RSS Nationals Team Notes

[Washington Nationals]

Paul Toboni assigns roles to new Washington Nationals executives

This afternoon, Paul Toboni held a virtual presser to talk about the Blake Butera hire, as well as other updates. He talked about what went into the Butera hire and why he trusted the person. Butera did not attend due to having his first child on Thursday. However, the biggest updates came in the front office.

Blake Butera is officially the Nats' new manager!

Hear president of baseball operations Paul Toboni discuss the hire. pic.twitter.com/YCMCK8rdDG

— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) November 4, 2025

The Nationals have hired a couple Assistant GM’s in recent weeks. Paul Toboni brought Devin Pearson and Justin Horowitz to DC. He has history with both in Boston. Both of them were also sitting scouting directors in their 30’s, so they are both rising names in the industry. Toboni also kept former interim GM Mike DeBartolo around.

However, we did not know what their formal roles would be before today. We do now though. In the presser, Toboni said that Pearson would oversee player development, Horowitz would be in charge of player acquisition and DeBartolo would help with baseball operations.

New Nats roles from Paul Toboni:

Devin Pearson (AGM) will oversee the Nationals' player development operation.

Justin Horowitz (AGM) will oversee acquisitions (amateur scouting, trades, international scouting).

Mike DeBartolo (SVP and AGM) will help oversee baseball ops.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 4, 2025

It is nice to see these executives’ roles laid out like this. With the Nats having Mike Rizzo run the show for so many years, this process is new for many Nats fans. We are learning as we go along here. This new regime seems like it will be more of a collaborative effort with the assistants playing bigger roles than they did in the past.

Another interesting note from the press conference is on the GM front. Paul Toboni said that the Nats will not be hiring a GM, at least not anytime soon. As more big name AGM hires were made, I began to suspect that there would not be a GM. This is one thing that Paul Toboni will not be changing from the Rizzo era.

Paul Toboni says no GM hire “for the time being.”
New roles: Pearson (PD), Horowitz (Acquisitions), DeBartolo (Ops).
He scouted Blake Butera in college and is “betting on the person.” ️ #NATITUDE

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) November 4, 2025

Without a GM, these AGM’s are going to have a big role and have a lot of prominence. I am curious about the Pearson hire in particular now. The fact he is going to be heading up player development is very interesting. Pearson’s experience has come on the scouting side in Boston. Now he is going to be on a different side of things. Can his ability to spot talent translate into developing talent?

Only time will tell on that one, but I am excited about this new braintrust. For once, the Nationals have young, cutting edge minds in their front office. It is exciting to be part of something new for once. Over the past handful of years, the Nats have been behind the curve and stuck in the past. Now, they are aiming to be a forward thinking organization.

All of Paul Toboni’s hires have been with the goal of being young, fresh and innovative. Pearson, Horowitz and Butera are all in their 30’s and come from the new school. This is something the Nats have needed for a very long time. Now, we will finally get it. I am very excited to see how this new era in DC goes.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...gns-roles-new-washington-nationals-executives

 

[Washington Nationals]

You Aren’t High Enough On Washington Nationals Cade Cavalli

Cade Cavalli’s return to the big leagues has been well documented by now, both by us and by the media. To recap, after making his big league debut in August 2022, Cavalli would be shut down for the year with a shoulder injury, followed by tearing his UCL in Spring Training of 2023, costing him the entire season and the following one. Battling through not only Tommy John surgery recovery but also dead arm and the flu, Cavalli finally made his return to the big league mound in August of 2025, nearly 3 years since his last big league start.

Expectations for Cavalli weren’t exactly through the roof upon his return, as he sported an ERA over 6 in 15 starts at Triple A prior to his call-up. Many fans, including myself, were just hoping to see Cavalli stay healthy, as even if he could not find it as a starter, it seemed he had a future career as a reliever in front of him. But what Cavalli showed in his 10 big league starts in 2025, while not eye-popping on the stat sheet, has me more excited than ever about his potential as a frontline starter.

Cavalli’s ERA over his 10 starts was 4.25, a respectable but not mind blowing number, but it’s the underlying numbers from those starts that give me confidence. It begins with the swing and miss stuff, as Cavalli placed in the 95th percentile in chase rate and 72nd percentile in whiff rate amongst all big league pitchers, an elite combo especially for a starting pitcher. His curveball was his go-to put-away pitch, as he went to it on 2 strikes nearly 25% of the time, resulting in a 31% strikeout rate on it. His changeup was also an elite swing and miss pitch for him, as in the 107 times he threw it, it had a 41.8% whiff rate.

Despite the elite swing and miss numbers, Cavalli only had an 18.3% strikeout rate, ranking in the 18th percentile in baseball. While some, perhaps even most, of this can be attributed to “just baseball”, as 10 starts is only roughly 1/3 of a full season’s work and this number could have stabilized higher over time, there is the possibility that the way the Nats were calling games for Cavalli was limiting his ability to strike hitters out.

With a new staff in town under Blake Butera, I am excited to see if they shake up how and when Cavalli uses his arsenal, perhaps tunneling his pitches a little better, leading to better strikeout numbers, as the stuff is clearly there for more.

Another elite trait of Cavalli’s is his ability to keep the ball on the ground, which helps to mitigate some of the hard contact issues he has faced. Cavalli had a 55.1% ground ball rate in 2025, good for the 93rd percentile in baseball. While his hard hit rate was below average, ranking in the 38th percentile, his barrel rate was elite, coming in at the 95th percentile.

How could this be? The reason is that while both metrics look at how hard the ball is hit, barrel rate also accounts for the launch angle of the hit. Cavalli gave up quite a bit of loud contact in his 10 starts, but thanks to a sinker that sits 97 MPH with above-average vertical drop, he was able to keep the majority of it where his fielders could go make a play.

Despite Cavalli’s strong ground ball rate, his home run rate was well above league average, averaging 1.29 home runs allowed per 9 innings. While his tendency to allow hard contact played a factor in this, the majority of this can be attributed to bad luck and a small sample size, as his home run to fly ball ratio of 17.5% was well above the average of 10.5% and was in the top 30 highest among all pitchers with over 40 innings pitched. Home run rate is one of the least sticky pitching stats year to year, and with a ground ball rate as low and an arsenal as strong as Cavalli’s, I expect this number to regress heavily in 2026, leading to improved results overall.

So what’s next for Cavalli? While the answer isn’t “nothing”, truly most of the pieces for success are already in place for Cavalli; he just needs to go out and repeat them next season. The development of another strong pitch (such as a splitter, which everyone in baseball will be attempting to do after watching Yoshinobu Yamamoto this postseason) could help keep hitters off Cavalli’s best pitches and mitigate some of his right-handed hitter woes, who hit .381 against Cavalli as compared to lefties who hit .221.

I would also like to see an overall tuning to his pitch usage, as there is no need for him to throw his fastball more than his sinker, curveball, and changeup, which are all strong pitches. Having been one of the founding fathers of the Cade Cavalli fan club, I am extremely excited to see the strides he makes next season, and believe he could be a frontline starter for the Nats for years.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87197/you-arent-high-enough-cade-cavalli

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals release 2026 Spring Training schedule

The new era of Nationals baseball is right around the corner. Today the Washington Nationals released their 2026 Spring Training schedule. There is always an element of hope and newness to Spring Training, but this year will have even more of that with the new regime.

a nice sp ring to it

https://t.co/eoL6DKuniW pic.twitter.com/CQsCkp62dv

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) November 5, 2025

The Nats open up their spring on February 21st with a home game against the Astros in West Palm Beach. Get your tickets now and have your swim suits ready because that will be coming around in no time.

One of the most interesting matchups for me actually comes on March 4th, when the Nats have a scrimmage against Team Venezuela. This is a World Baseball Classic year, so we are going to get to see some teams come down and scrimmage. Venezuela should have a stacked roster with players like Ronald Acuna Jr., Jose Altuve and Salvador Perez.

Seeing all of those guys take the field against the Nats should be a ton of fun. Another great recent addition to Spring Training is the Spring Breakout Game. That is an event where the team’s top prospects play against each other. You get to see highly touted players that don’t normally play in the regular games. They are playing against the Mets prospects this year on March 21st.

Highlights of Nats' 2026 spring training schedule:
* 2/21 openers vs HOU/at STL
* 2/23 home vs PHI
* 2/25-2/26 road trip at NYY/PHI
* 3/4 exhibition vs. Venezuela
* 3/7 home vs NYY
* 3/21 Spring Breakout prospect game at STL
* 3/22 vs O's in Baltimore
* 3/23 vs O's in D.C.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 5, 2025

It is right at the end of Spring Training. After that, the Nats actually have two exhibitions against the Orioles on the 22nd and 23rd. The first one is in Baltimore, before playing in DC the next day.

With these schedules coming out, we are one step closer to baseball season. There will be so many fresh new faces in camp this year and I am excited to see them. We will see what a Paul Toboni roster looks like for the first time and we will see a Blake Butera managed club for the first time. Buckle up and get ready for the ride!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/lat...tionals-release-2026-spring-training-schedule

 

[Washington Nationals]

Breaking down Paul Toboni’s latest press conference

Yesterday, Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni took some questions from local media about his hiring of Blake Butera. This was the first time he shed light on the process and what is next. A lot of interesting stuff came out of the presser, so I wanted to talk about it.

Blake Butera is officially the Nats' new manager!

Hear president of baseball operations Paul Toboni discuss the hire. pic.twitter.com/YCMCK8rdDG

— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) November 4, 2025

It has been close to a week since the Nats made Blake Butera the youngest manager in over 50 years. This is the first time we got to hear about the process though. We did not get to hear from Butera himself, but that is for good reason. On the same day as his hire was reported, his wife was giving birth to their first child. Talk about a wild day!

With that in mind, we are not going to hear from Butera for a little longer. One fun nugget Toboni talked about in the presser was that Butera was in the hospital with his wife when Jeff Passan broke the news that he would be hired by the Nats. The baby came only hours later. This must be a wild time for Butera and I can’t wait to hear from him.

The thing that Toboni kept touching on in his presser was how aligned he and Butera are. In his initial presser with the Nats, Toboni talked a lot about trusting people. Butera is a person that Toboni trusts. Toboni said that he is making a bet on Blake Butera the person.

