2012 MLB Free Agents: Nationals to Visit Mark Buehrle
By Editorial Staff
According to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, the Washington Nationals have made free agent Mark Buehrle their number one starting pitching target this winter. In pursuit of their top target, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and several other team officials are scheduled to visit Buehrle and his representation at his St. Louis home.
All along this early offseason, the Nationals have made it clear that they are looking to add a veteran presence to their young starting rotation. Currently, a healthy Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann make up Washington’s staff, while John Lannan and Chien-Ming Wang also figure to have spots in the Nationals 2012 rotation.
The club could fill their final hole with one of several young arms, but the Nationals would rather bring in a veteran that could lead the young starters. Washington has already been tied to Roy Oswalt, and now it appears they have their sights set on Buehrle.
Earlier this month, Rizzo told reporters that he was looking for a starting pitcher who “is a good leader type of guy who can throw a lot of innings”. Rizzo said the Nationals want someone who’s “shown he can win in the big leagues” and can lead Washington’s staff. Though he’s not necessarily looking for great stuff, Rizzo does want someone to lead by showing his young arms “how to be a professional and how to be a winner and how to pitch 200 innings in a season many, many times”.
Buehrle certainly fits this mold, and makes a lot more sense than a pitcher like Oswalt, who has questions surrounding his durability.
Buehrle has been one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the bigs over the past decade. The lefty has hit that 200 inning plateau Rizzo emphasized every season since becoming a full-time starter in 2001.
Because of his impressively consistent numbers, Buehrle has developed quite the market for himself. Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com says 13 teams have shown interest in the 32-year-old.
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You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.