Trade Deadline Preview: Washington Nationals

Apr 25, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper (34) runs down first base after hitting a three run triple in the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Needs to be addressed:

1. Center field

Denard Span has been playing centerfield and leading off for the Nationals for most of the year. Span has done a decent job but there is without a doubt room for improvement as he only has a .267 batting average and and OBP of .310 while stealing 13 bases. Again those are not terrible numbers but they could definitely be improved upon in the trade market.

2. Infield Depth

With the return of Harper the infield of the Nationals will get a little more clustered because Ryan Zimmerman will move from left field back into the infield wherever that may be at the moment. However,  the Nationals lack a stand out bench player that can come in when someone gets hurt and not skip a beat. Danny Espinosa has performed poorly throughout the year, only batting .217, and Kevin Frandsen, another back-up infielder, has not been much better.

3. Speed

Another area where Harper will immediately contribute to is speed for the Nationals but it still will not be enough. The Nationals on the year have a total of 43 stolen bases which ranks them near the bottom, 11th, in the National League. The departure of Roger Bernadina took away their pinch-running base stealing threat that many teams covet down the stretch run.