However, Paul Toboni did not just hire a manager because he thought he was a good guy. Despite having no experience in an MLB dugout, Toboni was adamant that Butera was the best man for the job. While he does not have experience in an MLB dugout, Butera still has plenty of experience. Toboni touched on all of the things Butera has already done.

Between being a successful Minor League manager and having experience in the front office, Butera knows a lot about the operation. Despite being so young, Butera will not be a pushover. Toboni mentioned that he was looking for a manager who could hold the players and staff accountable. That piece about the staff is important to me because that did not seem like it was happening in previous seasons.

While Toboni was non-committal on a coaching staff, he did hint at bringing in some experience. He said that Blake is humble enough to know he needs people with expertise around him. Like he said before hiring Butera, MLB experience is a feather in the cap but not a requirement.

As we wrote about earlier in the week, I do think Butera needs to bring in an older head as a bench coach. With Butera being young and not having MLB experience, he needs someone around him to lean on that knows what it is like.

For the hitting and pitching coach positions, I would be happy if they continued to go in this younger, outside the box direction. Right now, it really seems like there is a vision and alignment in the Nats organization. That is something Toboni values and it looks like he has that.

I am excited for this new era of Nats baseball. There is a lot we still do not know, but one thing we do know is that it will look a lot different than it used to. The process will be different, the voices will be a lot younger and some ideas will be different. This was needed and hopefully it works out.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87213/breaking-down-paul-toboni-press-conference

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals make a flurry of moves to the 40-man roster

Paul Toboni made a bunch of moves to the 40-man roster this afternoon. None of them were huge moves individually, but together the moves created a lot of space on the 40-man roster. With the offseason here, Paul Toboni will look to optimize that 40-man roster as much as possible.

Earlier this afternoon, it was announced that two players were DFA’d from the 40-man. Those guys were Ryan Loutos and Trey Lipscomb. Loutos actually got claimed by the Mariners, while Lipscomb was unclaimed and sent to Triple-A. While Loutos was ineffective with the Nats, he has a deep pitch mix and throws pretty hard.

Nationals transactions:
* Trey Lipscomb cleared waivers, outrighted to AAA Rochester
* Ryan Loutos claimed off waivers by Mariners
* Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Drew Millas, Trevor Williams activated off 60-day IL

That leaves 35 players on the 40-man roster.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 6, 2025

Lipscomb was a former third round pick, who showed promise in the Minors in 2023. He was the talk of Spring Training in 2024 and was competing for Luis Garcia Jr’s starting second base job. However, he has not shown much life with the bat in the big leagues.

There were also procedural moves to activate a few players from the 60-day IL. If Trevor Williams or DJ Herz still are not close to recovery from their surgeries, they can always go back on the 60-day IL.

Then a bit later, it was announced that reliever Zach Brzykcy was DFA’d and claimed by the Marlins. Even though he got lit up in the MLB, this one stung a little bit. He showed so much promise as a prospect before undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Brzykcy has not been quite the same since coming back. He still has some good stuff that the Marlins seem to like.

(Cont.)

-The Miami Marlins claimed Zach Brzykcy off of outright waivers.

— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) November 6, 2025

As teams enter the offseason, they often churn through a lot of guys on the back end of their 40-man roster. Teams need space to add new free agents or prospects they want to protect from the Rule 5 draft. The Nats will likely add Jake Bennett to their 40-man roster at some point to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Right now, the Nationals 40-man is at just 34 players. This allows Paul Toboni to be very flexible. He can add some guys on waivers he likes, or keep the spots open for more flexibility heading into free agency. Looking at the 40-man, there is still some fat to trim if Toboni wanted more space.

With the Brzykcy DFA, the #Nats 40-man roster is now at 34 players:

– 20 pitchers
– 3 catchers
– 6 infielders
– 5 outfielders https://t.co/ZCuQMicbs3

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) November 6, 2025

Paul Toboni will have a good chance to remake this roster in his image from top to bottom, and do that quickly. Whether that is small moves like waiver claims, or a big move like a MacKenzie Gore trade, Toboni has a chance to bring in his own guys.

Of course, executives need to be humble enough to know that some of the old regime’s guys are worth keeping around, but Toboni should want to build this thing in his image. Right now he is doing that with the back end of this roster. A few days ago he DFA’d Mason Thompson, Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Eduardo Salazar. Now he has made these moves. We should see a lot of fresh faces in DC as we head into 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ton-nationals-make-flurry-moves-40-man-roster

 

[Washington Nationals]

Former Washington National Craig Stammen hired as San Diego Padres manager

For a second time this offseason, a former Washington National has become a manager. This time it is former reliever Craig Stammen, who got hired as the manager of the San Diego Padres. Stammen had a 13 year career, which was split almost evenly between DC and San Diego. Now he will be managing the team he left the Nats for.

The San Diego Padres have hired Craig Stammen as manager, as @sdutKevinAcee reports. Stammen, 41, was a longtime reliever for the Padres and Nationals and had been a special assistant to San Diego GM A.J. Preller. In a season of shocking managerial hires, this one tops the list.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 6, 2025

Stammen started his career as a starting pitcher, but became one of those lovable rubber armed middle relievers. He was never the closer, and usually was not even the set up man, but Stammen was a valuable weapon out of the bullpen. In DC, Stammen was the bride to the late inning guys, usually Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen.

With Kurt Suzuki taking the Angels job, the Nationals have a full battery that are now running their own teams. I remember the days of Suzuki catching Stammen in DC. It is crazy to think that both of those guys are managers now.

Your current managers of the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres … pic.twitter.com/SAqGoLfbXi

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 6, 2025

The hiring of Stammen came out of left field. Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols and Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla were seen as the top candidates. The Padres even had a 9.5 hour meeting with Pujols. I don’t see any reason a meeting should go that long, but it happened.

However, as he often does, AJ Preller made an unexpected move. Stammen was a special assistant to Preller and played with the Padres for six years, so he clearly knows the organization well. He does not have any coaching experience though.

Hiring inexperienced or outside the box candidates has been a theme of this year’s managerial hiring cycle. The Nats went with Blake Butera, who is 33 and has never coached in the MLB. The Giants hired Tony Vitello straight from college without any pro coaching experience, something that has never been done before. Also, the Angels hired Kurt Suzuki, who did not have any coaching experience.

There is clearly a shift towards younger, more relatable managers. Hiring a manager who was just fired by another team does not seem to be in style right now, unless you are the Twins.

With Stammen becoming a manager, there are a lot of former Nats running big league dugouts. Obviously Stammen and Suzuki are now managers, but Aaron Boone and Alex Cora also had stints with the Nats. Now over 10% of all MLB managers have played for the Washington Nationals.

Woah!!!

Two former Nats become first-time managers this offseason – Kurt Suzuki and now Craig Stammen.

Add in Aaron Boone and Alex Cora, and now more than 10% of the MLB managerial roles are held by former Nationals players. https://t.co/EVY7kTnXsT

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) November 6, 2025

It is cool to see the franchise become old enough to have numerous former players managing around the league. I am sure that Stammen and Suzuki will get warm welcomes when they come to DC next season. Both were well-liked players who always delivered when called upon. They were not the stars, but both were great glue guys.

It is often those glue guy types who become the best managers. A lot of times the former star player does not deliver when they become a manager or executive for whatever reason.

It is really fun to see these guys become managers and continue their baseball journeys. Stammen will inherit a good situation in San Diego, with plenty of star players at his disposal, many of whom he played with. It would be cool to see Stammen lead the Padres on a playoff run and dethrone the Dodgers in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-craig-stammen-hired-san-diego-padres-manager

 

[Washington Nationals]

Where Does Christian Franklin Fit Into The Picture Of The 2026 Washington Nationals?

The Nationals have a glut of outfielders currently in the major leagues, including James Wood, Dylan Crews, and Daylen Lile, as well as others who will be arriving soon, such as Christian Franklin and Andrew Pinckney. James Wood is locked into left field for the Nats, as he is the club’s brightest young star and a serviceable defender out in left as well. Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile are locked into the other two spots as well, as both will be critical parts of the Nationals’ future. Jacob Young and Robert Hassell will surely play a part in the outfield picture for the Nats in 2026 as well, though both have their limitations.

One young outfielder whose future at the big league level is unclear is Christian Franklin, the 25-year-old outfielder acquired from the Cubs for Mike Soroka at the trade deadline. A 4th round pick out of Arkansas, where he posted a 132 wRC+ in his junior season, Franklin’s path to the bigs was set back at the start of his career when he tore his patella tendon in his knee in 2022, causing him to miss the entire season. Since then, however, all he has done is hit, and it has him knocking on the doors of the major leagues.

In 117 games at Triple-A last season, 86 with the Cubs and 31 with the Nats, Franklin posted a 118 wRC+, hit 12 home runs, and posted a .390 on-base percentage. He also stole 19 bases in 2025, getting caught 9 times but at least showing a willingness to be aggressive with his speed. The most exciting part of Franklin’s game, in my opinion, is the power potential he still has to tap into, as although he had a .427 slugging percentage in 2025, there is room for so much more.

When it comes to consistent hard contact, there weren’t many better than Franklin at the Triple-A level in 2025. His average exit velocity of 91 MPH ranked in the 84th percentile, his 50th percentile exit velocity (which cuts out weak contact, such as dribblers and pop-ups, to help us better understand a player’s power potential) of 94.3 MPH was in the 90th percentile, and his max exit velocity of 112.9 MPH ranked in the 92nd percentile.

The reason this elite batted ball profile hasn’t turned into game power quite yet is that Franklin hits too many ground balls, about 45% of the time, and he’s not pulling enough of the fly balls he does hit, just 11.8% of the time. The good news is Franklin has already made big strides in cutting down his ground ball rate with the Nats, dropping it about 5% as compared to his Cubs tenure.

Frankin also displays some impressive plate discipline for a player with as strong a batted ball profile as his. His walk rate of 15% ranked in the 84th percentile among Triple-A hitters, and it’s due to his strong bat-to-ball skills, ranking in the 61st percentile in whiff rate, and elite eye, ranking in the 92nd percentile in chase rate. Hitters that can spit on chase pitches and do damage on balls in the zone are dangerous, especially when they possess the power potential that Franklin does. One of the few holes you could poke in Franklin’s game is that he perhaps does not swing enough, ranking in the 53rd percentile in in-zone swing percentage. Trading some swing and miss for more explosive contact could be beneficial for Franklin’s game in the long run.

