This offseason has been particularly slow and is affecting many potential major league players but is particularly difficult for potential bench players and high-level minor league players. This year baseball fans had to wait until Spring Training to see high-end free agents such as Yu Darvish, J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta, and Mike Moustakas.  Many top end free agents, such as Greg Holland and Alex Cobb, still have not found homes for the 2018 season.

Other free agents who were planning on fighting for jobs in Spring Training wanted to wait to avoid signing with the same team. There are many former Washington Nationals players who have fell victim to the lack of signings.

During this article I am going to highlight some former Nationals who are free agents and who Beltway Bias will be keeping you updated on.

The first is the biggest name on this list: Jayson Werth. Whether or not Werth lived up to his massive contract is debatable, but he did change the nature of the Nationals since he joined in 2011. He became a leader in the clubhouse and his presence is truly missed by the current players.  Werth is entering his age 39 season, but he believes that he still has something to offer for an MLB club.

Earlier in this season the New York Yankees signed two former Nationals, but both were released after the signing of Neil Walker: Danny Espinosa and Adam Lind. Espinosa played for the Nationals from 2010 until 2016, and Adam Lind had an impressive campaign for the Nationals in 2017. Lind’s strong year last year and Espinosa’s versatility should allow them to get another chance before the 2018 season starts.

Two more former Nationals infielders are also currently jobless, namely Stephen Drew, who played for the Nationals the past two years, and Yunel Escobar, who played for the Nationals in 2015 but spent the past two years with the Angels. They are both in their mid-thirties and are hoping to catch on with other teams.

Catching up on two former first-round picks for the Nationals.  The first is Ross Detwiler. He was drafted in 2007 and made his debut later that year, He also pitched from 2009-2014 before he was traded to the Rangers. He also pitched for the Braves, Indians and Athletics. He is currently signed up to play for the York Revolution, but I am sure he is still looking for an opportunity with an MLB team. Additionally, Nationals second 2009 first-round draft pick, Drew Storen, is without a contract while he is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

The last two pitchers that I want to mention are Taylor Jordan and Mat Latos. Taylor Jordan pitched for three years with the Nationals before he had to get his second Tommy John surgery in 2016. Before that he was having a promising season with the Syracuse Chiefs, and I would predict that once the dust settles there will be a club that will take a chance on him again.

Mat Latos is one of the most intriguing names that seems to always be on the move. He has played for six teams in the past three years, giving the illusion that he is a lot older than he is. Latos has a 3.64 ERA and a 12.8 WAR while pitching over 1150 inning in his career. If Latos wants the roller coaster ride of another season than I would not bet against him in 2018.

Other names to keep an eye on has the season approaches are Joe Blanton, Jonathan Papelbon, Rafael Martin, and Tyler Moore. Again, please keep updated with Beltway Bias’s social media pages to get updates on current and former Nationals.