Desmond: "I want to be here and play here"

In a week where his name cropped up in trade rumors at the Winter Meetings, shortstop Ian Desmond left little doubt that he'd like to remain with the Nationals. Speaking during his media availability at NatsFest on Saturday, Desmond said he understood why his name was bandied about at the Winter Meetings, once as part of a blockbuster deal that would have sent him to Seattle. He said general manager Mike Rizzo has a job to do and acknowledged that his status as a free agent after the 2015 season clouded his future in D.C. "Look, this isn't my first day on the job," Desmond said. "I understand what's going on. I wouldn't respect Mike the way that I do if he just sat on his hands and did nothing, you know. That's not how this organization got here and it's not how it's going to continue to move forward. Hopefully, I'm a part of it. But if I'm not, I'm still going to be rooting for them." Rizzo said at the Winter Meetings in San Diego that the Nationals have had preliminary discussions with Desmond's representatives about a long-term extension. Desmond reportedly turned down a seven-year, $107 million extension last offseason and talks haven't restarted in earnest. After winning his third straight Silver Slugger, emblematic as the best hitter at his position in the National League, Desmond may have improved his stock. But if the Nationals don't feel they can sign him long-term, Rizzo could decide to deal him while his value is at its zenith. How much the Nationals receive for Desmond depends on whether the team trading for him is able to negotiate an extension; otherwise, the return will be less for a one-year rental followed by free agency. But Desmond's preference is to remain a National. "Of course," he said when the subject of playing elsewhere was brought up. "I've got family in this organization. I've got guys I consider dad in this organization. I've got guys who are just like my brothers. ... I was 18 when I signed (and) I had like four armpit hairs. Now I've got three kids. (Bench coach) Randy Knorr has seen that every step of the way. You know what I mean? ... Mike Wallace was showing me the ropes when I was a kid - that's the head clubhouse attendant. This is an organization I've been with a long time. Obviously, I want to be here and play here. But like I've said, this is a business. If I've got to go, it's not going to affect the way I play. I'm still going to go out there and play as hard as I can every day, just like I've been doing every day for the last 11 years." Desmond's 2014 season was a mixed bag. There was a .255 batting average, his lowest in three seasons, and some throwing problems early in the year. But he finished with decent enough power numbers - 24 homers and a career-high 91 RBIs. Like many Nationals, Desmond lamented the premature end to a season that he thought should have stretched beyond the National League Division Series loss to the Giants. He may be his own toughest critic, but pointed out that observers have been pointing out his shortcomings for years - even as he's developed into one of the game's best shortstops. "A lot of people were ready for me to be out of here five years ago, saying I wasn't able to hit," he said. "Now I've won three straight Silver Sluggers."