Nationals rumors: Washington interested in Javier Vazquez

The Washington Nationals attended a workout held by free agent right-hander Javier Vazquez, were impressed by what they saw and would be interested in signing the veteran to a minor league contract, reports Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post:

The Nationals have made bulking up their starting pitching depth a priority this winter, and last week their search led them to send a top scout to evaluate veteran right-hander Javier Vazquez in a Puerto Rican winter league game, according to a team official.

The Nationals were impressed with how Vazquez pitched and would be interested in signing him to a minor league contract with an "out" – an option for the pitcher to ask for his release by a certain date if not added to the major league active roster.

Kilgore adds that the Nationals potential contract with Vazquez would include an "out," an option for the pitcher to ask for his release by a certain date if he’s not added to the major league roster.

Vazquez last appeared at the major league level in 2011 as a member of the Marlins, posting an ERA of 3.69 over 32 starts with 7.6 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings. The 36-year-old owns a career ERA of 4.22 over 14 seasons at the major league level.

The Boston Red Sox have also recently been tied to Vazquez, who according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports has looked great while pitching in Puerto Rico during winter ball.