RSS Nationals Team Notes

[Washington Nationals]

Drew Millas Deserves A Chance To Compete For The Washington Nationals Starting Catcher Role

To put it simply, the catching position was a disaster for the Washington Nationals in 2025. As a positional group, Nats catchers finished last in wRC+ with 65 and 28th in Defensive WAR, resulting in a league-worst -1.4 fWAR, worse in the league and one of only 2 teams to be in the negatives, with the Angels at -1.3 fWAR not too far behind. They got off to a solid start with a strong April by Keibert Ruiz and a resurgence by Riley Adams and Drew Millas in July, but outside those 2 months, it was a lot of bad.

The one, and perhaps only, bright spot behind the dish for the Nats in 2025 was Drew Millas, who was limited to just 18 games on the year due to splitting reps with Riley Adams upon his callup and suffering a season-ending finger injury in August, but when he played, he was the most productive of all Nats backstops. Defensively, Millas is miles ahead of Ruiz and Adams, who both grade poorly behind the dish due to their lackluster framing.

While Ruiz and Adams both finished with -9 framing runs above average each, Millas put up 2 framing runs above average in just 16 games behind the dish, a pace that would’ve had him comfortably 2nd in the league in framing runs even if he only caught 130ish games across a season. It is yet to be seen how the new ABS challenge system coming to MLB will affect the skillset of defense-first catchers such as Millas, but if I had to guess, it will still be a huge advantage to have a catcher who can steal those edge of the zone pitches for you, rather than one who can’t and forces you to get aggresive with your challenges.

Offensively, Millas somewhat outhit his expected numbers, but was still the most productive hitting backstop for the Nationals in 2025. While Ruiz and Adams finished with OPSs in the .500s, Millas put up an impressive .807 OPS, good for 25% better than the league average hitter in 2025, and much, much better than the average catcher. Millas’ offensive skillset is much more reminiscent of the contact hitting Keibert Ruiz than the power hitting Riley Adams, but the difference between Ruiz and Millas is Millas’ ability to avoid chasing outside the zone, along with his great bat-to-ball skills. The home run power wasn’t there for Millas this season, and likely never will be a strong suit of his, but that didn’t stop him from racking up extra base hits, getting 6 in total in 49 at-bats.

Even on the basepaths, Millas proved to be a valuable asset for the Nats in 2025. Millas ranked in the 47th percentile for average sprint speed in 2025, a good amount better than the average catcher, and a large amount better than starting catcher Keibert Ruiz, who finished in the 3rd percentile. Millas had 9 singles and 4 walks this season, meaning he only had 13 opportunities to steal second (less when you consider runners being ahead of him on the bases), but he still showed off some wheels, stealing 2 bases and not being caught once. Millas is now 6 for 6 stealing bases in his big league career, going 4 for 4 in 2024 as well. Baserunning is the least important aspect of the game for catchers, but having a catcher that you don’t need to pinch run for late in games because they are a liability is a real advantage.

All in all, I would like for the Nationals to explore the catchers market in free agency, as no stone should go unturned in improving this ballclub. However, based on the rather weak class of backstops, as well as the fact that trading for good, young, controllable catching is next to impossible, I want the Nationals to give Millas the opportunity to compete for the starting catcher position in 2025 if no additions are made. He’s shown the best defensive and baserunning abilities of the trio of him, Ruiz, and Adams, and even if his bat regresses across a full season of at-bats, he is likely to still be in line with where Ruiz and Adams have been.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...e-compete-for-nationals-starting-catcher-role

 

[Washington Nationals]

Paul Toboni Continues Staff Additions, Brings in Justin Horowitz From Pirates As Assistant GM

Back in late September, I wrote an article, which can be found here, that brokedown 4 potential candidates for the Nationals vacant General Manager position. They quickly kept one of those candidates, Mike DeBartolo, in the organization as an assistant general manager, a win as he did a fine job in his short term as the teams interim GM. Then, they snagged another candidate from my list, Boston Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson, except they were able to get him in an assistant general manager role, another victory as it kept the GM position open for another strong baseball mind.

Well, Toboni has done it again, as he brings in yet another name from my list as an assistant general manager, this one being Pittsburgh Pirates director of amateur scouting, Justin Horowitz. Horowitz has been running the draft for the Pirates for the last 2 years, and although it is difficult to judge draft classes so soon since they occured, the results so far have been stellar, as in his first draft, he selected Shortstop Konnor Griffin 9th overall, who is now one of the consensus best prospects in the sport. He also selected prep right handed pitcher Seth Hernandez 6th overall in 2025, who I believe may have the highest ceiling of anyone from that draft.

Horowitz grew up in California, but has DC roots from his 4 years at Georgetown University, where he played club baseball and got a degree in Finance. He began his career in baseball in 2012 as a Red Sox baseball operations intern, and worked his way up through the Red Sox system all the way to special assistant of amateur scouting in 2023. It was during this time he crossed paths with Toboni, and the 2 became good friends during their 9 years together in Boston. In late 2023, Horowitz joined the Pirates as their director of amateur scouting, and while time will tell how his classes turn out, it already looks like he has some impressive hits on his resume.

With the first 2 assistant general manager hirings by Paul Toboni being scouting directors, he clearly recognizes the neccessity for change on the scouting and player development side of things in the Nationals organization. To build a strong foundation like the one in place in Boston, the team needs to be able to develop its own talent rather than acquiring it from other organizations constantly, and Toboni is bringing in some of the best young minds in the sport to make that happen for the Nats.

So with 3 of the 4 candidates for the General Manager position I wrote about in the Nationals organization, just none of them as GM, the question remains; who will take the GM role for the Washington Nationals? The final name from my previou article, Brian O’Halloran, would be a strong choice for the position, as he has experience as a GM from when Chaim Bloom was in charge of baseball operations in Boston. Toboni, however, seems focused on bringing in “his” guys currently, people who fit his vision, and O’Halloran may not fit that vision due to him being an older fellow and being largely tied to a different regime.

With a figure from outside the Red Sox organization now on Toboni’s staff in DC, Horowitz could perhaps provide insight on candidates from outside Boston to be considered for the General Manager position, such as current Pirates front office members or front office people in different clubs that he has crossed paths with. While I would still expect Toboni to be looking for “his” guy again to fill the GM vacancy, it is interesting he brought in assistants who could help him fill that role first, rather than the other way around. Whatever does happen, Horowitz is an excellent addition to the front office for the Nationals, and I am already excited for the draft classes he, Toboni, and the rest of the staff put together in future years.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-justin-horowitz-from-pirates-as-assistant-gm

 

[Washington Nationals]

Will the Washington Nationals hire a GM under Paul Toboni?

When Paul Toboni was hired as the Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations, a lot of people assumed he would hire a GM underneath him. That structure has become very popular in the modern game. The POBO is the big boss, who makes all of the biggest decisions, while the GM is more involved with day to day operations.

However, as we get more news on Toboni’s hirings, I am not so sure that he will hire a GM. Instead, it looks like Toboni will rely on a strong group of Assistant GM’s that he has a lot of familiarity with. Toboni has now hired two high profile AGM’s in Justin Horowitz and Devin Pearson. These are two people Toboni has worked with in the past and are young minds with big reputations in the sport.

They were also two natural candidates for that GM position, if it were something Toboni wanted to do. We wrote a story about potential candidates for the GM job after Toboni was hired. Both Horowitz and Pearson were on that list, as was former Interim GM Mike DeBartolo, who is staying in the organization.

We were spot on about Horowitz and Pearson coming to the organization, but neither got that GM role. That is very interesting to me and tells me that the GM role may not be filled. DeBartolo has not been assigned a new role in the organization yet, but I would be pretty surprised if he was the GM at this point.

It seems more likely that DeBartolo would be another AGM. His skillset would be useful in this new group. Horowitz and Pearson both came from scouting director positions, so both are very familiar with the draft. On the other hand, Toboni is more familiar with the MLB side of things, especially after his stint as Interim GM. He knows what it is like to run the day to day side of things.

DeBartolo is good at managing the 40 man roster and making some of these smaller moves. As Interim GM, we saw DeBartolo very active with waiver claims and trying to churn through relievers. He hit on some of those arms like PJ Poulin and Luis Garcia. That pro experience would be useful in rounding out the group.

I am interested to see what other hires are coming. A lot of these early hires have had some overlap. Everyone Toboni has hired so far has a history in the Red Sox organization. It is probably easier to hire people you know as your first hires because you do not need to vet them as much. Just because everyone so far has Red Sox ties does not necessarily mean he will exclusively hire people he has worked with before.

Also, there is still a chance that Toboni does hire a GM. He might be looking for someone he does not have as much experience working with, which would make the vetting process longer. However, it felt like Pearson and Horowitz would have been natural candidates for that GM role, but they are coming to DC to be AGM’s.

Despite the AGM title, I think these guys will have a lot of power in the organization. Things will be less centralized than they were under Rizzo, who ruled the Nats with an iron fist for most of his tenure. We will be hearing about these AGM’s contributions more than we heard about AGM’s under Rizzo.

These guys would not come to DC if they were not taking on increased authority. Both Horowitz and Pearson were running successful draft rooms, so it would take an exciting project to attract them. While their relationship with Toboni certainly helped, these guys are also coming to further their career ambitions.

It is exciting to see such a young and fresh front office as well. All of these new hires are in their 30’s and are on the cutting edge of the game. Regardless of whether Toboni hires a GM, it is an exciting time to be a fan. However, I am less confident that Toboni hires a GM than I was when he took the job.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ashington-nationals-hire-gm-under-paul-toboni

 

[Washington Nationals]

Nationals Grades: Andrew Alvarez was a rare bright spot in the rotation

It has been well established that the Washington Nationals pitching staff was a disaster in 2025. They posted a 5.35 ERA as a team, which was the worst in team history. Unsurprisingly, there were not a ton of bright spots on this staff. However, Andrew Alvarez was the rare exception, as he was lights out in his first taste of MLB action.

The 26 year old Alvarez had to scratch and claw to make the Majors. He was a 12th round pick out of Cal Poly in 2021. Guys like that are supposed to be organizational depth, not future big leaguers. However, Alvarez made it against the odds.

