Move Washington Nationals' Third Baseman Ryan Zimmerman To First Base? Not Just Yet

Ryan Zimmerman might have to move to first base in the future to accommodate the Washington Nationals' top hitting prospect, Anthony Rendon, who was drafted as a third baseman out of Rice. The Nats can't sign Adam LaRoche to more than a two-year deal because they need room in the infield, and especially at first in case the Nationals have to move Ryan Zimmerman across the infield eventually. Let's not kick Zim off the hot corner just yet.

Anthony Rendon, considered by most the top hitting prospect available in the 2011 Draft, was described by D.C. GM Mike Rizzo as a Gold Glove caliber defender on the night the Nats selected the then-21-year-old infielder sixth overall. With Zimmerman entrenched at third base, however, some wondered just where the Rice infielder would fit in the organization.

"Right now we feel that third base is his position," the Nationals' GM told reporters on the night of the draft, "we feel that we've evaluated him as a Gold Glove caliber defensive guy at third base. We're going to delay that decision til he gets to the big leagues and establishes himself here and we'll make those decisions down the road."

The speculation since he was drafted was that Rendon might eventually move over to second since Zimmerman was firmly established at third, similar to the way Danny Espinosa was moved over to second from short with Ian Desmond already in D.C. when Espinosa was called up. When Rendon arrived in Florida for his first Spring Training with the Nationals last year, Nats' skipper Davey Johnson told the infielder he would that he would be playing all around the infield at third, short and second.

When Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore asked Zimmerman about potentially eventually losing his position to accomodate Rendon, he was diplomatic in his response. "'I think I want to play third base until someone is better than me at it,'" Zimmerman told the WaPost reporter:

"'I think there's teams that move people. I've said it all along ' I want to be here as long as I can. I want to play my whole career here. If that means me playing third base for five more years and then moving somewhere because someone is better than me at third and it'll help us win, then I'll do it. If that means me playing third base for 10 years and then going to first base or wherever, then I'll do it. I don't care.'"

Zimmerman did, however, add that he wasn't going to leave his spot quietly. "'I'm certainly not going to make it easy for someone to come and be better than me,'" Zimmerman told the WaPost reporter, "'Someone is going to have to take it from me.'"

The subject of moving Zimmerman away from third has come up again this winter in the conversation about Adam LaRoche. Just today, the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore and MASN's Dan Kolko, among others who've broached the topic, mentioned that the Nats might want to avoid going to three years with LaRoche since they might eventually need to move Zimmerman over to first. D.C. GM Mike Rizzo mentioned the likes of Tyler Moore and 2012 Minor League Player of the Year Matt Skole as part of the depth at first (along with Michael Morse for at least 2013) that has them cautious and unwilling to go beyond two years with LaRoche. No mention of Zimmerman on the GM's part in that conversation.

Zimmerman did, however, post the lowest fld% (.950) of his career in 2012. Though it wasn't far off his fld% from 2011 (.957 fld%) or 2010 (.951) it was down from the .963 fld% he posted in 2009 when he won the Gold Glove at third base. Zimmerman's UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) was actually up in 2012 from -3.1 UZR in 2011 to -0.6 last season, though that was down significantly from 2009 (+13.7 UZR) and 2010 (+13.9 UZR). Over that four-year stretch, Zimmerman's had the 5th highest UZR among third baseman league-wide (+24.0) behind only Kevin Kouzmanoff (+24.2), Placido Polanco (+28.1), Evan Longoria (+39.2) and Adrian Beltre (+48.4).

Zimmerman's 19 errors (up from 12 in 2011, and 17 in both '09-'10) were the second-most amongst qualified third baseman in the majors last season, with his 12 throwing errors the second most in the majors behind only the Pirates' Pedro Alvarez (16 TE). It was only the third-highest throwing error total of Zimmerman's career behind the 15 TEs he committed in 2007 and the 13 TEs he made in '09 when he won the Gold Glove, and the Nationals' third baseman dealt with a serious shoulder injury in 2012 which required cortisone shots to get through the year and surgery afterwards to repair significant damage.

