With meetings officially underway, can Nats land a big prize?

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Winter Meetings officially open for business this morning - no, anything you saw or read about yesterday at the Gaylord National Resort didn't officially happen - and so the rumors will begin to fly fast and furious through the lobby here.

Whether the Nationals make official news these next four days or just continue to find themselves the subject of potential news remains to be seen. But there's certainly a sense among everyone that they are primed to do something.

Few teams out there have both the desire to add a couple of big names and either the prospects or the cash needed to acquire them like the Nationals. They're truly in an advantageous situation, not feeling they're forced to do anything but well-positioned to do whatever they truly want.

So what do they want? Well, you know the names by now. Andrew McCutchen. Chris Sale. Mark Melancon. Those are the big three on their radar, or at least the biggest three whose names have gotten out over the last couple of weeks.

In the cases of both McCutchen and Sale, the ball appears to be in the selling team's court at the moment. The Nationals have told both the Pirates and White Sox what they're willing to give away in a trade. It's up to those clubs to decide if the offers are enough or if they're going to insist on more.

It's worth noting that the White Sox have several players beyond Sale available this winter, and there's a decent chance the Nationals have inquired about them as well. Outfielder Adam Eaton, in particular, would be awfully intriguing to general manager Mike Rizzo. No, Eaton doesn't have McCutchen's track record. But he's two years younger, has posted an average WAR of 5.1 each of the last three seasons and is signed for the next three years for a total of $18.4 million, with two more affordable club options after that.

We know how much Rizzo likes to acquire players with multiple years of control. McCutchen has two. Eaton potentially has five.

As for Melancon, it does appear the veteran closer is going to make his decision soon. He reportedly has four-year offers in the range of $60 million from both the Nationals and Giants, with perhaps a couple more teams in the mix as well.

That's a steep price for a reliever, but it's the going rate right now. And the Nats certainly know how valuable Melancon is, the peace of mind he brings when he takes the mound for the ninth inning.

Perhaps we'll start to get some definitive answers on that situation, and on the trade front as Day One of the Winter Meetings progresses.