Despite not being a highly touted prospect, Alvarez did have success in the Minor Leagues. His breakout year was in 2023, where he posted a sub-3 ERA across two levels and won the Nationals Minor League pitcher of the year award.

Pitcher of the Year

Andrew Alvarez pic.twitter.com/mR5EEN10Vw

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) September 24, 2023

Alvarez was solid again in 2024, posting a sub-4 ERA, but hit a bit of a wall when he hit Triple-A. His ERA in AAA was above 4.5 in 2024, which made him less exciting as a prospect. A guy like Alvarez will never get the benefit of the doubt because he was not a high pick and he does not throw very hard.

In 2025, Alvarez was solid but not spectacular in AAA, posting a 4.10 ERA. However, he improved as the season went along and had a great August in Rochester. That, as well as injuries and underperformance in the Nats rotation gave him an opportunity to be a big leaguer.

After getting called up, Alvarez took full advantage of it. He was a revelation in September, posting a 2.31 ERA in his 5 starts. A lot of the underlying numbers bought into his success as well. He posted a 3.39 FIP and 2.78 xERA. Right from his first outing against the Marlins, Alvarez looked like he belonged.

What a debut!

Andrew Alvarez throws 5 scoreless innings in his MLB debut—1 hit, 2 BB, 4 K. First Nat ever to do it in their first game (2005-pres.) pic.twitter.com/LCrSRVNGV2

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) September 1, 2025

So how did Alvarez succeed in the MLB? Well, it certainly was not because of his velocity. Alvarez’s fastball only averaged 91.3 MPH in the MLB, well below average. With a light fastball, Alvarez has really learned the art of pitching.

A lot of Nationals pitchers had predictable pitch mixes and relied too much on their mediocre fastballs, but not Alvarez. My favorite thing about him is that he did a great job mixing things up. He threw his 4-seamer 34% of the time, his slider 29% of the time, his curve 27% of the time, while throwing a changeup and sinker both at a 5% clip.

That is a really deep mix and all of those pitchers were useful. Against righties, who he saw a lot of, Alvarez did a great job mixing his heater and breaking balls. That kept hitters off balance and led to a lot of weak contact. They simply did not know what was coming. Against lefties, Alvarez used his slider as his primary pitch. He also threw his sinker a lot more, which is a smart strategy. Sinkers tend to work better against same side hitters.

While the curveball and slider are in a similar velocity range, they have two distinct shapes, which makes things tricky for hitters. Another thing that made Alvarez successful was his ground ball generating abilities. He posted an elite 58.2 GB% this year. Getting ground balls was also something he was very good at in his MILB career, consistently posting GB rates above 50%.

So how sustainable is this? Well, I am not so sure. The fact he was not elite in AAA makes me skeptical. Alvarez did not go deep into games either, averaging under 5 innings per start. With that in mind, I do not believe in him in a traditional starter role.

However, I do think Alvarez should get a shot in a long relief role. He is a unique look that can throw hitters off if they only face him once or twice. However, his lack of power stuff will be exposed if he goes deeper into games. Alvarez is also not the most efficient pitcher. He tends to nibble to compensate for his lower velocity.

Alvarez showed that he can be successful in the MLB. I think he would be a good bulk man if the Nats wanted to use the opener strategy more in 2026. Andrew Alvarez has put himself in a position where he will be battling for a roster spot in 2026.

He will have to earn it next spring, but he will be in the mix. I honestly think he would be a better long relief option than guys like Parker and Irvin. The fact that Alvarez is even in the mix is a big win for the former 12th rounder.

Season Grade: A

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...s-andrew-alvarez-rare-bright-spot-in-rotation

 

[Washington Nationals]

Could the Washington Nationals dive into the Japanese free agent market?

We have talked a bit about some of the names on the free agent market. Players like Dylan Cease, Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman would be dream targets for the Nats. However, there is another side of free agency we have not touched on. Every year, we see new Japanese stars come over to the States, and this year is no different.

With a change in regime, could the Nationals get more involved in the Japanese market? While the Red Sox did not tap into the Asian market like the Dodgers while Paul Toboni was there, he does have some experience with Japanese players. The Red Sox invested heavily in Masataka Yoshida in 2023, a move that has had mixed results.

Could Toboni try and get aggressive in the Asian market, and if so, who could be some targets? Well, the Nationals have not historically been involved in the Asian market. In fact, they did not sign a player directly out of Asia until Shinnosuke Ogasawara signed last winter. However, with a new regime and some strong names, now could be the time to strike.

The three most exciting names from Japan this winter are Tatsuya Imai, Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. Lance Brozdowski made a great video breaking down those three, as well as a couple of other players to keep an eye on.

Dove deep into the advanced data on some NPB stars that could impact MLB in 2026!

️ Munetaka Murakami – Huge pop + scary contact
️ Tatsuya Imai – "wrong way" slider & flat-approach 4S
️ Hiroto Saiki – 55° arm angle … no whiffs?!

Tease below, full vid in thread! pic.twitter.com/T2YhDxcPom

— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) October 20, 2025

My favorite of the trio is Imai, who is a right handed pitcher. In the last few years, we have seen many Japanese arms have very smooth transitions. Guys like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga took to the MLB like ducks to water. Imai seems like he could be the next guy to do this.

As a 27 year old, Imai posted a sub-2 ERA in the NPB and also had plenty of strikeouts. Despite being a small 5’11 154 pounds, pitchers like Yamamoto have shown that size is not everything. Even with that slight frame, he averaged 95 MPH on his fastball this past season.

Who is this Japanese star pitcher that could be a top free agent this winter?@Jack_McMullen11 broke down the profile of Tatsuya Imai on the Just Baseball Show pic.twitter.com/1Aax90aTGf

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 10, 2025

One of the most unique things about Imai is his low release height. His 5 foot release height is well below the MLB average. That gives him plenty of deception and helps his heater play up. Imai also has a very good slider and splitter, as well as good command. He seems like one of those Japanese arms that is ready to go right from the rip.

It will probably cost over $100 million to sign him, so that will probably scare off the frugal Lerner family. However, he might be the best starter on the market. His combination of youth, stuff and command is unmatched. Imai is worth that big price tag.

The next guy I am going to talk about is the most famous player of the three. Munetaka Murakami has been considered a big talent out of Japan for a long time. He is one of the best sluggers Japan has seen in a long time. At just 25 years old, Murakami has hit 246 NPB home runs. In 2022, Murakami hit 56 home runs.

Another positive for Murakami is that youth. Out of all these players, he fits the Nats timeline the best. He will be just 26 years old next season, so he could be the Nats first baseman for years to come.

The slugger also had some big moments in the 2023 WBC, including a home run against team USA. Murakami hit an absolute moonshot against Merrill Kelly. That raw power is the main attraction for teams. He can absolutely be a 30 plus home run bat in the MLB.

Munetaka Murakami vs Merrill Kelly, 2nd Inning of the WBC Championship

• Swing Speed: 82.0 mph
• Bat Speed: 92.9 mph
• Exit Velocity: 115.1 mph
• Smash Factor: 1.24
• Attack Angle: 16°
• Launch Angle: 25°
• Distance: 432 ft

Result: No Doubter#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/ZVVorQnJG3

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) March 22, 2023

However, there are some holes in his game. Since that 2022 season, Murakami has not been quite the same. His contact rates are very low and raise some serious red flags. If he is striking out a lot against NPB pitching, what will happen when he sees MLB pitching?

He is also likely to be a first baseman or DH, despite playing some third base in Japan. For a guy who will get well over $100 million, Murakami is a big risk. If he hits, he could be a 40 home run slugger in the middle of a lineup. However, there is some big bust potential here, which is why I would be wary.

The last guy I am going to talk about is another slugger in Kazuma Okamoto. Like Murakami, he is a 3B/1B type, but his defense is seen as better. Okamoto also makes a lot more contact than Murakami, which makes his projection a lot safer.

He turns 30 years old in June, but we have seen older Japanese free agents thrive in the MLB. A lot of his profile reminds me a lot of Seiya Suzuki. While he does not have the raw power of Suzuki, he still has juice and that feel to hit. He seems like a high probability bet to be a contributor in an MLB lineup.

He will not be as expensive as Imai or Murakami, but he is older. Something like a 4-year $60 million would make some sense. That would entice me if I were the Nats. He could immediately slide in and provide stability at first base, a position the Nats have needed for a while.

Will the Nats sign any of these guys, or anyone from Japan, probably not, but it is worth exploring. If the Nats are more willing to spend, but don’t want older free agents like Bregman, Alonso or Framber Valdez, these Japanese players are worth considering. They also do not have qualifying offers attached to them, which means the Nats can sign them without giving up draft picks.

Given Toboni’s background and how he is building his front office, building through the draft will be prioritized. Signing these Japanese players is a way to get premium talent without giving up draft capital. With a new forward thinking front office, this could be something to watch this winter.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...ationals-dive-into-japanese-free-agent-market

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals interview three candidates for their managerial opening

So we are finally starting to get some updates on the Washington Nationals managerial search. For a while, there was radio silence as Paul Toboni was settling into his role as Nats President of Baseball Operations. However, three candidates for the job have become public. They are former interim boss Miguel Cairo, former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and current Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz.

Yesterday, it was reported that all three have interviewed for the job. Hyde was the first name to become public. Jon Heyman reported that Hyde interviewed for the role Yesterday, which was the first public report of an interview. Hyde was the Orioles manager from 2019-2025, when he was fired after a slow start.

Nationals Interview Brandon Hyde https://t.co/lhP0eKuJDT pic.twitter.com/5FBY4d3fEz

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) October 25, 2025

Hyde would be an interesting appointment. He certainly would not be the sexy hire after the way his time with the O’s ended. After a magical run in 2023, where Hyde won manager of the year and a strong follow up season in 2024, things really got stale in 2025. Hyde was fired after a 15-28 start to the season. While Mike Elias set up Hyde to fail with a poor pitching staff, the O’s were still underperforming their talent level.