The Face of the Nationals franchise told the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore after he had the surgical procedure this winter that the injury (a bone spur in his collar bone, damage to the AC joint, "fraying" of the labrum and rotator cuff) definitely affected his throwing last season. Thanks to the cortisone shots, which allowed him to stay on the field while Washington went to the postseason for the first time since baseball's return to D.C., Zimmerman produced offensive numbers (.282/.346/.478, 36 doubles, 25 HRs) similar to his career averages (.287/.353/.479 and 162-game average of 41 doubles, 25 HRs). Asked about Zimmerman's defensive issues last September on 106.7 the FAN's The Mike Rizzo Show, the Nats' GM didn't sound like someone who was concerned about having to relocate his third baseman.

"He's a consumate major leaguer," Rizzo said, "He works extremely hard on it. He's going to make the adjustments, and again, you're talking about a Gold Glove defender and a guy that gets the job done any way he can get it done. He'll figure it out. He catches everything in sight, so he makes a lot of throws because he catches more balls than any third baseman in the big leagues."

One day in the future Zimmerman might have to move across the infield, but it doesn't appear anyone is in a rush to move him away from third just yet.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals/Adam LaRoche Non-Update No.4: Orioles Express "Legitimate" Interest In FA 1B

If the Boston Red Sox' deal with Mike Napoli, which is reportedly for 3-year/$39M, isn't finalized, Boston Globe writer Nick Cafardo speculated yesterday in his weekly Sunday baseball column that the Red Sox could revisit the idea of adding free agent Adam LaRoche. The 33-year-old first baseman, Mr. Cafardo wrote, "... could actually be a better option," for Boston, and the Sox could give LaRoche the three-year deal he's reportedly after this winter.

The Texas Rangers have been mentioned as a potential destination for LaRoche as well, though the level of interest on the Rangers' behalf is unknown. If LaRoche doesn't return to Washington as many expect, or sign with Texas or Boston, Mr. Cafardo wrote, the Baltimore Orioles might be another option, "... where Dan Duquette has coveted him." The Nationals, thus far, have reportedly been unwilling to go beyond two years to bring LaRoche back to the nation's capital.

MLB.com's Bill Ladson wrote on Sunday night that his sources told him that LaRoche and the Nats had failed to make any progress in their continuing discussions about a new deal. "The source went so far as to say that nothing has changed since the season came to an end last October," Mr. Ladson wrote. The Nationals won't go past two years. LaRoche wants three. Neither side has blinked thus far.

Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore's sources told him recently that the Nats had an informal Christmas deadline to resolve the situation and either bring LaRoche back or move on with Michael Morse at first in 2013. Asked today by the WaPost writer if there was a date by which he'd like to get a deal done, LaRoche told the reporter, "April 1," which is, of course, Opening Day. Will the Nationals be willing to wait? Will the Rangers, Red Sox, Mariners or Orioles step up with the three-year offer LaRoche is after?

According to a report by Baltimore Sun writer Dan Connolly this afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles do have, "... legitimate interest in adding LaRoche." But the situation, the reporter notes, is a complicated one. It's not, however, Mr. Connolly writes, a matter or money or years, but the fact that such a signing would, "... run counter to executive vice president Dan Duquette's plan of rebuilding from the draft," since it would cost the O's their 1st Round pick under the rules agreed upon in the new CBA.

The Nationals' decision to offer LaRoche a 1-year/$13.3M dollar qualifying offer means that they'll receive a compensatory draft pick if LaRoche signs elsewhere and any team that signs him will lose their own 1st Round (unless they hold one of the top 10 picks in next June's Draft.) The Orioles have the 24th overall pick. The Baltimore Sun reporter notes that the consensus amongst those he's heard from in the O's organization is that LaRoche will eventually return to Washington, but with the Nationals and the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winning first baseman so far unable to agree on a deal, the market for the 33-year-old first baseman is taking shape as many expected it would.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Starter Jordan Zimmermann's Debut As A Reliever... You're Lucky He's A Starter, National League

In an interview this past August, 69-year-old Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson talked to reporters about what tends to happen when a starter is asked to pitch out of the pen. Realizing that they won't be out there as long as usual, the pitcher tends to give it everything he's got since there's no need to hold anything in reserve. "When you know you're just in there for an inning or two," Johnson said, "Generally, almost 9 times out of 10, the fastball becomes more alive and that sets up everything else." The Nats' skipper was talking about Craig Stammen and the way he had adjusted to his middle relief role in 2012 after years in the organization as a starter. There's no better example, however, of a pitching cutting loose given the opportunity to pitch in relief than Jordan Zimmermann in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the NLDS with St. Louis.

