SAN DIEGO - When holding trade talks involving major league players, there's more to consider than just the names, ages and the past on-field histories of the guys involved. The contracts play a major part in the process, as well. Teams want talented players, but they want talented players who are under team control for multiple years at a reasonable price. That's why Tanner Roark, for example, holds a good bit of value. Not only has Roark made a major impact on the mound the last two years, but he's under contract through the 2019 season and isn't eligible for potentially substantial raises through the arbitration process until 2017. General managers don't just look at players, they look at salaries and years of team control. "The control of the player is an important factor in determining trade value, for sure," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said yesterday. That's what makes the situation the Nats are in this offseason so interesting.

Rizzo has indicated that he's willing to listen to trade discussions involving many of his key players. Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond and Tyler Clippard are some of those who have/could draw interest. All four of those players are set to become free agents after the 2015 season, meaning they're only under team control for one more year. So how sought-after are these four players in trade talks right now? How aggressively are teams beating down Rizzo's door to acquire a Zimmermann or a Clippard? How much could the Nats get back in return for one of these players? That's what Rizzo is trying to figure out. He's willing to listen to any offers brought his way because he's trying to gauge just how much value his crop of 2015 free agents hold. And once he's figured that out, he can determine how he wants to proceed, and whether he'll get enough in return for one of those players to trade them away. Opposing teams would obviously much rather have three years of Zimmermann or Fister than just the one. But Rizzo still feels that players with one year of control remaining on their deals can net a solid return in a trade. "You can look back in history, there have been plenty of deals that are made with one-year players that become free agents," Rizzo said. "The good thing for us is our players that are going to be free agents are really good players. They're some of the top players in the league. "There's plenty of interest out there, you just have to find the right deal and the right fit for us." On another note, former Nationals catcher Jhonatan Solano has agreed to a minor league deal with the Marlins, according to multiple reports. This will reunite The Onion with his younger brother, Donovan, who is a second baseman with the Marlins. Cool story.