"Depending on how the Nationals' pursuit of landing a center fielder in a trade develops in the next few days, there's a chance Washington will bid on Japanese outfielder Nori Aoki, a team official said. It's certainly not the Nationals' first choice, but they're considering the option in case they cannot find a willing, desirable trade partner.

Aoki will be available through the posting system, in which teams bid on a the right to negotiate with a player, with the winning bid money going to the player's team. Aoki will be posted shortly after the winter meetings, and so the four-day bidding period should come to a close by the end of next week. The Nationals will have until then to decide if they want to bid on him. "