There’s been speculation about the Nationals trading Jonathan Papelbon since the moment he decided to choke teammate Bryce Harper in the dugout and the presence of Drew Storen as a viable closer alternative has fanned those flames even further.
But here’s a new twist: Jayson Stark of ESPN.com says multiple sources have told him that the Nationals are looking to trade Papelbon and Storen. And if they accomplish that, Stark reports that their plan would be to revamp the bullpen around a trade for Reds closer Aroldis Chapman and/or signing free agent Darren O’Day.
Papelbon and Storen will both be free agents following the 2016 season, so the Nationals may feel that rebuilding the bullpen now makes more sense than being forced to do so in 12 months. Still, that’s an awful lot of moving parts without any guarantee of actually improving the relief corps.