NATS BRING IN LEADOFF MAN SPAN
The Washington Nationals acquired outfielder Denard Span from the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Alex Meyer.
What does it give the Washington Nationals
In Span, the Nationals acquire a long coveted player who fits like a glove. He'll play center field and allow both {P Bryce Harper} and {P Jayson Werth} to play an outfield corner, with Harper expected to move to left field permanently and Werth staying in right full time. Also, Span will hit leadoff for the Nats, a position in the batting order that they've struggled to fill recently. Overall, this deal makes Washington very dangerous in the National League.
What does it give the Minnesota Twins
Meyer is an excellent pickup for pitching-starved Minnesota, as they truly lack high-end starting pitching prospects (beyond {P Kyle Gibson}). The 6-9 Meyer has oodles of upside as a frontline starter, so the Twins had to make this move at this time. {P Ben Revere} will now take over as both the Twins' center-fielder and leadoff batter, while the organization has plenty of depth behind him in both {P Aaron Hicks} and Byron Buxton.
Fantasy impact
Span will need to adjust to the National League, but he could see a spike in his overall fantasy value hitting at the top of the Nats lineup (in front of the likes of Harper, Werth and Ryan Zimmerman. Meyer's fantasy impact won't be for a few years, but the move from Washington to Minnesota could benefit him greatly as well (since his path to the big leagues should be much clearer and quicker).
