News Nationals Team Notes

[Washington Nationals]

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

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

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

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 10, 2025

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

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

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

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

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) November 10, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

The 2021 Trade Deadline set the Washington Nationals back years

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

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

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

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

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) February 26, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

Nats 2021 Trade Deadline is Funny to look back on

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

— Phill (@MeekPhill_) June 28, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals make Reds Simon Mathews new pitching coach

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

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

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 11, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 11, 2025

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

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

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

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

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

The Untouchables

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

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

RHP Jacob Misiorowski (Current Level: MLB)

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

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

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

The Likely Headliners

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

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

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

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

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

The Best Arms Available

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

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

RHP Chad Patrick (Current Level: MLB)

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

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

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

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

My Guilty Pleasure Prospects

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

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

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

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

Mock Trade

Nationals Send:

LHP MacKenzie Gore

Brewers Send:

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

RHP Logan Henderson (#4)

3B/1B Andrew Fischer (#6)

LHP Robert Gasser (#18)

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

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Nationals Source (@NationalsSource) November 11, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

— Bobby Blanco (@Bobby_Blanco) November 11, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

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

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

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

Willi Castro is #AllStarGame bound!

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

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

— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2024

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

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

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

In 2024 Willi Castro has started:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2025

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

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals starting rotation is full of uncertainty

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

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

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

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

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) November 12, 2025

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

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

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

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

— Kev (@klwoodjr) November 13, 2025

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

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

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

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

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 13, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals are searching for the Fountain of Youth

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

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

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

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) November 12, 2025

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

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

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

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

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 30, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) November 9, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Nationals Are Actively Exploring The Catching Trade Market, But Do They Have The Firepower To Make A Move?

The GM meetings are underway in Las Vegas currently, and teams are making and taking calls on all sorts of players and positions of need. In the Nationals case, they have been looking to add to the organization’s catching depth, according to Jim Bowden, and are actively making calls about it, along with the Rays, Padres, Astros, Brewers, and Rangers.

According to Bowden, there are 4 teams receiving the most calls and texts from catching needy teams. The first is the Orioles about their star backstop Adley Rutschman, whose numbers have dipped in the past 2 seasons after being one of the best catchers in his first 2 seasons. The Mariners are receiving a healthy amount of calls about their top catching prospect, Harry Ford, who is blocked by Cal Raleigh in their system.

The White Sox are receiving calls about their rookie catcher Edgar Quero, who split reps and was largely outperformed by Kyle Teel, their other highly touted catching prospect, this season. The fourth team receiving calls about catching is the Royals about top catching prospect Blake Mitchell, who is blocked by Carter Jansen in their system.

One of the choices I was interested to see Toboni make was how he would approach the Nationals catching situation, either sticking with Ruiz as the starter or exploring external options, and it seems the latter is his choice, at least looking to find an option to take the reins in the next few years. While rumors are just that, rumors, and nothing may come of these phone calls, it’s exciting to see the front office getting active early in the offseason to improve the ballclub.

The big question on my mind, and I’m getting on many fans’ minds as well, is whether the Nationals really have the prospect firepower to make a trade like this? All 4 catchers mentioned by Jim Bowden as potentially being on the move are either established big leaguers or top prospects, meaning any of them would require more than just farm system depth pieces to acquire.

Let’s take Harry Ford of the Mariners, for example. While he is blocked at his natural position by Cal Raleigh, thus making him a likely trade chip, he is also a consensus top 100, perhaps even top 50, prospect in the sport, and the Mariners likely want big league assets in return, not other prospects. If that’s the case, CJ Abrams comes to mind, as there have been rumors about the Nats potentially moving the shortstop this offseason, and the Mariners have holes at both positions up the middle.

Another name worth considering, however, is Brady House, as he was a similarly ranked prospect as Ford before his graduation and plays a position of need for the Mariners currently. House’s value likely falls a little short of Ford’s, but prospect depth could be used to finish off that deal, whereas it wouldn’t be possible without a real big league headliner in the deal.

The cheapest option of the 4 would be Edgar Quero of the White Sox, who was a backend top 100 prospect before graduation, posted -0.2 fWAR in 111 games in his rookie season, and is blocked long-term at catcher by Kyle Teel with the White Sox. The White Sox are also in the midst of a rebuild and would not be as hard-pressed for big league assets in return, meaning Abrams is likely safe in this scenario.

Brady House comes to mind again in this proposal; however, this could much more likely be a 1-for-1 trade than with Ford. Ideally, the Nats can dip into some of their shortstop depth for a deal like this, as there isn’t a real long-term solution behind House if he were to be dealt.

Overall, I am excited to see Paul Toboni and his staff already getting to work on fixing the holes in the big league ballclub, as well as building to the overall depth of the organization. While the 4 catchers mentioned above are certainly potential candidates to catch for the Nationals next season, keep an open mind as more options may become available on the trade market, and perhaps Toboni may even decide to go the free agent or internal route.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...trade-market-do-they-have-firepower-make-move

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals should not trade CJ Abrams, at least not yet

In the last couple of days, there has been some buzz about a potential CJ Abrams trade. It has not been as loud as the smoke around MacKenzie Gore, but it is out there. Yesterday, MLB Trade Rumors put out a story on finding a match for an Abrams trade, and it got people talking.

Looking For A Match In A CJ Abrams Trade https://t.co/DqpDuKAwN2 pic.twitter.com/nBn0iIBZEA

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 13, 2025

With the Nationals likely to reboot their rebuild, it makes sense that Abrams name is out there. At 25 years old, with three years of team control, he would certainly be an attractive trade piece. However, he is also a valuable piece for the Nats. I think the Nats should be trying to extend him rather than move him.

Unlike Gore, Abrams is not represented by Scott Boras, making an extension more feasible. While Abrams is a flawed player, he is a quality starter with room to grow. The Nationals need to be in the business of keeping quality players around if they can. With Abrams, I think you can keep him around.

However, this trade smoke was not just made up by MLB Trade Rumors. Late last month, Jeff Passan reported that teams have been calling about both Gore and Abrams. While Gore is the more likely of the two to be moved, an Abrams trade is certainly not impossible.

