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Nationals Rumors: Jeff Samardzija? David Price? Max Scherzer?

FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal sees Washington's Nationals as a potential suitor for the Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer? Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore thinks the Nationals will look for a young, controllable option. Rumors are flying. Time to catch up...

By Patrick Reddington
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

So are you a Washington Nationals fan who doesn't see the Nats putting together the type of package it would take to get 28-year-old left-hander David Price from Tampa Bay? Think the Rays will ask for too much in return? Or are you a fan who thinks the Nationals have what it takes to make a deal and will/should go after the one-time Cy Young award-winning starter if he's made available this winter?

"I think a lot of our young pitchers are going to be knocking on the door up here, young starters. We've got some really capable left-handed starters that are coming." - Davey Johnson on Nats' future before the season ended

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick talked "with 21 general managers, assistant GMs, player personnel people and scouts," for a pre-GM Meetings post predicting how several offseason storylines will play out. Seventeen of the people he asked about Price said they thought the Rays would trade him. Only one of those people, however, saw the Nationals as a likely destination for the six-year veteran.

A "National League assistant general manager" Mr. Crasnick spoke to predicted that the Rays would once again deal their "established" starter as they have with Matt Garza and James Shields in an attempt to "raid other teams' farm systems" and bolster their organizational depth. The assistant GM also said to use the packages Tampa Bay got in return for Garza and Shields and add to it if you want a good idea of what the Rays are looking for in return for Price.

LINK: Nationals Rumors: Scherzer? Miller? Price?

Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore wrote recently that rather than a big deal for the likes of Price or the Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer, "one person close to the Nationals" he spoke to suggested that the Nationals, "would scour rosters for available pitchers who... have more years of control and are about to become eligible for arbitration."

"We're certainly going to try to upgrade the roster and fill some needs that we feel that we have." - Nats' GM Mike Rizzo on Nats' plans for the winter

In that article, the WaPost reporter mentioned that one official threw the Cardinals' Shelby Miller's name out as an example of the kind of pitcher the Nationals might pursue. In an article this morning, the Post's Nats beat writer cited "a person familiar with the Nationals’ thinking" who said that Washington was, "... expected to also discuss Cubs’ right-hander Jeff Samardzija." Chicago's hard-throwing right-hander doesn't become a free agent until after the 2015 campaign.

The 28-year-old starter is coming off an (8-13) 2013 campaign in which he had a 4.34 ERA, a 3.77 FIP, 78 walks (3.29 BB/9) and 214 Ks (9.01 K/9) in 33 starts and 213 2/3 IP. The Cubs are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Samardzija. Could he provide the kind of upgrade to the rotation the Nationals are after?

Word out of Detroit, according to CBSports.com's Jon Heyman, is that the Detroit Tigers are willing to trade either Max Scherzer or right-hander Rick Porcello this winter.

Scherzer, 29, and Porcello, 24, are both in line to become free agents after the 2014 season. FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal wrote recently about the Nationals being a possible match for Scherzer and the Tigers should he be the one who gets dealt coming off a Cy Young-worthy 2013 season in which he was (21-3) with a 2.90 ERA, a 2.74 FIP, 56 walks (2.35 BB/9) and 240 Ks (10.08 K/9) in 214 1/3 IP.

Porcello, the Tigers' '07 1st Round pick, is coming off a (13-8) campaign in Detroit which saw the right-hander post a 4.32 ERA and a 3.53 FIP with 42 walks (2.14 BB/9) and 142 Ks (7.22 K/9) in 32 games, 29 starts and 177 IP.

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Any of these pitchers a match for the Nats? Would you like to see the Nationals part with what it will take to get Price or Scherzer in a trade? Would you rather they spend money on a Matt Garza or Masahiro Tanaka? Neither of the pitchers would cost Washington prospects or draft picks, but they'd be expensive. Any other pitchers you think the Nationals should target that fit the "young, controllable" mold Rizzo has targeted before?

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