Despite the ugly ending, Hyde’s experience in Baltimore will be useful as Nationals manager. He oversaw a rebuilding team with young talent and eventually brought them to the playoffs in 2023, when the O’s won 101 games. Sure, Hyde has limitations and may not be the man to bring a World Series back to DC, but he has proven he can take a young team to the playoffs.

Hyde is also familiar with this area having managed the Orioles. That is always a useful quality to have as well. For me, Hyde would be the definition of a solid hire. Not a home run hire necessarily, but a decent manager who can get things back on track.

Later in the afternoon, two more interviews became public. Andrew Golden of the Washington Post reported that the Nats had interviewed Miguel Cairo, as well as Craig Albernaz of the Guardians.

Some Nationals manager news: hearing Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and interim manager Miguel Cairo interviewed for the job this week.

Not necessarily the full list, but the Nats are pushing forward with their manager search.

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) October 25, 2025

It would be very surprising if Cairo got the job, but it seems like Toboni is letting him be part of the process. I am not sure whether he is a real candidate or if this is more of a courtesy interview. Regardless, the more interesting name of that duo is Albernaz.

Craig Albernaz is the Guardians associate manager, and seems like a real up and coming managerial talent. Despite only being in coaching since 2020, Albernaz seems like a real star. After only one year as Guardians bench coach, he became a finalist for the Marlins job and eventually got promoted to associate manager.

It's Craig Albernaz vs. Will Venable for the Marlins managerial job, per @CraigMish.

Who's your pick? pic.twitter.com/6eRPS2ZXcj

— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) October 28, 2024

He is one of those guys who is almost certainly going to be a manager someday. It is a matter of when, not if. This seems like a guy that would be very attractive for Paul Toboni. At just 42 years old, he is a young guy for the position. A lot of Toboni’s first hires have been young guys, so Albernaz would continue that trend.

Working for the Guardians also gives him a more analytical background. Cleveland is known as one of the more analytical organizations in the league. That background is very attractive for the Nats, who need an infusion of data in the organization.

Right now, Albernaz is my favorite candidate of the trio, but Hyde is also a solid candidate. With information coming out now, it seems like the managerial search is starting to really heat up. That is a good sign and hopefully the Nats can get someone in place in the next couple weeks.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...rview-three-candidates-for-managerial-opening

 

[Washington Nationals]

What impact could the return of DJ Herz and Josiah Gray make for the Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals season was sunk by many things, but a poor pitching staff was the biggest culprit. They posted a 5.35 ERA as a team, the highest in franchise history. It will take a lot to fix that, including help from outside the organization. However, there is help on the way from a couple guys returning from injury.

Both Josiah Gray and DJ Herz have shown glimpses of being quality MLB pitchers at points in their Nationals career. However, neither of them threw a pitch in 2025 due to Tommy John recovery. Both should be back at some time in 2026, and could make an impact.

I want to start with Herz because he is actually the guy I am higher on right now. He was acquired at the 2023 trade deadline in a move that sent Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs. It quickly turned into one of those Mike Rizzo masterclass moves. Candelario was decent for a couple months in Chicago before leaving in free agency, while Herz broke out in 2024.

DJ Herz was someone I was so excited for in 2025. His 2024 season provided so much promise. He threw 88.2 innings while posting a 4.16 ERA and struck out 106 batters. It was not perfect, as his command was inconsistent. However, when he was on, Herz could be dominant. We saw that in his masterclass against the Marlins where he struck out 13 and walked nobody.

all
13
DJ Herz
Ks pic.twitter.com/7VmBVTV3OB

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 15, 2024

Despite the 4.16 ERA, a lot of the metrics thought he was better than that. His xERA was 3.26 and his FIP was 3.71. Herz’s mid-90’s fastball created so much deception and got whiffs at over a 30% clip. His changeup was also very solid, and was seen as his best pitch by most scouts. Herz had a level of swing and miss in his game that only MacKenzie Gore could rival among Nats pitchers.

He was one of my breakout picks heading into 2025. However, his season was over before it started. After a rough Spring Training where his velocity was down and his command was all over the place, Herz was shut down with elbow soreness. Eventually, he had to go under the knife, which cost him the whole 2025 season.

Since he got the surgery so early in the season, there is a chance Herz is back by Opening Day. However, a return in May or June feels more likely. As we saw with Cade Cavalli, Tommy John recovery can be tricky and the timeline is fluid. We should see Herz pitch at some point in 2026 though.

Assuming the stuff looks like it did in 2024, he will be a big piece of the rotation. Strike throwing has always been a question with him, but it was better than expected in his MLB stint. I am super excited to see DJ back on the mound because he is super fun to watch when he is on his game.

While Josiah Gray is a bigger name than Herz, I have more questions about him. He had his surgery all the way back in the summer of 2024, but did not appear in any games last season. Having only made two starts in 2024, he has basically lost two full seasons. Even before that, I was bearish about Gray.

While he was an All-Star in 2023 and posted a sub-4 ERA in 159 innings, there was plenty of luck involved. His FIP and xERA were both around 5 that season. Gray was also striking out fewer guys and walking more guys. His velocity was also dipping.

There were a lot of red flags in his profile, and now the injury adds another one. Gray came to the Nats in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner trade. He was supposed to be a plug and play MLB starter who could immediately be a middle of the rotation arm.

His stuff was really good early on, but the results weren’t there. The fastball was in the mid 90’s, touching 97 and his slider could be a wipeout pitch. However, he had a big problem with home runs, especially on that fastball.

Josiah Gray is going to be a problem in the league pic.twitter.com/sTYsBQEYts

— Kev (@klwoodjr) August 14, 2021

Over the years, he added a lot of different pitches and became more of a junk baller. That was a reaction to his home run problem and his velocity falling over a tick from 2021 to 2023. By 2023, Gray was throwing 7 different pitches. He had some success, but it did not feel sustainable, at least to me.

While Gray did not pitch in the MLB this season, he did throw in some rehab starts at the end of the year. We got some pitch data, and the velocity was not pretty. It is important to keep in mind that he was making his first outings after Tommy John, but his fastball was in the 90-91 MPH range. In that AAA rehab start, Gray also leaned almost exclusively on his secondary pitches, only throwing 4 fastballs in 45 pitches.

pic.twitter.com/gpQj7zhBlo

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) September 19, 2025

Gray’s velocity will be one of the things I am going to watch for in Spring Training. If it is still in that 90 MPH range, I am not going to be high on him at all. It is very hard to succeed throwing 90 MPH in today’s game, especially as a right handed pitcher.

If Gray can show up throwing around 93-95, I would be much more encouraged. With his deep mix, he can survive in that range. I am curious how the Nats will use Gray next year. He is going to have to earn back his rotation spot after all of his time out.

While they both have question marks, DJ Herz and Josiah Gray should at least be somewhat helpful in getting the Nats rotation back to respectability. Neither should stop the team from investing in starting pitching, but both are useful options for the team. It will be interesting to see how the pitching staff shakes itself out in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...erz-josiah-gray-make-for-washington-nationals

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals lose out on Craig Albernaz to rival Baltimore Orioles

So the Craig Albernaz dreams died pretty quickly for the Washington Nationals. Just a day after it was reported that he interviewed for the job, Jeff Passan reported that he was taking the Baltimore Orioles job instead. I wrote that Albernaz was my favorite candidate, so seeing him go to a rival is tough.

The Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a deal to hire Craig Albernaz as manager, sources tell ESPN. Albernaz, 42, was previously associate manager with Cleveland and was a widely sought-after candidate for open managerial jobs. He joins a O's team coming off a 75-87 season.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 27, 2025

Albernaz was one of the hottest names this managerial cycle after earning a big reputation with his work as Steven Vogt’s right hand man in Cleveland. The Guardians have constantly punched above their weight the last few years, and it seems like Albernaz has been a big part of that since he arrived in 2024.

Based on all the buzz around his name, it feels like Albernaz could take his pick of managerial gigs. He interviewed for a number of jobs, including the Nats. It was just a couple days ago that Andrew Golden reported that he had interviewed with the team.

Some Nationals manager news: hearing Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and interim manager Miguel Cairo interviewed for the job this week.

Not necessarily the full list, but the Nats are pushing forward with their manager search.

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) October 25, 2025

Albernaz must have decided that the Orioles job was better. Honestly, he is probably right about that. For the 2026 season, the O’s have a much better chance of winning. While 2025 was a weird year for them, it is easy to imagine them being bounce back candidates. They made the playoffs in 2023 and 2024. Assuming Mike Elias learns from his mistakes and builds a better pitching staff, they will be right back in the mix in a tough AL East division.

The Nats are much less of a win now team. They have not had a winning season since 2019 and regressed in the win column in 2025. While the idea of being tied at the hip with Toboni could be exciting, it will take a little while for the Nats to become serious contenders.

With Albernaz out of the picture, who will be the Nats manager? Well, speaking of Baltimore, their old manager is probably the favorite right now. It was recently reported that Brandon Hyde interviewed for the job. The old O’s manager helped steward their rebuild and lead them back to the playoffs. He has a lot of experience working with young players, which is a feather in his cap.

Now that Albernaz is out of the picture, Hyde and Miguel Cairo are the only candidates we know the Nats have interviewed. I would be pretty stunned if the Nats hired Cairo, so Hyde is definitely a name to circle. It will be interesting to see if more interviews become public now too.

Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez is certainly a name to circle. He has gotten interviews this cycle and we know Toboni is more than willing to hire from his old team. Another guy I would like to see interviewed is former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. He did a good job in Minnesota and is a good combination of youth and experience.

Losing out on Albernaz to a rival is a blow, but there are still plenty of names out there. Now that the interviews are becoming public and more jobs are starting to fill, this process will start to accelerate. I am very curious to see who Paul Toboni hires as manager of the Washington Nationals.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/mlb...se-out-craig-albernaz-rival-baltimore-orioles

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals Need Bullpen Help. Here Are Their Options

Building strong bullpens was never a strong suit of Nationals’ former GM Mike Rizzo, and that fact was on clear display this season, as the Nats’ relief unit was as bad as bullpens come, finishing last in baseball with a 5.59 ERA and second to last with a 4.86 FIP. While some additions to the group, such as Cole Henry and Clayton Beeter, provided solid performances in the present and hope for the future, the loss of key arms such as Kyle Finnegan, Andrew Chafin, and Luis Garcia at the deadline was a detrimental blow to an already shaky group.

