John Lannan

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo confirmed Thursday that John Lannan has a minor league option.

If the Nats can’t find a trade partner for Lannan this offseason and if he fails to lock up the final spot in the Washington rotation this spring, he might open the regular season at Triple-A Syracuse. The 27-year-old left-hander posted 3.70 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 106/76 K/BB ratio in 184 2/3 innings last season. He’s buried on a rotation depth chart in D.C. that includes Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, Edwin Jackson Chien-Ming Wang and Ross Detwiler.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Nationals are “aggressively shopping” left-hander John Lannan.

The Nationals just won an arbitration hearing against Lannan, who will make $5 million in 2012. It’s not clear who they are in trade talks with or whether a deal is close, but Rosenthal suggests that they might be motivated to clear his salary in order to make a late run at either Roy Oswalt or Edwin Jackson.

Nationals’ left-hander John Lannan lost his arbitration hearing and was awarded a $5 million salary for 2012.

Lannan requested a $5.7 million salary for 2012, but the three-person panel of arbitrators ultimately ruled in the Nationals’ favor. The 27-year-old southpaw is coming off a career-low 3.70 ERA across 33 starts last season. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for the final time next offseason.

Nationals’ left-hander John Lannan won his arbitration hearing and was awarded a $5.7 million salary for 2012.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that the Nationals and left-hander John Lannan had an arbitration hearing on Wednesday.

Lannan requested $5.7 million and was offered $5 million from the Nationals when arbitration figures were exchanged last month. The panel of arbitrators will decide on one salary or the other, most likely within the next 48 hours.

John Lannan requested $5.7 million and was offered $5 million from the Nationals when arbitration figures were exchanged Tuesday.

Lannan, who is arbitration-eligible for the second time, posted a career-low 3.70 ERA over 33 starts with the Nationals last season while earning $2.75 million. With such a small gap in valuation, the two sides should be able to settle around the midpoint.