Insider Suggests Washington Nationals Could Trade Star Second Baseman Luis Garcia
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The Washington Nationals have been fairly quiet so far this offseason.
Because there weren't a whole lot of expectations surrounding what they might do, it's not surprising to see them be dormant, but at the Winter Meetings, some more information began to circulate that they might start ramping up their efforts to bring in an impact player.
Christian Walker would be the headliner.
The star first baseman is coveted by every team with a hole at that position, an area that is the weakest point on this Nationals roster.
He would not only bring power hitting to the lineup and Gold Glove-winning defense to the field, but his veteran leadership would be perfect for this young clubhouse.
Gleyber Torres was the most recent name mentioned as someone Washington is targeting.
The former New York Yankees infielder would be an interesting addition, certainly improving their offensive profile, but it would also present questions about what his ceiling might actually be going forward considering the decline he's had following his first two years in Major League Baseball.
The report indicated the Nationals are interested in moving Torres to third base if they sign him, another area the front office would like to improve, but it might not be that straight forward if they are able to bring him in.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post floated the possibility of Washington trading their current second baseman, Luis Garcia Jr., and then backfilling that opening with Torres.
"It also is conceivable that Washington could play Torres at second and see what the trade market is for Garcia, a lefty swinger who hit 18 homers and had a 112 OPS-plus last season," he writes.
That would be an interesting development.
It's long been thought the Nationals were covered at shortstop and second going forward with CJ Abrams manning short and Garcia at the keystone, but with there still being defensive questions about this tandem, the idea of also adding an average to below-average defender like Torres at the hot corner is a scary proposition.
Instead, moving Garcia could be an answer.
Like Sherman points out, he's coming off the best Major League season of his career where he slashed .282/.318/.444 with a career high in home runs (18), RBI (70), and OPS+ (115).
The time to trade him could be now.
If there are teams looking for an ascending second baseman, then the 24-year-old could fit the bill.
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai