Breaking the wishbone for the Nationals

Later this afternoon or evening, you might receive the honor of snapping the turkey's wishbone. So instead of wishing for world peace or winning Powerball, why not direct your holiday intentions toward the Nationals, who could use some help this offseason. Here are some ideas for the Nationals' wishes as you square off with your brother or sister in mom's kitchen with wishbone in hand.

1. Get rid of "Turkey of the Year" Jonathan Papelbon: Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said recently that it will take a strong baseball deal for the team to move Papelbon this winter. Really? The Nationals likely won't get much in return for Papelbon and may end up paying off part of the closer's $11 million salary in 2016.

There are plenty of guys in the Nationals clubhouse who wouldn't have a problem playing with Papelbon next year. Bryce Harper even reached out to him early this offseason to smooth things over after Papelbon tried to break his wishbone. Whether that was as strategic as Rizzo's words, who knows?

What is guaranteed is that if Papelbon returns, the Lerners will have to repeatedly watch their franchise embarrassed into next season. The image of Papelbon with his left hand choking National League Most Valuable Player Harper's throat will be the face of the team's outlook heading into spring training. Harper and Papelbon, along with Rizzo and new manager Dusty Baker - heck, the whole team - will be forced to speak about the incident repeatedly. Maybe the media makes too much out of distractions. I'm not sure the Nationals want to find out, especially with a lineup and rotation that are still built for an October run in 2016.

2. Give Harper the holiday gift he deserves: It's time for Rizzo to lock up his young slugger now and eliminate the ticking clock toward 2018 when Harper's current deal expires. Sure the financial figures are astronomical, but so were Harper's offensive numbers in becoming the youngest player to ever unanimously win an MVP. The deal may cost the Nationals $30 million per year or more, but the flirtatious talk with the Yankees would be squashed and the Nationals could move forward with their slugger locked and loaded as the potential face of baseball in D.C. well into the next decade.

3. Buy a bullpen: Rizzo opted to deal right-hander Tyler Clippard instead of paying him $8 million in 2015. Yunel Escobar, who the Nats received in return, had a strong season at the plate, but the Nats' back end of the bullpen never recovered from the move. With Papelbon and right-hander Drew Storen likely gone, Rizzo needs to add a solid veteran presence to bolster his core of relievers. Right-hander Darren O'Day, 33, could fill that void. The submariner is coming off an All-Star season with the Orioles where he went 6-2 with a 1.52 ERA and six saves. The Nats may have to pay a bit above market value for O'Day, who is the best among the free agent relievers available. But O'Day would take care of the Nats' eighth-inning worries, and a deal for Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, who Rizzo seems to covet, would shore up the ninth.

Happy Thanksgiving!