Nationals GM spoke to LeMahieu's agent; Marwin, Harrison reportedly in play

The Washington Nationals are hoping to leave Las Vegas with an upgrade at second base, and it appears multiple possibilities are in play.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes he's "made contact" with DJ LeMahieu's agent this winter, confirming an earlier report of their interest in the former NL batting champion.

Additionally, Janes reports the Nationals "love" utility man Marwin Gonzalez, who is not a natural second baseman but does have some experience at the keystone.

Josh Harrison, another veteran second baseman with the ability to play multiple positions, is also of interest to the Nationals, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports.

LeMahieu, formerly of the Colorado Rockies, is best known for his defense, winning the last two NL Gold Gloves at the position. In addition to the Nationals, he's reportedly drawing interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins.

Gonzalez is coming off a down 2018 season that saw him post a .733 OPS (103 OPS+) for the Houston Astros. But, as recently as 2017, he hit 23 homers while playing a huge role on a World Series champion. The 29-year-old is a natural shortstop but has morphed into a utility role after playing 32 games at second base for Houston last year.

Harrison, a utility man like Gonzalez, just finished an injury-plagued season that saw him slash .250/.293/.363 over 97 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 31-year-old has primarily played second base over the last two years but has also spent significant time as a third baseman and outfielder.

If the season started today, veteran Howie Kendrick - who missed most of last year after rupturing his Achilles in May - would likely be Washington's Opening Day second baseman. Behind Kendrick, the only other infielders presently on the team's 40-man roster are backups Adrian Sanchez and Tomas Nido, along with Matt Reynolds, who's poised to play at Triple-A Fresno.