While signing Starlin Castro and then Asdrubal Cabrera in quick succession doesn’t necessarily mean the Nationals are definitely out on free agent Josh Donaldson, it certainly does mean they are better covered in the even they don’t land him. In fact, it wouldn’t be crazy to guess that maybe they’ve already received signals from Donaldson’s camp that it’s just not going to happen.
The Nationals now have Castro, Cabrera, the re-signed Howie Kendrick, and top prospect Carter Kieboom all available to cover second and third base. Are any as impactful as Donaldson? No. Is the combination a lock to outproduce Donaldson even though it costs much less? No. But is it reasonable cover, sufficient to make you a little less eager to spend $100 million on a 34-year-old guy like Donaldson? Yes.
Ken Rosenthal suggested that this may be the Nationals plan even before Cabrera signed, so it’s all the more credible to suspect the Nationals believe they aren’t landing Donaldson. Maybe they’ve stopped pursuing him altogether?
But hey, what about Kris Bryant? Remember the rumors this past week that the Nationals might be gearing up to take a run at Bryant? Well, perhaps they did, and perhaps these Castro/Cabrera deals are a sign that talks with the Cubs just weren’t fruitful?
Indeed, Rosenthal reports that he’s heard the talks have gone nowhere between the Cubs and Nationals:
From yesterday. Did not include possibility of trade for #Cubs’ Bryant. To this point, per sources, those talks have gone nowhere. https://t.co/Cd5uBTm9bJ
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 4, 2020
Given what we know about the Nationals’ farm system and the Nationals’ general desire to land Bryant, it’s pretty likely that the impasse between the teams was about young center fielder Victor Robles. The Cubs may have drawn the line at not doing a deal with the Nationals unless Robles was included, and the Nationals may simply refuse to include a stud who is already in the big leagues like Robles. If that’s the case, you’re left with trying to cobble together a Kieboom++ package, and without top young pitching available from the Nationals, the Cubs might not be eager to make that move. (It’s also possible that the Cubs were getting really wild and asking for BOTH Robles and Kieboom.)
So, then, is this Rosenthal report, combined with the Castro/Cabrera signings, the end of the Bryant-Nationals chatter? It’s possible, but keep in mind that Castro and Cabrera were not hugely expensive signings. It’s conceivable that the Nationals might still want Bryant (or Donaldson), and will linger at the periphery of talks until there’s a resolution on either or both fronts. I wouldn’t rule it totally out just yet.
That said, you could reasonably guess that Robles is a line for both teams, and that may be that.
As for the Cubs and Bryant, we’re still wondering what’s going to happen in talks when the service time grievance is finally decided (this month?). My position is that the Cubs need to really deeply explore those trade talks now, rather than kicking the decision down the road to the trade deadline.