The Washington Nationals have come up this morning as a potential third team in the trade talks between the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays which reportedly center on outfielder Wil Myers. Steven Souza's name is being mentioned. Rumor time...
If you haven't been glued to your Twitter feed all morning or following ours (@federalbaseball), you may have missed out on the brewing rumors of the Washington Nationals' involvement in the ongoing trade talks between the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays which have centered around 24-year-old Rays' outfielder Wil Myers.
There has been talk all winter about the Nationals making a big deal (or some big deals) this winter with a number of players eligible for free agency after this season and a few major-league-ready players currently, or at least seemingly, blocked at the big league level.
To what extent the Nationals are actually involved in the goings-on between the Padres and Rays is unclear, but early this morning, Yahoo!Sports.com Jeff Passan threw the Nats' name out there as a possible third team getting involved in trade talks in the last twenty-four hours:
Sounds like one of the pieces in the proposed Wil Myers trade might be on the way to Washington, which has insinuated itself into the deal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 17, 2014A little while later, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal noted on Twitter that if the Nationals were, in fact, involved, as Passan suggested, Nats' outfielder Steven Souza's name was one to keep an eye on:
If SD-TB trade goes through, Wisler or Joe Ross logically part of TB return. If WAS involved, as @jeffpassan suggests, Souza name to watch.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 17, 2014Tampa Bay Times' Rays beat writer Marc Topkin too reported on Twitter that he was hearing Souza might be a name involved in any potential deal:
As @Ken_Rosenthal + @JeffPassan suggested, also hearing Hedges + Souza are key pieces of return if it turns out to be #Rays-#Padres-#Nats
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 17, 2014Rosenthal checked back in just after noon with another update on Souza potentially being involved in whatever is being discussed:
One possibility in brewing trade is for #Nationals' Souza to replace Myers with #Rays. Souza, a promising OFer, is somewhat blocked in DC.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 17, 2014"Somewhat blocked"?
Though there were several reports that whatever is going down could be happening soon, Marc Topkin tweeted with his own thoughts on what might be delaying the completion of the rumored deal:
Reason #Rays Myers talks remain ongoing is b/c they are still considering 2-, 3- + 4-team deals. So there's time for even more speculating.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 17, 2014Both Nats' skipper Matt Williams and Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo talked this past weekend about Souza, 25, competing for a spot on Washington's bench in Spring Training:
#Nationals' OF Steven Souza, Michael Taylor ready to compete for roles on the #Nats' bench http://t.co/Cr1Zo5Yejqpic.twitter.com/2vsVyvb0ef
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) December 16, 2014What might the Nationals be thinking? Could the Nationals be interested in dealing Souza, knowing that they have Tyler Moore, who is out of options, available to fill the same sort of role as a backup outfielder and first baseman that Souza would likely fill if he were to make the major league roster? There's no hint in any or the tweeted rumors about what the Nats might be getting in return if they are actually involved in all this...
More information if/when it is available...
[ed. note - "Feel free to voice your complaints about rumor-mongering below in the comments section."]
UPDATE (12:50 PM EST):
Hearing more that #Nats OF Steven Souza is definitely in play for #Rays as they work through these deals
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 17, 2014