The Nationals and Cardinals were tied at 1-1 with the Cards ahead in the series 2-1. Ross Detwiler threw 6.0 strong innings in which he gave up just three hits and one unearned run. When he was done for the night, Davey Johnson turned to Zimmermann, the Nationals' Game 2 starter, who'd given up seven hits and five runs in 3.0 IP in his postseason debut. The 26-year-old, '07 2nd Round pick came on throwing heat in Game 4 in Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. "He came in, and I mean, he was hyped," Johnson said in the post game interview after the Nats won on a Jayson Werth walk-off. "That's the hardest I've seen him throw all year," the Nationals' manager said, obviously impressed by the usually mild-mannered right-hander's aggressive outing.

"I mean, his slider was like 91, and he just -- some guys in our [dugout] said, 'That's our next closer.' I said, 'No way.'" Zimmermann's fastball, which he threw at an average of 93.8 mph all year, sat at 96-97 mph. The slider that usually came in around 86.4 mph was up to 91 as the Nats' skipper said. Pete Kozma [spit!]' went down swinging at a 97 mph 1-2 fastball. Kyle Lohse went down chasing a tight 91 mph slider. Jon Jay took a 97 mph heater for a called strike three. 12 pitches, nine strikes. Three quick outs. Zimmermann painted the outside corner to get Jay looking, pumped his fist twice, let out an out-of-character scream and walked off the mound for the last time in 2012.

It might have been the most impressive inning of work in Zimmermann's career, outside of the "immaculate inning" the right-hander threw in a 5/6/11 game against the then-Florida Marlins, when he struck out the side on nine pitches to become just the 42nd pitcher in major league history to accomplish the efficient feat. Zimmermann finished his fourth MLB season with a 2.94 ERA, a 3.51 FIP, 43 walks (1.98 BB/9) and 153 Ks (7.04 K/9) in 32 starts and 195.2 IP. Zimmermann finished 10th in the NL in fWAR at +3.5 fWAR and finished the year as Nationals' third most valuable pitcher in terms of fWAR, behind Stephen Strasburg (+4.3 fWAR) and Gio Gonzalez (+5.4 fWAR). In his last appearance of the year, Zimmermann showed a side of himself fans in the nation's capital had never seen before. He was already intimidating. That night in the nation's capital he was downright scary.

' Jordan Zimmermann's Immaculate Inning (5/6/11):

' Game 4 of the NLDS:

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals/Adam LaRoche Non-Update No.3: Will Anyone Give The First Baseman Three Years?

Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell reported in an article this past week that the Washington Nationals were thus far unwilling to budge from their initial 2-year/$25M dollar offer to free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche. The 33-year-old Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winning infielder is coming off a .271/.343/.510, 35 double, 33 HR, +3.8 fWAR 2012 season and looking for a three-year deal that thus far has not been offered to the nine-year veteran, at least not publicly. The WaPost's Mr. Boswell suggested that the Nationals should give LaRoche a third year and do so quickly, now that the Texas Rangers are in the market for a left-handed bat with Josh Hamilton signing on with the Angels in Los Angeles:

"... they might want to offer that third year like, maybe, tomorrow, and close the deal by dinner, because stunned depleted Texas now needs a free agent lefty power bat."

According to "multiple team officials" who spoke to Mr. Boswell's colleague, Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore, the Nationals are confident they can get a deal done that will bring LaRoche back to D.C. for a third season with the Nationals, but they also said the Nats have set an "informal deadline" to resolve the situation at first base by Christmas, which is now a little over a week away. After the Josh Hamilton deal with LA was announced, the Post's Mr. Kilgore's sources said that the Rangers hadn't "pushed hard" for LaRoche and might look elsewhere for what they need, though CSNWashington's Mark Zuckerman's sources said (as he wrote on Twitter) that, "LaRoche's name was immediately mentioned after Hamilton news and they might be willing to offer 3 yrs."

Boston Globe writer Nick Cafardo suggests this morning that if the Boston Red Sox can't finalize their inexplicably delayed deal with free agent Mike Napoli, the Sox, "... could give LaRoche the three-year, $39 million contract," they are believed to have agreed upon with the 30-year-old C/1B/DH following two seasons with the Rangers in which Napoli had a combined .275/.379/.552 line with 25 doubles and 30 HRs in 2011 when he was worth +5.6 fWAR and nine doubles and 24 HRs last season when he was worth +2.0 fWAR.

