Trade Espi and Morse? NO!
Spend the money. Keep the players. Even though I hate strikeouts, and Espinosa's hitting reminds me of Don Lock (yes...look him up...and I suspect that Lock was more valuable), consider: if the Nats trade Espinosa and Lombo, Desmond, or Zimmerman get hurt, then who plays infield?
The Nats won games in 2012 both because they had no injuries to starting pitchers and because they could fill in for injured position players. Imagine that they've traded Espinosa and Desmond gets hurt. Would the replacement be next year's equivalent of Alex Cora? (No, Rendon will not be ready until 2014, assuming good progress. He hit .190 in a couple months of AA. He needs the work.)
IF the Nats sign LaRoche first, THEN (maybe) Morse is an extra big bat: Werth. Harper, Span, Shark, Moore, plus Morse?
Maybe the Nats should sign Edwin Jackson and quit worrying about the 5th starter? (Could they have kept Lannan's contract and traded him? He was a steady guy)
Maybe sign Burnett and stop worrying about lefty relief pitchers?
Is there a left long reliever much better than Gorzo?
Conclusion: Rizzo knows what he wants, and usually gets it. I'm just sayin'.
(Oh, and HTTR: beat the Giants!)