clear they still need a bit more seasoning in the minors.

After the Roark deal, it was thought that a move to fill that hole would be imminent, but nothing emerged. The trade now appears to be a cost-saving maneuver as they hope to acquire someone with similar production but on a cheaper contract so they can invest the money elsewhere.

The Nationals could also look to add a second starter, but that may well come from signing someone to a minor league contract, just as they did for Jeremy Hellickson. That would then allow them to compete with Ross for the final rotation spot or give the team depth just in case of an injury.

Names to watch: Mike Fiers, Wade Miley, Anibal Sanchez, Drew Pomeranz

2nd – Relief Pitching

The Washington Nationals may have already started to address this with additions of Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough, but it still feels a little light. Those two names still come with some risk attached, so it would be nice to see another high-leverage arm added to the mix.

The best bullpen the Nationals have had in recent years was towards the end of the 2017 season. Sean Doolittle, Ryan Madson, and Brandon Kintzler were all at the top of their game to form the intimidating law firm.

However, since then, the bullpen woes have returned as Madson and Kintzler regressed before being traded while Doolittle missed extended time. That meant relievers like Justin Miller and Koda Glover to fill in during the late innings, leaving the bullpen incredibly stretched.

Rosenthal has previously been a guy able to step up as pitch lights out, but coming off of Tommy John surgery, it’s unclear if he can get back to that level in 2019. Barraclough has also previously had success, but struggled last year, though perhaps settling back into a setup role will benefit him.

So in an ideal world, the Nationals would likely look to add another good arm who could fill a setup role. However, they may need to wait for the market to play out before pouncing to see what value they can find, given the volatility of relievers.

The Nats could also go hunting for a lefty specialist, another possible need for the bullpen, but this is optional. Matt Grace is more suited to a long-man role, while Sammy Solis has proven that he hasn’t been able to consistently get lefties out, making another southpaw a possibility. An improvement somewhere in the bullpen would a big boost.

Names to watch: Tony Sipp, Andrew Miller, Bud Norris, Greg Holland

3rd – Second Base

Some may be surprised at second base being third on the list of remaining priorities for the Washington Nationals. However, there’s one reason for that and it’s Carter Kieboom.

The highly-rated prospect doesn’t appear to be far from major league ready after he impressed between High-A and Double-A in 2018. Nats fans could see him play in the big leagues as soon as this summer, or September at the very latest.

Therefore, it’s reasonable to think that the Nationals could survive with the Howie Kendrick and Wilmer Difo combination until that time. At least, they’re more likely to survive with those two at second than they are with the current bullpen setup, hence this ranking.

Now, that’s not to say they shouldn’t upgrade at the keystone, especially when the market is loaded with options that can help improve the team in the short-term. However, the Nats should be selective if and when they do pick up someone for that position.

Any player they sign would either need to be willing to take a one-year deal in order to not block Kieboom, or have plenty of positional versatility. It will be interesting to see how long the market takes to develop, but given the reported interest in some of the names, it’s clearly on Mike Rizzo’s shopping list.

If the Nats do end up acquiring a second baseman, then they could potentially sport one of the most complete lineups in the league. There wouldn’t be a single weak link other than the pitcher’s spot, which is a tempting proposition.

Names to watch: Josh Harrison, Jed Lowrie, Brian Dozier

4th – Bryce Harper

Yes, Bryce Harper does make the Washington Nationals list of offseason priorities, purely because he’s still out there. With the current outfield situation, they can manage and even be very productive without him, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make them better.

There is some argument that Harper could be higher up in this list, given that he could improve the team more than an upgrade at second base would. That narrative is probably accurate given the likely options at second base and the obvious threat Harper has over Adam Eaton.

However, because of recent comments and the current payroll situation, any contract would take the Nats above the luxury tax threshold. That will make Harper practically independent of anything else the team does, which is why he comes in at fourth on the priority list.

Even though Mark Lerner recently said that he doesn’t expect the former unanimous MVP to return, the seemingly overused door is still slightly ajar. Scott Boras would be foolish not to call up the Nationals one last time before his star client signs, and at which point, the final decision will come down to ownership.

Yes, the indication is that they won’t do that, especially with a 50% penalty on any overages on the $206 million tax threshold and at least another year away from being able to reset the penalty. But if Boras comes back and the contract on the table would only put the team a few million over, surely ownership would have to seriously consider it.

Bryce Harper has been such a huge part of the team’s success since his debut in 2012, so it’s odd seeing his reunion so low on the offseason priority list. But Mike Rizzo has prepared for this moment after the trade of Eaton, as well as having Victor Robles and Juan Soto come through the system. This is simply a wait-and-see situation now.

5th – Bench Bats

The return of Matt Adams to D.C. essentially converted this from backup first baseman to bench and bumped it down a spot. The Washington Nationals current bench is solid, but it’s an area that could still be due for small improvement before next season.

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As things stand, the Nats bench will look something like this next year:

• Yan Gomes/Kurt Suzuki
• Matt Adams
• Howie Kendrick/Wilmer Difo
• Michael Taylor
• Andrew Stevenson

Matt Adams and the backup catcher spot are about as locked in as they come and are considered strong options for each role. The other three spots could all, in theory, be improved upon this offseason, should the Nats have the funds to do so.

For example, if the Nationals were to find a new starting second baseman, they could option Difo to the minor leagues, allow Kendrick to fill a 2B/OF bench role and then either trade Taylor or option Stevenson to the minors to open up a spot for a big infield bench bat.

The Nats could also try and flip Taylor or Stevenson in a trade to upgrade the bench, especially with the former’s struggles as a pinch hitter. There are a few different avenues to go in improving the bench, but it’s hardly a top priority given that the bench is probably decent already after the Adams signing.

One way, in particular, they may look to upgrade their bench is to add another left-handed bat. If a tough right-hander is on the mound, Adams will likely draw the start at first base, which then leaves the bench starved of southpaws. Therefore, adding another lefty makes sense.

Names to watch: Gerardo Parra, Neil Walker, Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson

In about two months time, the Washington Nationals will report to Spring Training ahead of the 2019 season. We’ll have to wait and see what other moves they make in that span, but their work is far from done this winter.