Denard Span remains on the Washington Nationals “radar”, according to Nick Carfado of the Boston Globe. Carfado made these statements before Jayson Werth’s injury last night, raising rumors that the Nationals could look to pursue Span or other outfield options. Other outfielders that could become available through trade are Carlos Quentin of the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels slugger Mark Trumbo.
If the Nationals want to get creative and feel as though he has anything left to offer in the field, they could target veteran free agent Vladimir Guerrero.
While Span to the Nationals seems to be a match, Carfado said that a deal could be held up due to closer Drew Storen’s injury. It was speculated that a Storen for Span deal between the Minnesota Twins and Nationals was developing last summer, but trade talks fell through.
With Storen on the disabled list, a deal for the Nationals closer is off the table. Still, depending on the severity of Werth’s injury, the Nationals could look outside of their organization for outfield assistance.
While the Twins could look to deal Span, the speedster doesn’t figure to be the Nationals only outfield option. Corner outfielder Mark Trumbo has reportedly been shopped by the Angels, while Padres slugger Carlos Quentin could hit the market once again if he returns to form after his stint on the DL.
Last week the Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said that he was facing no urgency to make a trade despite Washington’s lengthy disabled list. Bryce Harper’s promotion helped alleviate the absence of Ryan Zimmerman and Mike Morse, but if Werth is out for an extended period the Nationals could find themselves as an active buyer this summer.
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