'Solution' for Washington Nationals Problems Could Be Upgrading Their Rotation
At one point in the season, the Washington Nationals were actually in the mix for an NL Wild Card spot during the month of June.
That seems so long ago based on where they sit in the standings now, entering Friday with the third-worst record in the National League and the sixth-worst overall.
Making the playoffs would have been a huge accomplishment for the Nationals at this stage of their rebuild, and as they continued to get further and further away from playing October baseball, the front office decided to sell off pieces to get back future assets.
Still, the future looks bright in Washington after many of their star prospects were able to reach the Majors this year and seem like they can be future cornerstones of franchise when they reach contender status once again.
When that might actually come is uncertain right now, but if the owners are willing to spend money in free agency this offseason, then they could jumpstart this process by bringing in players who can contribute to winning immediately.
There are a few different areas the front office can focus on, but Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report thinks their "solution" is upgrading their starting rotation.
"They may well be reluctant to invest nine figures in another starting pitcher, but they're at least in a spot in the balance sheet where they could go get a Corbin Burnes or a Max Fried, which could be a major step in the right direction ... Adding one ace might not be quite enough, but getting an ace and a No. 3/4 starter in free agency while reaping the benefits of basically the entire offense getting one year closer to hitting its prime just might be the blueprint for a 2024 Kansas City Royals type of instant turnaround," he writes.
Landing an ace-caliber arm like Blake Snell is something that has been stated here on Washington Nationals On SI, and this area does feel like the clear target they should be going after this winter.
While Mackenzie Gore and DJ Herz could be their top-of-the-rotation guys in the future, they aren't frontline starters on a contending team in the loaded National League in 2025.
But with someone like Snell, or Corbin Burnes like Miller is suggesting, they would have a starting pitcher who gives this team a real shot of winning every fifth day.
The Nationals could use some upgrades in their lineup, but outside of reuniting with Juan Soto, is there anyone scheduled to hit the open market who they should break the bank to sign?
With so many top prospects in their pipeline and on their current Major League roster, it would make more sense for them to allocate resources to get better pitching across the board, pursuing elite starting pitchers and shutdown bullpen arms.
If Washington is going to spend this offseason, pitching should be at the top of their target board.
BRAD WAKAI