Four Starting Pitchers Washington Nationals Should Trade For in Offseason
As the Washington Nationals head into the offseason, the organization seeking to improve a team that has won 71 games each of the last two years.
While the rebuilding has taken some time for the Nationals, they are heading in the right direction with plenty of young talent already in the Majors making an impact. Despite five years of being under .500, the future is looking bright for the franchise.
As the team looks to improve this offseason, free agency is still considered the most likely path. With pitcher Patrick Corbin’s contract coming off the books, Washington will seek to reallocate that money for free agents.
However, the Nationals might also be considering making trades to upgrade. With a plethora of young talent, Washington might decide to package some of them to improve.
With starting pitching a need for Washington, here are four pitchers that the Nationals should look into trading for this offseason.
Jesus Luzardo
An option from within Washington's own division could be Miami Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo. After two good seasons in 2022 and 2023, the left-hander had a tough campaign last season as he pitched in just 12 games due to injury.
At just 26 years old, the southpaw has upside when healthy and the Marlins may have made him available at last year's trade deadline if he was healthy. Now, he's a bit of a roll of the dice due to the injury, but that could allow the Nats to get him for cheaper.
Sonny Gray
One veteran option for the Nationals could be Sonny Gray of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals may be trying to get rid of some of their veterans and he still has the ability to help a team. In 2024, the 34-year-old went 13-9 record with a 3.84 ERA.
This would be a big shot for Washington, however. Gray carries a hefty salary ($25 million in 2025 and #35 million in 2026) and a no-trade clause he would have to waive. Plus, Washington may ask the Cardinals to pick up some of the remaining salary.
Sandy Alcántara
After missing the entire 2024 campaign due to surgery, Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara could be a great option for the Nationals.
He had Tommy John surgery, so his medicals would have to check out. For that reason, the cost might not be as steep for the Nats.
When healthy, the right-hander can be one of the best pitchers in the league, and this could be a way for Washington to get an ace.
Garrett Crochet
The top pitcher who could be available on the trade market is Chicago White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet. The White Sox are still in a rebuild mindset and previous overtures for Crochet have gone unanswered, as Chicago has a high asking price.
He has a couple of more years under team control, so the Nationals would have to be comfortable with a higher cost. But they could also consider extending the young southpaw and have him grow with the young core.
