MLB Trade Rumors: Washington Nationals Need Ryan Dempster's Experience

Ryan Dempster is a wanted man, and it's no wonder considering his sparkling 2.14 ERA and the Chicago Cubs overall futility. But the Washington Nationals should be aggressive in their attempts to obtain Dempster, if they are serious about winning this year.

The Cubs are sellers, and when it comes to Dempster there seems to be a healthy amount of buyers.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Nationals are one of them. He writes: "The Ryan Dempster Derby currently is a battle between the Braves, Nationals and Cardinals, people familiar with the talks suggest."

Dempster obviously has the stuff to help any pitching rotation, but his experience could be a real asset to the Nats in a pennant race.

Washington has only two pitchers (Mike Gonzalez 34 and Tom Gorzelanny 30) who are 30 years old or older. Dempster is a 35-year-old, 14-year veteran, who has pitched in two postseasons. That experience would be valuable to a relatively young staff.

Per Heyman, the Cubs are seeking young arms in compensation for trading Dempster. That could be an issue for the Nats.

Will they be willing to part with a prospect like Ivan Pineyro to nab Dempster?

Pineyro is a 20-year-old standout hurler in rookie ball in the Nats' system. He could be a future star, and a the type of pitcher the Cubs want in return for Dempster. This potential scenario begs the question: how do the Nationals view themselves?

Are they a team of the future that just happened to contend, or a team of now looking to maximize on every opportunity to win?

Many people didn't picture the Nats contending so soon, this season may even be a surprise to them.

If they still see themselves as a team of the future, they may not want to part with a valuable young prospect for a short-term solution like Dempster.

How the Nats pursue Dempster will tell us who they think they are.

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