Mr. Cafardo suggests LaRoche, "... could actually be a better option," for the Red Sox following the "contract snafu" with the one-time Angels and Rangers' catcher/first baseman, but if they don't move on from Napoli, the Boston Globe reporter speculates that LaRoche could return to D.C. or possibly go to the Baltimore Orioles, "... where Dan Duquette has coveted him."

After LaRoche talked with the Nationals' GM, Mike Rizzo, at a golf tournament and charity event last month that was organized by Nats' skipper Davey Johnson, he told reporters that he and his representatives were listening to other offers, but at that point hadn't received any offers. "'I'm not making calls,'" LaRoche told the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, "'But we're definitely listening to calls from other teams. I don't know if it'll take a firm, hard offer from another team to get the Nationals to move. Talking to Rizz, he's a pretty straight shooter, they're pretty adamant on not flexing past two years.'"

Can he find the 3-year/$39M Napoli did? Should the Nationals go to three years? Will the O's, Sox or Rangers (or maybe the Mariners?) step up and convince LaRoche to leave the nation's capital?

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Sign Former Nats' Lefty John Lannan To A 1-Year Deal

John Lannan is not necessarily loved in Philadelphia. According to a report by CSNPhilly's Jim Salisbury this morning, however, he signed a 1-year deal with the Phillies. The Washington Nationals' '05 11th Round pick made his MLB debut in Citizens Bank Park back in July of 2007 in a game which saw him ejected for hitting both Chase Utley (whose hand Lannan broke with the HBP) and Ryan Howard (after Howard had homered off the Nats' lefty earlier in the game) in successive at bats. That was the start of a mostly one-sided rivalry. Lannan went (3-13) in 19 career starts against the Nationals' NL East rivals, posting a 5.53 ERA over 94.1 IP in which he walked 44 (4.20 BB/9) and K'd 50 (4.77 K/9). The Nationals' left-hander wouldn't beat the Phillies until his 14th career start against them in June of 2011.

The two-time Nats' Opening Day starter lost in arbitration with the Nationals last winter, receiving a $5M salary for 2012, then ended up getting optioned to Triple-A Syracuse at the end of Spring Training, a week after manager Davey Johnson had anointed him the team's fifth starter. The Nationals went with Ross Detwiler instead after Chien-Ming Wang suffered an injury that altered the team's plans. Lannan, who was understandably upset with the decision, requested a trade and made his request public by emailing the Nationals beat writers to let them know.

Washington reportedly listened to offers for the left-hander, but never dealt Lannan, who was called upon to make two spot starts during the 2012 campaign and eventually took Stephen Strasburg's place in the Nationals' rotation in September when the right-hander was shut down for the season in his first full-year back from Tommy John surgery. Lannan finished the year with a 4.13 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 14 walks (3.86 BB/9) and 17 Ks (4.68 K/9) in six starts and 32.2 IP at the major league level and a (9-11) record with a 4.30 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 3.03 BB/9 and 5.27 K/9 in 24 starts and 148.2 IP with the Nationals' top affiliate.

Davey Johnson praised Lannan's work this season toward the end of the year, telling reporters he was impressed with the lefty's approach during what was undoubtedly a rough season for the pitcher personally. "I think he's handled everything great," Johnson said, "When he got sent down, he went down there to work on things. And he didn't go down there with his head hung down. He took it as a challenge to get better down there and he certainly came up and pitched some really good gems."

The Nats non-tendered the left-hander earlier this winter, ending his time with the organization after 134 career starts in which he put up a 4.01 ERA, a 4.57 FIP, 3.40 BB/9 and 4.71 K/9 in 783.2 IP. D.C. GM Mike Rizzo explained the decision to non-tender Lannan in a Washington Post article by Adam Kilgore, telling the reporter simply, "'We felt it was time for John to move on. To tender him a contract at the money he was going to make, it didn't make sense for us.'"

