Could Denard Span return to the Nationals?

With just two days remaining in 2015, plenty of attractive free agent outfielders remain on the open market. Beyond the Cubs winning the Jason Heyward sweepstakes - which the Nationals were in on - it's been a quiet hot stove for a bunch of big names and big bats in the outfield.

Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton and Alex Gordon headline the group still unsigned. You could throw Chris Davis in there, though he is likely to be inked to a long-term deal as a first baseman, not an outfielder.

The Nationals aren't favorites to dive into that pool, though Cespedes does have plenty of experience playing center field. Beyond Bryce Harper in right, the Nationals have question marks in their outfield. Will 24-year-old center fielder Michael A. Taylor find discipline at the plate following a rookie season that produced 158 strikeouts and a .282 on-base percentage? Will 36-year-old left fielder Jayson Werth stave off Father Time and rebound from an injury-filled year that included a .221 batting average?

The next wave of free agent outfielders includes Dexter Fowler, Gerardo Parra and Denard Span, who presents a potentially tempting situation for the Nationals. Obviously, they are familiar with the long list of intangibles he brings: solid defense, leadoff man with speed, left-handed bat with high OBP, high character and intelligence. But they also know he experienced three significant medical procedures within the last year, including season-ending hip surgery in August.

Scott Boras, Span's agent, told MLB Network Radio yesterday that the 31-year-old outfielder has begun working out for teams in person. Span's projected rehab period following the hip surgery was six months before baseball activities.

Asked whether Span returning to Washington is a possibility, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo indicated that the two sides have remained in contact.

"He's a guy that we really enjoyed his time here and the main thing about him is we have to see where his health is as we move forward in the offseason," Rizzo said at Winterfest.

The length of the contract figures to be the deciding factor for Span and Boras. But the Nationals are unlikely to exceed more than a two-year deal for Span.