Thoughts on the Nats possibly sending McLouth up Route 295

Just because the Winter Meetings are over doesn't mean we're not still stoking the hot stove. In fact, the period from now until Christmas (and maybe New Year's Day) is usually pretty active. For whatever reason, free agents seem to like knowing where they're going to be playing next season, what city they have to report to for spring training, etc. Those moves have a ripple effect on other transactions. January and early February used to be the deadest part of the offseason. No more.

Over on the Orioles side of MASNsports.com, there was a post this morning hinting that the Nationals' neighbors to the north could be interested in a reunion with outfielder Nate McLouth, who signed a two-year, $10.75 million deal with the Nats last December (the Orioles also apparently had interest in Ross Detwiler, but that's now a moot point). McLouth was a lightning rod for criticism last season, when he got off to a slow start at the plate and eventually succumbed to a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery. How could the Nationals waste that much money on a backup outfielder who can't hit and got hurt, many fans asked.

Now the conversation will likely shift to how quickly the Nats can shuttle McLouth, 33, back up the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and back to Camden Yards. Even if it might mean eating part or all of the $5.75 million remaining on the deal, plenty of Nationals fans will be volunteering to drive him up Route 295 - as long as they can leave McLouth in Baltimore.

I still think McLouth was a shrewd signing by general manager Mike Rizzo, a speedy fourth outfielder who could play all three positions and possessed a decent glove. He wasn't there to hit, but the Nats probably expected more than the .173/.280/.237 slash line they got before McLouth hit the disabled list in August. McLouth may never be the offensive force he was in 2008 for the Pirates - when he led the National League with 46 doubles, hit 26 homers, drove in 94 runs and slashed .276/.356/.497 - but he could have been a solid contributor, like the guy whose on-base percentage with the Orioles averaged .333 over two seasons. Smaller pieces - like a fourth outfielder who has a good glove and some speed - can be key cogs on championship teams. McLouth's first season in D.C. just didn't work out as expected.

How realistic an option is it to send McLouth back to Baltimore? As is the case with most offseason moves, let's go over the reasons why it might and might not make sense.

Assuming he's healthy heading into spring training, McLouth is a veteran bench piece on an experienced team. His $5 million contract (with a $750,000 buyout if the Nats don't exercise their $6.5 million option for 2016) isn't an unreasonable expenditure - so long as he can and does contribute. To do so, the Nats have to be convinced that Steven Souza Jr. (and perhaps Michael A. Taylor) is ready to step in and perform if any of their three starters in the outfield - Jayson Werth, Denard Span or Bryce Harper - go down. Souza is probably ready; Taylor might need some more Triple-A seasoning. But McLouth has one thing they can't offer: a track record in the majors.

But the presence of Souza and Taylor (and any other backup outfielders the Nats might add for camp competition) also create an issue. If the Nationals are convinced the rookies are ready and that McLouth is expendable, they've just driven down McLouth's value in a trade. One of the reasons Rizzo is so circumspect in these matters is that he values having the upper hand. If teams know McLouth is available and that the Nats are willing to eat a portion of what's owed him, they are more apt to wait out spring training and hope one of two things happen: Either McLouth is released and costs them nothing to sign, or the Nats grow more desperate to move him and are willing to eat more of what he's owed for 2015.

Before you get too upset at the prospect of the Nats eating all or part of the $5.75 million remaining on McLouth's deal, remember that you have to think in big-picture terms. While it seems like a large sum, it's small potatoes on a team that will pay out well more than $100 million in salaries in 2015. Also keep in mind that these are the kind of decisions that contending teams face from year to year (even month to month during the season). Simply put, it's the price of doing business in baseball. And sometimes it's better to cut and run than to pay.