Defensively, Franklin could play a solid center field, but he likely is better suited for a corner outfield spot. He spent the majority of his time in Rochester alternating between left and right field, boosting his versatility for when he does get his shot in the bigs. While left field is locked down by James Wood for the time being, being able to step in for him on his days off or when he needs to DH helps create more flexibility in roster management for Blake Butera, and boosts Franklin’s odds of making the team and staying on it.

So, where does Franklin fit into the outfield picture for the Nats in 2026? The answer all depends on how the new Nationals front office and coaching staff value Jacob Young and Robert Hassell III, as well as their evaluation of Franklin himself. To me, it would be asinine to run Jacob Young back out again as the starting center fielder until his bat makes serious strides, although I love the value he could bring as a 4th outfielder to the club. Hassell had short bursts of greatness in his rookie campaign, but overall, he did not show enough for me to want him to start the 2026 season in the big leagues.

That leaves us with Franklin, who will be 26 when the 2026 campaign begins, and has shown about all there is to see in the minor leagues. If it were up to me, Franklin would break camp as a part of the big league roster, as I believe his strengths will translate just fine to the big league level, and his weaknesses are issues that a major league coaching staff can iron out.

Franklin’s defensive versatility allows him to play consistently, as the other 3 outfielders, Wood, Crews, and Lile, take off days or rotate in and out at DH. Sprint Training will be critical for Franklin to show the new Nationals coaching staff that he has the ability to make an impact at the big league level in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...fit-into-picture-of-2026-washington-nationals

 

[Washington Nationals]

An introduction to the 2026 MLB draft for Washington Nationals fans

With the offseason fully underway, I wanted to introduce Nats nation to the 2026 MLB draft. Due to the lottery rules, we already know the Nationals will be picking 11th this year. With new POBO Paul Toboni’s background, the draft will be a massive emphasis for the Nats. Here are some players they should be doing some digging on already.

In my opinion, the Nationals should go for a college prospect in this draft. It is a very good group of college players and the Nats went very high school heavy in the 2025 class. They need some players that can move through the system quickly and become impact big leaguers. We have seen guys like Nick Kurtz and Trey Yesavage become stars just a year after being drafted.

With that in mind, I came up with four college players who are interesting talents and could realistically be available with the 11th pick. For example, Roch Cholowsky is my favorite player in the draft, but there is next to no chance he will be there for the Nats to select. I came up with two pitchers and two hitters the Nats could look at.

No Fluke:

The first player I want to talk about is Cameron Flukey, a pitcher from Coastal Carolina. Baseball America has Flukey as the 10th ranked prospect in the draft. He had an outstanding season for Coastal, leading them to the College World Series final, where they came up short against LSU.

He is a big right handed pitcher with a 6’6 210 pound frame. While he is a bit slim, he still averaged 95 MPH on his fastball and can run it up to 98. That heater is Flukey’s bread and butter. In addition to the velocity, it has great life at the top of the zone. He also pounds the zone with that heater, walking less than 6% of hitters.

Cameron Flukey, 97mph ️ (home plate view). pic.twitter.com/P0kaEALC6g

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 22, 2025

Flukey throws a curveball, a slider and a changeup. All of them are quality pitches, but none are wipeout pitches. Flukey is a well rounded guy with a great heater, solid secondaries and very good command. He should be a guy that is picked around the range the Nats are picking.

Flukey should be able to move through a system very quickly due to his strike throwing and his deep arsenal. This is an impressive arm with not a lot of flaws. He is a slam dunk first rounder, and if he has another elite season, he could even be a top 10 pick.

The Hometown Hero:

The first hitter I want to talk about is Chris Hacopian. He is a very attractive prospect for the Nats as a pure hitter. Hacopian is one of the best pure hitters in the class and has an impressive blend of contact, power and plate discipline.

Meet Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M.

Through 11 games in the Cape Cod Baseball League, he’s up to 43 plate appearances and is yet to strike out once.

The next most in the CCBL is 14 plate appearances without a strikeout.

Hacopian is a PROBLEM! @YD_RedSox @AggieBaseball pic.twitter.com/xW50oQugnC

— Danny Podolsky (@PodolskyDanny) June 28, 2025

To put a cherry on top, Hacopian is a local boy. He is from Gaithersburg and attended Winston Churchill High School before transferring to a more baseball centric high school. Hacopian also played his first two seasons at the University of Maryland.

At Maryland, he hit .347 with 29 homers in two seasons. My favorite Hacopian stat is that he had 70 walks to just 45 strikeouts in two seasons at College Park. Hacopian left Maryland though, transferring to Texas A&M to challenge himself in the SEC.

While his hitting set up is a bit unorthodox, you cannot argue with the results. He is always on time for the fastball and has an innate ability to pull flyballs. Everyone is chasing those pulled flyballs, but often doing that comes at a cost. However, Hacopian can just do that naturally.

Defensively, Hacopian is a shortstop right now, but most scouts do not expect him to stick there. A move to third base seems likely, but his bat is more than good enough to handle that move. If the Nats want a pure hitter and hometown hero, Hacopian is their man.

Another UCSB Arm:

Last draft, Tyler Bremner of UC Santa Barbara was the second overall pick to the Angels. While it was a surprise he went at 2, Bremner was no doubt a top 15 guy. His power fastball and disappearing changeup were an elite combo. This season the Gauchos have another first round arm in Jackson Flora.

Like Bremner, Flora has a power fastball in the mid to upper 90’s. Flora can even touch triple digits. It also has good life and explodes out of his hand. However, Flora’s go to secondary pitch is a dynamic sweeping slider. It has crazy movement and is a huge whiff generator.

jackson flora is one of my personal favorite prospects in the 2026 draft

upper 90s 4SFB with ~18” of carry, devastating sweeper which garnered north of 20” gloveside at times, and a developing changeup with great shape at 8”v 18”h

should be in a tier of his own among college SP pic.twitter.com/zph3GS0LVb

— pat (@bledaytruther) October 1, 2025

He combines that with solid command despite a delivery that has some effort. The key for Flora is to deepen his mix. Last year, he was almost exclusively a fastball-slider guy. However, there are reports that he has added a kick changeup and is playing around with his breaking ball shapes.

With his huge arm talent and feel to spin, he could take off with a deeper mix. I am a bit worried he could pitch his way out of the Nats range despite being the 17th ranked prospect right now. He has insane tools and has the ceiling to be a top 5 guy like his teammate Bremner.

Small but Mighty:

The last player I want to talk about is Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress. While the Nats have a ton of outfielders, Burress is a very intriguing prospect. At 5’9 180 pounds, Burress has nutty power for that size. He already has 44 homers in his college career.

Burress can drive the ball to all fields. Like Hacopian, he has an unorthodox set up, but he finds a way to make a ton of contact. I love a lot about his game, but that size will create some question marks.

Drew Burress can demolish a baseball. Hit .333 with 23 doubles, 19 homers and 62 RBI last season. He is as electric as it gets in college baseball

This @GTBaseball lineup is stacked heading into 2026pic.twitter.com/FsADCa1xbC

— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) October 2, 2025

Defensively, he has a chance to stick in center field, but it is not a lock. That puts plenty of pressure on his bat. His wood bat track record is not amazing, but he has just been so productive in the ACC. He is probably not my first choice of this group, but he is another good option to look at.

Wrapping up:

The 2026 draft is supposed to be a very strong and deep group. That gives Paul Toboni a chance to really make a strong first impression in his first draft. The Nats have obviously struggled in the draft for a long time now, but Toboni will look to change that.

This draft has a lot of talent on the high school and college side. However, I have a pretty strong preference for a college guy right now. They are easier to develop and move quicker through the Minor Leagues.

Flukey, Hacopian, Flora and Burress are my favorite realistic options right now. However, there is so much time until the draft. A ton can change between now and the draft in July. We will be following it closely just like we did for the 2025 draft.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/mlb...n-to-2026-mlb-draft-washington-nationals-fans

 

[Washington Nationals]

What should Brad Lord’s role be for the Washington Nationals in 2026?

In a season where the Nationals pitching staff was pretty brutal, Brad Lord was a bright spot. The former Home Depot employee stepped up for the Nationals in a variety of roles. However, as we enter 2026, Lord’s role is still up for debate. As a starter Lord was reliable, but he showed flashes of dominance out of the bullpen.

Lord’s role really depends on what goes on around him. There is so much uncertainty in the Nationals rotation. Cade Cavalli is the only guy I am confident will be in the Nats rotation on Opening Day. Of course, MacKenzie Gore would if he is still around, but that is a big question right now. With free agency and trades on the horizon, a lot can change in the Nats rotation picture.

If it were up to me, Lord would start the season in the bullpen and be an insurance policy in the rotation. He was at his best in a bullpen role this season. In his 29 relief appearances, Lord posted a 2.79 ERA compared to a 4.99 mark as a starter. His stuff just looked sharper in shorter bursts.

Since May 22, Brad Lord ranks (min. 20.0 IP) among MLB pitchers in:

ERA – 1st (0.76)
opp. AVG – 1st (.155)
opp. SLG – 3rd (.214) pic.twitter.com/NAyeKWBPDP

— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) June 28, 2025

To me, a lot of that comes down to his arsenal. Lord is a very fastball reliant pitcher right now. He either threw a 4-seamer or a sinker 66.5% of the time. That is extremely high for a starter. Even though his fastball has great life, it can be overexposed as hitters see it more often. He also lost some steam on that fastball in September as the innings began to pile up.

He certainly showed he can be a starter. Lord had a lot of great moments in the rotation. He had a few blow up starts down the stretch, but he showed a lot of good things. There were moments where he dominated lineups when he could bring his slider into play. An example of that is when he struck out the side against the Cubs.

Brad Lord, K'ing the Side in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/jBc4ybYmvb

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 6, 2025

Finding a consistent secondary pitch has to be Lord’s goal this offseason. The fastball gives him a strong foundation, but there is not much else right now. His slider and changeup are nothing to write home about. However, he has shown an ability to get better over the years. Now that he can focus fully on being an MLB pitcher, instead of working at Home Depot part time, he could show even more improvement.

If Lord can find a real secondary pitch, he would be a good starter. I think a sweeper shape could be interesting for him with his lower arm slot. His changeup also showed flashes, but the consistency was not there. Whatever it is, Lord needs to find a go to secondary pitch to be a good starter.