According to Jeff Passan, MLB teams are discussing inquiring about MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams pic.twitter.com/8Tjx0AVCh6

— Kev (@klwoodjr) October 30, 2025

If Paul Toboni truly wants to rebuild the rebuild, it would be something to consider. Abrams is a strange player. He put up over 3 WAR last season, but has some major flaws. Abrams is a bad defensive shortstop, who will probably move off the position at some point. A team trading for him will likely see him as a second baseman or even an outfielder.

Abrams is also a very streaky player. In each of the last two seasons, Abrams has been an All-Star caliber player in the first half before falling off dramatically in the second half. This has been an issue that has plagued a number of Nats players, so I blame a lot of those issues on the coaching staff and the losing culture.

If I were Paul Toboni, I would want to keep Abrams around and try to unlock his potential. Toboni has said on a number of occasions that the Nats young players have another gear to hit. Abrams is one of those guys and I want to see him hit that next gear. If we can see first half CJ for a full season, that is a super exciting player.

Abrams has the talent to be a 25 home run, 40 stolen base guy, while posting an OPS over .800. We have seen him be that guy for long stretches, it is all about consistency. Unlike Gore, there is no reason to rush trading him. With three years of control, his value will not depreciate a whole lot over the next year. There is also not the same injury risk with a position player.

Paul Toboni should be actively talking to Abrams agents though. A 7 or 8 year offer paying him about $125 million would be fair for both sides in my opinion. Abrams can easily grow into that deal with his bat and his speed. It is big money, but not a mega-deal compared to other extensions.

However, we keep seeing reports about Abrams potentially being on the trade market. In an article Yesterday, Spencer Nusbaum of the Washington Post hinted at a potential Abrams move as well. Paul Toboni is not tied to Abrams the same way the old regime was, so it is possible.

From Vegas: What we know (and what Nationals POBO Paul Toboni said) about MacKenzie Gore, the pace of the offseason, payroll and extension conversations:https://t.co/LEvfEl5Jpx

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 12, 2025

I would not trade Abrams though, at least not this offseason. He should be a player that Paul Toboni tries to develop and help hit another gear. However, if the Nats get off to a slow start and Abrams stagnates, it could be time to reassess matters. Abrams has become one of the faces of the team, so losing him would be a gut punch.

It would be understandable though. If he made that move, Paul Toboni would clearly be telling the world that the old rebuild was truly a failure. Trying to make it work with Abrams would be my preference, but after the way 2025 went down, I am open to anything.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/nat...gton-nationals-should-not-trade-cj-abrams-yet

 

[Washington Nationals]

How will the Washington Nationals overhaul their bullpen?

The Nationals had a lot of weaknesses in 2025, but none were worse than the bullpen. They had the worst bullpen ERA in baseball at 5.59, and it was not even close. There were actually a couple of points where the unit looked alright, but as a whole, it was a dumpster fire. Major changes will be needed to make this even an average bullpen.

So how will Paul Toboni rebuild this bullpen? We are going to find out soon, but let’s start with some guys who will likely return. For my money, Jose A. Ferrer, Clayton Beeter, Cole Henry and PJ Poulin are likely to be back in the Nats bullpen. Beyond that, there are a ton of open spots and uncertainty. Brad Lord will be in the bullpen if he is not in the rotation as well.

However, those are the only guys who really proved themselves in 2025. Among those guys, Ferrer is the crown jewel. Despite a 4.48 ERA, Ferrer has high end stuff and got unlucky. With better infield defense around him, the ground ball heavy lefty could see his ERA nose dive.

“There’s no doubt he figures into the 2026 relief picture.”

Jose A. Ferrer will enter 2026 aiming to build on his late-inning success and prove he can handle the closer role full time. https://t.co/qTeH2tfHOl pic.twitter.com/xP6hgHnLJH

— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) October 27, 2025

Even with those guys, the Nats need a lot of new arms. Before getting into a couple free agents, I wanted to take a look at a lesser discussed avenue for talent in the Rule 5 draft. Every year, there are productive relief pitchers exposed to the draft, but the Nats have been unable to find them. Evan Reifert and Thad Ward were misses over the past couple of years.

However, the Red Sox have found some gems in the Rule 5 draft the past few years while Toboni was with them. Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock are two productive relief arms the Red Sox have found in the Rule 5 draft. Here is a list of names that will need to be protected for this year’s Rule 5 draft.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the fun part, exploring free agency. We have talked about a few names already, and submariner Tyler Rogers is a name I keep coming back to. However, there are a couple more names that have recently hit the free agent market that intrigue me.

The first one is Pete Fairbanks of the Rays. The frugal Rays declined Fairbanks’ $11 million team option despite his strong results. He has been the Rays closer for a few years now and he has been one of the better ones in the sport. Last season, Fairbanks saved 27 games while posting a sub-3 ERA.

2: Pete Fairbanks, RP
Projected Contract – 2 years, $16M

Early word is that the Cubs will not be involved in top free agent relievers.

Fairbanks won’t require top of the line money, even after coming off of a great season in Tampa Bay. pic.twitter.com/pBXo7dlS5B

— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) November 14, 2025

He is your typical flame throwing closer. His fastball averages over 97 MPH and he pairs that with a wipeout slider. Over the past couple of years, he has become more of a pitch to contact guy, but he has still gotten good results.

His slider is one of the best pitches in the sport. Over the last three seasons, batters have hit .178, .158 and .173 against Fairbanks’ slider. Talk about an elite pitch. If he came to DC, Fairbanks would immediately become the closer. He also would not cost a fortune. My guess is that he would sign a 2 or 3 year deal around $10 million per year.

The next guy I want to talk about is much more under the radar. After struggling for a few years in Colorado, Tyler Kinley immediately became a much better pitcher after escaping Coors Field. Kinley posted a 0.72 ERA in 24 appearances with the Braves after a midseason trade.

RHP Tyler Kinley became a free agent yesterday and he is someone the Cubs should look at.

