As the Major League Baseball’s offseason enters January, most significant player transactions are complete and rosters largely settled for the 2013 season. Through January, we’ll feature the contenders in both the National and American Leagues, assessing their offseason efforts to address their 2013 roster needs. We’ll look back at how each team’s 2012 season ended with an eye on the updates and upgrades required to compete in 2013, how they’ve fared through the offseason and what the team looks like as we approach spring training.
First up, we’ll look at the National League and work through the Eastern Division leader Washington Nationals
Nationals' 2012 Offseason Requirements
The Washington Nationals led the major leagues with 98 wins in 2012. They entered the National League Division Series as playoff favorites despite their earlier shut-down of ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg. After leading the wild card entry St. Louis Cardinals two games to one, they lost the deciding NLDS game five in dramatic fashion, ending the young franchise’s outstanding 2012 season. With a young core of players build through strong drafts (Strasburg, Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, Jordan Zimmerman, Wilson Ramos, Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond), trades (Michael Morse, Gio Gonzalez, Kurt Suzuki) and targeted free agent signings (Jayson Werth), the team didn’t have glaring holes or needs to be urgently addressed in the 2012 offseason.
General manager Mike Rizzo declined to offer SP Edwin Jackson a qualifying option, thus creating a vacant position in the club’s five-man rotation. The club also had a need to upgrade their outfield, as a combination of Morse or Robert Bernadina would not fit the club’s need for a long-term fit alongside Werth and Harper in the corner outfield positions. First baseman Adam LaRoche received a qualifying offer and remains a free agent that might return to man the Nationals firstbase position.
Offseason Transaction Recap
Rizzo quickly identified a high-risk, high-reward pitcher to replace the departed Jackson, signing former Angel starting pitcher Dan Haren to a one year, $13M deal. Haren enjoyed a seven year productive run through 2011 but in 2012 experienced a career-low year which led the Angels to decline their 2013 option. Haren, 32, has the track record to perform at a level similar to the Nationals’ big three starting pitchers (Strasburg, Gonzalez and Zimmerman) but there are significant concerns about the health of his back and shoulder. Nonetheless, signing a pitcher of his caliber to a one-year deal offers the Nationals a low risk, high-reward pitcher for the four-spot in their rotation behind Ross Detweiler.
Following Haren’s signing, the club non-tendered pitcher John Lannan. Lannan did not have a place in the Nationals’ rotation with the club’s signing of Haren.
In advance of the December Winter Meetings, Rizzo finally landed the centerfielder he’d long pursued, as he acquired the Minnesota Twins’ Denard Span in a trade for former first-round pitcher Alex Meyer. In Span, the Nationals receive a speed-first centre fielder that plays both ways. He’s a gap-hitter suited to the top of the Nationals’ lineup, and is a first-rate ball catcher that perfectly complements Harper in LF and Werth in RF. Before the trade, the Twins had signed Span, 28, to a five year extension that includes a club option for 2016. Span completes what has to be one of baseball’s best outfields, one that provides power, speed and defense to keep the Nationals well-positioned in the NL for years to come.
Nationals' right handed relief pitcher Mike Gonzalez departed via free agency, signing with the Milwaukee Brewers. Gonzalez, after signing with the Nationals mid-season, posted a solid 3.03 ERA in 35 innings. While Rizzo will be smart to replace Gonzalez, the need for further relief arms is more of an ongoing, endless bullpen search rather than one specific to the void created by Gonzalez's departre.
Key position player Adam LaRoche remains available on the free agent market. LaRoche, 31, had a career year with the Nationals in 2012 and is looking to parlay his success into a three-year lucrative contract. Rizzo, smartly aware of LaRoche's performance was well above his career norms, has left a two-year contract available for LaRoche. Unless he finds his desired third year with another team, it's likely that LaRoche will return to the Nationals, play a quality first base and make Morse a valuable, expendable trade chip. If LaRoche opts for another club, Rizzo will happily slot the power-hitting Morse in as his long-term first base solution.
2012 Offseason Report Card and Look Forward to 2013
Rizzo has done an outstanding job building an organization focused on acquirigina and retaining young, talented players. He smartly avoided the 2012 offseason’s centre field options (Michael Bourne, BJ Upton, Shane Victorino), instead opting for a long-term solution (Span) that has more upside and greater cost control than the aging free agents available. His swap of Haren for the departed Jackson provides the club a perfect one-year rotation fit until top pitching prospect Danny Hultzen is ready for the big leagues.
Rizzo has smartly avoided the exhorbitant asking prices of agents and players on the free agent market. His firm two-year stance with LaRoche respects where the first baseman is positioned on the aging curve for a corner player with minimal speed. He opted to trade for a long-term CF option, avoiding the aged CF free agent options.
With catcher Wilson Ramos returning from a 2012 season ending injury, the club can draw upon two starter-quality catchers (Ramos, Suzuki) to support a pitching staff that is positioned as one of baseball’s best for years to come.
While the Nationals' rotation is talented, it lacks the depth in the event a starting pitcher being injured. There's a trend amongst contending teams to "bulk up," acquiring additional starters. The increasing injury load amongst pitchers necessitates that teams built to contend err on the side of cautioin and start the season with with six or seven capable arms for their five-man rotation. There's been recent reports the Nationals are looking at Javier Vasquez, which would be a great fit given his experience in the organization (as an Expo) and long track record of NL success.
Additional starters aside, the Nationals have had an outstanding offseason - they receive an A for their offseason transactions. They’re heavy favorites to repeat at NL East Champions.