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Washington Nationals 2017 Team Preview

By Anthony Sosa

Oct 7, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker (12) stands during the national anthem before game one of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series between the Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker (12) stands during the national anthem before game one of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series between the Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

Key Players Lost

Even though the Nationals look like a winning team heading into 2017, that doesn’t mean they didn’t lose some key players from 2016. Below are a few players that no longer play for the Nationals.

Wilson Ramos:

After seven seasons in Washington, Wilson Ramos agreed to a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason. Besides his short seven-game stint with the Minnesota Twins, Ramos spent his entire major league career with the Nationals.

Ramos is a career .269/.313/.430 hitter, with 83 home runs, 321 RBI and 224 runs. He also provided veteran leadership for the club.

It was a rough ending in Washington for the catcher. In a September game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ramos suffered a torn ACL trying to catch a high throw to the plate. Ramos missed the remainder of September and the NLDS.

Mark Melancon:

It wasn’t a long stint in Washington for closer Mark Melancon. After the team acquired him at the 2016 trade deadline, he became a free agent in the offseason. In the offseason, he signed with the San Francisco Giants.

Melancon pitched in 30 games for the Nationals in the regular season. He converted 17 out of 18 save opportunities, with a 1.82 ERA and 27 strikeouts. He appeared in four NLDS games where he earned one save and didn’t allow a run.

Danny Espinosa:

Just like Ramos, Danny Espinosa had played his entire career in Washington. In the offseason, the Nationals traded Espinosa to the Los Angeles Angels for two minor league pitchers.

Along with his epic beard, Espinosa provided pop from both the second base and shortstop positions for Washington. His biggest flaw is hitting for average. In his seven years, Espinosa hit 92 home runs, drove in 285 runs and scored 337 times, with a slash line of .226/.302/.378.

The Prospects:

As mentioned in the Adam Eaton trade, the Nationals traded away two top prospects in Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. Both pitchers look on track for successful major league careers, but not all prospects pan out. The Nationals took a risk. Their hope is that Eaton can help them win now.

Here is Giolito’s scouting report, and here is Lopez’s scouting report, courtesy of Call to the Pen’s own Benjamin Chase.

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