Washington Nationals Deemed ‘Top Landing Spot’ for Two-Time All-Star
The Washington Nationals eventually need to increase their payroll, and this offseason will give them the best time to do so. One could argue that they should wait another year, but if they want to start winning ball games, they must start spending money.
With this core of young talent intact for the foreseeable future and on favorable contracts, it'd make sense to spend now.
At some point, they'll have to hand over massive contracts to some of these young players. If they want to get ahead of the curve, they could look to add win now players to maximize their chances of contending.
There isn't any reason why the Nationals can't be a team like the Kansas City Royals next season. The Royals also had young talent, and instead of waiting for them to continue growing, they brought in veteran players to help them win.
As a result, they're only four games out in their division and have a real chance of winning it if they can play well over the next three weeks.
Now, that's not to say that Washington would have the same outcome. The National League East is a far superior division than the American League Central, but it's certainly possible that the Nationals could make a push for the Wild Card as early as 2025 if they do what they have to do this winter.
There will be many names on the market, including veteran Alex Bregman. Bregman has proven to be a winner throughout his career, having been a member of two World Series teams with the Houston Astros.
That's why Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named Washington a landing spot for the 30-year-old.
"Bregman alongside CJ Abrams, James Wood and Dylan Crews? Sounds like fun. And between that homegrown trio and a near-total lack [nods in the direction of Keibert Ruiz] of long-term commitments, the time sure seems right for the Nationals to spend again. But what of Brady House? The 21-year-old slugger is next in line to join the aforementioned core, and he's a bit too good on defense to move to first base for Bregman's sake."
Adding Bregman's production to this lineup would make them much better. He'd provide protection for some of the other hitters, which is important for a young team like the Nationals. In his career, he's slashed .272/.366/.482 with 187 home runs in 4,098 at-bats.
If he wants to win, chances are he'll continue playing with the Astros.
However, if he wants to get paid as much as possible and go to an up-and-coming team, there might not be many better spots than Washington.
JON CONAHAN