The offseason begins

There are a few things that I can't believe as of this morning.

I can't believe Madison Bumgarner is actually a human being, and not, in fact, a machine. Bumgarner's five-inning save in Game 7 last night left him with a ridiculous 52 2/3 innings of work this postseason, with a 1.03 ERA in that time. His career World Series ERA is now 0.25. How is that real?

I can't believe that the one postseason game that the Nationals won this year was started by Bumgarner. A guy who was that dominant for the entire month of October, with his team winning six of the seven playoff games in which he appeared, got beat back in Game 3 of the Division Series, while the Nats had more trouble with the likes of Jake Peavy and Tim Hudson. Neither of those two made it out of the second inning the last two nights.

I can't believe the drama in the bottom of the ninth when Alex Gordon nearly had a shot to score on a ball that got by Gregor Blanco and went all the way to the wall. One out away from the title, the Giants nearly gave it away, and Gordon nearly had arguably the most dramatic inside-the-park homer of all time.

I can't believe the Chevy guy who presented Bumgarner the World Series MVP award was able to get any sleep last night. According to him, the truck that Bumgarner was given as part of the award has "technology and stuff."

I can't believe the disappointment those in Kansas City must feel, being so close to their first World Series title in 29 years and having the hope end last night. We forget how tough it is to win a title, how only one team is left celebrating at the end of October. Yes, the Nats had a disappointing postseason run, and no, they're not satisfied with two exits in the Division Series in the last three years. But this franchise has come a long way in its 10 seasons in D.C., and it's moving in the right direction. Winning division titles in two of the last three years is a major accomplishment. Many teams wish they had accomplished that much in that time. Now, the Nats will try and build on that.

And finally - I can't believe baseball is over in 2014.

It'll be a weird feeling the next couple nights, when it gets to 7 or 8 p.m. and there is no baseball to be played. It's been a part of our lives for nearly every night the last seven-plus months, and now it's gone for a little while.

Let the hot stove begin, however.

With the World Series now over, free agency officially begins today. The Nationals don't have many players who could hit free agency this offseason, but they do have a handful.

The list:
Asdrubal Cabrera
Scott Hairston
Adam LaRoche (mutual option)
Nate Schierholtz
Rafael Soriano (club option)
Denard Span (club option)

As we've discussed, Span's $9 million option for 2015 is almost certain to be picked up. The options for LaRoche and Soriano are almost certain to be declined by the Nats, leaving those two veterans as free agents.

We'll continue to see players outrighted off the 40-man roster in the coming days, clearing space not only for free agent additions, but also for eligible minor leaguers who must be added to avoid being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

Congratulations to the Giants on their title. Now it's time for everyone to get to work to try and knock them off their perch next year.