2025: 72.2 IP | 3.96 ERA | 1.18 WHIP | 73 K

Metrics suggest he pitched better than the numbers show (49 games with the Rockies defense).

Spotrac Market Value: $2.8M pic.twitter.com/ijmM3xEQSh

— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) November 7, 2025

Kinley’s success after leaving Colorado makes a ton of sense. His primary pitch is his slider, which was neutered by the Denver altitude. He threw the slider 64% of the time in 2025. Once he got to Atlanta, he threw the pitch over 70% of the time.

Despite the success, the Braves did not pick up his $5.5 million team option, making him a free agent. At 34, Kinley will probably get a cheap one-year deal, which I think the Nats should be all over. It would be a much better bet than the likes of Lucas Sims and Jorge Lopez.

We saw the Braves take a struggling spin heavy pitcher out of Coors and make him a productive reliever for multiple seasons. Ironically, Pierce Johnson, who I was referring to, is also a free agent. Johnson posted a 2.91 ERA in 147 outings for the Braves. Kinley is another Coors refugee who I think could have a nice career revival.

There are plenty of relief names on the market. We broke down a few other options a couple weeks ago. There is no shortage of choices, but Paul Toboni needs to get it right. We saw what happens when you pick the wrong free agent relievers last season. It can derail a season very quickly.

Mike Rizzo was good at building bullpens midseason, but he often had to clean up his own mess. Hopefully Paul Toboni can nail these additions in the offseason. There are a few solid bullpen arms in house already. With a few shrewd pickups, the Nats bullpen can be respectable again in 2026.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87419/how-will-washington-nationals-overhaul-bullpen

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals bring back old farmhand in first of many Minor League signings

The Washington Nationals have made their first free agent signing of the offseason, bringing in Eddy Yean on a Minor League deal. It is far from a big splash, but it interests me for a couple of reasons. For one, Yean has an interesting back story and history with the organization. Also, this should be the first of a flurry of Minor League deals.

The Washington Nationals signed Dominican right-hander Eddy Yean to a minor league contract, per sources.

Yean, 24, spent all of 2025 with Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates system, posting a 3.06 ERA over 70.2 innings.

Represented by The MAS+ Agency.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) November 15, 2025

Yean has a big arm, and that is probably why Paul Toboni wanted to sign him. In AAA last year, Yean averaged 97 MPH on both his 4-seamer and his sinker. At just 24 years old, he could potentially develop into an MLB bullpen piece. Despite posting a 3.06 ERA, Yean’s strikeout and walk numbers were both poor, which is probably why the Pirates let him walk.

While he has a big fastball, he is better at getting ground balls than strikeouts. He struck out less than 7 hitters per 9 innings last season. However, he did have an elite GB rate at 55%. Yean is likely just needed Triple-A depth, but with his big arm, he may get a look at the MLB at some point.

Interestingly, this is not Yean’s first stint in the Nats organization. He was signed by the Nats out of the Dominican Republic back in 2017. Yean was actually pretty highly regarded at one point. He was part of the Josh Bell trade back in 2020. Yean was the 6th ranked prospect in a weak Nationals system.

A #Nats minor league move signing Eddy Yean. Originally a Nationals minor leaguer and traded for Josh Bell in 2020. https://t.co/QgePs49tZn

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) November 15, 2025

His time in the Pirates system was up and down, with Yean never fulfilling his promise. However, he is still only 24, so there is time and arm talent. We should see a lot of these types of signings over the next couple of months though. Hopefully a couple of these guys can become MLB contributors.

The Nationals let 34 Minor Leaguers become free agents. That is the most of any team in baseball. With that in mind, Paul Toboni is going to be looking for replacements on the far. The Nats depth in AAA has been a problem for years now. With this mass exodus, Toboni is shaking things up.

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

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 7, 2025

That is why I suspect we will see a lot of Minor League deals. The Nats need to reload their system. After all, the Rochester Red Wings still have games to play. It is very important to have guys ready to go in AAA, especially on the pitching side.

Pitchers are very volatile, due to both injuries and fluctuations in year to year performance. The Nats saw the consequences of that this past season. All of the Nats free agent relievers flamed out this season. However, they were given plenty of leash because there were no capable replacements.

Last season, the Triple-A pitching staff was a disaster. That is why Lucas Sims and Colin Poche got a month of leeway. There was nobody knocking on the door to replace them. That is also why Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker lasted the whole season. Nobody on the farm was showing enough to start, even though Parker and Irvin had disastrous seasons.

One of the big jobs Paul Toboni has is to build depth. In the future, I hope there are players waiting in the wings when guys are struggling. That kind of competitive culture brings out the best in everyone. It is also good for the organization. Eddy Yean is the first of many Minor League signings, and hopefully they can provide quality depth.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...ack-farmhand-first-many-minor-league-signings

 

[Washington Nationals]

What Washington Nationals fans hope to hear from Blake Butera

While Blake Butera was named Nationals manager over two weeks ago now, he is just having his introductory press conference today. That is due to the fact that his wife gave birth to their first child the same day he got the job. Now, a couple weeks later, Butera is ready to face the media.

The press conference is today at 1:30 PM. It will be live on MASN. Butera will be there, but so will new President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni. It will be interesting to see what he says about Butera as well. However, I have a few things I am looking to hear from Butera in particular.

Blake Butera will officially be announced as the Nats' new skipper tomorrow afternoon.

Looking ahead to other important dates on the calendar. https://t.co/hEBdA98awX

— Nationals on MASN (@masnNationals) November 16, 2025

The first one is something we are likely to hear. I want Butera to talk about how he is going to change things in DC. The reason he is being hired is to help modernize this organization, and I want to hear about how he will go about that. We know he has already hired Simon Mathews to be his pitching coach and Michael Johns as bench coach.

However, I want to hear more about what the goals are for the staff. There are still plenty of open positions, including hitting coach. That hitting coach hire will be very important. Darnell Coles has been much maligned in recent years, with fans calling for an upgrade. Now we need to see an upgrade on Coles. The Nats young core is heavy on hitters, so developing guys like James Wood, Dylan Crews, CJ Abrams, Daylen Lile and more will be key.

