Onus Now Falls on Washington Nationals Ownership Heading Into Offseason
It was not very long ago that the Washington Nationals were among the biggest spenders in Major League Baseball.
From 2013-2021, they were inside the top 10 of the highest payrolls in the game. In 2019, the year they won the World Series, they were at their highest point with the No. 4 payroll, spending $205 million.
Just two years after winning the championship, the difficult decision to begin a teardown was made. As a result, payroll was slashed as they have dropped near the bottom of baseball, coming in at No. 24 this year.
Stop-gap options were brought in to fill holes temporarily until younger players were ready to assume the role full-time. While winning didn’t come easily in 2024, one positive is that youngsters emerged as everyday contributors to help build a new core.
While the rebuild isn’t complete, the Nationals are at least heading in the right direction. The light at the end of the tunnel is coming into focus.
There are clear needs on the roster, as they lack a true power hitter for the middle of the lineup and need help at first base. Some more experienced arms in the bullpen and maybe one for an established starter certainly wouldn’t hurt.
“I think it’s time to spend at a point,” general manager Mike Rizzo said last week when asked the question, via Mark Zuckerman of Masn. “We’re going to see who’s available, and what fits we have out there. But I think that it’s time for us to add to the roster, because we’ve got a good young core group of guys, and some veteran leadership, I think, is warranted.”
It certainly sounds as if the front office knows the task at hand. But, will ownership be willing to give clearance to spend?
Rizzo can have the perfect plan in place, but if he isn’t given the okay by Mark Lerner, it is all for naught. However, it certainly sounds as if he is ready to see a competitive team on the field again.
“My guess is he’ll say: ‘No, give it another year. Let’s get some of these young guys here and being productive, then you take the leap,’” Lerner said at the end of the 2023 season, hinting that spending could increase after the 2024 campaign. “Whatever he desires, he knows he has the resources, and he’s always had the resources since the day we took over this team, to build a winner. I can’t recall in all these years, on one hand, that he’s been turned down for something.”
Will Lerner stick to that, providing the front office the means to get things done? The money will certainly be there as tens of millions of dollars are coming off the payroll with Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams coming off the books.
Right now, the only player projected to earn more than $5 million is closer Kyle Finnegan, who is expected to cash in during arbitration for approximately $8.6 million. Catcher Keibert Ruiz is the only player with a guaranteed salary already on the books for 2025 and is getting paid only $5 million.
The opportunity to augment this roster and become a playoff contender is there. All that is needed is for Lerner to give the okay, allowing Rizzo to get to work this offseason.
