BIggest Offseason Acquisition: Denard Span.

Potential Fatal Flaw: Not applicable.

Ceiling: Runaway World Series champion.

Floor: National League Wild Card.

Overall: This is not a homer writing this. This is person with some modicum of baseball knowledge telling you that this should be the favorite to win the World Series.

The perceived “hole” in the Washington Nationals is that they don’t have a true lefty bullpen specialist, as though those are hard to find at the trade deadline. Look, there is no hole. You can pick out Danny Espinosa, but for the defense that he provides at second, I’ll take the between 15 and 20 home runs, thank you. Would I like to see him get on-base about 33% of the time? Yes, that would be lovely. Do I expect Ian Desmond to continue where he left off last season? No. But let’s be honest, even if he takes a step back from last year’s final line, he’s still a top 5 shortstop in the NL and, frankly, baseball.

If you want to talk about a lineup that has everything, it’s the Nationals. Speed at the top with Denard Span. On-base ability with Werth in the two hole. Bryce Harper’s power in the 3 spot. Ryan Zimmerman’s all-around approach batting cleanup. Adam LaRoche’s power in the 5 spot. And then rounding out the order, an All-Star shortstop, a second baseman with 20 homer ability, and a platoon of Kurt Suzuki and Wilson Ramos behind the plate. I mean, the Nats even have the best backup catcher in baseball, and it doesn’t matter who the backup is.

Oh, and then there’s the pitching. You know about that. It’s the same as last year, but with Dan Haren instead of Edwin Jackson. Dan Haren is their number 5 starter. And they added Rafael Soriano (needlessly, in my opinion) to the backend of the bullpen, just for good measure.

The 2012 Washington Nationals brought me such great joy. I spent a lot of money watching them play last year. Easily into the many hundreds of dollars. And it was worth every penny. Worth every 103 degree summer day. Worth every rainy Saturday. Worth every long line at Shake Shack (not true…I get to the park about 2 hours early to watch batting practice and not wait in line for Shake Shack. Like a boss).

Being in Richmond, Virginia for the one week that the Nats were in the playoffs was awful. I had tickets for the Jayson Werth walk-off homer game (Game 4) that I sold. I still have not watched that home run. Not being there hurt me emotionally. It frankly hurt more than turning on Game 5, with the Nats fully in control, as I did, and watching the collapse.

Scribes will posit that the collapse will have a carryover effect on the 2013 Nationals. Drew Storen will go the way of Brad Lidge. Or something. Bryce Harper will taste the sophomore slump, unlike Mike Trout. Or something. Stephen Strasburg won’t know how to pitch late into the season because of last year’s limit. And on and on and on. I won’t buy the “carryover” narrative.

This team is going to bring a championship to Washington, DC in 2013. And I will be there when they do.

Predicted Finish: 101-61