Entering 2026, Paul Toboni and his staff are now charged with turning one of the worst bullpens in the sport into at least a group that can tread water. In the long term, the best way to achieve this goal is to continually take chances on high upside arms through the draft, internationally, and through waiver claims, eventually creating a system that can turn out relief arms almost at will, In the short term, however, the focus will need to be on developing the arms currently in-house and taking a chance on relievers in free agency. Let’s take a look at some impending free agent arms I’d like the Nats to take a chance on this winter.

RHP Phil Maton

One name I want the Nationals to be all over this offseason is Phil Maton, who, after years of being a good, not great reliever, broke out in 2025 for the Rangers, as over 61 1/3 innings he posted a 2.79 ERA, 3.04 FIP, and struck out over 11 batters per 9 innings, all career bests. These results were no fluke either, as the underlying numbers for Maton were as good as they get, with him ranking in the 99th percentile for average exit velo, 98th percentile in whiff rate, and 95th percentile strikeout rate. Despite sitting under 90mph with his fastball, Maton was nails out of the bullpen for the Rangers in 2025, and is an easy bet to at least come close to repeating his performance in 2026. Turning 33 right before next season, Maton could provide value for the Nats over multiple season if given a multiyear contract, perhaps even fetching some prospects at the trade deadline if need be.

RHP Devin Williams

Seasons don’t get much unluckier than the one Williams had in 2025, as in 62 innings pitched, he posted a career worst 4.79 ERA, but an impressive 2.68 FIP. It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly caused Williams failures this season in the Bronx, as struck out as many hitters as ever, walked fewer hitters than ever, and his home run rate only went up slightly, but overall an increase in barrells allowed and some bad BABIP luck led to Williams crumbling in situations where he usually thrived. He now hits the market at 31 years old with his value at its lowest point, and the Nats have an ideal chance to buy low on a reliever with potential to be one of the best right handed relievers in baseball again.

LHP Hoby Milner

Another one of my favorite leoptions for the Nats to target in free agency is Hoby Milner, a funky lefty who was very consistent for the Rangers in 2025, posting a 3.84 ERA and 3.39 FIP across 70 1/3 innings pitched. Milner, like Maton, does not throw hard at all, sitting high 80s with his fastball, but it does not matter because he doesn’t rely on his fastball to get outs, and excels in all other aspects of the game, including limiting hard contact and keeping the ball on the ground. An underrated aspect of Milner’s game is how different a look he can be for hitters, going from facing hard throwing righties constantly to a lefty reliever who relies on breaking balls, making him an ideal pitcher to follow arms like Cade Cavalli in games. Entering his age 35 season, Milner is older than the other 2 options on this list, but could be a weapon out of the bullpen for the Nats in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87084/the-nationals-need-bullpen-help-here-their-options

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals are being screwed by the new MLB Draft system

As a fan of a struggling team you get to learn a lot about the MLB Draft every year. It is what provides fans of rebuilding teams hope. While you can’t get the instant impact from draft picks like NBA or NFL teams do, you can still strike gold. However, the new draft system is something that frustrates me.

Despite finishing the season with a 66-96 record, the Washington Nationals are locked into the 11th pick. This is due to the new MLB Draft rules. Going into the 2023 Draft, the MLB introduced a draft lottery like what they have in the NBA and NHL. However, there were some anti-tanking measures put in. This makes sense, you don’t want to reward teams too much for being awful.

That part is not the issue for me. The issue is the distinction between teams that pay revenue sharing and teams that receive revenue sharing. Teams that pay revenue sharing can only pick inside the top 10 one year before they are booted out. However, teams that receive revenue sharing can pick in the top 10 two years in a row.

The league is basically rigging the process for small market teams. As a team that pays revenue sharing, the Nats can’t pick in the top 10 back to back years. For me, this is just totally unfair for our fans. The franchise has been in a tough spot these last couple years, and picking at the top of the draft is something that could help us out.

In 2024, when they did the lottery drawing, the Nationals actually “won” the lottery in two straight drawings. However, since they were ineligible, they had to re-do the process and the Guardians ended up getting the first pick that year. The Nationals definitely needed that first pick a whole lot more than a Guardians team that is constantly competitive.

So ….

The Nationals actually won the draft lottery but weren't eligible for a lottery pick.

The second drawing, the Guardians won the #1 pick.

When they did the drawing for the 2nd overall pick… the Nationals won again

They will pick 10th https://t.co/WHwETy7x1v

— Savannah McCann (@savjaye) December 5, 2023

The process is just screwing over Nationals fans. Why should teams like the A’s and Pirates be able to pick inside the top 10 back to back years, but not the Nats? The Nats had the 24th highest payroll in 2025 and the second lowest active payroll. They are not some financial juggernaut that needs to be limited by the MLB.

The fact the Dodgers get to do some of the stuff they do, but the Nationals can’t pick in the top 10 back to back years is ridiculous. Imagine a Nationals team with a guy like Chase Burns, Travis Bazzana, JJ Wetherholt or Nick Kurtz. We would have a lot more hope for the future. The reason we could not get those guys was because of a silly MLB rule.

The 2026 draft is being talked about as a very good draft. Roch Cholowsky is seen as one of the best college shortstop prospects in the last decade. However, the Nationals have no chance at him because they are picking 11th. Sure, the Nats still need to do a better job at hitting on these first round picks, but we are being screwed over.

Thankfully, the Nats got some lottery luck in 2025 and were able to pick Eli Willits first overall. It would be even more frustrating if the Nats were picking 7th or 8th and then got kicked out of the lottery.

The Washington Nationals select SS Eli Willits with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft pic.twitter.com/Z8OXA7DamG

— ESPN (@espn) July 13, 2025

However, the fact that 2024 and 2026 are stronger at the top of the draft than 2025 ticks me off. I wish the Nats had an opportunity to grab some of the true blue chippers at the top of those drafts. Unfortunately, they will not be able to because of a silly rule. Paul Toboni will have to nail the 11th pick in his first draft, which is harder to do than a top 5 pick.

For me, the fix is pretty obvious. There should be the same set of rules for all teams. It should not matter where you stand on the revenue sharing totem pole. Whether you are kicked out after one year or two years, the rules should be the same for all teams. If you are picking in the top 10 multiple years in a row, you clearly need that pick, regardless of market size.

Teams like the White Sox and Nationals are being particularly screwed over by this. While they are revenue payers, they are not being run like big market teams, so we need to build in the draft. The White Sox finished 41-121 in 2024, but were booted to the 10th pick. That just makes absolutely no sense.

The Rockies not being able to pick inside the top 10 after a third straight horrible year makes more sense, but the White Sox were picking 15th overall in 2023. They should have been eligible to get the number one pick.

This will have to be sorted out in the next collective bargaining agreement because it is simply ridiculous. There are going to be more high profile issues that are discussed, but this needs to be something that is tweaked. The lottery system has some things I like about it, but this revenue sharing part is just screwing over Washington Nationals fans.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/mlb...tionals-being-screwed-by-new-mlb-draft-system

 

[Washington Nationals]

Miguel Cairo is out of the Washington Nationals managerial hunt as Paul Toboni shakes up the staff

It was expected, but Paul Toboni has shaken up the Nationals coaching staff. Along with that, Andrew Golden of the Washington Post revealed that Miguel Cairo is out of the running for the Nationals managerial job. None of this is surprising news given the team’s front office overhaul and 66-96 record in 2025.

Miguel Cairo has been informed he won't be the Nats' next manager, per sources.

Most of last year's staff, including Darnell Coles and Jim Hickey, was informed they won't return unless the next manager opts to keep them. More on the staff and search here:https://t.co/51jCzAmHL6

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) October 29, 2025

A lot of coaches from last year’s staff have been told they are not returning unless the next manager opts to keep them around. The biggest names of the group are hitting coach Darnell Coles, pitching coach Jim Hickey and first base coach Gerardo Parra. Hickey had been the pitching coach since 2021 and Coles had been in charge of the hitters since 2022.

Both of those guys were Davey Martinez hires through and through. Hickey and Martinez worked together in Tampa Bay and Chicago. Both were on Joe Maddon’s staff and had built up a relationship. Coles’ contact hitting philosophy aligned with Martinez’s views on hitting. The pair were also teammates on the 1992 Cincinnati Reds.

Cairo was also a former Martinez teammate and ally. While Paul Toboni interviewed him for the job, he was never seen as a serious candidate. He was too aligned with Martinez and did not get enough out of the team in his stint as interim boss to justify staying around.

In the Washington Post piece, it was revealed that the Nationals have interest in former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann. Former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has also interviewed for the job. It seems like the manager hunt is starting to accelerate. I would not be surprised to see a new manager announced in the days following the World Series.

However, Hickey, Coles, and Parra are not the only staff members to leave. Henry Blanco, Ricky Gutierrez and Ricky Bones are also out. All of those guys have been around for multiple seasons and were Martinez allies.

Two coaches who are not out quite yet are pitching strategist Sean Doolittle and assistant hitting coach Chris Johnson. While their futures are uncertain, they are not out just yet. Those two coaches were seen as more analytically inclined.

It will be interesting to monitor the rest of this coaching search. When will the Nats get a new manager and what kind of staff will they assemble? We will get the answers to those questions in the coming weeks.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...s-managerial-hunt-paul-toboni-shakes-up-staff

 

[Washington Nationals]

Making of a Manager: How Blake Butera became the Washington Nationals manager at 33 years old

The Washington Nationals have a new manager! According to multiple reports, the team has decided to hire Blake Butera, a former minor league manager and player development guru with the Tampa Bay Rays. My first reaction was ‘who is that guy’ and I am sure I am not alone. We will dive into who Blake Butera really is.

The first thing that stands out about Blake Butera is that he is young, really young. At 33 years old, Butera is the youngest MLB manager since 1972. This is a big call by new POBO Paul Toboni, who is also very young at just 35. Clearly, the Nats are all in on a youth movement, not only on the field, but in the dugout and in the front office. The Louisiana born Butera is a perfect fit for this youth movement.

