Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.The Nationals bottomed out in 2009. Their season began with the ouster of general manager Jim Bowden in the beginning of March after he was implicated in a bonus-skimming scandal in the Dominican Republic that drew the attention of the FBI. And it ended with 103 losses, giving them 205 losses in the last two seasons.
In between, they fired manager Manny Acta and watched attendance fall by more than 6,000 fans a night in the second year of Nationals Park.
So no, it's not all sunshine and roses on the banks of the Anacostia River, but, then, it's not all doom and gloom either. After all, the Nats managed to lock up phenom Stephen Strasburg in August, and with a stable front office and a permanent manager now in place, they can get to the task of building around him.
Who Might Leave
Austin Kearns, OF; Livan Hernandez, RHP; Josh Bard, C; Ron Villone, LHP; Dmitri Young, 1B
Shopping List
For a lousy team, the Nationals don't have a lot of needs heading into the offseason. The entire outfield and infield corners are set. With Cristian Guzman shifting to second base in 2010, rookie Ian Desmond is in line to take over as the starting shortstop. If general manager Mike Rizzo is looking to add to one area offensively, a more reliable option at short than Desmond could be high on his list.
Of course, Rizzo could look to add an outfielder or first baseman if he decides to move Josh Willingham or Adam Dunn, both of whom might have more value to a contender than to the Nationals. Even if he doesn't decide to move either player, a reserve outfielder besides Willie Harris might be useful considering the injury histories of Willingham and right fielder Elijah Dukes.
Those are minor tweaks next to the work that has to be done on the pitching staff. With Hernandez likely to sign elsewhere, Jordan Zimmermann not due back from Tommy John surgery until the final weeks of next season, Scott Olsen coming off of a shoulder injury and Strasburg still months away from the big leagues, the Nationals are short a starter or two, unless you think John Lannan, Craig Stammen, J.D. Martin, Ross Detwiler and Garrett Mock can each last an entire season in a major league rotation.
There are internal options -- Shairon Martis, who made 15 starts in the majors last year, and Strasburg eventually, to name two -- but the Nationals could sorely use a veteran presence at the front of their rotation to eat innings, if nothing else. Washington hasn't been afraid to think big lately, dabbling in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes last winter and signaling its intentions to pursue free agent John Lackey this winter, but a lower-tier starter may be a more realistic option.
Like every other team in the known universe, the Nationals could use bullpen help, but there's no reason for them to scour anything but the bargain bin with contention still a few years away.Money Matters
Other than Ryan Zimmerman, who the club locked up with a five-year extension during the season, the Nationals have no long-term financial commitments. That means Rizzo could have some money to play with, particularly as he looks to beef up the rotation. The beauty here is that Washington need only think in the long-term if they dip into the free-agent or trade market this winter. It will probably have the ability to take on salary, but will only need to do so if the target can help for years to come.
Dunn and Guzman will make a combined $20 million in 2010, swallowing up a significant portion of the club's payroll, but both will be free agents after the season, meaning they'll be attractive to contenders, but the team should feel little pressure to move either.
The Nats have a number of arbitration-eligible players on the roster, but Willingham, who had a terrific first season in Washington, is probably the only one who is in line for a long-term extension. On the flip side, a significant raise in arbitration could make the 30-year-old a trade candidate. Olsen, who like Willingham is in his second year of arbitration eligibility, could be in line for a more modest raise, but it's unlikely the club would want to go beyond year to year deals at this point.
Lannan has been the one reliable pitcher the Nationals have had over the last few seasons, so he could be a candidate to have his arbitration years bought out, but since he's still a year away from arbitration, there's no reason for the club to make it a priority.
Offseason Goals
Rizzo's job is simple: to keep building for the future. As bad as things have seemed in Washington, the Nationals have some very nice pieces, from Zimmerman, who broke out in 2009, to Strasburg, whose arrival is already being anticipated in the nation's capital. As they have almost since the moment they got to D.C., the Nationals need pitching help. Their rumored interest in Lackey, coming on the heels of their pursuit of Teixeira last winter, shows that, if nothing else, the team has grand plans when it comes to the pitching solution. The Nats need elite talent to compete, and they need to assemble it in any way they can, but they must do so with an eye toward 2011-12 and beyond.
