Most of the Washington Nationals' decisions on this topic are simple. They have seven arbitration-eligible players. Six are no-brainers to receive contracts this season. Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Tanner Roark, Kyle Barraclough, Joe Ross and Michael A. Taylor will almost certainly be tendered contracts, as their projected salaries in arbitration seem reasonable for the significant contributions of which all are capable. Even Taylor, who disappeared in the advent of Victor Robles down the stretch, is a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder who can hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to make $3.4 million in arbitration, and that is a reasonable price to pay for his talents.

The one uncertainty on the list is Sammy Solis, the ever-promising left-hander who struggled so mightily late in 2018 that he raised genuine and immediate questions about his future with the Nationals. Solis was the team’s first pick after Bryce Harper, a high-ceiling left-hander with a rare fastball and a varied starter’s arsenal. But over and over, he has struggled to retire left-handed hitters so much that his value as a lefty has dropped considerably. Solis is out of options, meaning the Nationals cannot give him a big league chance then decide he still has things to work on. If he struggles, they will have to option him to the minors and to do that, they will have to place him on waivers first. Someone will always take a chance on a hard-throwing lefty. Sending him down might mean losing him.

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Keeping him carries risks, too. Solis pitched to a 6.41 ERA in 56 appearances last season. More troublesome were his numbers against left-handed hitters, who hit .329 with a .993 OPS against him. He held right-handed hitters to a .224 batting average against, but left-handed relievers are most valuable for their ability to handle left-handed sluggers in big situations. Solis did not handle them well in 2018.

The estimators at MLB Trade Rumors suggest Solis will earn $900,000 in arbitration this year, which isn’t exactly a massive investment. The Nationals non-tendered outfielder Ben Revere two winters ago when he was likely to earn around $6 million in arbitration. Given the Nationals will pay catcher Kurt Suzuki $4 million this year, that kind of investment for a questionable return was intolerable to them.

But less than a million dollars — or less than a half million more than the major league minimum — might not be too much to stick with Solis. In fact, a person familiar with the Nationals' thinking on the matter suggested that, as of earlier this month, they were leaning toward tendering a contract to the lefty. The financial investment is so low, the emotional investment over the years is so high, and the potential of his stuff is so great that one could argue it certainly warrants another chance.

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Tendering a contract to Solis would not necessarily lock him into a bullpen spot. As previously stated, teams are always willing to take a chance on a hard-throwing lefty, and perhaps a team will bet on a fresh start and ask the Nationals to deal. If Solis struggles in spring training, the Nationals can place him on waivers and see who bites. For $900,000, they are not investing too much financially to cut ties later.

But as of earlier this month, they seemed unlikely to cut ties with Solis just yet. Friday is their deadline to decide what they will do with the homegrown lefty with the tantalizing stuff and confounding struggles.