Report: Nats interested in Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon
Outside of reigning NL MVP/galaxy destroyer Bryce Harper, the lineup of the Washington Nationals skews incredibly right-handed hitter-heavy. This was an imbalance the team attempted to address with their pursuit of Jason Heyward, and even if they lost out on Heyward to the Chicago Cubs, the objective still remains.
According to a report on Saturday by Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com, the Nationals are in conversation with the Colorado Rockies about Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, two lefty power bats that would complement the team’s batting dynamic quite nicely.
Gonzalez, 30, had a strong 2015 campaign hitting .271 with 40 home runs, 97 RBIs, and an .864 OPS. The 29-year-old Blackmon also enjoyed a solid year hitting .287 with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a .797 OPS.
While neither outfielder is likely to come cheap, the trade of Troy Tulowitzki last trade deadline at least signals a willingness by Colorado to part with their veterans in favor of a full-scale rebuild.
The Nationals have the prospects to potentially make a match happen. As a bit of sheer speculation, 21-year-old top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito lurks in Washington’s farm system as a piece Colorado could be coveting to bolster their historically underwhelming rotation.
Either Gonzalez or Blackmon would look great in the upper half of the Nationals' batting order to give it a sense of equilibrium. Now, it’s just a matter of what the team is willing to give up.
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