However, I think he has a home in the bullpen even if he does not find that secondary pitch. His fastball and low arm slot gives hitters a unique look. Not many guys can throw 95-96 with an arm angle that is so low. It is a real weapon for him and gives him a spot in the big leagues.

I will always be rooting for Brad Lord. He was one of my favorite stories of 2025. Seeing the Home Depot employee strike out Shohei Ohtani for his first career strikeout was unreal. It was a true David vs Goliath matchup and David won.

Brad Lord's 2Ks in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/n8uxe6C8OF

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 8, 2025

Ideally, Lord starts the season as a Swiss Army Knife reliever. That is what I thought he did best in 2025. He can give you multiple innings if you need it, or he could pitch in higher leverage spots. Teams need versatile arms that can fill a lot of roles. Lord is someone who can do that.

I hope the Nats find a 5 man rotation that does not have Lord to start the year. He can help bolster the bullpen and when injuries hit, Lord can slide seamlessly into the rotation. I am very curious to see how Paul Toboni sees Lord and how he manages pitchers’ innings this season.

It would not surprise me if the Nats used openers more this year. The team is going to embrace analytics more next season and I think that could be one of the ways they do it. I am excited to see all of the creative ways Brad Lord is used in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-brad-lords-role-be-washington-nationals-2026

 

[Washington Nationals]

Baseball America releases their top 10 Washington Nationals prospects

Baseball America is probably my favorite resource for all things prospects. There is a small paywall, but it is a price worth paying in my humble opinion. Today the great folks over there released their top 10 Washington Nationals prospects going into the 2026 season.

They have a lot of boots on the ground, so it is always interesting to see what they think of these guys. Based on their viewings and scouts’ feedback, they create these rankings. Whenever they release something new, I make sure to check it out.

Today is Nationals Top 10 Prospects day at @BaseballAmerica

The Juan Soto trade continues to bear fruit

The 2025 draft was an inflection point—how many of the picks made the top 10?https://t.co/J7XeJCmn4o

— Matt Eddy (@MattEddyBA) November 6, 2025

One interesting thing they did in this besides the rankings themselves was make some superlatives. They named the prospects with the best tools in the system. For example, Jarlin Susana had the best fastball and Seaver King was named the best defensive infielder.

However, the rankings are what we are really here for. Since it is behind a paywall, I am not going to spoil the whole thing. If you want to check out the rankings, as well read the reports, the link is right here.

Unsurprisingly, Eli Willits was listed as the best prospect in the system. The first overall pick in the 2025 draft had a strong start to his pro career, hitting .300 in Low-A. While he needs to find more strength, Willits has plenty of time to do that at just 17. Scouts are still confident he can grow into average power one day.

The two players that could have challenged Willits for the top spot are two pitchers who both had to undergo season ending surgeries. Travis Sykora had to undergo Tommy John Surgery and will be out for most if not all of 2026. Jarlin Susana had season ending lat surgery in September. He should be back at some point in early 2026.

Those are the 2 and 3 prospects in the system. There were some interesting notes about Susana though. One is that he is now listed at a massive 6’7 283 pounds on the Nats media guide. The others have to do with his pitch mix. Apparently, he has two distinct power breaking balls now, a slider around 91 MPH and a curveball in the mid-80’s. Both are plus pitches. He has also developed a power changeup that sits at a crazy 94 MPH. It has the potential to be a plus pitch too. Susana just has crazy upside if he stays healthy and throws strikes. Before he got hurt, that command was getting to a decent place.

The BA write-up on Alex Clemmey also intrigued me. I had always thought of him as a fastball-slider pitcher. However, they gave him a 55 grade changeup, saying it has improved a lot this past season and can be an above average pitch for him.

One ranking I found interesting was Seaver King at 5. Despite King’s rough season, they have not punished him too much. They still believe in his elite athletic tools and solid contact skills. BA thinks King is just a couple adjustments away from being a solid hitter and with his other tools, that will make him very valuable.

The 8-10 of the rankings are all teenagers in Coy James, Angel Feliz and Landon Harmon. James and Harmon were picked in the 2025 draft and have not made their pro debuts yet. Feliz had a solid year in the FCL and in Low-A. He really struggled at first in Low-A, but started to find his swing down the stretch.

The fact that prospects as unproven as James and Harmon are in the top 10 speaks to the shallowness of the pool, but it also is a testament to their upside. Harmon has the chance to be the next Travis Sykora as a hard throwing high school arm who could take off in pro ball. He has huge upside and electric arm talent.

James is a very polished hitter for a high school draftee. He probably does not have the range to stick at shortstop, but his bat will play at second or third base. James is an intriguing combination of contact and power. While he was taken in the 5th round, he was paid like a top 40 pick, receiving a bonus of $2.5 million. The only reason he lasted that long was his strong commitment to Ole Miss, but the Nats bought him out of that.

Two players that were notable absentees on the list are Marconi German and Ethan Petry. They both have a case to be in the top 10, but it is easy to explain why they did not make the list.

German was one of the best performers in the whole Dominican Summer League, but he was not on many radars before this year and has not made his stateside debut yet. If German continues to perform like he did this past season, he will quickly earn a spot on this list.

Petry was the Nats second round pick in this past draft. While their third rounder and fifth rounder are on the list, Petry did not make it despite being drafted ahead of those guys. Ethan Petry is a prototypical slugger with big power, but not much defensive value. He has elite bat speed and had massive production in the SEC at South Carolina.

He had a good start in pro ball at the Low-A level, with an .800 OPS. However, for a college guy in Low-A, that is not elite production. Petry went to the Arizona Fall League where he has held his own, but has not been elite by any means. He has big time power upside and if he shows that in the Minors in 2026, he will crack the top 10 in this system.

The Nats farm is in an interesting spot right now. A lot of the true blue chip prospects of the past few years have graduated and the team has not restocked well enough in the draft. The 2024 draft has not looked like a good one so far. However, the 2025 draft class has the potential to re-energize this system, as does the arrival of Paul Toboni and his new philosophy.

I am very excited to follow the farm in 2026. There are a lot of players who could break out and become big time prospects. Baseball America is a great resource to follow all of this. They are actually doing a Q&A on the state of the Nats system at 2 PM today. This is a very interesting list from BA and make sure to check out their work.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...eleases-top-10-washington-nationals-prospects

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals should sign this unconventional free agent

Over the years we have seen a few pitchers who struggled in the MLB reinvent themselves in the KBO. A couple recent examples are Merrill Kelly and Erick Fedde. This offseason, there is a former big league pitcher who put up record setting numbers in Korea and his name is Cody Ponce.

If you have not heard of that name before, I do not blame you. In 2020 and 2021, Ponce made 20 appearances for the Pirates, including 5 starts. He was not very good in those outings. It seemed like he would be a player who would just be forgotten about. However, he has remade his arsenal and looks like a new pitcher in Korea.

Ponce set the KBO record for strikeouts in a season, fanning 252 hitters in 180.1 innings. He also went 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA. Ponce was by far the best pitcher in Korea. While the competition is not elite, he overwhelmed the guys he faced.

Cody Ponce set a KBO record with 252 strikeouts in 2025

His 8.4 WAR led KBO pitchers by a wide margin, and was second overall after Heroes 3B Sung-moon Song (8.7).

He's a lock to win the Dong-won Choi Award and KBO MVP.

His 1.89 ERA was also a record for KBO foreign pitchers https://t.co/NIHkqGKAP0 pic.twitter.com/x7OpSoMUNu

— Gaijin Baseball/外国人野球 (@GaijinBaseball) November 4, 2025

It is not just the results that stand out to me though. His stuff is also much better these days. Ponce is throwing harder and has much better secondary stuff. He is not just a guy bullying inferior opposition while doing the same things he did before. This is a whole new pitcher.

There have been a couple main changes. The first one is that he is throwing harder. In the MLB, his fastball averaged around 93 MPH. Now, he is sitting at 95. Those two extra ticks make a big difference. However, his biggest change has been the addition of a kick changeup. The kick change is a unique take on the changeup. It is mostly a normal changeup, but the middle finger is spiked on the ball like a knuckleball.

Possible free agent target for the #WhiteSox: RHP Cody Ponce

2025 KBO stats:
17–1 | 29 GS | 1.89 ERA | 180.2 IP | 252 K | 41 BB

At 6’6”, 255 lbs, the former #Brewers 2nd Rd pick now sits 95–96 mph (tops 98 mph) with a sharper mix featuring a kick-changepic.twitter.com/fhIXcGpc7Q https://t.co/HtktcsERtc

— Adrian White (@AdrianWhiteSox) November 8, 2025

The kick change gives the pitch even more movement than a normal changeup. It also is easier to throw for pitchers who are natural supinators. A normal changeup requires pronation of the wrist, a movement that does not come naturally to a lot of guys. With a kick change, you do not need to pronate. Here is a story that does a good job explaining all of the intricacies.

Back to Ponce, he has mastered that kick change and has made it a real weapon for him. The increase in velocity, along with this new pitch have made Ponce an exciting free agent target. At 6’6 255 pounds, he has always had the size to be a workhorse, but now he has the stuff.

The Nats should be all over this. Ponce has a chance to be a mid-rotation arm and he will not be expensive. Expect the contract to be a bit more than the 2-year $15 million that Fedde got. Maybe something along the lines of 2-20.

Fangraphs actually has Ponce listed as their 40th ranked free agent, ahead of established big league starters like Zack Littell and Tyler Mahle. I agree with that assessment. So much of pitching these days is about stuff. If you have the stuff, as well as command, which Ponce has always had, you can be a good pitcher.

2026 Top 50 MLB Free Agents https://t.co/ILHiIJru0k

— FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs) November 5, 2025

Mediocre free agent pitchers have been getting heavily overpaid in the market over the last couple years. Guys like Frankie Montas, a washed up Charlie Morton and an unproven Tomoyuki Sugana have commanded at least $15 million a year. With that in mind, Ponce has a chance to be a real bargain.

Sure, that comes with risk. He could come back to the US and just not be able to cope with the better hitting. However, any pitcher that does not cost a fortune in the free agent market has risk. I think this is a risk worth taking for Paul Toboni, who I am sure is looking to be creative this offseason.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/nat...tionals-should-sign-unconventional-free-agent

 

[Washington Nationals]

Paul Toboni is making depth moves in the Washington Nationals organization

While Paul Toboni has not made any big splash moves, he signaled that big changes are coming this offseason. Minor League depth has been something the Nationals have been missing for years and Toboni is making it clear that he wants to change that. The Nats had 34 Minor Leaguers elect free agency, the most of any team in the league.

