Washington Nationals to spend carefully in offseason – MLB Update
The Washington Nationals struggled for the larger part of the regular season, but then bounced back in the second half of the season, finishing just behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East division. At one stage, the Nationals looked strong
contenders for the Wild Card as well, but a lacklustre performance early in the season ruled out this possibility.
With free agency market now almost open, the Nationals have a lot of backing to get the best names on the roster for 2012. With normalcy now coming into the management as well, it is expected that general manager Mike Rizzo will actively participate in the
trade market in a bid to attract the best names in business.
Signing an ace has been labelled as the top priority for the ballclub this offseason and there are only three names that the franchise can look up to. C.J. Wilson of Texas Rangers is looking to change alliance before the next season begins, but his price
tag might be overly inflated. Although the 30-year-old starter has been exceptional during play in the regular season, his performance during playoffs has faced a dip. Yu Darvish has been highlighted as a great talent by Rizzo, but he has no experience of
Major League Baseball and thus the attraction might be missing.
The Nationals, as they are, require more stability in their roster. In this regard, the only choice that seems to be somewhat suitable is Mark Buehrle, a 32-year-old veteran who has 12 years of experience in the Majors. Chicago White Sox is the only ballclub
that Buehrle has ever known and his addition to the rotation will mean that the Nationals will have an ace that has no injury problems and is expected to continue for a longer-term.
Another area where the Nationals will want to spend freely is outfield. Rizzo stressed that the team needs a position player who can provide stability at the top of the line-up. There are a few top stars in this category that are expected to hit the waters
in free market when the time for exclusive negotiations ends at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, November 3. The likes of Prince Fielder and Grady Sizemore are up for an offer, but with nothing final thus far, it will be interesting to see how things unfold.
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