Wire Taps: Brandon Kintzler glad to be wanted; Washington Nationals’ left field surplus; Could Nats trade more?

The Nats didn’t blow a lead or suffer any injuries last night! What a successful game!

Here’s what’s new in the Windy City.

After a long, winding path through the majors, Brandon Kintzler is glad to be wanted
Brandon Kintzler got his first All-Star nod this summer in July, logging a spotless inning. Even though he had to fly cross-country to make it happen, Kintzler was glad to have made it from a 40th-round draft pick to a prized acquisition at the deadline.

The Nationals have a lot of left fielders
Lind, Kendrick, Difo, Werth, Taylor, and, hey, remember when Ryan Zimmerman used to play left?

If you're worried about the Nats being ready for October, you're obviously not enjoying the current worrying enough
The Nats have a lot of great parts. They're also really, really injured. They're also not the only really good team in baseball and have a lot to worry about now. Just worry about that now. Okay? Okay.

The Nats have spent more on this team than any in the past. Could they go get more?
The Nationals have hurdled over the competitive balance tax threshold, but Mike Rizzo is well known for making post-deadline deals (Rzepczynski, Thornton come to mind).

Anthony Rendon, forever in Bryce Harper's shadow, is having the season of his life
Most fans and pundits consider the Nationals to be Bryce Harper's team. Anthony Rendon probably doesn't consider it otherwise, but he could if he wanted to.

Bryce Harper for MVP? Please. It's all about Anthony Rendon.
Harper may be the most talented of the two, but currently Rendon has accounted for 5.0 WAR, whereas Harper sits at 4.4. No, public perception isn't on his side, but a PR campaign could do him wonders. (Also: Other award predictions)

If you're worried about the Nats being ready for October, you're obviously not enjoying the current worrying enough
The Nats have a lot of great parts. They're also really, really injured. They're also not the only really good team in baseball and have a lot to worry about now. Just worry about that now. Okay? Okay.

Even F.P. Santangelo was bugged by F.P. Santangelo's style at the beginning
F.P. Santangelo sat down with the Washington Post and talked to them about everything from his style to his shirt choice to Justice Anthony Kennedy.

They're annoying, but we need more sports radio debates about the Nats
The debates are annoying, but they're also secretly kind of fun and distracting. Also, hey, they're not talking about the Redskins, let's take what we can get. It's also not Lavar Ball.

New Skittles-branded tarp will adorn field at Nationals Park
The Nationals have sold the rights to literally everything but the name of the stadium.

Today’s Game: Nationals vs Cubs — 2:20 PM
Probable Pitchers: Tanner Roark vs Kyle Hendricks