Lannan became a free agent, and according to reports this morning, the lefty has signed a deal with the Nationals' NL East rivals from Philadelphia:

Sources: Phillies have agreement with LHP John Lannan, pending a physical. Busy weekend for Phils, who also have agreement w RHP Mike Adams

' Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyCSN) December 15, 2012

lannan gets $2,5M guraranteed

' Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 15, 2012

lannan can make additional $2.5M in performance bonuses w/ phillies, so could be $5M total. long beach (ny) high grad

' Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 15, 2012

#Phillies have agreed to one-year deal with John Lannan, pending physical. Lannan is 3-13, 5.53 vs Phillies, 39-39, 3.80 vs everyone else.

' Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 15, 2012

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Washington Nationals' Infielder Steve Lombardozzi Wants Your Job

With Ian Desmond out of the lineup after the All-Star Break with an oblique tear which grew worse after the shortstop sat out of the mid-summer classic to rest, 23-year-old Washington Nationals' infielder Steve Lombardozzi took over in the Nats' middle infield with Danny Espinosa moving over to short so Lombardozzi could play second base. The '08 19th Round pick came up as a second baseman, but until he was needed there, had filled in wherever necessary, playing left field, third base and even short on one occasion early in the 2012 campaign.

The Minor League Gold Glove winner got a sustained stretch of starts from mid-July to mid-August with Desmond out, and Lombardozzi impressed, putting up a .295/.336/.402 line between 7/21 and 8/15, but Desmond returned after that and it was back to a utility role for Lombardozzi.

After going 4 for 5 with two doubles in the Nationals' win over the San Francisco Giants on August 15th, Lombardozzi had a .280/.329/.364 line on the year. He wouldn't get another at bat until August 20th, when he was called upon to pinch hit in the bottom of the 11th inning of a 4-4 game. Lombardozzi lined the first pitch he saw from Atlanta Braves' lefty Luis Avilan to left field for a one-out single. The Nats' infielder was stranded two outs later, but Davey Johnson told reporters the next day he had noticed the way Lombardozzi handled himself in what is a tough role for a young player used to getting consistent at bats.

"It's really tough for a young player to know how to take an approach to pinch hitting," the Nats' 69-year-old skipper explained. "I've talked to a lot of the young guys about [how] when you pinch hit you're a little more aggressive. You look for a ball in the zone and you know that the pitcher is in trouble. He doesn't know you. And a lot of times it's a tough situation, so you look for a ball in the zone and you try to hit it hard enough to hit a double, but you're aggressive and if you miss it, at least it well help your timing."

"Young players are used to playing every day," Johnson continued, "And so they usually like to go up and look at a pitch here and there. And so Lombo was real good. Sometimes they take the approach in a situation where there's a runner on second, nobody out, 'I'm going to hit this ball hard the other way.' Well, if it's the game-winning run? Just drive him in. And so they might take a pitch inside and pop it up to right... and that's still a learning experience. You don't like to put young guys in that situation. Lombo has been impressive because he has been adjusting to a very difficult role this year. I mean, left fielder, second base, now he's back in kind of a utility role. But he's more experienced... well, his dad I'm sure his dad is filling him with knowledge the last ten years."

Lombardozzi's dad, Steve Lombardozzi, Sr. was a major league infielder with the Twins and Astros from 1985-1990, who had a combined .233/.307/.347 line over 446 game and 1,437 PAs in his career. After his son returned to a utility role with the Nationals late in 2012, Lombardozzi, Jr. had a .231/.241/.288 line from mid-August through September/October to finish his first full pro season with a .273/.317/.354 line, 16 doubles, three triples and three home runs in 126 games and 416 PAs over which he was worth +0.8 fWAR.

In an early September talk with reporters, Davey Johnson said one of the regrets he had this season as the Nats fought for a division title was that he wasn't able to find enough time for Lombardozzi with his starting infielders healthy and determined to play every day. "Lombo was basically a regular for 75% of the season," Johnson said, but, "Now that everybody's doing the things that they're capable of doing, it's going to be harder for me to get him the at bats."

Lombardozzi had a .308/.379/.385 line as a pinch hitter, with eight hits in 30 PAs. As a starter Lombo had a .270/.309/.355 line in 83 games and 367 PAs. As a sub, the rookie infielder had a .302/.375/.349 line.