The Washington Nationals are hiring 33-year-old Blake Butera as their next manager, per @JeffPassan, making him the youngest manager since Frank Quilici of the Minnesota
Twins in 1972

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 30, 2025

So how did Butera get enough experience to be remotely qualified for this job at such a young age? As you would expect, he got into coaching at a young age. In fact, he got his first Minor League manager job at just 25 years old in short season ball in 2018. Getting that level of trust at such a young age is a crazy feat.

The Nationals are hiring Blake Butera to be their manager, per @JeffPassan.

Butera is just 33 years old, the youngest manager in MLB in over 50 years, and first became a manager at 25 years old for the Rays Single-A team. pic.twitter.com/5Rj0MhEpD4

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 30, 2025

He was able to be a manager in the Rays minor league system at such a young age because the organization knew the person. After a four year career at Boston College, Butera was drafted by the Rays in the 35th round of the 2015 draft. He played a couple seasons in the Rays minor league system, but at the end of the day, he was not good enough.

However, his baseball journey did not stop there. In his short career, he played four games for the Hudson Valley Renegades. That is important because he would be managing that same club just two seasons later in 2018. In those two seasons, Butera was a winner, finishing in first place both years. He went 45-30 and 43-32 in his two seasons there.

After the pandemic wiped away the 2020 Minor League season, Butera began managing the Rays Low-A team, the Charlestown RiverDogs. He spent two seasons there, and once again was a winning machine. Butera finished in first place both years and finished with records of 82-38 and 88-44. In his managerial career, he has worked with future stars such as Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero.

A lot to like about the hiring of Blake Butera as the Nationals' new manager

️ Ran player development for Rays elite player development machine.

️ Managed 4 seasons in minors (starting at 25 years old) and finished first 4 times and won 2 championships.

️ Has a lot in…

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 30, 2025

However, the Nationals did not just hire Butera because he won a lot of games at the Minor League level. Instead, they chose him in large part due to his prowess at developing players. That is something Paul Toboni has really emphasized and is something Butera will look to do.

In fact, Butera’s latest job with the Rays was not as a Minor League manager. It was in a player development role. His official title was the Senior Director of Player Development, a job he had for two seasons. Before that, he spent a season as a Minor League Field Coordinator.

In his opening press conference, Paul Toboni said he wanted to build a “scouting and player development monster”. The hire of Butera is certainly in line with that statement. Instead of going after a former MLB manager, he found a 33 year old, who is an expert at developing players. Butera fits a Toboni pattern of going after young and ambitious voices.

Blake Butera's hiring is another step towards Paul Tobani's vision of creating a "scouting and player development monster". I'm all on board. https://t.co/J7VglrAXuM pic.twitter.com/eZKC2KG3hC

— Minor League Sports Town (@DCSportsCast) October 30, 2025

Honestly, it would not surprise me if Butera was originally interviewed for a front office position and Toboni was so impressed he thought Butera would work as a manager. Butera had been working in a front office role for a few years, but it seems like Toboni saw him as a coach. This reminds me of when Toboni talked about how this business is built around people. Toboni clearly values relationships and must have had a great rapport with Butera.

Speaking of relationships, Butera has built plenty of them over the years. He actually worked under Hall of Famer Mike Piazza for team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Piazza was the manager, while Butera was his bench coach. Piazza had very nice things to say about Butera earlier today after the hire was announced.

Another person who had nice things to say about Butera was a future rival in new Orioles manager Craig Albernaz. The two crossed paths in Hudson Valley and became good friends. Albernaz tweeted about how much he loved Butera after the hire was announced. It will be exciting to see those two battle in the Battle of the Beltway for the next few years.

My guy!!! Elite human, friend, husband, and teacher. I hope the rest of the league is ready for this impact. I’m proud of you brother. https://t.co/mc67wLnpMI

— Craig Albernaz (@CraigAlbernaz) October 30, 2025

While Butera is extremely young and does not have a traditional pathway to becoming an MLB manager, he clearly has experience. He also has a lot of advocates around baseball that know him as an up and coming mind.

This is a guy who was clearly going to be an MLB manager at some point, so why not grab him early. Butera can grow with a young roster and learn along with them. It is not like the Nationals have playoff or bust expectations in 2026. Next season will be all about player development, and that is right in Butera’s lane.

However, it will be important for Butera to have some experience around him. I am going to be very curious who the bench coach is on this staff. Hopefully it is someone with a long history of experience in the big leagues. If Brandon Hyde or David Ross do not get managerial jobs, they should certainly give them a call.

For the hitting and pitching coaches I think the Nats should and probably will go young. It would fit the Toboni ethos and is something the Nats need. Jim Hickey and Darnell Coles were both in their 60’s and had an old school mentality. We need coaches with modern ideas in those positions.

I am truly fascinated to see how this Blake Butera hire goes. It is a boom or bust hire for sure. There is a chance that Butera is just not ready for the job and does not have the seniority to handle an MLB locker room. However, this could also be the perfect fit for a young team. If it goes well, Butera could be a dynastic manager for the Nats.

Clearly, Paul Toboni is not afraid to think outside the box and I love that. When he said he wanted a scouting and player development monster, he really meant. Toboni has already hired so many young, fresh voices. This is something I have wanted for years. Even if it does not work out, I love how ambitious these hires are. Nationals fans have wanted change for a long time, and they are getting it with Blake Butera.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ame-washington-nationals-manager-33-years-old

 

[Washington Nationals]

This Free Agent Played 2 Years With New Nationals Manager Blake Butera. Could He Be A Fit in DC?

New Nationals skipper Blake Butera, as noted by many, does not have much professional playing experience, spending just 2 seasons in the minor leagues for the Rays before calling it quits, peaking at the Low A level. Before that, he spent 4 years playing collegiate ball at Boston College, where he was a spark-plug up the middle for the Eagles, posting a .378 on-base percentage and tallying over 200 hits in his collegiate career. Many will criticize Butera’s lack of professional playing experience, but the truth is managers in today’s era of baseball are perfectly capable of pushing all the right buttons without having been the ones on the field, and their more important task is managing all the personalities inside of a clubhouse.

One interesting aspect of having a manager so young is that many of the connections he made along the way in his career are still kicking it in the majors. Take, for example, the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Low A affiliate of the Rays in 2016, where Butera played 4 games, who had 5 future big leaguers on their roster, including Nathaniel Lowe, the former National. The same can be said for the Princeton Rays, one of the Rays’ two rookie teams at the time, who also had 5 former big leaguers who played alongside Butera, the most notable being Josh Lowe and Jesus Sanchez.

The connection I want to look at, however, actually comes from Butera’s college days. Michael King, pitcher for the Padres who will likely be a free agent this offseason, pending his decision on his contract option, played 2 years with Butera at BC, posting a 2.93 and 3.03 ERA in those years, respectively. King has transformed himself throughout his career, going from a starter at Boston College to a reliever with the Yankees, back to a starter again for the Padres after joining them in the second Juan Soto trade. Now at 30 years old, he will finally hit the open market, where he should be a hot commodity, although there are a few arms who may distract the richest ball clubs from pursuing him first, such as Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease.

So could King be enticed to come play under his former college teammate in DC? While it is rather unlikely, as contenders will be lining up for King’s services, it isn’t worth ruling out, as often in the offseason, there are always a few players who end up taking contracts they were not expecting to take at the beginning of winter. Often, these players go into the offseason with unreasonable contract expectations, and when the market will not budge, they have to settle for a short-term, high average annual value contract, putting them in a position to test the market again in a year or two. A recent notable example of this is Blake Snell, who, after winning the NL Cy Young with the Padres in 2023, had to settle for a 2 year, $62 million contract with the Giants, which he opted out of after 1 season and signed with the Dodgers.

So if King finds himself in this position this offseason, where no one is willing to give him the number of years he desires in a deal, there is an opportunity for the Nationals to swoop in and give him one of those short-term deals. For King, the benefit of this type of deal would be that he gets his first real payday, all while getting another chance on the open market the following offseason if he performs to his best level. He can also practically guarantee he will find himself pitching in the postseason as well, as either the Nats make a run and he remains on the club, or the team is out of the playoff race by the trade deadline and King is flipped to a contender for prospects.

For the Nats, the benefit is that they get an ace for a rotation that is in dire need of help, especially if MacKenzie Gore is, in fact, traded this offseason. They also, if they find themself out of contention, have the ability to trade him at the deadline and bolster the farm system some more. While I would not expect the Nationals to be favorites by any means in the Michael King sweepstakes, weird things can happen during the offseason, and Paul Toboni may want to make a signing that announces himself in a big way this winter.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...onals-manager-blake-butera-could-he-be-fit-dc

 

[Washington Nationals]

Blake Butera and the recent history of MLB managers in their 30’s

Paul Toboni and the Washington Nationals made a bold move hiring Blake Butera. At just 33 years old, he will be the youngest manager in over 50 years. Thursday was a big day for Butera, as he not only became a manager, but also became a father. Talk about living the dream.

Even more unbelievable than becoming an MLB manager at 33 years old: Blake Butera became a father yesterday, too.

He and his wife, Caroline, welcomed their first child, Blair Margaux Butera, on Thursday.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) October 31, 2025

The last manager younger than Butera was Frank Quilici back in 1972. With that in mind, I wanted to discuss some managers who got jobs in their mid-30’s and take a look at how they did. It is a mixed bag with some big successes and other guys who were not ready for prime time.

In the early days of baseball, young managers were pretty common. That is because sometimes there were player managers back in the early 1900’s. However, there were also some non-players who got managerial roles at a very young age. For example, the famous Branch Rickey got a managerial job at 31 years old back in 1913.

However, as the game evolved, young managers became less common and the player manager went extinct. In the 1960’s and 1970’s though, there were a lot of young managers, some of whom we will discuss.

The first person I want to talk about is the last manager younger than Butera. That would be Frank Quilici. He got the job as Twins manager at 33 as well. Unfortunately for him, his stint as Twins manager was mediocre. His career record was 280-287, always finishing around .500.

However, Quilici was not the only young manager in that era. There are two Reds managers that could provide hope to Nats fans. The first is Dave Bristol, who got the Reds managerial job in 1966, at 33 years old. Like Butera, he took over a young team. Bristol helped develop young players like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Gary Nolan.

