Of all the misses this winter, which player would have helped the most?

From a perception standpoint, it hasn't been a most favorable winter for the Nationals. A dugout brawl between eventual National League MVP Bryce Harper and hothead Jonathan Papelbon in the final days of the season set the stage for piling on.

But general manager Mike Rizzo strapped up and went for it, attempting to make a statement that the Nationals were still the big, bad boys to contend with in the NL East. The problem was that nobody bought it.

First, they reportedly swung and missed when trying to fill their managerial vacancy with Bud Black. At least, Dusty Baker saved the day.

Next were whiffs on several attractive free agents: Jason Heyward, Darren O'Day, Ben Zobrist, Justin Upton and, most recently, Yoenis Cespedes.

So of all the misses the Nats have experienced this offseason, which hurt the most?

Three-time Gold Glove winner Heyward would have brought stellar defense, although maybe a bit out of position in center field. He also would have provided speed and a consistent left-handed bat, though not with everyday power. But the Cubs ended up buying all of that.

O'Day would have cured a lot of the mess left in the back end of the Nationals bullpen. Rizzo has since shipped Drew Storen to Toronto and acquired four new relievers: right-handers Shawn Kelley, Trevor Gott and Yusmeiro Petit, and lefty Oliver Perez. None of them bring the headlines of O'Day, but all change the complexion of a bullpen that was highly inexperienced in 2015.

Zobrist, maybe baseball's most versatile player, would have brought a switch-hitting second baseman that could have manned virtually any spot with a glove on. But he chose the Windy City for the opportunity to play for his old manager, Cubs skipper Joe Maddon.

The pursuits of Upton and Cespedes were probably the most curious because both surfaced after Rizzo had already traded Storen for outfielder Ben Revere. Like Heyward, both would have most likely found themselves a bit out of position in center. But inking Upton or Cespedes would have provided a consistent pop in the Nats lineup and more protection for Harper.

FOXsports.com's Ken Rosenthal floated a reason for all the shunning: the Nats becoming "Team Toxic" after the very public brouhaha late last season. From this eye, that's a bit of a stretch, but makes for good talk radio.

So of all the Nats' misses this offseason, which player would have helped the most?