Wondering about Rizzo's next moves at Winter Meetings

LAS VEGAS - Now that he's made the big splashes, let's see if Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo can excel at the small moves that pay sizable dividends.

The whirlwind of activity that preceded the Nats' arrival at the Winter Meetings at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino filled most of the team's glaring weaknesses. Signing Kurt Suzuki as a free agent and trading for Yan Gomes reworked the catching corps. Newcomers Kyle Barraclough and Trevor Rosenthal will take over setup duties in the bullpen. Last week's deal that brought free agent Patrick Corbin to a six-year, $140 million contract solidified the front end of the rotation.

You can't say Rizzo doesn't strike while the iron is hot.

But there's still work to be done, and seemingly minor moves could be just as important in the big picture as bank-breaking contracts or trades that fill needs.

My colleague, Mark Zuckerman, went over a lot of the areas the Nationals will try to improve upon this week here. But exactly what's available on the open market? Who might be a candidate to be traded to D.C.? And what would another team want in return?

It's no secret the Nationals want to fill out their bullpen. Every team in the majors pretty much has that same need, though all of the needs aren't the same. Some teams need setup help, some are searching for closers. Rizzo is on the lookout for a left-hander who can get left-handed batters out. Even though the Nats tendered a contract to southpaw Sammy Solís, he's on a short leash until he can prove to be more dependable and effective. It costs nothing to bring him to spring training and work with him, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Nationals get him some camp competition.

Rizzo isn't going to play in the deep end of the free agent pool, so guys like Zach Britton and Andrew Miller aren't considerations. But there are plenty of bounceback candidates among the portside free agent relievers, and a surprising number of them (Jerry Blevins, Xavier Cedeño, Zach Duke, Oliver Pérez, Tim Collins) have some history with the Nats.

Keep an eye on Dan Jennings, 31, who was non-tendered by the Brewers after working to a 3.22 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 72 games last season. Jennings was projected by MLBTradeRuors.com to make $1.6 million in arbitration, but the bullpen-rich Brewers didn't see that as a workable number. Jake Diekman, 31, missed the first half of the 2017 season after having his colon removed to treat ulcerative colitis. His 2.53 ERA in 11 games that season was promising, but the 4.73 ERA and 1.50 WHIP he logged last season represented a step back. But between 2015 and 2016 with the Phillies and Rangers, he went 6-3 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 133 games. Tony Sipp, 35, was lights-out for the Astros last season, posting a 1.86 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 54 games, and holding left-handed hitters to a .191/.263/.294 slash (for his career, he holds lefties to a .221/.298/.409 line). But mid-30s relievers are like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates; you don't always know what you're going to get.

The Nats also need a backup first baseman, preferably a lefty-swinging hitter to complement Ryan Zimmerman (and someone who can hold down the fort if Zimmerman gets injured). Last season, they struck gold with Matt Adams before dealing him to the Cardinals, where he tailed off badly. Well, Adams, 30, is back on the market again and his 21 homers will open some eyes. Last year, the Nats got him for $4 million after cutting ties with Adam Lind. Justin Bour, 31, hit 20 homers between the Marlins and Phillies in 2018, but his .227/.341/.404 line was a drop-off from his career totals. Bour is a native of D.C. who prepped at Westfield High in Chantilly before attending George Mason, where he was a 25th-round pick of the Cubs in 2009. The Marlins didn't wait to non-tender Derek Dietrich, designating him for assignment in late November after several productive seasons as a utility player. He hasn't played a ton of first base, but his profile may fit the Nats' needs since he can also play second base, third base and corner outfield spots.

There are a ton of free agent second basemen on the market, but Rizzo's declaration that he's confident that a tandem of holdovers Howie Kendrick and Wilmer Difo can hold the keystone down until Carter Kieboom is ready might mean this is the least important thing on the Nats' offseason to-do list. They could sign a second baseman, but that might not be a prudent move if they think Kieboom is close, Kendrick's Achilles is healed and they can afford to take Difo out of his utility role. Dietrich could help here, or maybe a guy the Nats have liked in the past is available in trade - someone like Jurickson Profar of the Rangers, who finally got a chance to contribute in 2017 and slashed .254/.335/.458 with 20 homers and 77 RBIs in 146 games, playing every infield position. Maybe Rizzo looks at free agent Brian Dozier or strikes a deal with the Reds for slugging second sacker Scooter Gennett. DJ LeMahieu, late of the Rockies and on the free agent market, has talked to the Nats, but if they ink him, what does that say about the development of Kieboom, who will likely start the season at Double-A Harrisburg?

Simply put, the second base market is crowded. If Rizzo waits, he could have something come to him on terms that are more agreeable.

Starting pitching? Even after signing Corbin? Well, Rizzo is of the belief that you can never have enough starting pitching. And that may be even more of a need since the Nats sent Jefry Rodriguez to the Indians in the Gomes deal (though Rizzo insists that Rodriguez was viewed more as a bullpen piece than a starter or swingman). The Nats will be banking on a return to form by Tanner Roark and may be asking a lot of Joe Ross and Erick Fedde. It would be surprising to see Rizzo dip into the deep end free agent pool again, especially when he could find a low-risk, high-reward candidate who's fallen through the cracks later in the winter, or get a back-end-depth piece in a trade. Yes, there will always be guys with the Jeremy Hellickson profile available - even Hellickson himself.

While he's filled most of the glaring holes that were staring him in the face, Rizzo isn't the kind of guy who stands pat. If there's a way to improve his team, he'll explore it. If there's a guy who can fit in one or more places, he'll consider him. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Nats do little this week, given what Rizzo has already accomplished. But neither would it be surprising to see Rizzo continue to tweak his roster, tinkering to make the Nationals better as he waits for the rest of the winter to play out.