Davey Johnson told reporters at the Winter Meetings a few weeks back that in spite of the struggles Danny Espinosa went through in 2012, he still had faith in his second baseman and thought he'd not yet reached his potential, comparing him to Ian Desmond before Desmond's breakout 2012 campaign. Espinosa is going to be the Nationals' starting second baseman in 2013 barring any moves or unexpected changes of heart on the manager's part, but he also told reporters, including the Washington Post's James Wagner, that Espinosa should be motivated by the fact that he has Lombardozzi breathing down his neck should he struggle.

"'He's got a guy that wants his job and thinks he's better than him [in] [Steve] Lombardozzi,'" Johnson told the WaPost reporter. And Davey Johnson knows he has a player who can fill in when needed and produce at the major league level. The Nationals' manager knew he wanted Lombardozzi on his roster after seeing him for a short time late in 2012. There's little doubt Lombardozzi will be there again in 2013. Bill James' projections have the now-24-year-old Lombardozzi getting into 101 games next season and posting a .293/.339/.399 line over 348 PAs.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The Washington Nationals; Mike Rizzo; Adam LaRoche And The 2-Year Offer...

"All along, we were satisfied and happy with the position of first base with what we've got," Washington Nationals' general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters. "I had parameters set in my mind of what my threshold was for the player," the general manager said, though he declined to offer any specifics as to what those parameters were, "And once it exceeded that threshold then we felt that if the market didn't come back to us that we were out of it." The Nationals and their GM drew a line and stuck to it and when the offers Prince Fielder was receiving went beyond what they were willing to pay they bowed out, though Rizzo would later admit that the Nats were in the mix for the free agent first baseman until "very close" to the time Fielder signed a 9-year/$214M dollar deal with the Detroit Tigers.

The Nationals find themselves in a similar though significantly less high stakes situation with a free agent first baseman of interest to Washington again this winter. The Nats' GM and manager have repeatedly explained that they're comfortable going with what they have in Michael Morse and Tyler Moore if the market for their top target exceeds their set parameters. The Nationals, as Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell wrote this morning, are unwilling to go beyond the original 2-year/$25M dollar offer they've made to Adam LaRoche, the first baseman they had under contract while they flirted with the idea of signing Fielder last year. LaRoche went out and put together a .271/.343/.510, 35 double, 33 HR, +3.8 fWAR campaign in 2012, and now he's looking for a multi-year deal on the market this winter.

The Nationals, Mr. Boswell writes, "... haven't upped their two-year $25 million offer to LaRoche to perhaps the three-year, $39 million level that Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino received." Will the Texas Rangers offer LaRoche the three years he wants now that they've lost Josh Hamilton and his power to the LA Angels? Will the Nationals budge from their 2-year offer? The WaPost writer thinks they should, suggesting that, "... they might want to offer that third year like, maybe, tomorrow, and close the deal by dinner, because stunned depleted Texas now needs a free agent lefty power bat."

After he talked to Nationals' manager Davey Johnson a few weeks back, however, the Washington Post's Mr. Boswell quoted the 69-year-old skipper in a chat acknowledging the Nats GM's steadfast refusal to budge from the Nats' original offer. "'Mike sticks to his guns,'" Johnson said, according to the WaPost reporter, "'And he always has (other) plans and options in mind...We need to draw a line and know when we're done with Adam (one way or the other.)'" A recent report from Mr. Boswell's colleague at the Post Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) suggested that the deadline for the resolution of the situation is Christmas.

The Nationals are interested in LaRoche, Davey Johnson has openly campaigned for his return, but if he leaves Washington receives a compensatory draft pick and they still have Michael Morse to play first in the second year of a 2-year extension that will pay the 30-year-old power hitter $6.75M before he too hits free agency next winter. Tyler Moore, 25, is coming off back-to-back 31 HR seasons in the Nats' system in 2010-11 and an impressive rookie campaign in D.C. in 2012. Johnson said earlier this winter one of the biggest problems he might have this year is finding playing time for the likes of Moore and Steve Lombardozzi.

Just like they were last winter, the Nationals are happy with the options they have should the first baseman they are after choose to sign elsewhere. If Adam LaRoche re-signs with Washington they'll have to decide what to do with Morse. The chatter about the slugger being traded has died down considerably since the Winter Meetings. LaRoche's options appear limited, but that could change as more and more free agent "dominoes" fall this winter. Christmas is just eleven days away...

Hopefully this year the drama doesn't drag on as long as it did last winter when Prince Fielder waited until January 25th to sign.