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Washington Nationals can survive offseason departures

By Michael Natelli

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The Washington Nationals seem to be sliding further from the postseason by the day, and at face value, their window for competing appears to likewise be closing with the likes of Jordan Zimmermann, Ian Desmond, Denard Span, Doug Fister, Matt Thornton and Casey Janssen all set to potentially depart in the offseason. But upon further examination, perhaps Washington isn’t as doomed as it may appear.

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Span, Fister, Janssen, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon, Aaron Barrett, Nate McLouth, Craig Stammen, Reed Johnson, David Carpenter and Sammy Solis have all spent time on the 15-day disabled list this year, with many of those players missing significantly more time (most notably Span, Zimmerman, Werth and Rendon). Despite all that, the Nationals have managed to stay above .500 for the majority of the year, dropping to a losing record for the first time since May 17 with Sunday’s loss to the Giants.

While a 10-20 record since the All-Star Break seems to imply Washington won’t be in the playoffs in 2015, the fact that they’re still in the mix this deep into the year despite their slew of injuries can’t be ignored. Manager Matt Williams‘ job security has been called into question many a time this season, but the fact that his club is still just a game under .500 entering Tuesday might actually speak to why Williams should be praised, if not at least left alone.

But Williams withstanding, the Nationals have done a fair amount with not a whole lot outside of Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and stretches with other contributors, and that should speak to why there should be some optimism surrounding Washington as it pertains to next season.

Most if not all of the aforementioned offseason free agents will likely depart in the winter, but the Nationals could potentially find most of not all of their replacements in the form of younger, cheaper, more controllable prospects.

Desmond’s replacement will all-but-certainly come in the way of Trea Turner, who seems poised to make his big-league debut with the Nationals next month. Zimmermann’s rotation spot could very well go to A.J. Cole, while Lucas Giolito could also make a push to make the majors earlier than anticipated if he impresses at AA in the early portion of 2016. Washington also has Taylor Jordan and Taylor Hill stashed away at AAA Syracuse, each of whom have had varying levels of success at the big-league level in the past.

Aug 3, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Michael Taylor (3) hits a two RBI double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 6 – 4. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Span’s apparent replacement is already making a name for himself with the Nationals, as Michael Taylor has had five multi-hit games in the month of August alone while providing above-average defense in center field. The 24-year-old is under club control through 2020, and Washington appears set on making him the center fielder of the future unless something better comes along.

Fister has already been replaced by rookie Joe Ross, who seems well-positioned to be a part of the Nationals rotation going forward after making a good impression through his first nine big-league starts. 2014 starter Tanner Roark is also currently sitting in the Washington bullpen, and could likely be stretched out next year in Spring Training if the Nationals wanted him to be back in the starting rotation.

While several players with star power could jump ship for new clubs before 2016 starts, the idea Nationals’ winning window is closing is absolutely preposterous. With Cole, Giolito, Turner, Wilmer Difo, Austin Voth and others set to contribute in the near future, a new wave of top talent is almost ready to merge with Harper, Scherzer, Rendon, Zimmerman and others to form new-look core that can compete for years to come. Should they choose to flip short-term contracts like those of Strasburg, Ramos, Papelbon or Drew Storen for more MLB-ready talent, the window could be rebuilt and extended deep into the future fairly quickly.

And if Washington isn’t comfortable betting on its youth, this offseason’s free agent market has plenty of potential options to fill hole across the board, and the Nationals have money to spend. Whether it’s bigger-name options like Johnny Cueto or Ben Zobrist or supplementary signings like Mike Leake or Rajai Davis, Washington has more than enough veteran talent to choose from should they elect to add more proven talent into the mix for 2016.

But bottom line: The Nationals may not be doing damage in 2015, but they’ll be fine for the long haul.

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