Saying goodbye to LaRoche and Soriano (updated with 40-man roster moves)

We've assumed for a while now that Denard Span would be back with the Nationals next season, with his $9 million being a relative bargain after the excellent 2014 campaign put up by the center fielder.

It's now official. Span's club option was picked up by the Nats yesterday, ensuring that Span will return for 2015. The club will retain its leadoff hitter and its center fielder, meaning two very important roles are accounted for.

We've also assumed for a little while now that neither Adam LaRoche nor Rafael Soriano would return to the Nationals for 2015. LaRoche had a $15 million mutual option, while Soriano's two-year deal with the Nats (signed before the 2013 season) featured a $14 million club option.

That, too, is now official. We learned yesterday that the Nats declined their options on both LaRoche and Soriano, meaning the two veterans will become free agents, almost certainly ensuring their time with the Nationals is now over.

Soriano posted a 3.15 ERA in his two seasons in D.C., saving 75 games in 88 chances. He had periods of dominance, like a 14-game stretch without allowing an earned run from mid-April to mid-May in 2013, or his entire first half this year, when he posted a 0.97 ERA, holding hitters to a .153 batting average. The veteran right-hander probably never got enough credit for those positive stretches, and was snubbed for the All-Star team this year.

Soriano also had periods when things went quite badly on the field, like his 6.48 ERA after the break this season, when he blew five saves and lost his closer's job. His slider was flat, his mechanics were off, and he paid for it.

In the end, Soriano was more well-liked in the Nats clubhouse than many people realize, and his teammates really felt for him this season once he hit his rough patch. Yes, Soriano put everyone through many roller coaster innings, and he might have seemed to shrug off blown saves in interviews, but those inside the clubhouse came to understand the veteran reliever and appreciate his humor and his nature. He treated teammates to dinners, joked with team staffers and quietly created his comfort zone inside the Nats clubhouse.

Now 34, Soriano might get some looks from teams in need of an experienced closer, but he could wind up back as a set-up man, one capable of both the shutdown inning in a key spot and the hold-on-to-your-seat moment, as well.

As for LaRoche, you'll be hard-pressed to find someone inside the Nats organization who has anything negative to say about the 34-year-old first baseman.

LaRoche is one of the warmest, most patient, dedicated players you'll find in the game today, and that's evident in just how many friends he's made around the league. Everyone seems to have some sort of connection to LaRoche, and he was often the first National a free agent would reach out to if he was considering signing with the ballclub.

LaRoche had four very interesting seasons in D.C., going from an injury-plagued 2011 campaign that he'd like to forget to a dynamite 2012 in which he slugged 33 homers and won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger to a down 2013 when he lost weight and struggled offensively to a bounce-back 2014 when he hit 26 bombs and again proved to be a force in the middle of the Nats order.

From a baseball perspective, the Nats will miss LaRoche's sure hands at first, where he saved countless throwing errors for teammates, his power from the left side of the plate (something the Nats will try to replace this offseason) and his solid knowledge of the strike zone, even with all the pitches off the plate away that were called strikes against him.

Off the field, LaRoche will be missed because of his professionalism with team employees, fans and the media. His even-keel, go-get-them-tomorrow mindset is valued in baseball, where being able to stomach the tough loss or the 0-for-20 stretch is a necessity.

He was a tremendous teammate, a valued member of the clubhouse and a strong presence in the community, where he took part in charitable work with the Wounded Warrior Project at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The man obviously is still alive, so I don't want this to sound like a eulogy. I just hope fans realize how strong a presence LaRoche really was here in D.C., both on the field and away from the public eye.

LaRoche will have suitors in free agency, and should land a nice multi-year deal with a team in need of a veteran first baseman. The Brewers are regarded as one top candidate, and the Marlins could have interest, as well.

Rare is the case when a player truly wants to return to a team, the organization would love to have him back, and it still doesn't work out. LaRoche is boxed out of a position by Ryan Zimmerman's move to first base next season, so the Kansas native will again hit free agency, possibly for the last time in his long career.

Update: The Nationals this afternoon activated the following players from the 60-day disabled list and reinstated them to the 40-man roster: right-handers Erik Davis and Taylor Jordan, left-hander Matt Purke and outfielder Nate McLouth. The moves leave one open spot on the 40-man roster.