Nats need hitting, relief pitching, and probably a starting pitcher. Mostly hitting.
- Sign Cespedes. He's a free agent at the end of the season and he can play CF. Taylor is a good fielder, but has not learned to hit. Werth is 36 and should be fading, but my hunch is that he has another good season left. Mix Taylor and Werth in LF unless Taylor proves outright that he can't hit any better than this season.
- Try to re-sign Span, but I doubt that Span wants to play in Washington. Something about his last press conference, the tone, made it sound like he wanted a real doctor to give him a real diagnosis and a real treatment plan. No more "rest a week and then play two weeks because the team needs it".
- Infield is fine, assuming that Trea Turner is The Guy. In fact, I would promote Turner now and move Danny to LF until Span returns. Maybe Span will be back by Saturday, given that he's starting tonight with Potomac...maybe Span returns later. Either way, the Nats need a lead-off hitter.
- Starting pitchers: having seen Rizzo's work, I expect him to collect draft choices for as many free agents as possible. Make the offers to Fister and Zimmermann. Maybe both rebound to last-year's quality. Here is a big hole. If they are gone, the starters are Scherzer, Strasburg, Ross, and Roark, plus ??? Giolito just got promoted to Harrisburg, I think, so he's a year away. Nobody at Syracuse looks better than AAA...not Taylors Hill and Jordan, and not AJ Cole. Maybe convert Treinen back to a starter?
- Relief pitchers: even bigger hole. Papelbon pitches the 9th when it's a save. Storen is a mystery. Nobody collapses that quickly. Thornton and Janssen are good-enough oldewr relief pitchers, but not every-day guys and not for high-pressure situations. Rivero seems promising. Otherwise, it's ugly after a starter finishes six innings.
- Catcher: Please trade Ramos. Let Lobaton catch 2/3 of the games. Minors have no catchers who look ready, so maybe the Nats have to work with Ramos...lose weight, a lot of weight, and run faster.
- Bench / backup: A strength. At least the Nats did well enough with the bench guys. Crumbled when Werth, Rendon, and Zimm returned. Clint Robinson is gold. De Dekker doesn't hit any better than Taylor, but plays good outfield. With Escobar, Rendon, Espinosa, and (we hope) Turner, the infield should have enough to ride through injuries.