How the Nationals' 2021 lineup looks for now

The Christmas Eve acquisition of Josh Bell gives the Nationals a much-needed, middle-of-the-order bat. General manager Mike Rizzo said that was his No. 1 priority of the winter, and the general manager even dropped a hint last week it could come in the form of a first baseman.

But where exactly does Bell - who is tentatively scheduled to speak to reporters this afternoon, by the way - figure to bat in the Nats lineup?

The idea all along was to provide protection for Juan Soto, who sorely needed some this season, even while producing MVP-worthy numbers. So you'd think Bell will bat right behind Soto.

Here's what that might look like, given the options currently available to manager Davey Martinez ...

SS Trea Turner
LF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
2B Starlin Castro
C Yan Gomes
3B Carter Kieboom
RF Andrew Stevenson
CF Victor Robles

So, yeah, that's not going to cut it. Rizzo and Martinez certainly don't intend to open the 2021 season with Gomes batting fifth.

Perhaps Stevenson or Robles could move all the way up to the leadoff position, bumping everyone else down a slot. That would look a little better, but it still would leave an unproven hitter at the top and a veteran catcher with a career .246/.298/.422 slash line batting sixth.

If you're wondering if the Nationals need another legitimate bat in this lineup, the answer is a resounding yes.

That doesn't mean they need to get someone who can bat third or fourth. They would benefit just as much from a quality leadoff or No. 2 hitter. An acquisition like that would allow either Turner or Soto to bat third, then Bell fourth, then Castro fifth.

Are the Nats in position to acquire such a hitter? As a matter of fact, they are.

Perhaps the best part of the Bell trade is the fact he's fairly affordable for a potential 30-homer, 100-RBI slugger. His 2021 salary hasn't been set yet because he's arbitration-eligible. But after making $4.8 million (pre-shortened season) during a down year at the plate, he's projected to make roughly $6 million next season.

The Nationals should have plenty more room in the budget to acquire another quality hitter, plus a No. 4 starter, plus perhaps another lineup regular.

Think of it this way: The Nats shed nearly $24 million of this season's payroll with the departures of Aníbal Sánchez, Kurt Suzuki, Michael A. Taylor, Eric Thames and Asdrúbal Cabrera. So far, they've spent $6 million (or so) on Bell.

Yes, they will have to account for Turner and Soto's salary increases via arbitration, but there's still room to work.

Are they in a position to sign George Springer or J.T. Realmuto? Only if they're willing to skimp on their other roster needs. So, probably not.

But could they add a second-tier free agent bat (like Michael Brantley or Justin Turner), a veteran No. 4 starter (like Jon Lester or Rick Porcello), a backup catcher and a lefty reliever and still maintain a reasonable payroll? It sure seems like it.

There's a lot of offseason still to come, and surely there are more moves to come. Knowing Rizzo, there will be at least one out-of-nowhere surprise.

Bell was the all-important first step toward improving the Nationals lineup. The next step will determine just how improved that group really is.