Washington Nationals Know What They Want at First Base Going Forward
With the Washington Nationals having more time on their hands to figure out how they want to attack this offseason after missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year, some clear information is starting to emerge about what positions they would like to pursue.
So far, there aren't a whole lot of shockers.
Starting pitching and bullpen help is something virtually every team is targeting, but with potential young cornerstones at multiple positions in the field, it seems like the Nationals are honing their attention in on upgrading first base.
The offensive production they got from Joey Gallo last season was a disaster, and when got hurt and missed multiple weeks of the year, they didn't have a star prospect waiting in the wings to take over that role.
Yohandy Morales is the only player in the top 30 of their pipeline who plays that position, but with only 73 games of Double-A baseball under his belt as the highest level of professional baseball he's played in his career, Washington is going to prioritize bringing in an established first baseman.
Who they might go after isn't clear.
The names in this class are certainly star-studded, led by slugger Pete Alonso, Gold Glover Christian Walker, and former MVP Paul Goldschmidt, but the sheer volume at that position isn't deep so it might be difficult for the Nationals to truly upgrade unless they break the bank for someone like Alonso or Walker.
The front office also seems to have an idea about what type of player profile they will go after at first base this winter.
According to Mark Zuckerman of MASN, "They'd love to find someone as defensively gifted as Gallo, but they absolutely need to find someone who provides a more well-rounded offensive game. Power is necessary at the position, yes. But so are singles, doubles, walks and (gasp) even a few sacrifice flies."
That likely limits their scope when it comes to the free agency market.
Yes, Alonso or Walker would be massive additions to this group and would give them a real option there for the foreseeable future, but Washington might not be willing to shell out the type of money it would take to land them, especially considering those players might not view them as a serious contender based on where stand in their rebuild.
The Nationals know what they are looking for this offseason, but whether or not they will be able to land that type of first baseman will be seen.
