Washington Nationals’ Payroll Offers Flexibility to Spend More This Offseason
The Washington Nationals had money to spend entering free agency for next season. But, so far, they’ve spent $9 million on a free-agent pitcher.
That’s roughly it for a team that had an estimated final payroll of $130 million, per Fangraphs’ roster resource. As of now, the Nats are only expected to spend an estimated $96 million.
How did Fangraphs get to that figure?
Well, first there are the guaranteed contracts, and right now Washington has just two. The first is Michael Soroka, the aforementioned free-agent picher who will make $9 million next season.
The other is catcher Keibert Ruiz, who signed an eight-year, $50 million deal two seasons ago and is due just $5.375 million in 2025.
That’s just over $14 million in guaranteed money.
Next is arbitration, where the Nationals trimmed their bill by non-tendering pitchers Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey, along with releasing infielder Ildemaro Vargas. But Washington offset that by trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, which Fangraphs estimates will get a deal worth $10.7 million in arbitration.
The other arbitration-eligible players are pitcher Derek Law, infielder Luis Garcia Jr., pitcher Josiah Gray, pitcher Mason Thompson, catcher Riley Adams and pitcher MacKenzie Gore.
Combined, the bill could be as high as $24.5 million, assuming the two sides agree on the estimated salary.
Pitcher Mason Thompson agreed to a one-year deal worth $775,000 to avoid arbitration.
That gets the Nationals to roughly $39 million in payroll.
Then, it’s pre-arbitration players. This includes young stars like CJ Abrams, Jacob Young, James Wood and Dylan Crews, who are expected to make the Major League minimum, unless the Nats sign any of them to a deal like Ruiz’s.
Fangraphs estimates the pre-arb payroll at $19 million.
That’s roughly $58-59 million. So what’s left?
Stephen Strasburg and Joey Gallo.
While Strasburg is retired, his deal is still on the books. Per Fangraphs, he’ll get $35 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. It’s guaranteed money so the Nationals have to pay it.
As for Gallo, Washington owes him $2.5 million for his buyout.
The grand total is $96.145 million — assuming the Nationals don’t make any more free-agent signings between now and opening day.
The financial flexibility is why it’s almost certain Washington will probably go back into the market for depth in the bullpen and perhaps a full-time designated hitter before it starts spring training in February.
