The rumors abound that the Nationals are looking to deal for a CF. Guys like Denard Span and B.J. Upton have been talked about. I think I have a better idea…..fill CF in free agency and keep all of the talent you would have to trade to get a Span or Upton. Here is the trio of free agents I would ink if I were running the Nationals:

1. Coco Crisp - Coco Crisp would be an excellent CF/leadoff hitter for the Nationals. All he would cost is money and that should entice the Nationals.

2. Roy Oswalt - The Nationals have a lot of young starting pitchers with big time talent. Roy Oswalt is still a top of the rotation pitcher when healthy and the kids can learn from him as he is a winner.

3. Jose Lopez - The Nationals need help in the infield off the bench. Lopez can handle 2B and 3B defensively and maybe even 1B in a pinch. And he has good power for an infielder.

The Nationals are not going to have a firesale by any means this week. They are still considering offering the Rays a big time package for B.J. Upton as they think a change of scenery would do wonders for the very talented guy. Other than that though, it looks like the Nationals will be a seller. They won’t deal Livan Hernandez or Jason Marquis unless they get a nice haul for them and that’s a reach. Righty reliever Todd Coffey and lefty reliever Sean Burnett have a lot of suitors, so I expect them both to be moved by this coming Sunday (the non-waiver trade deadline). Laynce Nix is another decent trade chip with the Yankees, Indians, White Sox, Angels, Pirates and Diamondbacks likely having varying degrees of interest. Bench players like Rick Ankiel, Jerry Hairston, Alex Cora and Ivan Rodriguez are also available to any team that wants them. I don’t see the Nationals doing anything huge unless they deal for Upton.

The Nationals really want Rays’ CF B.J. Upton. They can get him if they are willing to overpay for him. I could see the Nationals offering the Rays righty reliever Tyler Clippard, 1B Chris Marrero, catcher Jesus Flores and outfielder Roger Bernadina for B.J. Upton, catcher Kelly Shoppach (the Rays might insist on him being in a deal to make one happen) and righty starter/reliever Andy Sonnanstine. I think the Rays will listen on B.J. Upton but he’s not going to come cheaply. It will be interesting to see if the Nationals are willing to go the extra mile to acquire Upton or if they will look in another direction for a CF.

Rumors have the Nationals chasing after B.J. Upton of the Rays. He is a nice target as long as the price doesn’t get too high. Coco Crisp, David DeJesus, Melky Cabrera and maybe even Michael Bourn would come cheaper than Upton. But, Upton has the highest upside of any of these CFs. The Rays are going to want a lot for him likely including set-up man Tyler Clippard and more. If the Nationals are ready to commit with a long term contract to Upton, he might just be worth the asking price player wise. A top prospect like 1B Chris Marrero would likely be involved in a deal with the Rays. They also might want a catcher (Ivan Rodriguez or Jesus Flores) in addition to Clippard and Marrero. If the Rays would accept Clippard, Rodriguez or Flores and Marrero for Upton….I would make that deal.

The Nationals have five free agents heading into this winter but only one of them (Adam Dunn) is a major one. Here is how I would handle the situation with these five guys:

Adam Dunn: 30-year old lefty swinging 1B/RF Adam Dunn is the biggest free agent the Nationals have going into this winter. The Nationals already tried to re-sign him but to no avail. Dunn played in 158 games for the Nationals last season and he was 145 of 558 (.260 avg, .892 OPS) with 85 runs scored, 38 homers and 103 RBIs. VERDICT: The Nationals should try to re-sign him as long as the bidding doesn’t get to crazy. There are cheaper alternatives to Dunn on the free agent market.

Adam Kennedy: 34-year old lefty swinging 2B/3B Adam Kennedy played in 135 games for the Nationals last year and he was 85 of 342 (.249 avg, .655 OPS) with 43 runs scored, 3 homers, 31 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. VERDICT: With Danny Espinosa & Ian Desmond likely taking over as the starting middle infield I would likely let Kennedy walk unless he’s willing to accept a bench role.

Willie Harris: 32-year old lefty swinging outfielder Willie Harris played in 132 games for the Nationals last season and he was 41 of 224 (.183 avg, .653 OPS) with 25 runs scored, 10 homers, 32 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. VERDICT: I would let Harris walk.

Kevin Mench: 32-year old righty swinging outfielder Kevin Mench played in 27 games for the Nationals last season and he was 3 for 27 (.111 avg, .284 OPS) with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. VERDICT: I would let Mench walk as he clearly doesn’t have much left in the gas tank.

Miguel Batista: 39-year old righty reliever Miguel Batista pitched in 58 games (1 start) for the Nationals last season and he was 1-2 with 2 saves, a 3.70 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. VERDICT: I would likely let Batista walk unless he was willing to work cheap.