My problem with that argument is what if Desmond can't learn second base? Espinosa has already shown he can, and Desmond's range and arm show he has the talent to play short. I couldn't find a game log for fielding, but I am pretty sure he had more errors in less games before the all-star break. Even with all the errors Desmond still has an average major league player, and that was this teams main problem. They had replacement level players at center, right, catcher, and second for most of the year. Fill those four spots with average major league talent and you are looking at a 8-12 game improvement. Of course that also means you need to keep Adam Dunn or find anoth 4-5 WAR player for first.
If Desmond can't learn second base, and we have
two ostensibly major-league quality shortstops, the logical solution is to trade the one we don't want! It's a luxury the Nats haven't really had yet in their brief existence (except maybe with the bullpen this year) but it is what good teams with depth do when they have a surplus of starting players at one position. Obviously this is contingent on our being able to adequately fill 2B, of course, whether with a player acquired in the trade or someone else. But if Desmond
can learn 2B--and I have yet to see any evidence that he cannot, especially since many former shortstops switch to 2B later in their careers--then this all becomes moot. At the very least, in the interest of being conscientious the Nats should have Desmond familiarize himself with playing 2B during the offseason and/or spring training. If it turns out he can't ameliorate himself to the position, so be it.