The second thing I want to hear about is how Butera will create a new culture. At 33 years old, he is the youngest manager in over 50 years. For Butera to be a success, he will have to show he is the boss quickly. He cannot be seen as a pushover in the clubhouse. Fans want to hear about how he will build a culture in DC. The role of a manager these days is about developing talent, but even more so, it is about building a strong culture.

With Butera being so young, there will be doubts about his ability to build that culture. This press conference is a good opportunity for him to make a strong first impression. Nationals fans have not heard him speak before, so this will really be their first time meeting him. That makes this press conference even more important than the average first managerial presser.

One other thing I would like to hear is Butera talk about bringing in some experience. The Nationals are clearly going in a young direction, which I like. However, that needs to be balanced by experience. I actually think Butera has done some of that, specifically with his hire of catching coordinator Bobby Wilson. Michael Johns is also experienced, but not the grizzled former MLB manager many wanted Butera to hire as bench coach.

To be a great manager, you have to be mindful of your blind spots. That lack of experience is a blind spot for Butera, but it is one he can work around with the right hires. Obviously, the Nats still need a hitting coach and base coaches, but I am also curious what other positions will be added to the MLB coaching staff.

Lastly, I am also curious to hear from Toboni. We heard a bit about why he hired Butera in a zoom press conference, but this will be another opportunity for him to speak on the hire. Seeing what the dynamic between Toboni and Butera is like will also be interesting. They actually did not know each other before this process, but they seem to be very aligned.

This should be a very interesting press conference for Nationals fans. We get to hear from the team’s new braintrust for the first time. I am super excited to listen to them take questions and explain their philosophy. Make sure to tune in on MASN at 1:30 PM EST this afternoon. We will also be reacting to the press conference later today.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...t-washington-nationals-hope-hear-blake-butera

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals set to retain pitching strategist Sean Doolittle

Most of the Nationals 2025 coaching staff has been let go by the new regime. However, Sean Doolittle has survived the cuts. Paul Toboni and Blake Butera have decided to keep the pitching strategist and former closer. His role has not been announced though.

Paul Toboni just told us that Sean Doolittle will remain on the staff. Exact role is TBD.

Blake Butera said he’s talked to 20+ players. Every pitcher, unsolicited, brought up how impactful Doolittle was in their careers. Also had a previous relationship w/Simon Mathews.

— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) November 17, 2025

This is an interesting move because I understand it, but it also brings up some questions. Doolittle certainly fits the new regime’s ethos. He is an analytical guy, who is also very good at building relationships. In 2024, Doolittle’s analytical voice really helped the Nationals pitching staff. Pitchers like Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz all showed major improvement.

Join the conversation!​

Sign up for a user account and get:

• Fewer ads
• Create community posts
• Comment on articles, community posts
• Rec comments, community posts
• Coming soon: New, improved notifications system!

However, that magic was gone in 2025. The pitching staff regressed heavily, posting a 5.35 ERA, the worst in team history. Even as a Sean Doolittle fan, he has to shoulder some of that blame. The team was throwing too many fastballs last season, which is a pitching strategy problem. As the pitching strategist, Doolittle has to take some heat for that. When he was a pitcher, Doolittle was extremely fastball reliant, but most pitchers do not have the kind of life on their fastballs that Doolittle had.

Despite the poor results, the players spoke very highly of Doolittle. Blake Butera said that all the pitchers mentioned how much Doolittle helped them, often unprompted. They also spoke about how much Doolittle cared about them. This new regime is very focused on relationship building, so keeping Doolittle around makes sense from that perspective.

Blake Butera's full quote on Sean Doolittle: https://t.co/f8rtser2Ik pic.twitter.com/7NSzbi4JnP

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) November 17, 2025

Another thing working in Doolittle’s favor was an existing relationship with new pitching coach Simon Mathews. The two crossed paths at the Push Performance pitching lab. Clearly, the two like each other and will be pushing in the same direction.

Doolittle is still very early in his coaching journey. He is likely to learn a few things from Mathews, as well as other people on the staff. While Doolittle is almost a decade older than Mathews, the Nats new pitching coach has been in the coaching game for longer. Mathews has also coached in a number of roles, both in an organization and in a pitching lab. Hopefully those two can help each other grow as coaches.

I am also curious as to what Doolittle’s role will be. Right now that has not been decided yet. Will he be the pitching strategist again, or will he shift to a new role? As a former closer, the bullpen coach could be a fit for Doolittle. Whatever that role is, we now know that Sean Doolittle will be sticking around in 2026.

With so much change in the organization, you need to keep some people around. Clearly Doolittle is a coach that the players trust and really respect. Having those relationships with the players is a huge part of coaching. Blake Butera talked a lot about relationship building in his press conference. Keeping a coach with an analytical mind and those great relationships makes sense, even if the results were not great last season.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...als-retain-pitching-strategist-sean-doolittle

 

[Washington Nationals]

A few former Washington Nationals make the Hall of Fame ballot

One of the highlights of the offseason is the Hall of Fame discourse. Every year a new ballot comes out and voters decide who will head to Cooperstown. This year it will be very intriguing because there are no obvious first ballot Hall of Famers. For my money, Andruw Jones is the most likely of the group to make the Hall of Fame.

JUST IN: the new ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026!

12 first-time candidates join 15 holdovers. A player must receive 75% of votes from the BBWAA for election.

Results will be announced Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. pic.twitter.com/yjFDRQsaA5

— MLB (@MLB) November 17, 2025

However, there is one more interesting thing for Nationals fans. Now that the franchise has been around over 20 years, plenty of former Nats are going to be on Hall of Fame ballots. This year, three former Nats will be on the ballot. Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Gio Gonzalez all made the ballot this year.

Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick & Daniel Murphy are on the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot.
If Gio or Murph miss, they’re HOPG eligible. Kendrick lands right at 35.0 WAR—just above the cutoff.
Results drop Jan. 20. pic.twitter.com/7LQ2SSIZZ5

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) November 17, 2025

None of these guys are likely to make it past the first ballot, but it is still an honor just to be on the ballot. You have to have played in the league for over a decade to make the list. If you are in the league for that long it means you had a great run in the league.

While none of these guys will be Hall of Famers, all three had some huge moments. Surprisingly, Howie Kendrick had by far the most WAR of the group with 35. The vast majority of that value came with the Angels, where he posted 28.5 WAR. However, his most memorable moments actually came in DC.

His home run in Game 7 of the World Series gave the Nats a lead they would not relinquish. Kendrick also hit a 10th inning grand slam to get the Nats over the hump in the NLDS. That 2019 season from the 35 year old Kendrick was so memorable. Despite that, he is still not going to make the Hall.

While he had the least WAR of the three, Daniel Murphy had the best peak among the group. His first two seasons in DC were absolutely outstanding, especially his 2016 season. Carrying over his momentum from his 2015 playoff run with the Mets, Murphy hit .347 with 25 homers and a .985 OPS in 2016. He finished second in MVP voting, only behind Kris Bryant.

Murphy was such a great pure hitter who found a way to tap into power in DC. Watching him hit was so much fun. He was really an artist at the plate. I think Murphy would do a great job as a hitting coach if someone hired him.

Lastly, Gio Gonzalez is also on the ballot. He spent the most time in DC of the trio. While he was never the ace of the staff, Gio was a great two or three starter for a number of years. His best season came in 2012 when he won 21 games and posted a 2.89 ERA. Mike Rizzo made a lot of great trades over the years, but his acquisition of Gonzalez was one of his best.

Gio could be a frustrating pitcher at times due to his shaky control. However, he was usually effectively wild. He never went super deep into games, but he could give you 5 or 6 innings of quality pitching most of the time. Gio was never truly elite outside of 2012, but he was a very good pitcher.

Moving forward, there are going to be more and more Nats on the ballot. Next season, a big name will be hitting the ballot. 2026 will be Ryan Zimmerman’s first year of eligibility. While he is unlikely to make Cooperstown, I would not be surprised if he stuck on the ballot for more than one year.

Zimmerman posted 40.1 WAR, which is a very good number. If it were not for injuries, I really think Zimmerman had a chance at Cooperstown. He only had one 2 WAR season after he turned 29. From 2014 to 2021, he only posted 6.4 WAR, which really put a dent in his Hall of Fame case.

Ryan Zimmerman is a Nationals legend, but his career still could have been better. It is really a shame that his body broke down only a couple years after the Nats entered their competitive window. They could potentially have another title if Zimmerman held up for longer. He had that great 2017 season, but outside of that, Zimmerman did not age very gracefully.

The first big time National to actually make the Hall of Fame is going to be Max Scherzer. It sounds like he will play another season, but he will be going straight to Cooperstown on the first ballot. Scherzer has over 75 WAR and is one of the best pitchers of his generation. Mad Max is an absolute no doubter for Cooperstown.

After that, we will have to wait a little bit. Like Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg’s prime was too short for Cooperstown. If his body could have held up even for a few more years, Strasburg would be an interesting case due to his postseason dominance. However, he did not do enough.

Bryce Harper and Juan Soto are likely to be Hall of Famers at some point, but at this rate, they will go in wearing another uniform. That is disappointing, especially in the case of Soto. Due to the collapse of the Nats, the team had to trade away a generational talent to restock their talent pool.

It will be interesting to follow this Hall of Fame cycle. I love looking at all the ballots and thinking about how I would vote. One day, I hope to have a Hall of Fame ballot myself. Maybe by the time Juan Soto is up for Cooperstown. Regardless, it is very cool to see three great Nationals on such a prestigious ballot.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...washington-nationals-make-hall-of-fame-ballot

 

[Washington Nationals]

Washington Nationals add three players to the 40 man roster to protect them from Rule 5 Draft

The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft is today. Paul Toboni had a few interesting decisions to make, but in the end he added three players to the 40-man roster. Those players are Jake Bennett, Christian Franklin and Riley Cornelio.

We have added the following players to our 40-man roster:

– LHP Jake Bennett
– RHP Riley Cornelio
– OF Christian Franklin

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) November 18, 2025

The Rule 5 Draft is one of the quirkier events on the MLB offseason calendar. When players have been in the minors for a certain amount of time, teams have to add them to the 40-man roster or risk them being claimed by another team. The team that claims the player has to carry them on their MLB roster for a full season. If they decide not to keep them on the roster, they have to return the player to their old team. Here is a link to a writeup that goes more in depth on the rules.

The Nats have picked a player in the Rule 5 Draft in the last few years. Bad teams often use it to find a diamond in the rough. For the Nats, Thaddeus Ward and Evan Reifert have been misses, while Nasim Nunez has been a worthwhile addition to the organization. Sometimes you can really strike gold though. The most recent example is last year when the White Sox picked up Shane Smith, who had a really nice rookie season and looks like a long term piece of the Sox rotation.

Usually teams find relievers or bench bats in the draft though. Paul Toboni should pick up a player in this year’s Rule 5. It is a super cheap way to find talent. The hit rate is not great because these guys are often unprotected for a reason, but it is worth taking a shot in the dark.

Among the names the Nats protected, Bennett and Franklin were obvious. Both are top 15 prospects in the organization who are likely to play a role in the Big Leagues at some point next season. Bennett had a fantastic season in his first campaign back from Tommy John Surgery, posting a 2.27 ERA in 75.1 innings. At 25 years old with quality stuff and control, do not be surprised to see the former second rounder make big league starts next year.

Franklin came to the Nats recently. He was part of the package that sent Michael Soroka to the Cubs. Franklin turns 26 at the end of the month, but after a strong season in AAA, he is big league ready. He is fantastic against left handed pitching, which gives him a straight-forward role as a platoon bat in the outfield. Franklin also has a good eye and is a quality athlete. Do not be surprised to see him leapfrog bigger names like potentially Robert Hassell.

