Short and Sweet

Last post of the year and it's going to be short and sweet. The Rays signed Asdrubal Cabrera yesterday, meaning Ben Zobrist will most likely be moved before the start of Spring Training. In my first post I had said the Nats should go get Zobrist and suggested the Nats offer Jeff Kobernus and Jake Johansen to the Rays. The package is probably going to have to be sweeter than that to pry Zobrist from the Rays now because other teams are in on Zobrist and the Rays can turn this into a bidding war. I would estimate anywhere from 8-12 teams are actually in on Zobrist, the Nationals being one of them.

When there are that many teams in on one player, you obviously have to have the best offer to get the player you want. The Giants want Zobrist just as bad as the Nationals do, although they would want him to play third base and left field. The Giants have been known to offer top prospects for rental players (see Zack Wheeler for Carlos Beltran), so they may be willing to offer Andrew Susac, who is their 3rd best prospect according to MLB.com and a lesser prospect for Zobrist. If that is in fact the Giants offer, the Nats are going to need to offer one of their better prospects as well as a lesser prospect or two mid-level prospects to get Zobrist. I would offer Brian Goodwin and Jake Johansen for Zobrist. That gives the Rays a potential future center fielder as well as a back end of the rotation stater or set up man. Goodwin doesn't have a spot with the Nationals because Michael Taylor is the future center fielder in Washington and Johansen in expandable because of the amount of minor league pitching the Nats have. According to MLB.com Taylor is the Nats 7th ranked prospect and Johansen in the Nats 15th best prospect. That's two top 15 prospects in the organization for one year of control of Zobrist, That's more than fair. Another option is to give up a top 5 organizational prospect for Zobrist. Giolito is out of the question (although I'm sure he's the first player the Rays would ask for), but you could trade A.J. Cole, Michael Taylor, Eric Fedde, or Joe Ross. Taylor isn't happening because he's the Nats center fielder of the future, Fedde was just drafted, and the Rays passed on the opportunity to acquire Ross from the Padres. That leaves A.J. Cole. That's not happening either, Mike Rizzo and the Nats see a very bright future for Cole. The Nats drafted Cole, traded Cole, and then re-acquired Cole. Other teams have asked about him and been rebuffed. I would be shocked if he were dealt, especially for a rental player.

Goodwin and Johansen for Zobrist. Make it happen. If the Rays want a third prospect or even Danny Espinosa (whom they've previously had interest in), then do it. Zobrist if too good of a player to pass up on just so you can hang on to two or three prospects who may or may not make a difference two or three years down the road.