1. Per @BaseballAmerica, the Nats had the most minor leaguers elect free agency (34) of any org, so additions should be otw
3. A few pitchers surprised me. Most notable departure, tho: OF Nick Schnell. Good find, dev. May have better chance as an OF elsewhere. Could sign him back https://t.co/U8G3Ui2w1O

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 7, 2025

Obviously, that means the Nats are going to have to find guys to fill those spots. With that in mind, expect Toboni to bring in a lot of MILB free agents and non-roster invite guys. Hundreds of Minor Leaguers across the sport became free agents on Thursday, so there will be plenty of names to choose from.

The Nats Minor League teams have not been performing well in recent years. Obviously, Minor League records are not the biggest deal, but when the big league team has been bad for so long, you would like to have more depth. The Nats Triple-A, Double-A and High-A teams all finished below .500 in 2025.

Triple-A Rochester’s 59-88 record is the most alarming for me. Their lack of success is a signal that the team does not have reinforcements ready when needed. You want your AAA team to be good because those are the players that are one step away from the Big Leagues. Instead, the Nats had to sign guys off the street midseason just to eat innings or take at bats in Rochester.

This is something that Toboni is going to look to change. Hopefully he brings a level of thoughtfulness to the players he brings in on Minor League deals. In the past, the Nats were picking up too many guys who were raw athletes or washed up top prospects. Hopefully Toboni can find a few hidden gems here.

The Nats also shook up the back of their 40-man roster, as we talked about the other day. That 40-man is now at 34 players, and I would not be surprised if we saw it cut down even further. The Nats will need to protect guys from the Rule 5 Draft and make room for new additions. There is still plenty of fat to trim, especially on the pitching side of things.

Nationals transactions:
* Trey Lipscomb cleared waivers, outrighted to AAA Rochester
* Ryan Loutos claimed off waivers by Mariners
* Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Drew Millas, Trevor Williams activated off 60-day IL

That leaves 35 players on the 40-man roster.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 6, 2025

There were not a ton of notable names among the 34 Minor League free agents, but there were a few that stood out. Juan Yepez had a really nice season in 2024, but his 2025 was dreadful in Rochester. Joan Adon is a pitcher who stuck around the organization for a long time, but now he is gone. Nick Schnell had a really nice year in AAA, but his swing and miss issues made him expendable.

32 #Nats minor leaguers elected free agency yesterday.

No shockers, but a lot of long-time members of the organization are out. That's one of the themes of this offseason.

Notables:

Adon (most tenure in org)
De La Rosa
Cluff
Arruda
Cuevas
Knowles

Yepez
Schnell
Solesky

— Hashim Horne (@_SoundTheHorne) November 7, 2025

I am very curious to see what kind of moves Toboni makes on the margins. It is a way that he can stand out and also rebuild this organization. Do not be surprised if this offseason is all about rebuilding the depth and patching some holes rather than making big splashes. Even if the Lerner’s want to spend, which is a question mark, there is a case to be made that now is not the time.

There was so much about this organization that was behind the times. This offseason will be all about modernizing things and building a deep organization. Paul Toboni is here to make top to bottom changes. He is not in the business of quick fixes. It is unfortunate that we are in this spot, but 2026 is going to be a year that will probably be defined by little wins in the organization rather than a push towards the playoffs or even a .500 record.

However, those little wins will eventually turn into big wins. I really think if the Nats do this right, they can be ready to make a big move going into 2027. If the Nats can have the kind of season the Marlins had last year, that would be a win. The Fish have made their system very deep and won 79 games last year. If Paul Toboni can do that in year one, it would be a great sign for the future of the franchise.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...th-moves-in-washington-nationals-organization

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals hire Rays first base coach Michael Johns to be the bench coach

Blake Butera has made his first big staffing hire as Washington Nationals manager. One of the biggest calls the 33 year old had to make was hiring a bench coach. With Butera being the youngest manager in over 50 years, he needed to put experience around him. He has done that by hiring Michael Johns from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Michael Johns, the Rays’ first-base coach the past two seasons, will be the bench coach for new Nationals manager Blake Butera, sources tell @TheAthletic. Johns managed the Rays’ Triple A club in 2023 and five other affiliates over eight seasons.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 10, 2025

We wrote about how Butera needed to nail the bench coach hire and bring in an older, more experienced voice. In the article, we talked about how someone with managerial experience would benefit Butera a lot. While Johns does not have MLB management experience, he managed in the Minor Leagues for nearly a decade. Johns has also been the first base coach for the Tampa Bay Rays the last two seasons.

Having worked in the Rays organization since 2008, Johns has a lot of history with Butera. While Butera was a manager in the Rays system, Johns was actually his Minor League Field Coordinator. As a field coordinator, he oversaw the minor league coaching staff and gave them instructions. He was pretty much Butera’s boss.

Can confirm @Ken_Rosenthal’s report that Michael Johns will be the Nationals’ new bench coach.

He was the Rays’ first-base coach the past two seasons. He was also TB’s minor league field coordinator during Blake Butera’s 4 years as an A-ball manager.

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) November 10, 2025

At 50 years old, Johns is an old head in this organization. Paul Toboni’s hires have all been very young so far. Of course, he is just 35 and Butera is even younger at 33. Both Devin Pearson and Justin Horowitz are also in their 30’s. It is nice to see them balance that out with a more experienced presence.

Like Butera, Johns has served in many roles across the Rays organization. That gives him a good perspective on the inner workings of an organization and how things operate. While he only has two years of experience in an MLB dugout, he has been in the big leagues and knows what it is like to work with MLB players.

While it is not the biggest name, I like this hire. Johns is an older guy that Butera will 100% trust. Hiring a bigger name bench coach with MLB manager experience could have been smart, but it also had the chance to create an awkward dynamic. Butera still needs to assert himself as the boss, and having a former manager could have challenged that authority.

I am curious to see how the rest of the coaching staff comes along. The hitting and pitching coach hires are the two I am looking at the most now. Jim Hickey and Darnell Coles have been much maligned over the past few years. Toboni now has the chance to bring in more modern coaches at those positions. It is unclear how this Toboni experiment will go, but one thing is clear, the Nationals are going to be doing things differently.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/lat...ys-first-base-coach-michael-johns-bench-coach

 

[Washington Nationals]

The 2021 Trade Deadline set the Washington Nationals back years

The Washington Nationals rebuild started at the 2021 trade deadline when they traded away a large chunk of their roster. However, 4.5 years later it is clear that those moves set the rebuild back rather than giving it the intended jolt. I wanted to look back and analyze the moves made at that deadline.

Let’s start with the big move first. On July 29th, 2021, the Nationals traded Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Less than two years after winning the World Series, the team’s ace and star shortstop were dealt. Scherzer was a rental on the last year of his contract, but Turner had another year of team control. Mike Rizzo needed to get a franchise changing haul here.

Well, he did get a franchise changing package, but not in a good way. He traded Scherzer and Turner for Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, Gerardo Carrillo and Donovan Casey. On paper, that seemed like a solid package at the time. Both Gray and Ruiz were top 50 prospects in the game, while Carrillo was an arm with upside.

3.5 years later, I think it is time to call the Nationals return in the Scherzer/Turner trade a dud https://t.co/UkRMKuJWbr

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) February 26, 2025

However, none of these prospects panned out as expected. Ruiz and Gray were the two main pieces, and both disappointed. While Gray made an All-Star team in 2023, his performances on the mound have been uneven and he has missed most of the last two seasons with injuries.

Ruiz showed a lot of promise early on as well. So much so, the Nationals gave him an 8-year $50 million contract. At the time, Ruiz looked like the catcher of the future. However, he has put up negative fWAR each of the last three seasons due to poor defense and a steadily declining bat. Now Ruiz has serious concussion issues and does not look like a starting caliber catcher.

Neither Carrillo nor Casey turned into anything either. The Nats made a lot of trades at that deadline, but this is the one they needed to nail and they did not. It is odd comparing this move to the Soto trade. The prospect return in that Soto trade felt way more planned out. In this move, it just seemed like the Nats just targeted big league ready guys with strong pedigree, but players the Dodgers were very happy to give up.

The Dodgers had players like Michael Busch, Andy Pages and Ryan Pepiot in their system, but the Nats wanted the big league ready guys. At the time, Mike Rizzo thought this would be a retool, but he was wrong. This trade set the Nats back for years.

Ironically, the best player the Nats received at this deadline was in exchange for maybe the worst player they traded. Jon Lester had a great career, but by 2021 he was washed up and in his last season. With an ERA over 5 in DC, it was surprising that Mike Rizzo found a trade partner.

Nats 2021 Trade Deadline is Funny to look back on

They may have got a better player in return for the last 60 ish innings of Jon Lester’s career than Max Scherzer and Trea Turner

— Phill (@MeekPhill_) June 28, 2023

However, he got the Cardinals to bite, showing off what made him such a great executive in the 2010’s. Lane Thomas was buried in a crowded core of young Cardinals outfielders. He had a strong start to his MLB career, but by 2021, he was out of the picture in St. Louis.

Thomas got a fresh start in DC and ran with it. From his arrival in 2021 to his trade in 2024, Thomas was a solid piece for the Nats. He had a fantastic 2023 season, where he hit 28 homers and stole 20 bags. In DC, Thomas hit 60 homers, stole 60 bases and posted a solid .759 OPS.

To make things even better, Thomas got traded for a haul that included utility infielder Jose Tena and top pitching prospect Alex Clemmey. He was the best pickup of that deadline. While I loved the Lane train, the fact he was probably the best player they got from this tear down is not a great look.

While the Scherzer/Turner return hurt the team more long term, the Kyle Schwarber trade was the biggest whiff of that deadline. After the Cubs foolishly non-tendered Schwarber after a poor 2020 season, Mike Rizzo swooped in and gave the big slugger a 1-year $10 million deal.

After a decent first couple of months, Schwarber delivered one of the most memorable months in Nats history. He carried a struggling Nats team back to .500 with a 16 homer month in June. Davey Martinez moving Schwarber into the leadoff spot looked like a master stroke.

