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MLB Winter Meetings: Five biggest losers

By Joshua Sadlock

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 14: Edwin Encarnacion
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 14: Edwin Encarnacion /
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Nov 8, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo during the MLB general managers meeting at the Omni Scottsdale Resort. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2016; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo during the MLB general managers meeting at the Omni Scottsdale Resort. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Washington Nationals

No team in Major League Baseball has operated in a more helter-skelter manner over the past two seasons than the Nationals. In no particular order, they have tried to trade for or sign Yoenis Cespedes, Ben Zobrist, Aroldis Chapman, Jason Heyward, Brandon Phillips, Chris Sale, Justin Upton, and Andrew McCutchen. They also traded for Jonathan Papelbon, turning highly effective closer Drew Storen into a puddle. At the Winter Meetings, it became more clear why the Nationals have been so aggressive. Reports circulated that Washington has no interest in even attempting to re-sign Bryce Harper at his estimated $400-million asking price. It’s now or never for the Nationals.

Trading for Andrew McCutchen or Chris Sale would have been nice. McCutchen is one of the best outfielders in the game and is due for a breakout season. Sale would have given the Nats a third ace to pair with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. When the Nationals missed out on both of those players, they got desperate and traded for Adam Eaton. Washington ended up giving the White Sox an almost identical package to their Sale proposal — Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dane Dunning. In the process, the Nationals severely depleted the pool of prospects they have to work with to acquire a much-needed closer.

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Regardless of how much depth the Nationals have in their current big-league rotation, it’s hard to believe the rest of the league was ready to give up three front-line pitching prospects to acquire Eaton. It’s not a knock on Eaton to say that the Nationals wildly overpaid for his services. The 28-year-old outfielder is a solid ballplayer, in the Jason Heyward mold, but he has never hit more than 30 doubles or 20 home runs or stolen more than 20 bases. Defensively, Eaton has profiled better in right field than center field. He has a well-rounded game that the advanced metrics love, but is just not worth three future aces.

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