It wasn’t the season Mike Rizzo envisioned when the Washington Nationals took the field March 30 for the Opening Day festivities. The Nats’ general manager and president of baseball operations constructed a roster stocked full of stars, but injuries and some lackluster performances by those stars derailed a season that had oozed with potential.
Eighty-two wins later, the Nationals now face an offseason of uncertainty. The development of the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies into contenders has painted a competitive future for the NL East. As a result, Washington finds itself forced to keep pace rather than set the standard.