The Nats looked like a threat in the National League again and were considering buying at the deadline. However, Schwarber got hurt early in July which started a tailspin. That injury also depressed the slugger’s trade value. He was only on a one year deal and would not be back until mid to late August at the earliest.

Even with this in mind, the package the Nats got back was disastrous. The Nats traded Schwarber to the Red Sox in a one for one swap with promising 20 year old pitching prospect Aldo Ramirez. However, despite having mid-rotation upside, Ramirez was injured at the time.

It seems Mike Rizzo did not do his homework on this one because Ramirez’s career was destroyed by injuries. He only pitched 16.2 innings in Rookie Ball across his three years in the organization. Meanwhile, Schwarber made a big impact in Boston once he got healthy and we all know what he has done with the Phillies over the past few years.

Getting nothing for Schwarber is really frustrating. He is one of the great power hitters of the decade and the Nats moved him for a guy who never pitched above Rookie Ball for them. Stuff like this is why the Nats have to retool their original rebuild.

The Nats made a few other moves that at least netted big leaguers, but no standouts. Brad Hand was traded for Riley Adams. While Adams has been in the big leagues for a while now, he is nothing more than a backup. Daniel Hudson, the man who got the last out in the World Series was traded for Mason Thompson, a relief prospect. Thompson showed promise, but had trouble bouncing back from Tommy John Surgery and was released this offseason.

Another trade that has not worked out as intended is their move with the A’s. While Josh Harrison and Yan Gomes were not stars, they were rentals having strong seasons. In return, the Nats got Drew Millas, Seth Shuman and Richard Guasch. While I like Millas’ potential, he has not been a consistent big leaguer so far in his career. However, I think he deserves more run.

For the Nats, this was a deadline of missed opportunities. With all of these trades, you would expect a lot more. They did not get any true difference makers, which is a huge missed opportunity.

There was also plenty of talent to be had at this deadline, but the Nats pushed the wrong buttons. Standout future big leaguers like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jesus Luzardo, Reese Olson, Daniel Palencia, Joe Ryan, Josh Smith and Yainer Diaz were all moved at that deadline. Having a couple of those guys in DC right now would be very helpful.

Of course, we cannot change history now. However, if you want to know why the Nats rebuild has stalled out, this deadline is a major factor. We have talked a lot about the Nats failures in the draft, and rightfully so. We do not talk enough about this deadline though.

Throughout his career as a GM, Mike Rizzo was usually on the money in the trade market. That fact makes this deadline even weirder. Rizzo nailed plenty of trades both before and after this 2021 trade deadline. He just really struck out in 2021 and eventually it played a part in costing him his job.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...-deadline-set-washington-nationals-back-years

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals make Reds Simon Mathews new pitching coach

Blake Butera is starting to assemble his staff for the Washington Nationals. First, he hired Michael Johns to be his bench coach, now he has hired a pitching coach. Multiple reports indicate that the Nationals will be hiring Reds assistant pitching coach Simon Mathews.

Source confirms the Nationals are hiring Simon Mathews as their next pitching coach. Comes from the Cincinnati Reds, where he was their assistant pitching coach.@Russ_Dorsey1 and @Jake_Mintz on it first.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 11, 2025

As has been the trend with many of these hires, the Nationals are going with a young guy. Mathews is only 30 years old and coming off his first season as assistant pitching coach with the Reds. However, that lack of experience did not stop Paul Toboni and Blake Butera from making him the main man on the pitching side.

Interestingly, before Mathews was an assistant pitching coach with the Reds, he worked on the pitcher rehab side of things. With the explosion of pitcher injuries around baseball, this is an interesting perspective to bring to the table.

Mathews also knows the city well. He actually went to Georgetown University, where he played on the team and graduated in 2017. Mathews played professionally from 2017 to 2019, before going into coaching.

Mathews is certainly a new school guy. He worked for Driveline, a prominent pitching lab and was the Director of Pitching at another pitching lab called Push Performance. I thought the Nationals had an outdated pitching philosophy where they threw too many fastballs as a team last year. That should change under Mathews.

Nationals have announced Simon Mathews, 30, as new pitching coach. Prior to joining Reds in 2021, he was director of pitching at Push Performance in Tempe, Ariz. and an online trainer at Driveline Baseball.

Statement from manager Blake Butera: pic.twitter.com/ZSPgFN8d5t

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 11, 2025

This is a very on brand hire for Toboni and Butera. It is a big departure from the old way of doing things in DC and is a bit of a risk. However, I am all for some experimentation after the way things have gone the past few seasons. The organization desperately needed to spice things up and they are doing that.

I would not be surprised if the hitting coach hire was another young up and coming coach. It seems to be what both Toboni and ownership want to do right now. After the older regime failed, they are going young. Could they be over correcting too much? Maybe, but in my opinion it is worth a shot.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/lat...ionals-make-reds-simon-mathews-pitching-coach

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Brewers May Want MacKenzie Gore. Here’s What They Have To Offer The Nats

In an article yesterday by Jeff Passan of ESPN, he mentions MacKenzie Gore as a possible trade target for the Milwaukee Brewers, who, after winning a league-best 97 games last year and getting bounced in the NLCS, will be looking to make some additions to keep themselves in the hunt entering 2026. The Brewers avoid spending big money on free agents like the plague, but supplement their roster with talent through their incredible player development and flipping their stars before they reach free agency for prospects.

One of their star pitchers due to be a free agent soon is Freddy Peralta, who went 17-6, posting a 2.70 ERA for the Brew Crew in 2025. The Brewers are expected to shop Peralta this offseason as he is a free agent after the 2026 season, and if he is traded, there will be a hole on their roster to fill atop their rotation, as Quinn Priester will then become their new ace.

So with these facts in mind, let’s explore what a trade would look like that sends Gore, who is under team control for 2 more years, to Milwaukee, giving the Nationals a boost to a farm system which lacks depth currently, and the Brewers the ace they need, even if Peralta stays with the club. Gore may not have the same value he had at the trade deadline, but it isn’t much lower, with a solid probability of fetching 2-3 high-value prospects for the Nats in a deal. Let’s take a look at who those prospects might be.

The Untouchables

SS Jesus Made (#1, #4 on MLB Pipeline Top 100, Current Level: AA)

2B/SS Luis Pena (#2, #18 on MLB Pipeline Top 100, Current Level: A+)

RHP Jacob Misiorowski (Current Level: MLB)

While the thought is certainly exciting, there is just about zero chance the Brewers would be willing to part with Made or Pena in a deal for Gore, or practically anyone, for that matter. While their toolsets are very different, with Made being one of the purest hitters in the minor leagues and Pena being an absolute sparkplug with his elite bat-to-ball skills and speed, they are both some of the best prospects in all of baseball. Leodalis De Vries, who was traded to the Athletics for Mason Miller by the Padres, has similar prospect hype to these two, and MacKenzie Gore is no Mason Miller, unfortunately.

A chance could perhaps be made that Misiorowski would be movable for Gore in a 1-for-1, or almost 1-for-1 deal, but the probability of it is so low it isn’t worth thinking too much about. After being on radars for years due to his freakish stuff but underwhelming command, Misiorowski exploded onto the big league scene in his first few starts, even earning himself an invitation to the All-Star Game.

Things began to crumble for him after hitters made some adjustments, however, as his ERA after July was above 6. The stuff is still incredible and will play in any role he finds himself in, but the question remains if he can control the strike zone and limit the hard contact enough to start, or if he is best suited for a relief role, where he could be an elite closer.

The Likely Headliners

SS Cooper Pratt (#3, #56 on MLB Pipeline Top 100, Current Level: AA)

C Jeferson Quero (#4, #84 on MLB Pipeline Top 100, Current Level: AAA)

One of Pratt or Quero (or both?) is the best bet at being the headline prospect in a deal that sends MacKenzie Gore to Milwaukee. At 20 years old, Pratt posted a 108 wRC+ in 120 games this season, showing strong bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline, although his power hasn’t quite caught up yet. Standing at 6’3”, 206 pounds, though, it seems likely he will be able to tap into more in the near future. Pratt is also a very strong defender at shortstop, receiving a grade of 60 on his arm and fielding from MLB Pipeline. Pratt needs likely one more year to develop in the minors before he is big league ready, but when he is called up, he would be the best defender the Nats have had at short in a great deal of years.

While Quero’s bat isn’t likely to be much better than league average ever, he makes up for it by being one of the best defending catchers in all of the minor leagues, receiving a 70 grade on his arm and fielding by MLB Pipeline. If you need an idea of how valuable a great defensive catcher can be, take a look at Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, who only posted a 70 wRC+ in 135 games this season, and yet still put up 3.2 fWAR.

The major issue hampering Quero and his development is injuries, as he missed all of 2024 with a shoulder injury, and has yet to play over 100 games in a minor league season. Perhaps it’s just a spell of bad luck, but if it isn’t, headlining a package for your ace with a catcher who can’t stay on the field is a risky bet. If they made the deal and are right about Quero, however, the Nats will have a franchise catcher that pitching staffs will love pitching to for many years.

The Best Arms Available

RHP Logan Henderson (#5, Current Level: MLB)

RHP Bishop Letson (#7, Current Level: AA)

RHP Chad Patrick (Current Level: MLB)

LHP Robert Gasser (#18, Current Level: AAA)

There may not be an organization in baseball better at developing arms than the Brewers, and thus, they have a plethora of pitching depth that they can trade from. In fact, they have so much depth that they can almost be greedy with it, sending down Chad Patrick midseason despite leading NL rookies in WAR and posting a mid-3s ERA. Patrick was older than most as a prospect at 27 years old, but looked sharp in his first year and would be an immediate boost to the Nats’ rotation if he were included in a Gore trade.

Henderson and Letson are the top two pitching prospects on the Brewers farm currently, and both excel at getting strikeouts with their heaters that don’t have the most velocity, but make up for it with elite movement. Letson is only at Double A currently, but Henderson got his cup of coffee at the big league level in 2025 and he shoved, posting a 1.78 ERA over 5 starts for the Brew Crew. The Nationals’ farm system has high-level arms like Travis Jarlin Sykora and Susana in it, but lacks much strength or depth past that, and both Henderson and Letson would fill those needs for them.