The Reds were winning games with Bristol, including an 89 win season in 1969. However, the Reds were not satisfied with the results and wanted a manager to take them over the top. They went the young route again and hired a 36 year old named Sparky Anderson.

If you are a baseball historian, you know that hiring was a success. Anderson won two World Series titles in Cincinnati with his big red machine teams and became a Hall of Fame manager. It is possible that Butera is a Dave Bristol type figure. A manager who gets the Nats back on track before someone else takes things to the next level. He could also be a Sparky Anderson, but he has a long way to go to accomplish that.

In the modern era, there have also been a few notable managers in their 30’s to get jobs. There have been some hits, but also some misses. One cautionary tale is actually AJ Hinch. Now we know Hinch as one of the best managers in all of baseball. However, that was not always the case.

Hinch got the Diamondbacks managerial job midway through the 2009 season at just 35 years old. He took over for Bob Melvin and led the team to a mediocre 58-75 finish to the season. Hinch got a chance to be the manager going into the season in 2010. However, he was fired midway through the season with his team in last place.

Hinch was not ready for prime time yet. Whether it was the talent on the roster or his lack of experience, he did not work out in Arizona. It would be four years before Hinch managed again. Of course, he took over the Astros job and had a ton of success, even if his tenure was full of controversy. Now Hinch manages the Tigers and is seen as one of the best in the business.

Hinch was not ready right away, but he clearly had the managerial talent. Even if Butera does not work out right away, he could be a massive success if he is given time. Hopefully that is with the Nationals and not somewhere else.

Other young managers include Eric Wedge, who took over a young team in Cleveland in 2003 at 35 years old. Like the Nats, the Indians were starting to lose their way after a long run of success. Wedge got the Indians back to the playoffs and helped build a young core. He had his ups and downs, but had a pretty successful stint in Cleveland.

Kevin Cash is seen as the model manager in many ways. He is immersed in analytics being the Tampa Bay Rays manager. However, he is also great in the locker room and has become empowered over the years. He got the job at 37 years old and has had a ton of success. Cash finished under .500 in his first three seasons, but once he got rolling, he has not looked back. The Rays are consistently competing in one of the toughest divisions in baseball while operating a shoe string budget. A lot of that is thanks to Cash.

A recent young manager is Oliver Marmol of the Cardinals, who got the role at 35 years old. The Cardinals are a club in transition, so the wins have not always been there, but Marmol is not the problem in St. Louis. He seems to be growing into the position as he gets closer to 40. The Cardinals will need to build a more talented roster around him, but there is no indication that he is going anywhere despite the poor results.

As we have laid out, hiring a young manager can go either way. However, most of the time it requires patience. Outside of Sparky Anderson, the wins did not come right away for these managers. Often these young guys come in to manage young teams. The manager grows with the team and they improve together.

This will be no different for Blake Butera. While he got his start managing at just 25 years old, he is still relatively inexperienced. Nats fans will have to give him some grace to start. However, eventually a lot of these guys get things rolling by their second or third season.

The Nationals plan to hire Blake Butera, who will be the youngest MLB manager since 1972.

In 2018, Butera was just 25 when he took the helm for the Hudson Valley Renegades: https://t.co/SknzU1W4oV pic.twitter.com/ZgdlSPgz0x

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 30, 2025

That is what I think will happen with Butera too. There may not be a ton of wins in year one, but hopefully we will see progress. As Paul Toboni and Butera develop their player development monster, the wins will hopefully start to come by year 2 or 3.

This is a risk, there is no doubt about it. Not all of these young guys have worked. Even the ones that did work eventually took a long time to start rolling. However, when guys are hired this young it is often because they are super impressive and talented. Blake Butera seems to fit that mold. Hopefully he can become the next Sparky Anderson or AJ Hinch.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ake-butera-recent-history-mlb-managers-in-30s

 

[Washington Nationals]

A love letter to my favorite player of all time Max Scherzer

My favorite player of all time is taking the ball tonight for Game 7 of the World Series. That of course is Max Scherzer. I am nervous for him because he obviously is not what he once was at 41 years old. However, he still has that competitive hunger that made him my favorite player a decade ago.

Max Scherzer is one of those players you cannot miss. Between the different colored eyes and his insanely intense demeanor, Max Scherzer sticks out like a sore thumb. Your eyes just are just drawn towards him. Scherzer is everything you want from your ace, and that is something Nationals fans learned quickly.

When Max Scherzer was signed, I was not a child, but I was still young at 14 years old when he threw his first pitch. So Scherzer was not my childhood hero, more like a hero of my adolescence. Mad Max was just an absolute titan. Whenever he took the mound, you knew there was a chance magic could happen.

Whenever he got through two or three innings without a hit, you always thought that this could be one of those special nights. Oftentimes it was a special night, whether it was a double-digit strikeout performance, a complete game, or even a no hitter. There was always magic in the air on Scherzday.

As he takes the mound for what could be the final time, I just wanted to write about some of my favorite Scherzer memories. There are so many and some that I might not even remember off the top of my head. I will go over my favorite moments though.

The one game that epitomized Max Scherzer the most was in 2019 when he pitched with a broken nose. A day before his start, Scherzer was taking batting practice when he bunted a ball directly off his face. He was a bloody mess with a broken nose and an eye that was extremely swollen.

It was a start in the middle of the season for a guy who had won three Cy Young’s in his career. Nobody would blame Max if he had to miss a start or two. After all, he had just broken his nose. Max Scherzer is built different though.

The next day Scherzer gave us a masterpiece. Amped up, Mad Max was throwing harder than normal and giving us some crazy grunts. The swelling around his eye was just jiggling around after every pitch. It was an absolute spectacle and the crowd was loving it.

PHL @ WSH
June 19, 2019

Max Scherzer Ks 10 with a broken nose and black eye pic.twitter.com/InX3zoYgSw

— Paul Toboni Believer (@Nats_HRs) January 4, 2024

Scherzer would throw seven scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters. He led the Nats to a win in a time of the season where they desperately needed them. The Nats were clawing back from their infamous 19-31 start, so they needed every win they could get. Scherzer stepped up and delivered with a battered face. That is just the kind of competitor Mad Max was and still is.

While he is long in the tooth these days, you still see the fire. He gave Blue Jays fans a taste of one of his signature moves in the ALCS. Scherzer was an out away from finishing the 5th inning, when the Jays manager John Schneider came out to the mound. Mad Max was having none of it and ran Schneider off his mound. That moment brought me back to the good old days.

Max Scherzer does NOT want to leave this game. pic.twitter.com/Yip0331WWw

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 17, 2025

That is one of my favorite things about Max. He is like a predator on the mound and the batters are his prey. When he is really rolling, Scherzer would stalk around the back of the mound when he got outs. As he got deeper into the game, he would stalk further away from the mound. Scherzer just has the best mound presence in MLB history for me.

However, that does not matter much if you are not elite, and boy was Max Scherzer elite. When he signed for mega money with the Nats, it raised a lot of eyebrows. The contract was seen as an overpay at the time. However, Mad Max quickly silenced the doubters.

His first season in DC might be the most memorable one. Scherzer had the best two start run in MLB history against the Brewers and the Pirates. Against Milwaukee, Scherzer flirted with a no-hitter, but came up short, allowing a bloop hit to Carlos Gomez. However, he did fire a 16 strikeout complete game in an absurdly dominant performance.

He out-did himself in his next start though. Against the Pirates, he did pull off a no-hitter. However, it was probably the biggest let down of a no-no ever. Mad Max was one strike away from a perfect game before the gutless Jose Tabata leaned into a pitch that would not have hit him. It was a massive disappointment, seeing how rare perfect games are. Scherzer bounced back and retired the next guy to get his no-no though.

This was not his last no-hitter of the season though. The next one came on the last Scherzday of 2015. It was a let down of a season and the vibes were low. The Nats surprisingly missed the playoffs and the biggest story about the team at the time was the infamous Jonathan Papelbon choking incident.

I remember following this game on my phone at a party. At that party, I was just standing in the corner on my phone watching Max go to work. He was just mowing down Mets hitters. Scherzer struck out 9 Mets in a row.

Good morning, Nats Central

10 years ago today, Max Scherzer threw his second no hitter in the same year against the New York Mets

He had 17 strikeouts in this game pic.twitter.com/FgV1bL7OLS

— Kev (@klwoodjr) October 3, 2025

The only base runner that night came on a Yunel Escobar error. In an absurdly dominant start, Scherzer got his second no-hitter of the season. He really could have had two perfect games if it weren’t for a couple things outside of his control.

The last great Mad Max moment I want to talk about is the 20 strikeout game. While no-hitters are awesome, the 20 strikeout game is even more rare. Scherzer’s master class against the Tigers is actually the most recent one.

This felt different than the no-hitters because the game was on a knife’s edge. Scherzer gave up a couple of his typical solo home runs. The game was 3-2 in the 9th, and we had a real chance of losing. Scherzer actually got his 20th strikeout with one batter left, so he had time to get the record. However, the last batter got an out in play. Even when he makes history, Scherzer was so good he left you thinking he could have done more.

8 years ago today, Max Scherzer tied the MLB record with 20 strikeouts in a game!

(MLB x @NewYorkLife) pic.twitter.com/edFVrTqhYz

— MLB (@MLB) May 11, 2024

All of these moments are why I am rooting so hard for Mad Max tonight. You never want to see your heroes fail and get mocked. He is my favorite player. When I pitched, I wanted to be like Mad Max on the mound. He was the man and I idolized him.

The fastball is not what it used to be and he makes more mistakes, but he still has that fire in the belly. Against an intimidating Dodgers lineup, how far can that moxy take him. Hopefully it is good enough to get the job done. Put on that superman cape one more time Mad Max!

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87165/a-love-letter-to-favorite-player-all-time-max-scherzer

 

[Washington Nationals]

An update on Washington Nationals prospects in the Arizona Fall League

It has been a couple weeks since we have caught up on the Arizona Fall League, so I thought it was time to give some updates. The Nationals have actually had a few stand out performers down in Arizona. We have talked about Seaver King, but there are some other players having big impacts.

