Morning notes on Ramos, Davis, former closers and McCutchen

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Day Three of the Winter Meetings has arrived, and the Nationals roster ... well, it hasn't changed at all since this event officially kicked off Monday morning.

Which isn't to say the roster won't change before the event officially ends after Thursday morning's Rule 5 draft. And even if it doesn't, there's no reason to believe it won't change as the remainder of the offseason plays out.

In fact, recent Nationals history suggests just that. Trea Turner and Joe Ross were acquired in mid-December. Daniel Murphy was signed in late December. Max Scherzer was signed in late January.

"We've done some of our best deals after the meetings," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "You lay foundations and you have starting points that can sometimes finish here, but continue on. We've got a lot of offseason left, so we're going to be active and aggressive and keep plugging along."

Acquisitions or not, this has been an eventful Winter Meetings already for the Nationals, mostly for the players they watched sign or be traded elsewhere.

* For example, Wilson Ramos, who late last night agreed to a two-year deal with the Rays. The completion of that contract is pending a physical - and considering Ramos is still only 2 1/2 months removed from the second torn ACL of his career, that physical is anything but routine - but the catcher is due to be guaranteed $12.5 million, with another $5.75 million in incentives.

As much as they admire and appreciate everything Ramos did for them over the last six seasons, the Nationals couldn't make a legitimate attempt to re-sign him once he hit free agency. Given the injury risk and the fact the 29-year-old may not be able to catch on an everyday basis once he returns in May or June, it was pretty clear he would have to sign with an American League club.

But there remains a great deal of interest and respect from throughout the Nationals organization for Ramos, not to mention genuine sympathy that a guy coming off an All-Star season that likely would have earned him a four- or five-year contract for at least $15 million per year ultimately had to settle for a substantially smaller deal now.

The best-case scenario for Ramos at this point: Use 2017 to get healthy again and get back into the swing of things, then hope for a return to All-Star form in 2018 before hitting free agency again as a 31-year-old.

* The Nationals still haven't acquired a new closer to replace Mark Melancon, who signed a four-year, $62 million deal with the Giants on Monday, but they were briefly linked to a big-name closer Tuesday night.

With the Royals poised to trade Wade Davis, the Nationals attempted to swoop in and find common ground on a deal for the veteran closer. Davis would make perfect sense for the Nats, a proven closer under contract for only one season and $10 million, holding down the job while the club figured out who among its corps of young power relievers is ready to be groomed for the ninth inning.

Alas, the Cubs appear to have produced the best offer for Davis, with outfielder Jorge Soler set to be traded to Kansas City, according to multiple reports.

That deal wasn't done late Tuesday night, but Nationals executives did not appear to still be working on negotiations to try to bring Davis to D.C. at that point, likely resigned to the fact the Cubs are going to close the deal.

All of this leaves the Nationals either delving into the highly expensive competition for free agents Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen - each is expected to sign for at least five years and $80 million - or seeking a different closer via trade. The Yankees, Dodgers and Marlins also are in the market for a ninth-inning guy, complicating matters and driving up the price.

* The Nationals do believe they still have a chance to pull off a trade for Andrew McCutchen, and they met with the Pirates on Tuesday to resume talks, a source told my MASNsports.com colleague, Byron Kerr.

There remain obstacles to getting such a deal done, though, because unlike in the case of Chris Sale, Rizzo is not willing to part with his biggest-name prospects in exchange for McCutchen, who is under club control for only two years as opposed to Sale's three years of control.

Don't expect the Nationals to part ways with Victor Robles in a potential trade for McCutchen. And while they may be willing to give up either Lucas Giolito or Reynaldo Lopez, they almost certainly aren't willing to give up both young right-handers.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's possible Gio Gonzalez could wind up as part of the package that brings McCutchen to D.C. The veteran left-hander certainly wouldn't be the centerpiece of such a deal, but the Pirates are seeking experienced starting pitchers who don't cost an arm and a leg. And Gonzalez, who is signed for $12 million in 2017 with a $12 million club option for 2018, would fit that bill.

The Nationals still would have to give up some promising young prospect, but perhaps only one of those, in a trade for McCutchen.

* Had a very nice chat with a couple of familiar old faces in the lobby last night: Chad Cordero and Joel Hanrahan. The former Nationals closers are here looking for work - no, they're not candidates to pitch the ninth inning for the Nats anymore, they're both happily retired - and are hoping to catch on with an organization in a coaching or scouting capacity.

Cordero, still the Nationals' all-time saves leader with 113, spent two years as a graduate assistant on the staff at his alma mater, Cal State-Fullerton, but now he's hoping to join the professional coaching ranks.

Hanrahan, who struggled in his brief time closing for the Nationals but wound up a two-time All-Star closer after his 2009 trade to the Pirates, only recently decided to retire after failed attempts to return from arm injuries.