Washington Nationals Linked to Two-Time All-Star Slugger in MLB Free Agency
The Washington Nationals are a team entering the offseason desperate for some excitement coming off five consecutive missed postseasons after their World Series triumph in 2019.
As the team gets set to approach free agency, power added to the lineup is probably the biggest need for Washington. The Nationals ranked No. 29 in the league in home runs hit with just 135, leading only the historically dreadful Chicago White Sox who had 133 of them.
Ownership and decision makers must figure out a way to add an impact bat into the clubhouse if the team is to improve upon back-to-back 71-win seasons.
While of course everyone wants a reunion with Juan Soto or to go after some of the other expensive sluggers on the open market, it just doesn't feel all that realistic that a dream signing is going to come to fruition this winter. There are plenty of quality players out there, and some that perhaps can be had at a bargain. With a new fresh batch of opted out players now available and ready to hit free agency, Bennett Lehmann of District on Deck named Diamondbacks designated hitter Joc Pederson as a player that Washington could potentially throw into a platoon.
"This next one would be strictly a platoon fit, but Joc Pederson could bring some much-needed thump to the Nationals lineup in 2025 and beyond," Lehmann wrote. "With 209 career homers and 23 this past season, the power is easy to see, and would surely help to provide some pop for a lineup that was severely lacking in that department."
Lehmann pointed out that while Pederson does not have the defensive capability to be an every day outfielder anymore, he could platoon with Andres Chaparro at DH. Playing in 132 games for Arizona in 2024, Pederson was strictly a designated hitter but finished the season with arguably the best overall year of his entire career and set career highs both in batting average and OPS.
Pederson is not exactly a signing that's going to blow anyone away, but he is a quality hitter that likely will not come at a huge expense and can help the Nationals with a power hitting problem that has crippled the team for years now.