Robert Gasser looked primed to join the Brewers’ rotation entering the 2024 season, but a flexor strain, which would eventually lead to Tommy John Surgery, knocked him out for the year and much of 2025 as well. The good news for the Brewers, and potentially the Nationals, is that Gasser looks sharp as ever in his return to the mound, posting a 2.25 ERA in 6 starts at Triple A and a 3.18 ERA in 5 2/3 innings in the majors. Gasser does everything you’d like a big league starter to do, as he avoids hard contact, avoids free passes, and gets a healthy amount of swing and miss, especially on his sweeping slider, his best pitch. While MLB Pipeline seems to be down on Gasser after the injury, I am sure the Brewers are not and would value him highly in any trade talks with the Nationals.

My Guilty Pleasure Prospects

1B/3B Andrew Fischer (#6, Current Level: A+)

1B Blake Burke (#29, Current Level: AA)

2 former Tennessee Volunteer first basemen who I, selfishly, would be rooting for to be in any package sending MacKenzie Gore to Milwaukee are Andrew Fischer and Blake Burke. Fischer and Burke are both left-handed hitters with thunder in their bats, and both have continued to smash minor league pitching just as they did SEC pitching in their collegiate years. While both seem likely destined to be first basemen in the pros, the Brewers are testing out Fischer at third base as well, a spot he played during his time at Ole Miss before playing first base only for the Volunteers. No matter where he is defensively, Fischer’s bat will do the talking, as he posted a 141 wRC+ in 19 games at High A this season after being drafted 20th overall in July.

Burke, a second-round pick in 2024, has torn the cover off the baseball in pro ball as well, posting a combined 139 wRC+ between High A and Double A in 2025. The Brewers tested Burke out a little in the outfield after drafting him, but it’s clear he is best suited for first base and DH at the higher levels, where he will really need to rely on his bat to provide value. Fischer and Burke both are fast-tracking themselves to the big leagues thanks to their offensive performances, and either one could fill the hole at first base the Nationals have had for years.

Mock Trade

Nationals Send:

LHP MacKenzie Gore

Brewers Send:

SS Cooper Pratt (#3, #56 MLB Pipeline)

RHP Logan Henderson (#4)

3B/1B Andrew Fischer (#6)

LHP Robert Gasser (#18)

Based on everything the Brewers farm has to offer, here is a mock deal that is realistic and also fills plenty of holes in the Nationals farm system and roster. Keep in mind, the Brewers’ farm system is perhaps the best in all of baseball, so acquiring their 3rd-best prospect as the number one player in a deal is still acquiring a top 100 prospect in the sport. While acquiring Quero and Pratt in this potential trade is certainly possible, I like the flexibility that only acquiring one provides in the rest of the package. Between the two, I prefer Pratt, who is likely still 2 years away from the big leagues, but is a great defender and has a better chance at developing his bat than Quero, who also carries much more injury risk currently. Pratt’s timeline also lines up very nicely with CJ Abrams, who will either be extended and moved off shortstop or off the roster by the time Pratt is fully ready.

The 23-year-old Henderson is big league ready and would fill the hole in the rotation left by Gore’s absence, where new pitching coach Simon Mathews could have fun tinkering with his impressive arsenal of pitches. The 21-year-old Fischer is likely at least one more year away from the big leagues, but with the way he hit to begin his pro career, it could be even sooner than that before he takes over first base duties in DC. The 26-year-old Gasser would also immediately step into a rotation spot, giving the Nationals even more capable starters than before the trade.

For the Brewers, the benefit is that they get a pitcher with so much untapped potential in MacKenzie Gore, and they get him for at least 2 seasons. Under the guidance of one of the best pitching labs in the sport, don’t be surprised to see Gore make the leap from good to great in Milwaukee. While the Brewers are not the only club that will be pursuing Gore this offseason, they are one of the teams I’d want the Nats to do business with the most due to their incredibly deep farm system.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...kenzie-gore-heres-what-have-to-offer-the-nats

 

[Washington Nationals]

What Washington Nationals fans need to know about new pitching coach Simon Mathews

So, the Washington Nationals have a new pitching coach and his name is Simon Mathews. That is right, only one T in Mathews. At 30 years old, he continues the trend of the Nationals hiring young. However, Mathews is deeply knowledgeable about the current trends in modern pitching. He is equipped to bring the Nats into the modern age of pitching.

Last season, the Nationals pitchers threw too many fastballs for a group without elite fastball quality. We wrote about that last season as the staff struggled. Pitchers like Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker were throwing their low-90’s heaters over 50% of the time. Kyle Finnegan immediately becoming a better pitcher after throwing less fastballs was a bad look for the organization.

I think that will change under Mathews. There will be fewer fastballs, particularly 4-seam fastballs. The Reds went from 5th to 15th in 4-seam usage between 2024 and 2025. That is notable because 2025 was the season where Mathews came in as an assistant pitching coach. Hopefully we see a similar trend with the Nats.

The Reds really leaned into the 2 fastball meta last season. While they threw fewer four-seamers, they threw more sinkers. This is a trend we are starting to see around the league. Pitchers want to give hitters as many looks as possible and throw any pitch in any count. Nationals pitchers were too predictable in 2025.

Mathews comes from an analytical background. He has experience working in these so-called pitching labs and knows a lot on the biomechanics side of pitching. His Linkedin bio sums up a lot of this very well and shows off his new school style.

From Simon Mathews linkedin…. Yup pic.twitter.com/oixvS5Eu9B

— Nationals Source (@NationalsSource) November 11, 2025

One thing that interests me is his experience in these pitching labs. Places like Driveline and Tread Athletics are taking over the sport. Players go there to improve their games in a scientific way. Pitchers can work to design new pitches or get advice on how to move a certain way to get more velocity. It is all the rage in this modern era.

Mathews has a ton of experience at these places. He was an online instructor at Driveline for a time. Mathews was also the director of pitching at Push Performance. Push is actually where Sean Doolittle used to train in off-seasons. Mathews also retweeted a video of Doolittle, so it is very possible that he remains on staff given their connection.

What these labs do is help players move in ways that help their performance. They use a lot of fancy cameras and knowledge of physics and biomechanics to help guys make the adjustments they need to make. Whether that is adding velocity or moving in a way that helps your arm hold up better. It is all about optimizing performance and making players as efficient as possible. That is obviously very useful for organizations as well.

Nats announce 30-year-old Simon Mathews as their new pitching coach. He comes from the Reds, where he was the assistant pitching coach.

A quote from manager Blake Butera and more interesting background on Mathews: pic.twitter.com/eUWLUkE52Q

— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) November 11, 2025

In his lone season in Cincinnati, Mathews got results as well. Obviously you can’t give him all of the credit, but the Reds pitching got better in 2025. They posted a 3.86 ERA as a team, which is very solid, especially for a team playing in a hitter friendly park. It was actually the first time the team posted a sub-4 ERA in a full season since 2014.

Another skill I love about Mathews is that he is bilingual. He is fluent in Spanish, which really gives him an edge. This allows him to communicate with the team’s Spanish speaking pitchers, most notably closer Jose A. Ferrer. I am sure it is easier for those guys to learn and get better if they have a coach that speaks their first language.

Sure, the Nationals are not hiring big names with bags of experience, but that does not bother me too much. The staff that was just fired had a ton of experience, but they did not end up working out. We are seeing the Nationals go in a youthful direction and try to be on the cutting edge. It is a risk, but in my opinion it is a risk worth taking.

The Nationals are in a new era with Paul Toboni and Blake Butera. They are going in a different direction and Simon Mathews is just another example of that. As a younger guy myself, I love it. It is a young team that needs to find a spark. These new coaches have a chance to be a spark, or at least shake things up.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...ns-need-know-new-pitching-coach-simon-mathews

 

[Washington Nationals]

Why Willi Castro is a sensible free agent signing for the Washington Nationals

While it is possible, I find it unlikely that the Washington Nationals will be shopping at the top of the free agent market. However, I do think and hope that they attack the middle of the free agent market. The Royals 2023/24 offseason is always one I look at and think why can’t the Nationals do that. With that in mind, I have one under the radar free agent I think the Nats should go after.

That is Willi Castro, who has been one of the most versatile players in all of baseball in recent years. In 2025, Castro played second base, right field, left field, third base, center field and shortstop. He is a true Swiss army knife in the field and has been one of the Twins most underrated players for years. Castro made an All-Star team in 2024 and posted 2.5 and 2.9 WAR seasons in 2023 and 2024.

Willi Castro is #AllStarGame bound!

He has been named a replacement on the American League team for Jose Altuve.

As a result, Marcus Semien will be the AL's starting second baseman now. pic.twitter.com/WDCMBbJ1ZH

— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2024

However, his value is going to be low heading into his free agency. Castro looked like he was on his way to another quality season in Minnesota. He had a solid .742 OPS in 86 games and was playing all over the place like always. After a trade to the Cubs, Castro’s production cratered though. He hit only .170 and posted a .485 OPS.

Despite this, I still think the Nationals should pursue him. Castro did not simply forget how to play baseball overnight. At just 28, this is not an older player falling off a cliff. I just think this was a tough run for a solid but not elite player. Wrigley Field is also a weird hitting environment. In 2024, Isaac Paredes also looked like a shell of himself after a trade to the Cubs. He got moved to the Astros that offseason and looked like a great player again in Houston.

While the Cubs stint will bring down his price and scare teams away, the Nats should be all in. I cannot remember the Nats had a truly high end utility player. They have had guys who can play a lot of positions, but not someone who can do that well and provide a bit of juice offensively. At his best, that is exactly what Castro can do.

In 2024 Willi Castro has started:

11 games at 2B
10 games at 3B
17 games at SS
16 games at LF
16 games at CF

All of this while putting up above average numbers. Not the flash of Royce or Correa, but this man is truly one of the backbones of this team. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/YR3EeHFijy

— The Twins Guy (@thetwinsguy) June 21, 2024

The underlying numbers suggest that Castro is a decent hitter, but not an elite one. He is a solid fielder at a bunch of different spots, but does not truly excel at any of them. In Minnesota, he hit .250 and his OPS+ was 103. So he was pretty much an average player. However, the Nationals need average players, especially ones that can play a lot of positions.

The great thing about Castro is that he does not block any of your young guys. Some days he can play third base if Brady House is in a slump, other days he can play second base to take advantage of a matchup. If there are injuries in the outfield he can fill in there. Castro is truly a manager’s best friend. He can be a near everyday player without even being the true starter at a single position.

Castro can even pitch if you need him too. In a blow out game against the White Sox, Castro lobbed in some sub-40 MPH pitches. This man can truly do it all on a baseball field.

