Win now?

Keith Law pretty much sums it up for me.

A not terrible CF for a decent price in exchange for a high upside pitching prospect. A truly win-now move.  We've come a long way on the success circle.

I suppose this means the last of Adam LaRoche.  I wouldn't be happy to have to pay him for the next three years based on last season's production because that's most likely not going to turn out very well.

The idea that the Nats needed a speedy leadoff on base defense CF has been one I've written about many times.  I've also noted that they are hard to find.  However, in the 2nd half of 2012, that problem had been resolved.

Jayson Werth IS the leadoff hitter we needed.  I don't give a crap about this he needs to be a "run-producer".  He's not.  He's ideally suited to the leadoff role, a little pop and a lot of on base.  Harper can handle CF just fine from a defensive perspective, moving him to left seems like a waste of a potentially sterling defensive player anyway.

 I'm guessing the plan is having Morse at first next year and then having Zim stay there for the course of his contract with Rendon taking over at third.  Span sits between Harper and Werth for the next two years with Goodwin taking over just as Span's $9m option can be turned down.

I hope they at least made La Roche a qualifying offer so that when he signs with Boston, the Nats get a compensation pick.  That will hopefully replace Meyer in the now-depleted system.

It seems to me that it would have been smarter to use Meyer to get the other starter they need rather than the CF.  Think they could have gotten James Shields or jon Lester for Meyer?  That wouldn't have broken the budget for 2013 nor forced a long term commitment.  It would have meant paying LaRoche for the next three years but exactly what will it take to fill that open starter slot over the next three years?