Nats ready to get to work at Winter Meetings

WASHINGTON -- Even though the offseason technically began weeks ago, the last six weeks or so have still felt like an extended celebration for the Nationals coming off the franchise’s first World Series championship. They rolled out the red carpet this past Monday in D.C. for the premiere of the World Series documentary, another chance for fans to relive a moment they have been waiting for so long to live.

The arrival of the Winter Meetings in San Diego, however, signals a time to shift gears toward 2020 and how the Nationals expect to defend their World Series championship -- especially considering two former Nationals stars crucial to their title run and the franchise’s recent success will be at the center of attention this week and for the rest of the winter in Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon, who along with Gerrit Cole make up the market’s most sought-after players.

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Before the baseball world turns its attentions to the Winter Meetings, here’s a refresher of where the Nats stand as they descend upon San Diego.

Club needs: The Nats enter the Winter Meetings having already made some moves, bringing back the tandem of Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes as the catching duo behind the plate. Yet they still enter the week with a lengthy list of needs, starting with Strasburg and Rendon, both of whom they have interest in re-signing. If not, they’ll need to find replacements in the rotation and at third base. Washington still needs to fill holes at first base (expect Ryan Zimmerman to be back with a likely left-handed platoon partner) second base and perhaps in the bullpen. The club brought back infielder Howie Kendrick on one-year deal with a mutual option for 2021, according to a source.

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Whom might they trade? General manager Mike Rizzo has certainly had to get creative to pull off trades in recent seasons to not deal from the top of his farm system, but the Nats have still pulled off trades for Gomes and relievers such as Tanner Roark and Daniel Hudson at the Deadline. Washington does not appear to have a lot of excess on its roster this year, but it does have a trio of young starters (Erick Fedde, Austin Voth and Joe Ross) who might not all fit into next year’s plans, and maybe this is the year the Nats pull the trigger on a trade for Michael A. Taylor.

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Prospects to know: Carter Kieboom seems almost certain to factor into the 2020 season in some way, with two vacancies in the infield that he could be a candidate to fill, although he has not played third base at the professional level. Kieboom is the only big league-ready top prospect in the team’s system, and in recent seasons, the Nats have once again been reluctant to deal from the top of their prospect list as they begin restocking their farm system after years of aggressiveness.

Payroll summary: The Nationals do have a ton of flexibility in their payroll with approximately $80 million-$90 million of room before they reach the Competitive Balance Tax threshold, which they made a priority to stay under last season and, although no one has admitted as much, are likely to do so next year. But they also carry a long to-do list while chasing two of the most wanted players on the free-agent market, both of whom will be seeking megadeals.

One question: Can the Nationals re-sign both Strasburg and Rendon and if not, which is the priority?

It could get complicated if the Nationals try to squeeze both their star players under the same payroll next season and remain under the CBT. That does not mean they won’t explore any and all avenues to do so, but it seems unlikely. Starting pitching, meanwhile, has always been the priority for Rizzo in Washington and the World Series is likely only going to serve as validation. The organization has no clear ready replacement for Rendon like they did for Bryce Harper a year ago and their rotation next year will still feature Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Aníbal Sánchez, but it seems more likely the Nats make a strong push to keep Strasburg if they have to make a choice.