The most surprising addition is Cornelio, though his inclusion is not a massive shock. He is not as big of a name as Bennett or Franklin, but he was one of the few bright spots in the Nats system last season. Cornelio had a Brad Lord-like rise from obscurity, climbing from High-A to Triple-A. He posted a 3.28 ERA across 134.1 innings. I think Cornelio could be a solid swing man like Lord was last year. He has mid-90’s heat and a very good slider.

There were also a few interesting names that the Nats left unprotected. Notably, Tyler Stuart, Marquis Grissom Jr. and Cayden Wallace were left unprotected. Stuart and Wallace were prospects acquired at the 2024 trade deadline that have not quite panned out, while Grissom is a relief prospect with a great changeup.

Nationals have added LHP Jake Bennett, RHP Riley Cornelio and OF Christian Franklin to the 40-man roster, protecting them from being lost in the Rule 5 Draft.

Among those left unprotected: INF Cayden Wallace, RHP Tyler Stuart (rehabbing from TJ surgery), RHP Marquis Grissom Jr.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 18, 2025

Stuart just had Tommy John Surgery, so a team could look to stash him on their roster. However, he is an older prospect with questionable upside so he is likely to stay. Wallace seemed like a great pickup when the Nats acquired him from Kansas City in the Hunter Harvey trade.

Wallace struggled heavily in Double-A though. He posted a sub-.700 OPS, a number that was sitting in the low-.600’s before a hot finish. At 24 years old with limited upside, I do not think anyone will claim Wallace. Sadly, he seems like what scouts call JAG, or just a guy.

Grissom could be claimed and stashed as a mop up man in a bullpen. He had a rough adjustment period to AAA, but put up dominant numbers at the lower levels as a relief prospect. Grissom has a fantastic changeup, but was exposed as a bit of a one trick pony in AAA. Nothing else about his profile really stands out. A team may take a shot, but it is also quite possible that he stays around as well.

The deadline for teams to protect their guys is 6 PM, so news will trickle in about who has been added to the other team’s 40-man rosters. There are always a few interesting players that do not get protected and we will stay on top of that. So much of modern baseball is about finding value wherever you can and the Rule 5 draft is a perfect opportunity for teams to find value for free.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/lat...ee-players-40-man-roster-protect-rule-5-draft

 

[Washington Nationals]

Starting today, comments and Feed posts on Federal Baseball will have activity notifications

When you post on SB Nation, we don’t want you to miss all the conversations and responses that follow.

So starting today, whenever a user replies to your comment or to your post on the Feed, you’ll see a notification at the top right corner of the page.

And of course, this means that when you engage with other community members, they’ll get an alert too.

Our goal is to create more and better conversations on DRaysBay and elsewhere across the SB Nation network. Anytime someone engages with your comments or Feed posts on another SB Nation community, you’ll see it in your notifications.

For instance, here’s what your notifications might look like on sbnation.com if you were getting replies across Arrowhead Pride, MMA Fighting, and sbnation.com. You will see the same expandable stack of notifications on any site in the network where you were logged in.

If you want to dig into more of how this will work across the network and what’s next, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton.

You can log in or sign up here. Logged in users get fewer ads along with the ability to join the conversation.Jump into the comment section below or post on The Feed to see notifications in action.

If you want to dig into more of how this will work across the network and what’s next, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton. You can log in or sign up here. Logged in users get fewer ads along with the ability to join the conversation.

Jump into the comment section below or post on The Feed to see notifications in action.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/gen...ral-baseball-will-have-activity-notifications

 

[Washington Nationals]

Players the Washington Nationals could sign if they want to make a splash

Yesterday, Ryan Zimmerman and Dan Kolko did their podcast with new manager Blake Butera. One thing that stuck out to me was when Zimmerman talked about bringing in a veteran presence on a multi-year deal. The Nats have had a lot of veterans on one-year deals, but everyone in the clubhouse knows those guys will come and go.

Zimmerman wants to bring in a leader that will be around for multiple years. He specifically suggested a 2-4 year deal. I totally agree with this and it is something the team has been missing for years. The veterans the Nats have brought in have been fighting to revive their careers. We need an older head who knows he will be around and part of the project.

Zim thinks the #Nats need to sign a veteran team leader on a slightly longer deal of 2-to-4 years.

Sounds to me that a JT Realmuto would fit that perfectly as well as a position of need. pic.twitter.com/zy7WVBcKJk

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) November 19, 2025

There are a few players that fit these parameters for me and are guys the Nationals should go after. The first name that comes to mind is Eugenio Suarez. He fits the bill on multiple levels. At 34 years old, Suarez fits perfectly into that 2-4 year deal range. He would also be an impactful player on the field. Suarez smashed 49 home runs last season. Sure, he is a home run or bust hitter, but those flaws can be overlooked with that kind of power.

Suarez is one of three players with six 30 home run seasons since 2018. Ironically, the other two, Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, are also free agents. Schwarber would also fit the bill for this exercise, but he would be very pricey. Suarez will not cost as much, but still provides that enormous power upside.

The only players with six 30-HR seasons since 2018:

Kyle Schwarber
Pete Alonso
Eugenio Suárez

Three of the game's top sluggers are all on the open market pic.twitter.com/UOu3GkKVe3

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) November 17, 2025

Importantly, Suarez is also known as a tremendous clubhouse guy. Everywhere he has played, Suarez has been beloved by teammates. When Suarez was traded back to Seattle, where he played before, he got a hero’s welcome. Nobody has ever had a bad word to say about the guy and he would be a great leader for a young team.

Right now, Suarez is a third baseman, but he would be a fit at DH or even first base for the Nats. Suarez is a capable defensive third baseman, but the Nats will likely want to give Brady House some run. With Suarez’s power, his bat fits at any position. If House struggles and needs more time in AAA, you also have the luxury of being able to move Suarez back to third base.

With Suarez’s age and one dimensional game, there is some risk. He struggled with the bat after the trade to Seattle, but I would still be willing to give him a 3 year deal for about $50 million. Players who hit 49 home runs do not grow on trees. I think he would be a very strong fit with the Nats.

