Washington Nationals facing make-or-break 2015 campaign

2015 is a crucial season for the Washington Nationals

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While the Nationals will look to bring back the band which won the National League East title in 2014, the 2015 season also could signal the farewell tour.

Following their four-game bounce out of the NLDS, Washington’s biggest issue will be whether to take its half of first baseman Adam LaRoche’s $15 million contract. The Nationals will likely pick up the $9 million option of OF Denard Span, whose second half eruption at the plate helped the team pull away from the Braves en route to a 96-win campaign.

Reliever Rafael Soriano, who lost his closer’s role to Drew Storen in September, will most likely have his $14 million club option turned down and will test the free agent market. His loss will not be of much impact, as the club will dip into the minors to find a cost-effective replacement.

However, the Nationals will enter next spring with Span, starting pitchers Doug Fister and Jordan Zimmerman, infielder Ian Desmond and unsung reliever Tyler Clippard, each heading into the final year of their respective contracts. Zimmerman will be the team’s top target to re-sign after winning 33 games the past two seasons. Desmond has recorded three straight seasons of at least 20 homers and 20 steals and is one of the club’s leaders both on and off the field.

Washington will have to be careful on how they handle the impending free agencies of all five of them, more so considering that franchise cornerstone Stephen Strasburg will be a free agent after 2017. Bryce Harper will not be a free agent until 2019, but the Nationals will need to have enough financial space in order to ink Harper to a contract that would be similar to what the Angels did for Mike Trout earlier this summer.

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