A different look at the crop of pending free agents

We've talked a lot this winter about the crop of pending free agents that the Nationals have and how it will be interesting to see how general manager Mike Rizzo proceeds with that group.

When discussing the Nats' list of upcoming 2015 free agents, five names are usually listed - Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, Tyler Clippard and Denard Span. Pretty strong list there, one that contains five major contributors to this squad.

But beyond those five, there are a few other players who are set to become free agents next offseason and whose contracts will come off the books, if no extensions are reached.

Outfielder Nate McLouth, left-handers Matt Thornton and Jerry Blevins, and infielder Kevin Frandsen are all set to hit free agency going into the 2016 season, as well.

This means that the Nats could have quite a bit of roster turnover next winter, if they are unable to sign a bunch of these players to deals that would keep them around through 2016 and possibly beyond.

But it also means that the Nats could have some financial flexibility as a result of a boatload of expiring contracts.

Here is what the Nats' pending free agents are set to make in 2015, with the arbitration-eligible players' salaries projected by MLBTradeRumors.com:

Zimmermann: $16.5 million
Fister: $11.4 million (projected through arbitration)
Desmond: $11 million
Clippard: $9.3 million (projected through arbitration)
Span: $9 million
McLouth: $5 million (with $6.5 million club option for 2016, or $750,000 buyout)
Thornton: $3.5 million
Blevins: $2.2 million (projected through arbitration)
Frandsen: $1 million

In total, that's $68.9 million (again, with arbitration projections included) that would come off the books next winter because of those nine players, and that doesn't include any new one-year deals the Nats agree to with free agents.

That doesn't mean that the Nats will have $68.9 million of new money to play with. They will have to pay out raises to the players still on the roster that are eligible for arbitration, and with guys like Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen and Wilson Ramos getting deeper into the arbitration process, their salaries could rise quickly.

Bryce Harper will also make $5 million in 2016 after making $2.5 million this upcoming season, and other players could see an uptick in salary in backloaded contracts.

But unlike this year, when the Nats only had Adam LaRoche, Rafael Soriano, Asdrubal Cabrera, Scott Hairston and Nate Schierholtz and their salaries come off the books, there will be some more financial flexibility next winter. And that will be needed with the organization hoping to lock up a few of its major contributors to contract extensions in the near future.