Washington Nationals Could Land Veteran Pitcher on Bargain Free-Agent Deal
The Washington Nationals head into the offseason in a prime position to improve a roster that has shown management there is reason to believe it could be getting ready to compete.
After years of struggles, the Nationals are showing they are getting close to being able to compete in what has become an extremely challenging National League East Division.
Washington has done a nice job stockpiling young talent through the MLB draft and in deadline trades the past several years. Now, players like CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. have established themselves as good players in the big leagues that should improve.
Washington has other high-profile young talent developing, like James Wood and Dylan Crews. With a deep farm system, some money to spend and Patrick Corbin’s contract coming off the books, the Nationals are in a good position to spend.
While the lineup could use a big bat, preferably at first base, the starting rotation was an issue last year and needs to be worked on. With plenty of young arms, it is possible that some of that rotation could come from that pool of players. But if not, it could be another long season for Washington unless it can find pitching in free agency.
Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicted that the Nationals would be signing veteran right-hander Frankie Montas to a two-year, $20 million deal. The reason has to do with Montas' improvment with some key pitches.
Montas had a rough time as a New York Yankee, falling flat after a 2022 trade and then missing almost all of 2023 after shoulder surgery. This year wasn't quite a return to form. He did, however, fan 29 percent of the batters he faced after going from Cincinnati to Milwaukee. He gained 1.1 mph on his fastball, though he also featured his sinker and cutter more than his four-seamer. A team should want to run with those improvements.
After some struggles, last season the 31-year-old totaled a 7-11 record and 4.84 ERA. While he would be an improvement over Corbin in the rotation, those types of numbers aren’t going to result in much of a difference in the win total for the Nationals.
With other options out there, Washington would be wise to explore them before committing to Montas, who should be seen as a backup plan.
