Washington Nationals looking into ace Chris Sale

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- National League hitters might shiver at the prospect of Chris Sale joining Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburgh in the Washington Nationals rotation.

On Monday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the Nationals are "among the latest teams to inquire" on Sale. Nightengale tweeted that there are "no serious talks with anyone yet."

Sale, 27, is due $12 million from the White Sox next season and has a $12.5 million club option in 2018 and a $13.5 million club option in 2019.

"We've always been focused on putting ourselves in the best position to win," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told CSN Chicago last week. "At the same time, I think we're veering away from the standpoint of looking for stopgaps. A lot of what we did in the last few years had been trying to enhance the short-term potential of the club to put ourselves in a position to win immediately. I feel the approach at this point is focusing on longer-term benefits. It doesn't mean we won't necessarily be in a good position in 2017. It means that our targets and whatever we're hoping to accomplish have a little more longer-term fits in nature."

"It's very clear we have certain needs on this roster," Hahn told CSN Chicago. "None of those things are in great supply out in the free agent market right now. So in order to add to this group and put ourselves in position to win we'd have to get a little more creative and do it via trade in all probability."

Sale is a five-time All-Star with a 3.00 ERA and 1,244 strikeouts in 1,110 career innings pitched. He led MLB with six complete games in 2016.