Washington Nationals should consider moving veterans in August

It’s mid-August, and the National League Wild Card hunt seems to be a three-horse race between the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Then there’s the Washington Nationals, who are hanging around some 8.5 games out of the second spot (four back of the third-spotted Giants).

Mathematically speaking, the Nationals are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot and are more so within striking distance for the National League East title. They enter Saturday just 4.5 games back of the New York Mets, though Washington is 3-7 in its last 10 games while New York has won seven of 10.

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With that being said, the Nationals could see their postseason chances sliding quickly if the trend continues. It seems their only way into playoff baseball is through the division, but a surging Mets team has clearly outplayed Washington, and gave themselves breathing room sweeping the head-to-head three-game set earlier this month.

These Mets will be a pest for the Nationals not just this year, but for seasons to come. Their core is built around several young, controllable pitchers, rookie outfielder Michael Conforto and slugging first baseman Lucas Duda, who is signed through 2017. They have some pending free agents, but nothing that will drastically alter the roster.

Washington, on the other hand, is set to potentially watch some combination of Jordan Zimmermann, Denard Span, Ian Desmond, Doug Fister, Matt Thornton and potentially Casey Janssen depart in free agency this offseason. It would leave the Nationals without 40 percent of their starting rotation, their starting center fielder, their starting shortstop and two important bullpen pieces.

Zimmermann, Span and Desmond are all candidates to receive qualifying offers, which if declined, would net the Nats a compensatory first-round pick for each player that ultimately signed elsewhere. Fister seemed positioned to qualify for such an offer prior to the season, but has fallen on hard times and seen his free agent prospects take a hard hit in 2015.

The good news for the Nationals? They enter 2015 either keeping all three cornerstones or gaining three top young prospects instead. The bad news? Those young guns won’t be in position to take roster spots on the big league club in 2016, which will likely be the back end of Washington’s winning window with Stephen Strasburg, Jonathan Papelbon, Drew Storen (who could be traded this coming offseason) and Wilson Ramos all scheduled to hit the free agent market.

A wave of young talent sits near-major league ready in the Washington farm system, with Lucas Giolito, Trea Turner, A.J. Cole, Pedro Severino, Austin Voth and others potentially playing contributing roles in 2016. But with so many clubs in contention in 2015 and the Nationals having so many valuable trade chips, perhaps they shouldn’t wait until winter to claim their compensatory prospects.

Washington isn’t out of this thing yet. Let’s be clear. But it feels progressively less like they’ll be in the mix, and could potentially stand to get big-league ready talent in return for likely-departing veterans that could appeal to any number of teams that still remain in the playoff picture. While Span is hurt and thus untradable, Zimmermann, Desmond, Thornton and Janssen could bring in young controllable talent to throw in the mix for next year and beyond. It may be a tough pill for the Nats front office to swallow, they should strongly consider pulling the plug on 2015 to extend their winning window into the foreseeable future.

Next: Washington Nationals Sign Tony Campana

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