Willi Castro broke the radar with these pitches pic.twitter.com/VNt3zUgb7r

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2025

MLB Trade Rumors projects his contract to be 2-years $14 million, which is very affordable. I do not want Willi Castro to be the biggest name the Nats bring in. That would be a bad sign and be a tough look for ownership. However, I think he should absolutely be someone the Nats look at.

He has so many desirable traits. Castro does not turn 29 until late April, so he is young for a free agent. He has offensive, defensive and base running skills. Castro will also be inexpensive after his puzzlingly bad stint with the Cubs.

This is one I really think is a realistic option. These new age executives like Paul Toboni love versatile players and Willi Castro is the king of versatility. If Toboni is confident that Castro can be the same player he was with the Twins, he should be all over this. It is not the sexy name, but Willi Castro is a sensible signing for the Washington Nationals.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/nat...sible-free-agent-signing-washington-nationals

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals starting rotation is full of uncertainty

There are a lot of question marks throughout the Washington Nationals roster, but the most uncertainty lies in the teams starting rotation. This is a stark contrast to last offseason where the rotation felt relatively settled after a few breakout performers in 2024. However, after regression and potential trades, it is anyone’s guess as to what the Nats rotation will look like.

Cade Cavalli is the only player who I can confidently say will be part of the rotation assuming health. The fact that he is the only nailed on starter is pretty crazy after all the injury problems he has had to deal with. His high octane stuff and solid performance down the stretch gives him a spot though.

After him, there are way more questions than answers. The first question is whether the Nationals will trade their ace MacKenzie Gore. With only two years of team control, questions linger about whether the 26 year old fits the team’s timeline. He is also a Scott Boras client, meaning he is likely to test the market rather than sign an extension. Reports have indicated that the Nationals are more than willing to move him.

MacKenzie Gore is one of the likelier frontline starters to be moved this offseason, per @Ken_Rosenthal @WillSammon.

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) November 12, 2025

If Gore stays around, he would obviously be part of the rotation. I think he is pretty likely to be dealt though. There has been so much smoke around his name for months now. At a certain point, there is likely to be a fire and I think that is coming this offseason.

That means there are four open rotation spots to fill. There are plenty of internal names, and they will be in the mix. Mitchell Parker, Jake Irvin, Andrew Alvarez and Brad Lord all made a lot of starts for the team. Parker and Irvin struggled mightily though and Lord was better out of the bullpen. Alvarez looked good in his five starts, but he is far from a proven commodity.

There are also the guys coming back from injury. He has been out of the spotlight for a couple years now, but let’s not forget about Josiah Gray. Sure, he has his flaws, but the last time he threw a full season, he was an All-Star and had a sub-4 ERA. In an article today, Spencer Nusbaum of the Washington Post said that Gray’s rotation spot is probably the most secure of any of the returners besides Cavalli.

Josiah Gray is expected to be ready to go by Spring Training and be healthy to start the 2026 season in the Nationals rotation, per Spencer Nusbaum pic.twitter.com/6I96vHsrxm

— Kev (@klwoodjr) November 13, 2025

Gray still has to prove he is fully healthy. He made a few rehab starts at the end of the season where his velocity was down. The results were decent, but he needs to show that his stuff is all the way back. As he gets further removed from his surgery, that velocity should continue to climb. While Gray should be ready to go to start next season, the status of Trevor Williams and DJ Herz is less certain.

Even with all of these names, the Nats still need help from outside the organization. Paul Toboni seems to realize this. While he gave his usual political answers, he did say that the Nationals were interested in starting pitching. He did not specify how many starters he was looking for but made it clear the Nats are in the market for starting pitching.

The Nationals will look to add starting pitching this winter, and will be open to what comes their way at 1B and C.

This, and more from the GM meetings, in here:https://t.co/lZvg9NvTkE

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 13, 2025

Based on recent activity and where the Nats are in their team building process, I would not expect them to be looking at the top of the market. However, a couple middle of the market free agents and potential fliers feel likely. Dustin May is a name I would keep in the back of your mind. If they want to go for a bigger fish, Blake Butera’s old college teammate Michael King is on the market.

The Nats could also target pitching on the trade market. I could see Toboni looking to target pitching in a Gore trade. While the pitchers the Nats would receive provide less certainty than Gore, they will be further away from free agency and fit the team’s timeline.

They could also look to move one of their many outfielders for pitching. Unless they shock everyone and trade one of Crews, Wood or Lile, the returns would not be anything crazy. However, I think you can flip someone like Jacob Young for an arm with some upside. There are plenty of teams who have solid arms that are just unable to break into deeper rotations.

There are plenty of ways to find pitching and Paul Toboni will explore all avenues. Frankly, it is tough to downgrade on what the Nats were rolling out last season. Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker had the two highest ERA’s of any qualified starter. A smart guy like Paul Toboni should be able to find upgrades on that sort of production.

I am very curious to see what this rotation ends up looking like. Will one of the internal guys take a big step with improved player development? Can Toboni find quality starters on the margins and will the Nats spend big on pitching? These are all questions that will be answered this offseason.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87379/the-washington-nationals-starting-rotation-uncertainty

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals are searching for the Fountain of Youth

After firing 64 year old Mike Rizzo, Nationals owner Mark Lerner has seemingly been searching for the Fountain of Youth. In the past six weeks he has hired a 35 year old GM, a 33 year old manager and a 30 year old pitching coach. Clearly, the Washington Nationals have a new and very young direction.

The team’s sponsorship with AARP is becoming increasingly ironic. Heading into last season, the Nats were the third youngest team in the league. Now, the manager and GM are nowhere near old enough to collect AARP benefits either. It is a new era in DC, led by 35 year old Paul Toboni and 33 year old Blake Butera.

Somehow just put together that the team with the 35-year-old GM and the 32-year-old manager is also the team that wears an AARP jersey patch

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) November 12, 2025

This is a massive departure from the status quo in DC. Both Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez were in their 60’s in 2025. Their lack of vigor was on display during their final seasons at times. Martinez lacked his usual fire in the last calendar year of his tenure. Rizzo also seemed to lack that magic touch he had for so many years.

The Nats continued in this direction when hiring a pitching coach. Like Rizzo and Martinez, Jim Hickey was a seasoned baseball lifer in his 60’s. He is being replaced by the fresh faced 30 year old Simon Mathews. A strong message is being sent with these hires.

The failures of recent years have made the Lerner family choose a new path. They seem to be trying to find the Fountain of Youth, much like Juan Ponce de Leon once did when he explored the new world. Ironically, Lerner went down to Florida to find Blake Butera just like Ponce De Leon did to find his Fountain of Youth.

BREAKING: The Washington Nationals are finalizing a deal to hire Blake Butera as manager, sources tell ESPN. Butera, 33, will be the youngest manager in MLB in more than 50 years. In four seasons as a minor league manager in the Rays organization, his teams had a 258-144 record.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 30, 2025

Of course, there are pros and cons to this approach. We can start with the cons, and they are obvious. With experience comes knowledge. You learn a thing or two if you are around the game for decades. The new Nationals brass does not have the decades of experience that many other front offices have.

However, just because they are young does not mean these new faces do not have experience. Paul Toboni and Blake Butera have been working their way up elite organizations for about a decade. They know what it takes to operate in a modern organization.

One of the drawbacks of having a staff full of people in their 60’s is that they can be stuck in their ways. In a game that can change so quickly, it can be tougher for older executives to keep up with the times. Of course, it is not impossible, but it is something that Mark Lerner was definitely considering. He wants to modernize this organization, you can tell by the hires.

The GM is about 15 years away from picking up his AARP benefits, the manager is 17 years away and the pitching coach is 20 years away. The Nats star player is a 23 year old and they are months removed from selecting the youngest first overall pick ever. This is a major pivot and a thought out strategy.

The baby Nats are here and it is no accident. Clearly ownership heard the media and fan criticism about the team being behind the times. Now they are making a sharp pivot. Questions will be asked about whether this is an overcorrection, and those are fair to ask. However, only time will tell because this will be a multi-year process.

With one of the youngest teams in the sport, the youngest manager and the youngest front office, this is about more than just 2026. Nationals ownership is committing to a multi-year plan and a new direction. Of course, for this plan to work they will eventually need to commit to bumping up the payroll.

The Nationals have MLB’s youngest front office & manager
Paul Toboni (35) leads the charge with Mike DeBartolo as Assistant GM, plus Justin Horowitz & Devin Pearson joining the mix ️ #NATITUDE #Nats pic.twitter.com/S084QdWCM8

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) November 9, 2025

However, it does not necessarily have to come this offseason. If it does not, ownership and the boy wonders in the front office need to be honest with the fanbase. They have not said this outright, but the actions of the last few months suggest people in DC know that the rebuild was a failure. The Lerner’s have seemingly brought in Toboni and Butera to reboot the rebuild.

Despite the AARP sponsorship, the franchise has gone all in on getting younger. This change is likely to continue this offseason. MacKenzie Gore could be out the door and there have even been rumors of a CJ Abrams trade. If those happen, it would be a signal that the Nats are starting this rebuild over. If the team brass is honest and transparent about what is next, fans will accept this new project. The glory of 2019 still softens the blow of a rebuild, at least a little bit.

For most of the 2020’s, that World Series title was the franchise’s identity. Between the coaching hires, the imagery around the stadium and the rhetoric, 2019 was the Nationals identity. Now, the team has finally made the necessary step to move on from that. They are now the baby Nats, looking to create new magic in the District.

The baby Nats are just trying to build a foundation in 2026. Nobody is expecting a playoff berth or even a .500 record, all fans want is signs of progress. Whether that is individual breakouts, or improvement on the farm, the bar is not exactly World Series or bust.

As the losing seasons roll on though, fans are going to want these boy wonders to show what they are made of. They cannot do this alone though. Ownership has let down this franchise the past handful of years. The Lerner’s cannot repeat the mistake. Once this new regime shows progress, they need financial backing.

Mark Lerner is clearly searching for a youthful answer to his Nationals problem. He has hired some impressive young minds. However, if he does not eventually put his money where his mouth is, his search for the Fountain of Youth will be a failure. Committing to a new direction is admirable, but if this project is going to work, the Nats young executives need help from their boss, who is eligible for AARP benefits.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...ton-nationals-searching-for-fountain-of-youth