Washington Nationals Have One Remaining Priority Entering Spring Training

The Washington Nationals are getting excited for the start of the 2025 campaign with the offseason slowly but surely coming to a close.
Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nationals have had some tough years. After reaching the top of the mountain, it has been a lot of losses, including five straight losing seasons, along with a lengthy rebuild.
While the team has struggled, the Nationals have also started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With a lot of young talent in their lineup, 2025 is going to be a year in which the team can hopefully start to see more wins than their back-to-back 71-win seasons the last two campaigns.
This offseason, Washington hasn’t necessarily made the big splash that some were hoping for, but they have added some good veterans.
However, if the team is going to be trying to win more games than in recent years, they could use some additional help in one key area.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently wrote about what should be on the wish list for the Nationals before the start of Spring Training. He highlighted their need to add another pitcher who is capable of closing games for them in 2025.
“Though Jorge López is a decent enough addition, the Nationals can't lose in adding another closer candidate to their bullpen," he wrote.
One of Washington's most significant offseason decisions was to non-tender the contract of their All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan. While the veteran right-hander was an All-Star in 2024, his second half of the season was really bad.
Considering the struggles of Finnegan in the second half with an ERA over 5.00, the Nationals likely wanted to try and allocate their assets elsewhere.
However, there is still a void in the bullpen left with his absence, and not a lot has been done to fix that.
While the addition of Lopez was a nice move, he has only saved 31 games in nine seasons, with a majority of those saves coming in 2022.
If winning games is going to be the goal this year, adding another veteran who has experience closing games makes sense for the Nationals. Based on how they have operated so far this offseason, a multi-year deal for a high-leverage reliever seems unlikely.
However, there are solid veteran options available like David Robertson and Kenley Jansen to name a few who have experience as a closer and likely would accept a one-year deal. Jansen may require an option, but Robertson pitched on a one-year deal last season and is closing in on 40 years old.
Even though Washington might not be going all-in this winter, adding another high-leverage arm for their bullpen should certainly be on their wish list before Spring Training.