Nationals remain unwilling to include top prospects in trades

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Nationals came to the Winter Meetings having already begun trade talks with the Pirates for outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the White Sox for left-hander Chris Sale. They've continued those talks since arriving at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, getting a better sense of what those two clubs are seeking in a deal.

The end result as of early Monday evening? No trades have been made, and the asking price for both players remains high.

"We've had ongoing discussions with a lot of different teams; the White Sox and the Pirates have been two of them," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "But we've got a lot of lines in the water. We've got a lot of irons in the fire. All those things. Like I said, we're going to be aggressive if the occasion arises, but we're going to be prudent and smart about it."

As always, the hangup is the asking price. The Pirates and White Sox want top prospects in return. The Nationals, so far, aren't acquiescing.

This shouldn't come as much surprise, given Rizzo's track record. He has steadfastly refused to trade his elite prospects since becoming GM seven years ago, and he held firm on that philosophy at this year's trade deadline. With an opportunity to acquire big-name relievers Aroldis Chapman or Andrew Miller, Rizzo would not include any of four key young players in a trade: Trea Turner, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez or Victor Robles.

Asked Monday if his top prospects remain untouchable, Rizzo suggested little has changed since July.

"Our strategy very rarely wavers," he said. "We've got a plan in place. We have a strategy that we employ. Prospects are important to us for the viability of the long-term, like we talked about before, of the organization."

Turner, who quickly may have developed into the Nationals' best all-around player not named Bryce Harper, most definitely is untouchable right now, a club official confirmed. The other top prospects may not rise quite to that level, but there is very little interest right now in dealing them, especially Robles, who profiles as a starting outfielder for the club in 2018 or 2019, at which point the Nationals may no longer employ Harper or Jayson Werth.

The Pirates have pushed for Robles, 19, to be included in any trade for McCutchen, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. And they likely want more than that in a package for the five-time All-Star center fielder.

For now, that price is too high for the Nationals, though Rizzo spoke glowingly about the 30-year-old on Monday despite his subpar season.

"All I know is, when he's in the batter's box against us, he's not a guy I want to see up there," Rizzo said. "Good player. Good defender. I like the whole package."

Sale, who is under contract with the White Sox for three more years at reasonable prices, also carries a significant price tag, one that to date the Nationals have not been willing to meet.

Chicago GM Rick Hahn told reporters he has set a firm bar for what he'll find acceptable in a package for the left-hander, and he isn't inclined to lower it.

"You have to have that line before you get in the heat of the negotiation, or an environment like this where there is a bit of a fever pitch to make moves, that you have objectively set that line you aren't going to go below," Hahn said. "Otherwise, you are compromising too much in terms of the value."

The White Sox, to take Hahn at his word, aren't feeling any urgency to make this deal. And the Nationals, to take Rizzo at his word, appear to have the same attitude about any of the high-profile moves that have been suggested they could make this week.

"No, I do not feel urgency," Rizzo said. "I think urgency is a mistake. We're coming off a 95-win (season), with a good young core of players and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah..."

Yes, Rizzo actually said "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." At this point, even he acknowledges he's made this argument more than a few times.