What is Washington Nationals' Biggest Question Entering Winter Meetings?
The Washington Nationals are heading into the Winter Meetings with a lot of needs to still address, as they have been relatively quiet so far this offseason.
Coming into the offseason, the Nationals figure to be in a pretty good position to make some nice moves to improve a young team.
The core of Washington has brought a lot of excitement to the franchise, as players like CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia Jr. and James Wood all have star potential. However, this is still a team that needs more if they want to compete in the next couple of years against the best of the National League.
Jessica Camerato of MLB.com recently wrot about what the biggest question for the Nationals is heading into the Winter Meetings. She highlighted that how much they will spend this offseason is still very much in question.
With pitcher Patrick Corbin's $140 million deal coming off the book, the Nats have plenty of flexibility and Camerato believes team leadership will look for veterans to fill out the roster.
“The Nationals could enhance their roster with a veteran player who brings experience and leadership to provide insight to players such as top prospect Dylan Crews and James Wood, as well as offensive power to a lineup that has struggled with run production.”
There is a lot to like about the direction that Washington is going in, and this feels like an offseason when it's time to spend some money once again after ridding itself of some bad contracts and stockpiling young talent since their 2019 World Series victory.
While the Nationals probably won't be competing for a World Series in 2025, it is realistic to see this team get to around the .500 mark and maybe even compete for a Wild Card spot. But that all depends upon how much money they're willing to spend. Room to spend isn't an issue. The Nationals currently have a roster that, with no other moves, has a payroll of about $35 million for next season.
Currently, there are a few pressing needs for the team, as they let go of their closer Kyle Finnegan, leaving a major void in the bullpen. Also, the starting rotation could use a front-end caliber starter that could provide some stability to the unit.
While the lineup does have a lot of young talent, they could use a middle of the order caliber hitter to help drive in runs and provide some power. It would be helpful if those hitters played corner infield positions, areas where the Nats don't currently have short- or long-term solutions at the MLB level.
Furthermore, if Washington is willing to spend this offseason, there is certainly reason to believe that they will be a much better team in 2025.
