Washington Nationals likely to keep roster unchanged – MLB News
The free agent market is now in high tide and it seems as if teams will now go all-out to lure players into their respective rosters before rival teams bag the opportunity. The Nationals are not short on cash and thus budget should not be a problem in their
consideration to sign any free agent. While Jose Reyes is already being linked to the Miami Marlins, the Nats might attempt to sign the hard hitting Albert Pujols or pitcher Mark Buehrle, both of whom are players worth signing.
After finishing the regular season on a strong note, the Washington Nationals are seriously considering to go on a spending spree during the off-season in a bid to bring silverware to the ballclub. However, spending on big names has rarely given success,
the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies being prime examples of the hazards of over-spending.
The Nationals recently signed Jayson Werth for a 126-million-dollar contract, giving rise to the speculation that they will either go the extra mile to attract one of the three free agents or spend more on the existing roster.
Jose Reyes, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder have effectively become free agents and are waiting for offers from teams. The Milwaukee Brewers might want to re-sign Fielder, but the player is interested in testing the rough waters of the free agent market
in a bid to squeeze some extra million dollars for his remuneration.
Having said this, none of them is a need for Washington. On the other hand, the Nationals do not need a pitcher from outside the organization either and have enough depth to tackle even the strongest force on the circuit, thus ruling out Buehrle’s selection
as well. However, it is still too early to comment on this situation.
The team is not short on talent, be it the offensive front or the defensive positions. Only if consistency is added to the bull-pen, the Nationals will have all ingredients necessary to remain competitive as well as sound on the circuit.
If the Nationals analyse, their NL East rivals Phillies have bought nothing but disappointment for 166-million-dollars and even a record-breaking 102 wins in the regular season now seem useless. If the Nationals groom their talent cost-effectively, it will
only be a matter of time before the team becomes a force to reckon. Patience is what the Nationals need to spend on.
Washington’s payroll has rallied around the 60-million-dollar mark since 2006, the 21st highest in the game. Out of a total of 30 teams, 12 teams have payrolls more than a 100-million-dollar and the Nationals believe that there chance of improvement
rests on the amount they end up spending.
It will be interesting to see how the Nationals handle their roster in the offseason. It is largely expected that there will be no drastic changes.
Tags: