Washington Nationals: Ranking the team’s remaining needs this offseason
By Blake Finney
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.