The next player to discuss is a guy Nats fans have become very familiar with over the years. J.T. Realmuto has played in the NL East his whole career. He has been a star for both the Marlins and Phillies. At one point, he was the best catcher in baseball, but has slowed down a bit over the last few years.

He may not be what he once was, but Realmuto is still a highly capable starting catcher. The veteran is still a good offensive catcher who is elite at controlling the running game. His offense suffered last season due to uncharacteristically poor numbers against left handed pitching, which has not been an issue for him in the past. Realmuto still hit right handers well though.

JT Realmuto R/R 35yo

2025
2.5WAR 134G 91OPS+
12HR 52RBI 8SB
.257/.315/.384/.700

Best Fits: Phillies, Padres, Pirates, Nationals

Proj Deal: 2yrs 30mil

What’s your Team and Contract Projection?

JT still has it in the tank.
Despite a down year at the plate in 25, he’s… pic.twitter.com/bCFWb7TP5v

— Big League Takes (@BigLeagueTakes) November 15, 2025

At 35 years old, Realmuto should be in line for a two year deal. He has more in the tank than Pudge Rodriguez did when he joined the Nats, but Realmuto could have the same kind of effect off the field. Catchers are often the best leaders on the team and Realmuto has been around the block for a long time.

Having played with the Phillies the past few years, he knows what it takes to win games in this division. He would be a really good mentor for a young Nationals team that needs leaders. A two-year deal for $30 million would be a fair offer for both sides.

Suarez and Realmuto are my two favorite targets for what Zimmerman is suggesting, but there are a few other guys I want to touch on. When I think of leaders, my mind turns to position players, but pitchers can also be leaders. Of all the free agent pitchers, Chris Bassitt is the guy who fits Zimmerman’s parameters. Despite being 37, Bassitt is showing no signs of slowing down and will likely fetch a multi-year deal.

He is known as a good clubhouse guy and is steady as they come. In an era where pitchers are so volatile, Bassitt is so reliable. We wrote about him earlier in the offseason and I still think he would be a strong fit.

Other position players that come to mind are Jorge Polanco, Ha-Seong Kim and Ryan O’Hearn. However, those guys do not appear to have the same kind of leadership chops as Suarez or Realmuto. They would be very quality pick ups though. Harrison Bader brings a fire and intensity that I love, but the Nats already have so many outfielders.

Ryan Zimmerman is not asking for anything crazy when he talks about bringing in a veteran on a 2-4 year deal. He is not saying they have to break the bank on a Pete Alonso or Kyle Schwarber, though that would be great. All he wants is the Nats to bring in a real veteran leader who is a good enough player to where the clubhouse will listen to them.

It is debatable whether the Nats are in a spot where they should be signing 5+ year mega deals, but a medium term contract for a veteran leader makes a ton of sense. Blake Butera needs a leader in the clubhouse and a guy who can show all the young players what it means to be a pro. Eugenio Suarez or J.T. Realmuto would be a great fit to help lead this young squad into a brighter future.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87490/players-washington-nationals-could-sign-make-splash

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals have important decisions to make at tomorrow’s non-tender deadline

Tomorrow is a very important day in the MLB offseason. By tomorrow night, teams have to decide if they want to tender their arbitration eligible players a contract. If they tender a player, the arbitration process starts, if not, the player becomes a free agent. Paul Toboni has a couple of interesting decisions on his hands in the next 24 to 36 hours.

MLB Trade Rumors does a great job following the arbitration process. Their arbitration pay estimates are usually spot on and provide a great resource for fans. They also come up with a list of players who could possibly be non-tendered. Three Nationals were on their list of non-tender candidates. Those were Riley Adams, Jake Irvin and Luis Garcia Jr.

2025 Non-Tender Candidates https://t.co/iLfyXhsxHY pic.twitter.com/pkzgsg0cq9

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 20, 2025

Of the three, Adams is the most likely to be non-tendered. His projected salary is only $1.5 million, but Adams has not proven himself to even be a capable backup catcher. Despite his big raw power, Adams has struggled massively on the offensive side in the last two years. He is also a bad defensive catcher due to his lack of blocking and framing skills. Adams has elite bat speed, but he has not been able to translate that into production.

Overall, the Nationals have 7 arbitration eligible players. MacKenzie Gore, CJ Abrams, Cade Cavalli and Josiah Gray are locks to be tendered a contract. Gore and Abrams require no explanation. However, Gray and Cavalli are locks due to their low salary projections and upside. For me, Jake Irvin and Luis Garcia Jr. are the real interesting decisions here.

Here are the @mlbtraderumors
projected 2026 salaries:

Luis Garcia Jr. (4.142): $7MM
Josiah Gray (4.075): $1.35MM
MacKenzie Gore (4.000): $4.7MM
Riley Adams (3.171): $1.5MM
CJ Abrams (3.130): $5.6MM
Jake Irvin (2.152): $3.3MM
Cade Cavalli (2.141): $1.3MM

— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) November 18, 2025

Let’s start with Irvin because this one snuck up on me. Before the arbitration projection numbers came out, I had not considered the idea of non-tendering Irvin. However, his projected $3.3 million salary complicates things. Based on last season, Irvin would not be worth that number. He posted a 5.70 ERA, which was the worst among qualified starters.

Irvin looked really bad for most of the season. His velocity was down, which made the big right hander extremely hittable. The 38 home runs he allowed were the most in baseball. However, he did complete 180 innings for the second straight season. That durability has some inherent value, especially if he can get his ERA back to the low to mid 4’s.

If Paul Toboni and his staff believe they can get Irvin’s velocity back and make a few tweaks, they will likely tender him a contract. Irvin showed flashes mid-rotation upside in 2024 and if he can get back to that, the $3.3 million will be a steal. However, if the new front office thinks 2025 showed the real Jake Irvin, non-tendering him would be the move. You can find someone to eat innings and pitch badly for the league minimum.