The first guy I want to talk about is one of my favorite prospects in the organization, Sam Petersen. He was an 8th round pick out of Iowa in 2024. Despite the lesser pedigree, he was the most productive Nat from the 2024 class. He hit .310 with a .905 OPS in 57 games this year. Petersen was sent to the AFL to get more games in because he was injured for a lot of the season.

Petersen has gotten his reps and has been dominant. He is hitting .341 with a 1.083 OPS in 12 AFL games. Petersen is coming off a 4/4 game where he doubled and homered. All this kid has done is hit in his professional career. Right now, MLB Pipeline has him as the 24th ranked Nationals prospect, but I would have him at least 10 spots higher than that.

Halloween homer!

Sam Petersen (WSH No. 24) hits an opposite field home run to give Scottsdale the lead in the third. pic.twitter.com/9o60Z45XRB

— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) October 31, 2025

If Petersen can stay healthy in 2026, his stock should explode. The Nats have a ton of outfield talent, and Sam Petersen is just the next in that assembly line. He has a very well rounded game with power, speed and contact ability. There is not a whole lot this kid cannot do. I am excited to follow him in 2026.

However, the biggest breakout star of the AFL for the Nats is a more familiar name in Seaver King. The former 10th overall pick had a massively disappointing first full pro season, finishing the year with an OPS of .631. Trey Yesavage, who was picked after him becoming a World Series star, has not helped matters either.

King has done a nice job rebuilding his stock in Arizona though. Like Petersen, King has posted a 1.083 OPS, but he has played 14 games. Seaver King is hitting .377 and leads the league with 24 RBI’s. He is spraying the ball all around the yard and looks like the guy the Nats drafted out of Wake Forest.

Here is that Seaver King Triple from last night… flying. pic.twitter.com/MO7qW60sd8

— Nationals Source (@NationalsSource) October 31, 2025

King still has a lot to prove to come close to justifying his selection. The AFL is a hitter friendly league, but it is still nice to see him mashing. He will need to do it in real Minor League games, but it is nice to see him hitting. Hopefully he can have a bounce back year in 2026.

On the pitching side of things, the star of the show has been Jake Bennett. He was the best pitching prospect the Nats sent, and he has shown why. Do not be fooled by his 5.40 ERA, Bennett has thrown the ball well.

He has struck out 22 batters and has only walked four in Arizona. A lack of strikeout stuff was a question mark for Bennett this year, but he has shown it in Arizona. Bennett has a deep arsenal of pitches that he commands well. His fastball sits at 93-95 MPH and he has a really good changeup to go with it. Bennett can also land a variety of decent breaking balls.

Another name I'm watching at AFL is Nationals starter Jake Bennett. The 6'6" lefty has shown off some serious swing and miss stuff over 2 starts, striking out 13 in 8 innings and generating 11 whiffs of 27 swings.

More at https://t.co/XOZ1TPZhQg pic.twitter.com/WOEGllk0h2

— Prospect Savant (@ProspectSavant) October 16, 2025

The Nats will have to make a decision on whether they want to protect Bennett from the Rule 5 draft. Despite not pitching above AA, he should obviously be protected. He is close to big league ready and would be claimed if he went unprotected. If he stays healthy, I am pretty confident that Bennett will be throwing in the MLB next season.

Another notable name in the AFL is Nats second round pick from 2025 Ethan Petry. He is actually the only 2025 draftee in the league. Petry has held his own, with an OPS around .800. However, a lot of that has come from him taking a ton of walks.

The Nats big guns have had a successful stint in Arizona. That is nice to see after a shaky year on the farm. Improving this farm will be a big priority for Paul Toboni. He has set out to create a scouting and player development monster. That starts in the Minor Leagues.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...on-nationals-prospects-in-arizona-fall-league

 

[Washington Nationals]

A guide to the offseason calendar for Washington Nationals fans

After an insane Game 7 of the World Series, fans’ attention now turns to MLB offseason. With that in mind, I wanted to do a little bit of an offseason primer just to talk about some of the important dates. This tweet actually does a good job listing off some of the dates, but I will walk you through some of them.

MLB Offseason Dates

11/6 Option decision deadline

11/7 Free agents can sign

11/10-13 GM Meetings

11/18 Qualifying Offer deadline

11/18-20 Owners Meetings

11/21 Non-Tender Deadline

12/4 Draft Lottery

12/8-11 Winter Meetings

12/10 Rule 5 Draft

Keep going for 2026

— M00NL1GHT (@MoonlightMLB) November 2, 2025

It is not listed here, but the trade market is actually open now. If Paul Toboni wanted to, he could make a trade right this second. There are some big moves he could consider. On the MLB Trade Rumors trade board, MacKenzie Gore is actually the number one name on the list.

With just two years of control, including one in a season that has the potential to be shortened by a lockout, a Gore trade makes some sense. If Paul Toboni does not think the Nats can compete or re-sign Gore in the next couple of years, trading Gore is a logical move. CJ Abrams is 23rd on the trade board, but that move seems much less likely.

Another important date is November 7th. That is when free agents can officially sign. Unlike other sports, there is not a frenzy of signings on the first day of free agency. These deals tend to drag out over months. Most of these guys sign sometime from early December to early February.

One thing Paul Toboni has to be looking forward to is his first ever GM Meetings as a boss of a franchise. The GM Meetings are in Vegas from November 10th to the 13th. In those meetings, the top executives around the league lay the groundwork for potential trades and discuss rule changes as well.

Later in November, the owners have their meeting in New York from November 18th to the 20th. They will discuss baseball related matters. With the CBA expiring after next season, those meetings will probably be pretty tense. I am sure there are some big disagreements between small and big market owners right now, especially after the Dodgers won their second straight World Series on the back of a massive spending spree.

The next day is actually an important one for Nats fans to follow. November 21st is the non-tender deadline. We actually wrote about how the Nats have a few non-tender candidates, so this is a date to keep an eye on. There could also be a flurry of trade activity around this time. Do not be surprised if we see some Nats moves around November 21st.

The next big date is December 4th. That is the draft lottery. Despite finishing 66-96, the Nats are locked into the 11th pick because they picked inside the top 10 last year and are on the top of the revenue sharing totem pole. We wrote about some of the flaws of that system a few days ago.

After that is the Winter Meetings from December 8th to the 11th. This is when all the owners and executives meet up in one place, this year it is in Orlando. A lot of the biggest moves get made during or around the Winter Meetings. In the dead of winter, this is when we get the fireworks.

On the second to last day of the meetings, we have the Rule 5 draft. If teams don’t add prospects to the 40 man roster after they have been in their system for a set amount of years, they are exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

This can be an opportunity for Paul Toboni to pick up some talent for free. However, you have to keep those players on the MLB roster for the whole year despite the fact they are often not ready for the MLB. Last year, the White Sox found Shane Smith in the Rule 5 Draft and he has been a great pickup for them.

After that, the offseason starts to slow down, but there are still plenty of signings happening after the Winter Meetings. However, there are not a ton of notable events for the rest of the offseason. Pitchers and catchers report on February 10th of 2026. Here is a fun little count down to that date.

Buckle up, because this offseason could be a massive one for the Nats and the league as a whole. Sure, the season is over, but baseball never sleeps. There is always something going on. People will be signing, players will be traded and there will be a lot of important meetings. Get ready for the offseason because there could be some big fireworks.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-offseason-calendar-washington-nationals-fans

 

[Washington Nationals]

Six years ago the Washington Nationals won the World Series

The Washington Nationals are truly starting over. Today, they hired 33 year old Blake Butera to replace Davey Martinez as the club’s manager. However, things were a lot different six years ago. On this day in 2019, the Nationals reached the top of the baseball mountain. They won their first ever World Series in a thrilling Game 7.

6 years ago today, Nats fans stood in front of their TVs in awe that they actually did it

What a feeling

We will be back pic.twitter.com/ce5w4arGtH

— Kev (@klwoodjr) October 30, 2025

Against all odds, the 2019 Nationals got it done. From 19-31 to a World Series title. October 30th, 2019 was the day that Nationals baseball peaked. It has been rough since, but that one day makes all of this rebuilding easier to stomach.

Heading into that Game 7, the Nationals were underdogs like they had been all season long. The Astros were seen as one of the best teams of the decade. They had 3 Hall of Famers in their rotation and one of the deepest lineups in MLB history. Sure, the Nats had fought valiantly to force a 7th game, but the mighty Astros were surely going to finish the job.

They were at home and had Zack Greinke on the mound. The Nats also had their ace pitching in Max Scherzer. However, he was not 100%. A few days prior, the Nats ace was scratched from his Game 5 start after waking up with extreme neck pain.

Scherzer was healthy enough to pitch in the winner-take-all game. However, his start was bumpy. The Astros put a ton of pressure on him and crowded the bases for all 5 innings of his start. As a crafty veteran, Scherzer was able to get out of most of those jams. He gave up a solo homer to Yuli Gurriel and gave up a run in the 5th inning, but he limited the damage.

The future Hall of Famer did not have his best stuff at all, but he was able to weather the storm against an elite lineup. Performing without your best stuff is the sign of a truly elite pitcher. When pitchers are on their A game, plenty of them can have great starts, but surviving when you don’t have it is what makes elite pitchers elite. Max Scherzer did just that on the biggest stage against a truly elite offense.

Despite Scherzer’s gutsy effort, he was not getting any help from his offense. While Scherzer did not have his A game, Greinke did. He was just carving up the Nats lineup with ease. The command and sequencing Greinke had that night was truly special. As an older player, Greinke did not have big time velocity anymore, but he knew how to pitch.

He was getting so many ground balls that night, especially back to himself. The amount of ground balls to the pitcher that game was just ridiculous. Through six innings, Greinke looked untouchable. He had only allowed one hit and one walk. It was getting demoralizing because it looked like Greinke could do it all night.

As we know now, the dam broke in that 7th inning. The first guy to come through was a player who was so clutch that entire postseason in Anthony Rendon. As he had done so many times, he delivered and hit a solo home run to give the Nationals a jolt of life.

