The Washington Nationals had a disappointing season in 2015 and this offseason the team could make some changes, including trades involving Jonathan Papelbon and Drew Storen. The Nationals reportedly are interested in an Aroldis Chapman trade with the Reds and the team also could target Ben Zobrist and Darren O'Day as free agents.
The Nationals were expected to be World Series contenders last season, but the team had numerous issues and ended up out of the playoffs. Bryce Harper won the MVP after a fantastic statistical year, but the team never clicked as a whole and that led to Matt Williams getting fired. Dusty Baker is coming in to take over as manager and GM Mike Rizzo may look at making some major changes, including with Papelbon and others.
The Washington Post reported earlier in the month that the Nationals were considering keeping both Papelbon and Storen, but recent reports have pushed against that. According to Jayson Stark at ESPN, multiple teams have mentioned that the "Nationals want to deal both players" and that the team is "chasing O'Day, Chapman & others."
The Nationals bullpen situation became a mess for the team after the acquisition of Papelbon, as it pushed Storen, who was having a strong year, out of the closer role and it added some tension to the clubhouse. Papelbon blew some important games and eventually things boiled over with the very public fight between Papelbon and Harper in the dugout, which saw Papelbon put his hands on Harper's throat. While the two players downplayed things, it was not a good look for the Nats and that dugout atmosphere was one reason why Williams was canned.
Storen is the more likely trade target at this point, as Papelbon is owed $11 million and he also has a no-trade clause that has over 10 teams on it. The Nationals may try and re-work their bullpen with trades and they also could go after O'Day, who is getting a lot of attention on the market. Chapman may be too much for the Nats, as the Boston Globe reports that the Reds are looking for a "massive haul" for Chapman, who will be a free agent after next season. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Astros and Diamondbacks are reportedly interested in Chapman.
The Nats may look at free agent options on the market, including O'Day and Zobrist. According to Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports, Zobrist is a target for the Nats, as the team needs a "left-handed hitting IFer and left-handed hitting OFer" and Zobrist could "fill both roles." O'Day is one of the top targets on the market among relief pitchers and according to Jerry Crasnick at ESPN, the Nationals and the Dodgers are "leaders" for O'Day. O'Day reportedly is looking for a multi-year deal worth around $30 million and it comes after he had a strong season with the Orioles, putting up a 1.52 ERA in 68 games.