This leads us to the most fascinating discussion in Luis Garcia Jr. He is projected to make $7 million, which is a fairly hefty price. Like Irvin, Garcia’s 2025 production does not justify that salary. He only posted 0.7 fWAR in 139 games and was below average on both sides of the ball. However, the 25 year old was excellent in 2024, posting a 3 WAR season.

If he can get back to that level, his salary would be a bargain. The problem is that Garcia has not been very good outside of that 2024 season. I am actually more confident in his bat than his glove. Last season, Garcia was extremely unlucky.

In 2025, Garcia posted a .337 xwOBA compared to a .300 wOBA. Garcia’s xwOBA, average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard hit rate and expected batting average were all better in 2025 than his breakout 2024 season. This gives me confidence that Garcia can get back to being an above average hitter because he was one when you look at the under the hood numbers.

I am less optimistic about his defense though. While Garcia was an above average defender at second base in 2024, that looks like an outlier. He looked less athletic in 2025, which was supported by the numbers. Garcia’s sprint speed went from the 45th percentile to the 25th percentile. His range suffered due to his diminished athleticism. We even saw him play some first base at the end of the season.

Garcia is also a platoon bat, granted the fact he is a left handed hitter means he is on the strong side of a platoon. He only hit .179 against left handed pitching last season and has historically struggled against southpaws. If he cannot play second base anymore, justifying a $7 million price tag for a platoon first baseman with holes in his offensive game is tough to justify.

However, Garcia is still so young at 25 and has shown the ability to be a good starting second baseman in the past. This is a really tricky call for Paul Toboni and I could see this one going either way. If Garcia is let go, I could see it biting the Nats in the future. However, he has only been worth $7 million one time in his career.

These decisions will tell us a lot about Toboni’s thought process and what he thinks about these players. It will also be interesting to follow what other teams do. The non-tender deadline will create a deeper free agent pool. There are a few non-tender candidates the Nats could look to sign, including Jonah Heim, Ryan Mountcastle and Jonathan India. Tomorrow is a big day for Paul Toboni and it will be the first time he really has to make tough roster decisions.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/was...rtant-decisions-tomorrows-non-tender-deadline

 

[Washington Nationals]

The Washington Nationals Should Heavily Consider A CJ Abrams Trade

The Nationals are open for business this offseason and are receiving calls for all their top stars, with MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams generating the most trade buzz. While a good number of Nats fans have come around on the idea of trading Gore, who is a free agent after the 2027 MLB season, many still are turned off by the idea of trading Abrams, who is under team control through the 2028 season.

Would it be difficult to watch the young shortstop, who is one of the faces of the roster currently, be shipped away for prospects, especially when he was once one of those prospects being acquired meant to turn the team around? Absolutely. It isn’t, however, as crazy as it sounds, and I believe it would be beneficial to cash in on his value now for multiple reasons.

For starters, Abrams has improved every year offensively since he entered the league, going from a 72 wRC+ in 2022 in 70 games to a 107 wRC+ in 144 games in 2025, but it’s hard to imagine his offensive ceiling is much higher than where he is currently. He has managed solid power numbers thanks to a strong ability to pull fly balls, but he hasn’t managed to hit over 20 in a season due to his lack of raw power, as he has ranked in the 29th percentile in average exit velocity in back-to-back seasons.

The lack of raw power wouldn’t be as much of an issue for Abrams if it weren’t for the fact that his plate discipline is suspect as well, and still hasn’t improved after 4 years in the bigs. He improved his walk rate from 9th percentile in 2023 to 28th percentile in 2024, but regressed back to the 20th percentile in 2025. The issue for Abrams has been his inability to avoid chasing pitches, as he has ranked 20th percentile in chase rate all 4 years of his career.

While the old staff of hitting coaches in DC were notorious for not instilling a proper plate approach in their hitters, and a new coaching staff should help Abrams see improvements to his plate discipline, it could be a process that takes several years, with Abrams possibly hitting the open market by the time they maximize it.

The other reason the Nats should heavily consider trading CJ Abrams is that his defense is terrible, and he has not shown any signs of improvement. The Nationals have gotten the worst up-the-middle defense in baseball for several years, and Abrams has played a big part in that, ranking in the bottom 3rd percentile or worse in Outs Above Average at shortstop for 4 consecutive years now.

He has the speed to play the position, but the combination of bad jumps and a below-average arm has led to him being one of the poorest defenders in baseball at maybe the most valuable defensive position. Thanks to his athleticism, he could likely make the transition to another position, such as second base, something that seems very likely if he were moved to a contending team at some point.

This isn’t to say Abrams is a bad baseball player; in fact, he is far from it. Utilized correctly, Abrams could be one of the best second basemen in baseball, showcasing the speed and bat-to-ball skills of a great leadoff hitter, as long as his plate discipline improves. But, based on the underlying metrics, which don’t suggest much more offensive improvement, and the shaky defensive performance (not to mention the off-the-field issues in 2023, which it is unknown if are fixed), I am very much for at least listening to offers from contenders about Abrams, and making a deal for the right price.

So what is Abrams worth in a trade? With 3 years of team control, a 3 fWAR season behind him, and projections that hold him at about 3 WAR again entering next season, we can assume Abrams would be a decently hot commodity on the trading block, fetching at least one top 100 prospect, possibly more, and some lottery tickets in another team’s system as well. For instance, if the Nationals were to send Abrams to the Mariners, they could likely acquire catcher Harry Ford, MLB Pipeline’s 38th-ranked prospect in baseball, along with several other prospects within their top 30.

While it would be difficult to watch another fan favorite player shipped off in a trade for future talent, especially when Abrams was once that future talent acquired in a trade, it ultimately may be the best course of action to restock the farm system, as Mike Rizzo and company left the Nationals in a difficult spot with a not-good-enough big league roster, but also a too shallow farm system. I trust Paul Toboni and his staff will do their due diligence this offseason on all their assets, and if they believe they are getting a fair deal in a trade for Abrams, I am all for it.

Source: https://www.federalbaseball.com/general/87484/the-nationals-heavily-consider-a-cj-abrams-trade