After Greinke walked Juan Soto, AJ Hinch had seen enough. He pulled the trigger and went to his bullpen. It was a quick hook that cost the Astros. While Will Harris had been reliable for them in the playoffs, he was used heavily and beginning to wear down. However, Hinch trusted his guy with a run of right handed hitters coming. The first guy he was tasked with facing was Howie Kendrick.

After an Achilles tear in 2018, Kendrick’s career looked to be in jeopardy. He was in his mid-30’s and coming off a major injury. However, he bounced back and had the best offensive season of his career. He had already come up clutch in the NLDS, launching the series deciding grand slam in game 5.

The grizzled vet came through again, with the most famous doink in Nats history. On an outside cutter, Kendrick launched it the other way and nailed the foul pole for a two run homer. He went nuts as he rounded the bases and celebrated with the joy of a child in the dugout. It was a truly beautiful moment I will never forget.

Howie Kendrick • 10/30/2019
Postseason pic.twitter.com/KpaBcpRQbN

— MLB Dingers (@dailymlbdingers) July 8, 2025

Of course, the Nats were not out of the woods yet. They still had to deal with the mighty Astros lineup and add some insurance runs. The Nats $140 million man Patrick Corbin took care of the lineup. Corbin tossed the three biggest scoreless innings of his life.

Offensively, the Nats exposed a shaky Astros bullpen, scoring one run in the 8th and two runs in the top of the 9th. Now with a four run lead, the finish line was in sight in the bottom of the 9th. The Nats were now ready to turn to their closer Daniel Hudson.

Like so many players on the Nats, Daniel Hudson’s road to this moment was not straight-forward. After a great season as a starter in 2011, Hudson was either hurt or mediocre at best from 2012-2018. However, something changed in 2019. After a strong start to the season with the Blue Jays, the 32 year old Hudson was traded to fix a leaky Nats bullpen.

He did just that and gave the Nats a solid back end of the bullpen alongside Sean Doolittle. Now was Hudson’s chance to close the show. He did just that, carving through the top of the Astros lineup like butter, with a pop up and two strike outs.

After finishing off Michael Brantley with a 3-2 slider, Hudson fired his glove in the air in celebration as the Nats came charging towards him. They had done it, the Washington Nationals had won the World Series. The Nats magic carpet ride of a season ended with the ultimate glory.

That day feels like yesterday, but also a million years ago. So much has changed in the last six years. Nobody from that team remains and the Nats have struggled to find an identity post-2019. Hopefully Paul Toboni and Blake Butera can change that because I miss winning baseball in DC. It was such a fun season and October 30th, 2019 is a day I will never forget as long as I live.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ars-ago-washington-nationals-won-world-series

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals MacKenzie Gore on the top of trade boards

One of the biggest discussions this offseason will be whether the Washington Nationals trade MacKenzie Gore. After not being dealt despite his name being in the rumor mill, MacKenzie Gore’s name is at the center of trade discussions again. MLB Trade Rumors put Gore at number 1 on their list of 40 potential trade candidates.

ICYMI: MLBTR's Top 40 trade candidates list has been published, with a #Nationals star at the top:https://t.co/fDE4vZGoNx pic.twitter.com/x2ctO0KDhf

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 2, 2025

Here we will discuss why Gore’s name is in the rumor mill and why a trade this offseason feels likely. Despite seeming like a young player, the service clock is ticking for MacKenzie Gore. He only has two years of team control remaining before becoming a free agent. With the Nationals retooling their rebuild and the 2027 season being in doubt due to a potential work stoppage, there is doubt around Gore’s future.

Will the Nats be competitive in 2026 or 2027, or will potential young pieces from a Gore trade be more useful for the team long term? In your heart of hearts, do you think this team will be competing for anything more than a third wild card spot while Gore is under team control because I do not. This conversation is why Gore’s name is in the rumor mill.

When Paul Toboni talked to the media, he put a heavy emphasis on creating a scouting and player development monster. His tone sounded very long term focused, rather than a guy who wanted to win games as quickly as possible. Trading Gore could be a good long term move.

An extension for Gore is unlikely given his agent. If you do not know, MacKenzie Gore is a Scott Boras client. It is very rare for a Boras client to sign an extension before testing free agency. Stephen Strasburg actually overruled Boras to sign a contract in DC when he got his first extension. However, that is rare and the Nats actually had a winning culture back then. There is no reason for Gore to go to Boras and say I want to be in DC. With how the last few years have gone, why should he.

One thing that could complicate things is how much pitching is on the market this offseason. True aces like Tarik Skubal, Freddie Peralta, Hunter Greene and Joe Ryan could be on the market. Gore has not shown the consistency of those guys across a full season, so he would be a third or fourth choice for many teams.

According to @alexspeier here are some of the Starting Pitchers who could be available via trade this offseason:

-Tarik Skubal
-Joe Ryan
-Sandy Alcantara
-Hunter Greene
-MacKenzie Gore
-Sonny Gray

(@RafaelaEnjoyer Hunter Greene) pic.twitter.com/WC8AMoB72p

— Matthew Crory (@matthewcrory) October 20, 2025

Gore has a tendency to fall off in the second half of seasons. This year, he posted a 3.02 ERA in the first half, which led him to an All-Star berth. However, after a brutal second half, his ERA ballooned to 4.17 for the season. If teams are not confident that Gore can solve these long standing second half issues, they won’t trade a haul for him.

With this in mind, Toboni could hold on to Gore until the trade deadline, or trade him in June. Gore’s value often peaks early in the season, so there could be a chance to sell high. However, if you do that, you run the risk of Gore getting hurt and not getting any value for him.

If you can get a top 100 prospect as well as a couple solid secondary prospects, you have to pull the trigger. Gore was supposed to be the true ace for this team moving forward, but he has not become that and time is ticking before he becomes a free agent. It is no surprise that he is number 1 on this list.

If I were a betting man, I would say that MacKenzie Gore has probably thrown his last pitch as a National. The highs were very high, but we never quite got the consistency we wanted out of Gore. Another team could get that out of him, but the Nats can’t afford to let him march closer and closer to free agency.

For teams that could get him, the Red Sox are a team to watch. They have a deep farm system that Paul Toboni knows very well. He not only knows who the top guys are, but he also knows where the hidden gems lie. The Cubs were a team attached with Gore at the deadline, and could come back in for him.

Sure, it may be demoralizing, but it is time to accept that the Nationals need to reboot their rebuild. Hopefully Gore is the only core piece they have to move. It would be a shame if this team can’t get their act together by the end of the decade. I miss the Nats being a competitive team. While trading Gore appears to be a step away from that, I think it is one of those steps back that is actually two steps forward in the long term if the return is good.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/nat...ton-nationals-mackenzie-gore-top-trade-boards

 

[Washington Nationals]

Blake Butera and the Washington Nationals need to bring in an experienced bench coach

If you missed it, the Washington Nationals hired 33 year old Blake Butera to be their next manager. He will be the youngest manager in over 5o years. This is a bold hire and a move that I like. However, for this to work, the Nationals need to put experience around their young manager.

The Nationals plan to hire Blake Butera, who will be the youngest MLB manager since 1972.

In 2018, Butera was just 25 when he took the helm for the Hudson Valley Renegades: https://t.co/SknzU1W4oV pic.twitter.com/ZgdlSPgz0x

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 30, 2025

Bringing youth into the dugout is a smart move from Paul Toboni. Over the last couple years, things had gotten stale under Davey Martinez and his staff. Both Martinez, as well as his hitting and pitching coaches were in their 60’s. You definitely got the vibe that those guys were dinosaurs in the modern game. We are not going to get that vibe with Butera.

However, bringing in a manager this young presents a new set of issues. One of the biggest ones is the fact that these young managers don’t know how to operate in a big league clubhouse. That certainly applies to Butera.

While he has plenty of experience in the Minor Leagues and in the front office, Butera has never worked in a Major League dugout. That will be a new experience for him. Being the boss of big league players is going to be new for the 33 year old, who may be younger than some of the players on the roster.

Butera will have to earn the trust of the clubhouse, especially the veteran players. Luckily, the Nats are a young team, so the players and managers will be able to grow together. However, he will still have to earn their trust.

The one hire Butera has to nail in order to do that is the bench coach. A bench coach is the manager’s right hand man. They sit right next to the manager on the bench and when the manager gets ejected, it is the bench coach that takes over. There is a reason a lot of managerial hires are just sitting bench coaches.

For Butera, he is going to have to bring an experienced guy with him to the position. The Locked on Nationals podcast touched on this and actually brought up a few really good names. They talked about how it should either be a guy who has been a manager before or has been a bench coach for a long time. I agree with that sentiment.

11.3.25 Locked On Nationals is LIVE!

️The unique background of Blake Butera and the expectations surrounding him
️Outside the box thinking from Paul Toboni & Blake Butera
️Change the way teams hire managers?
️Butera needs someone with experience https://t.co/BWGL1bs3hp pic.twitter.com/6ClmFXUXAt

— Locked On Nationals Podcast (@LO_Nationals) November 3, 2025

A couple guys that stick out to me are David Ross and Brandon Hyde. Ross would probably be my favorite. He has seen it all both as a player and as a manager. Ross was a beloved catcher on World Series teams in Boston and Chicago. Only a few years after retiring, Ross jumped into management. He coached the Cubs from 2020-2023.

Ross is also a name with a lot of cache around the league. He is one of those guys who just demands respect. The 48 year old also knows what it is like to be a manager, as well as a player. He would do a great job creating a culture and furthering Butera’s vision.

Brandon Hyde is another guy I would call. The Nats interviewed him for the managerial job, but he did not get it. It does not look like Hyde will get back into management this season. Having worked for the Orioles for many years, he knows what it takes to dig out of a rebuild.

With that managerial experience with a young team, Hyde would be a great resource for Butera. He also knows what it is like to work with an analytics heavy organization, having done it in Baltimore. If Hyde has the itch to work right away, he would be a great hire.

I love that the Nationals have gone young with their hires so far. However, they need to balance things out with experience and some older heads. The Nationals desperately needed young voices with new ideas and they got them. Now it is time to support those guys with some experienced figures.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...-nationals-need-bring-experienced-bench-coach