Fantasy GM: Washington Nationals

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The Washington Nationals are once again the worst team in baseball. He’s what the team needs to do to be successful.

First, get a new GM. My pick for this organization would be Logan White from the Dodger’s front office. White has built their minor league system, which has produced Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Blake DeWitt, and James Loney. He’s got a great reputation with bringing in young talent.

The reason he’s the perfect fit is point number 2: They need to rebuild the minor league system so they can produce at the major league level. As we’ve seen in the past few years, the Nationals can’t get big name free agents (except Adam Dunn, but that was due to the baseball economy). Big name free agents want to win and this organization may be a few years from being able to. White has a reputation of finding good value in the minors. He can also build a solid scouting staff, as he has done in Los Angeles.

So, once teams start looking for pieces in June, I’d be offering almost everyone. The outfield surplus would be a good starting point. Josh Willingham, Austin Kearns, and Willie Harris are the most attactive players there – Elijah Dukes would be staying. I’d also see if there is interest in Lastings Milledge; he’s overrated. These guys won’t bring in enough talent to rebuild the system, but they can get some pieces that would help.

For the infield, Ronnie Belliard, Christian Guzman, and Nick Johnson could be attractive to contenders. Dmitri Young could also be another trade candidate. Like the outfielders, they may not bring much. Ryan Zimmerman will remain, as he’s signed long term and affordable. Catcher Jesus Flores would also be retained; they don’t have anyone ready behind him and he’s still young and improving.

The pitching has some potential trade bait. Daniel Cabrera and his wildness could still have value – there are teams that think they could get him under control. If Kip Wells and Julian Tavarez have strong starts, they could draw interest from teams needing bullpen help.

None of the players mentioned would bring in draft picks – I can’t see any of them being Type A or B free agents, and I don’t see the team offering arbitration even if they were.

Now, that would leave a lot of holes for the team to fill. The team is going to take some lumps with the current roster, so why not get some MLB experience for some guys like Brad Eldred, Kory Casto, and Justin Maxwell?

The Hitters:
C – Jesus Flores
1B – Brad Eldred
2B – Anderson Hernandez
3B – Ryan Zimmerman
SS – Alberto Gonzalez
LF – Adam Dunn
CF – Elijah Dukes
RF – Ryan Langerhans
Bench – Kory Casto, Luke Montz, Joel Guzman, Justin Maxwell

The Pitching Staff:
SP – Garrett Mock, Shairon Martis, John Lannan, Jordan Zimmerman, Marco Estrada
CL – Ty Clippard
RP – Joel Hanrahan, Logan Kensing, Mike Hinckley, Preston Larrison, Craig Stammen, Michael O’Connor, Collin Balester

This team would give you a good idea of what you have and what you still need. Some of these guys just need some major league at bats to see if they can hit (Guzman, Eldred), while others will get experience (Maxwell, Gonzalez). Same goes with the pitching. Plus, some of the guys traded could bring in a few pieces that could be used now.

If the young kids get a good chance to play and they Nationals continue to have strong drafts, they could be in a situation where the Rays are.